Growing Japanese Maple Trees from seed (Stratification)

Step 1 in growing Japanese maples from seed is gathering the seed then treating them with cold stratification. Cold stratification may sound like a complicated thing but it is simply mimicking the seeds preferred growing conditions to trigger germination. Japanese maples require a period of cold stratification in order to begin germinating.
In this video I show one simple way to cold stratify your Japanese maple seeds. In about 4 to 6 weeks I'll remove these seeds from the refrigerator and proceed to the next step which is actual sowing of the seeds in a flat.
The best seed to gather is the seed in the late fall that is mature and still on the tree. These seeds were collected from the ground so their germination rates could vary wildly. Often these seeds will germinate on their own if left to their own devices as in this video:    • Growing Japanese Maple from Seed - Se...  

Here's another Japanese maple video about one of my favorite maples 'Germaine's Gyration' and it's fall color:    • The AMAZING FALL COLOR of 'Germaine's...  

Part 2 of Growing Japanese Maple Trees from Seed will be on sowing the seeds and will be in 4 to 6 weeks after this one and after the seeds have had some stratification time. Thanks for watching and don't forget to like this video and subscribe so you don't miss the next video!