I am breeding alder (Alnus glutinosa) as a grain crop. See the attached file for the long reasons why. My problem is that I can grow seeds satisfactorily, they reach 50 - 60 cms with plentiful branches by the end of the first summer. But it will then take 7 years before they can produce their own seeds, far too long! Somehow the tree has to be "aged" so that it will breed earlier. I had thought of giving the seedlings more seasons by varying the temperature and daylight cycle, and that's still a possibility, but it is another idea to use bonsai techniques to make the tree "feel old" and produce cones and catkins.
Might this be possible? Can anybody suggest a way forward?
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