Now there is someone with patience!

My text sez for Pseudotsuga m. sow in fall or stratify in moist perlie for 2 months ~40F. For Picea o. sow in fall or stratify 1-3 mo ~40F.

That is: both plants expect seeds to be snow-covered, then the meltwater provides moisture.

Dan

Are you sure you mean Siberian spruce (Picea obovata) and not Serbian spruce (Picea omorika)? The first is quite uncommon in this country, the second not so much.

Here's the seed propagation instructions for the Siberian:
Scarfication: Soak in water for 48 hours, change water each day. Stratification: None required. Germination: Sow seed 1/8" deep, press seed into the soil, cover seed, mulch the seed bed.

For the Serbian spruce:
Scarification: Soak in water for 48 hours, change water each day. Stratification: None Required. Germination: Sow seed 1/8" deep, tamp soil, and mulch seed bed. Other: Although it's not required the seed may benefit from a 90 day cold stratification treatment.

Doug firs are a bit more complicated - here's one source:
If establishing the tree by seed, remove the seeds from the cones, gently rub the wings off, and soak them in water for 24 hours, drain them, and thoroughly surface-dry them. Put them in a plastic bag, without any medium, seal the bag and place them in refrigerated conditions until their chilling treatment begins. Allow three times the air space as seed space in the bag. It is best to sow the seeds in late February to early March. Expose the seeds to a chilling treatment of at least four weeks prior to sowing. After cold stratification, plant the seeds in a well-drained coarse potting mix in leach tubes that are narrow but deep with two seeds per tube. These containers should allow roots to reach the air and stop growing and be at least 6 inches deep. Fertilize the containers with a starter formulation of fertilizer with low or zero nitrogen. These containers can be kept in a greenhouse for the first 4 to 6 weeks, receiving 70-degree temperatures during the day. Keep the surface of the soil moist during the germination phase. Next, after the first set of cotyledons, water the plants with a deep, thorough soaking and let the plants dry in between watering. Thin the plants down to one per container and move the pots into a shade-house with 30 percent shade after 4 to 6 weeks. Protect the plants from wind and wildlife. During the main summer growing season use a balanced fertilizer applied to each container. At the end of the growing season, use a finisher formulation of fertilizer. Plant the plants in the ground outside in the late winter or early spring in moist soil. Conduct supplemental hand watering or irrigation if the rains are insufficient. Clear weeds in a 3 feet by 3 feet area around the plants to encourage better survival and growth rate. Make sure a protective barrier is placed around the conifers such as Vexar tubing to shield them from jack rabbits, deer, and other wildlife that may feed on the leaves, stems, and roots.

Googling will turn up others.

ps. winged euonymus and honeysuckle are only invasive in certain areas of the US. And honeysuckle is a reasonably large genus that includes many plants that are NOT invasive -- you might have thrown out something quite attractive and well-behaved :-) That's why it's always important to know the botanical names for plants. Personally I'd never purchase any plant, seed or not, without the proper botanical name being disclosed. Heaven knows what you'd get!!

I looked it up and indeed it is Blue Siberian Spruce Picea obovata caerulea. I cannot believe you have to do so much to get these seeds to grow...how the heck does it happen so often in nature?
I also dug the pouches (lonicera fragrantissima and winged euonymous alata) out of the trash and sure enough they are on the USDA invasive list for NJ. One is listed as Winter Honeysuckle, the other (Winged)Burning Bush.
I remember having a honeysuckle fight with the missus a few years back when we were looking for a fence climber and eventually we ended up with a weak Madame Galen. More green vines than flowers after more than a few years. I also never dealt with vines that dried out and died so quickly.

Too bad the OP couldn't get the seeds in fall so he could plant them out and call it good! My text from undergrad has never led me astray, BTW.

Dan

"I cannot believe you have to do so much to get these seeds to grow...how the heck does it happen so often in nature? "

Rain, snow, and wind!

Of course, in nature, 99.9999% of seeds don't make it. I'd guess you're aiming for a slightly higher success rate? ;-)

Resin

Dan, I may just hold them until the fall.
Resin, I was being facetious. It is just amazing how simple things look when you just drive by a forest.

There are trees that are much easier to grow from seed. They may not be what you're looking for though.

For what its worth, I can't imagine that either of the trees you're attempting to grow by seed are especially adapted to Philly. I think you'd eventually run into problems with them even if you could them to sprout.

For douglasfir, think rainy, cool (not cold) northwest. Serbian spruce... think cool summers.

One never knows what folks will do with stuff, and you have to presume the homework has been done.

Nonetheless, now that the topic is raised, Cheryl makes the obvious point. Doug-fir is a widely distributed western tree, in the lower montane and mixed evergreen forests. That one may make it outside, albeit struggling. The Siberian spruce is, however, a tree of the Taiga and only in the southern part of its range gets decent heat (the reason the stratification period I gave above is longer); provenance of the seed is utterly crucial for survival in Southern Canada. Jersey?

Point being: you must be very patient. Not only for germination, but to baby the plants to ensure their survival. Neither plant is adapted to that climate, so care must be taken to get something out of them, unless the OP is just playing around (hence the low entry cost).

Dan

It is just amazing how simple things look when you just drive by a forest.

And it often is that simple when they are native or climate adapted species. However neither Doug fir or Siberian spruce are likely to populate NJ forests :-) Or any other NE forest.

I've seen plenty of Doug Fir around Philly and in Jersey. I couldn't vouch for how well they're doing, though.

Siberian Spruce, I'm not sure if I've ever seen around there...

I can't speak to the spruce, but doug fir is easy to germinate without any special treatment.

Pseudotsuga menziesii
Seeds collected from cone Sept. 20.
Sown in potting soil Oct. 5.
Germination observed Oct. 11.

{{gwi:331422}}

{{gwi:331423}}

{{gwi:331424}}

geez folks, c'mon!! It's a bit different to consider an ornamental/intended planting of Doug fir in some place like NJ than it is to have a naturally growing 'forest' of them in the same location. No one said they can't grow there, although it might be difficult to provide ideal or even suitable conditions. And it's also quite a bit different in germinating Doug fir seeds - planted at an appropriate time of year - in Colorado, where the tree is also a native species.

Its a fall sowing. You either sow them in fall or now you have to stratify them. Germination is one thing, whether it grows and does OK is something else.

Dan

To clarify, these were germinated indoors. Since there are Christmas tree farms near Philadelphia that grow doug fir, I like your chances. Good luck!

Well, I'm sure you have more than one seed of each of these. I would start some now and some in the fall. Keep us posted as to your progress.

tj