How to Germinate a Yellow Poplar

Fill 6-inch square pots with a soil mixture comprised of three parts loam and one part coarse sand. Fill the pots to within an inch of the top.

Place two yellow poplar seeds on the surface of the soil. Cover the seeds with a 1/8-inch-thick layer of loam. Cover the loam with a 1/8-inch-thick layer of coarse sand.

Spray the soil in each pot using a garden hose fitted with a mist nozzle. Keep spraying the soil until it feels moderately wet in the top two inches.

Place the pots in a ventilated cold frame, or place them in a sheltered, partially shaded spot where they will not be disturbed.

Moisten the soil mixture every few days during the winter months so it never fully dries out. Mist the soil until it feels moderately moist in the top inch.

Watch for germination the following spring once daytime temperatures top 65 F for two or more weeks. Remove one of the yellow poplar seedlings from each pot, if both seeds germinate successfully.

Move the pots to a place with bright, dappled sunlight after germination. Allow the soil to dry out slightly between waterings once the seedlings put on a pair of mature leaves.

Transplant the yellow poplar seedlings into a sunny, fertile bed when they grow to 12 inches high. Space the trees at least 40 feet apart since they grow very large at maturity.