Effects of different sowing time on seed germination characteristics of Liquidambar formosana

A contrast trial on seed germination characteristics of Liquidambar formosana was conducted by using different sowing time. The results showed that the germination rate, and ground diameter and height of seedling appeared the trend which increased firstly and then decreased following with the postponing of sowing time, all the differences reached very significant level; and the highest values of the germination rate, and ground diameter and height of seedling were obtained when seeds sowed on February 3, 2015, which were 77.67%, 2.95 mm and 33.60 cm respectively, and were 50.91%, 22.41%, 26.60% higher than the mean value. Both ground diameter and height of seedling showed negative correlation with the main meteorological factors, the difference reached significant level; although germination rate and main meteorological factors also showed a negative correlation, but the difference did not reached significant level. By using integrated evaluation values, the best sowing time was determined to be February 3, 2015, then January 4, 2015, the values were 1.0000 and 0.8164 respectively.