How I Grew a Ginkgo Tree from Fruit to Sprout

How I Grew a Ginkgo Tree from Fruit to Sprout

A step-by-step story of patience, soil, and one smelly fruit that changed everything

🌲 From Sidewalk Fruit to New Life

I didn’t buy the seed. I didn’t even plan to grow a tree.

I just picked up a strange-smelling fruit from under a ginkgo tree. It was soft, golden, and oddly warm from the autumn sun.

I carried it home  — somewhere in that messy little fruit, life was waiting.

🌱 How I Planted the Ginkgo Seed

It started with a walk near the native plant garden in Nangseong, Cheongju.
There, beneath a tall ginkgo tree, I found fallen fruits — soft, golden, and slightly mushy.

I removed the pulpy outer layer with gloves and revealed the hard seed inside.
That hard shell was the true beginning.

I stored the seeds over winter, then planted them in March the following year.
I didn’t expect much — but after about a month, something stirred beneath the soil.

🍃 The First Sprout Appeared

Out of curiosity, I soaked one of the ginkgo seeds in water.
To my surprise, it opened slightly — like a clam, or a sleepy grin.

In the soil, the hidden root was growing downward, quietly and persistently.
Only after the root anchored deep enough did the shoot begin to rise.

Interestingly, the more the root stretched down, the more the stem grew up.
It made me wonder: if you saw this sprout with no context,

would you guess it’s a ginkgo tree?

🧪 What I Learned About Ginkgo Germination

• The smell is no joke — clean it thoroughly.
• Patience is essential. Germination took me 30+ days.
• Keep the soil moist, but never wet.
• Ginkgo grows slowly at first, but once it starts, it doesn’t stop.

🧡 Why This Little Tree Matters

Growing something from seed — especially from a tree that’s over 200 million years old —
reminds you of how long patience has existed on Earth.

I didn’t just grow a plant.
I met one.

🔗 At Greenfingers

We experiment with native Korean plants like ginkgo to reimagine them as premium companion plants.
This seedling is just the beginning.

• Explore more native plant growing stories → Visit our Korean blog
• Start your own ginkgo experiment and share with #Greenfingers
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