Paula,

My neighbor has a jap. maple and the seeds fall over my fence and root in my grass. I pull up dozens every spring. I would just throw it in a pot with some soil and a cover and out the door it would go....

Lisa

Gosh Lisa, I wish I had all those seedlings here!! I'd be potting them up and growing them on for a couple of years and then I'd be making big $$$. As you may know, I have a plant sale every year and JMs around here go for $100.00+++ at the nurseries!

Paula,
You might like to sow those right away. Sometimes they take two seasons to germinate and the seeds have to be fresh. I sowed some at this time of year and got germination the next summer. Unfortunately they did not survive.

On the other hand, I found a seedling in one of my gardens this year and it has been doing well. Today I mulched it for the winter and hope to see it come back next spring. It has sowed itself next to a dying Silver Birch so if it makes it the replacement would be great!

They can be ws in the regular way in the late fall but may take two winters to germinate. It is important to be sure the seeds are protected well as critters will eat them.

I started japanese maple seeds inside in a ziplock baggy with slightly moist potting mix and kept them in the refrigerator for 4 months and then potted up the sprouts.

Unfortunately, our chipmunks love tiny JM seedlings and today I have only one tree left. I learned to put the seedling in a chicken wire cage until it was larger. The surviver is now several years old and growing in a pot which I "plant" in the ground until after the leaves drop in the fall when I bring it into my unheated garage for the winter.

The one I have has regular maple shaped leaves and I want a dwarf lacy one so I will be trying again.

Japanese Maple seeds hang on the trees until spring, so I would keep them cold and dry until March... I had no germination when I WS in December...

Make sure the container you plant your JM's in drains very well. Make sure your potting mix also drains well. Add sharp sand or other gritty material if necessary. Use a container with a hard plastic lid as opposed to plastic wrap, to make it more difficult for critters to get in there.

And be aware that collecting Japanese maples is addictive. There are many varieties and all of them are beautiful. I have a neighbor that has between 50 and 100 potted JM's. Not bonsai; he pots them up and lets them grow naturally. It's a movable forest. His trees live in the backyard spring through fall, and hibernate in the basement during the winter. He used to have over 200 but says "That was really too many." He starts JM seeds outdoors in the fall, in a mix of dirt and sand in small containers. Can't resist sowing more every year; ends up giving seedlings away by the dozen.

-Edie

I got several seedlings by putting the seeds into a ziplock bag,in moist potting mix for 4 mos,then potted up the seedlings.They lived through the summer and I unfortunately forgot about them.Here in Ga,the seeds are falling now.I am going to try to ws them this yr.I have the red JM and a dwarf green fringe JM that I got seeds of for the first time.I think winter sowing will be the exact same method as doing the zip lock baggy.I am going to sow mine in milk jugs this month..It's already in the 30's here.
moonphase

I would love to sow some Japanese Maples, but frankly I do not have a clue how to do it. So this thread has been helpful. I gather all you do is find a container and sow it in a mix of potting soil and sand and water? Is that really it, or am I missing something?

Funny that people will pamper these seeds!

I potted up a baby about two years ago,stuck it in a pot and it still sits out there today. It has gone through two winters and I'ts about 18" tall now.

Tiffy, I wish I had the space to grow and sell!

Paula, If you don't have any luck, let me know and I will send you a baby.

Lisa