Aumaker,

Here's an information I found on the internet written by Mike McGroarty about growing JM from seeds. I'm no expert by any means so for those of you who have tried propagating JM from seeds, pls feel free to add, correct, or simply chime in. I have found that the people on this board are just simply wonderful and very helpful!

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Propagating Japanese Maples

Japanese Maple seeds are ready to be picked when they turn brown and start falling from the tree (around Sept through Nov - depending on your zone). Collect the seeds and clean them by breaking off the wing attached to the seeds. Place the cleaned seeds in a cup, and fill the cup with hot tap water and let them soak for 24 hours. This will soften the outer coating of the seed so moisture can penetrate and germination can begin.

After soaking the seeds place them in a plastic bag in a mixture of moist peat moss. Make sure the peat is moist but not too wet, you donÂt want the seeds to rot. The bag should be closed but not completely air tight. Poke a few holes in the bag.

Store them at room temperature, but not in direct sunlight for a period of 90 days, and then move them to the refrigerator for a period of 70 days. During the cold stratification period check your seeds once a week to see if any of them have begun to sprout. Once they sprouted, plant them in soil at 1/8" deep. Make sure you donÂt plant them too deep, and keep them watered but not too wet. Once they begin to grow provide them with about 50% shade. That's all there is to it.
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It is good time now to have all this information. I wish luck to everybody who will try.

I wouldn't put hot water, only warm. The best to plant the seeds ASAP, copy Nature. Don't store in room tempreture, it is too warm. Store them in moist peat moss or sand outside. Very important the 70-90 days in cold, refrigerator or even outside. Some people plant them outside, cover with leaf and protect with chickenwire from critters. I keep my seeds in the fridge for 90 days, our winter is not cold every year and it is easier for me this way.

Please be advised that growing JM's from seed IS NOT gonna necessarily get you a tree exactly like the mother tree .Most JM's are grafted to get the exact tree and most seeds are grown for root stock for grafting. There are over 300 varieties of JM's and grafting is the preferred method of propagation to get the exact duplicate. When you "do" seeds you may get a better tree, a worse "junk" tree, or the same or similar tree.... kind of like Vegas you're basically spinning the wheel...David

this is the time again to collect seeds and try to grow them

I have tried this method before-but there is an easier method!!just dig the seedlings that sprout under the tree!I've done this lots of times.Sometimes you get a below average looking seedling,sometimes an amazing one!The genetic diversity is what makes growing japanese maples from seedlings so interesting.