when a tree is going way too far in its reproductive cycle.. the first thing i think of is this: its life is threatened.. and it MUST reproduce before it dies .... not really thinking it is going to die.. but is there any chance you have been in severe weather patterns recently ... extended drought??? heavy equipment installing a new driveway or patio ... what is different.. in the last 2 years.. that would cause this tree to produce so many seeds.. that you would actually notice???? ken

I might also add that my experience last year had many seeds taking 4-5 months in the fridge to germinate ...maybe heating in hot water as above stated prior to refrigeration would have speeded that up I don't know??? I also used a captain dampened towel wadded up in the sealed plastic bag...and rewtted periodically with liquid captain (fungicide) to keep any mold from forming . There is a rumor that I have no idea if it's true but it sounds possible that you are NOT suppose to put any seeds near fruits or vegitables or in a veggie bin with said fruit or vegestables ... it is "said" that there are some chemicals given off by aging fruit or vegestables that can cause the seeds to not sprout. I have no idea whether this is true or an old wives geezeer tail and if anyone with more scientific knowledge than I ( which shouldn't be too hard ;>) ) wants to pipe in on this rumor please feel free David

First I don't have any seed for you sorry my tree is not big enough. Second there are 3 different populations (in Texas) of Acer grandidentatum one is in Ft.hood another in the Hill Country around Bandera (Lost maples area) these two share similar genetics to a Chalk Maple Acer saccharum var. leucoderme). (Acer saccharum var.grandidentatum) which is what most people have in central Texas. (Acer grandidentatum var grandidentatum) is in the Guadulaupe mountains and reaching as far north as Utah and as far south as Northern Mexico.I have a Acer saccharum var. leucoderme which was collected in east Texas and has performed well in my Alkaline clay of Austin.My point being you may be able to find the Chalk maple seed easier. The seed also needs cold to germinate typically moist stratification for 90- 120 days @ a temperature of 33-39 degrees.Many of these seed will not have a viable embryo. Put the seed in water if they drop to the bottom that is what will germinate @95%. Discard the floaters. Art

Stratification doesn't necessarily mean that the seed is going to germinate inside the ziplock bag inside the fridge. Most of the time it doesn't. After the stratification period inside the fridge sow the seeds in a container and put it outside or in a green house. Sometimes the problem is a thick seed coat that prevents water to reach the actual seed (for instance Acer griseum / paper bark maple). Scarification might be helpful with these seeds but be careful not damage the actual seed (usually leads to rotting of the seed). Also: based upon my own experiences, for some species stratification in the fridge does not work very well and these can better be sown in a container outside (Stewartia among others). Temperature for stratification: most guides say about 5C/20F but 10C / 50F will do for many species. Length of stratification: you do indeed get different advice when it comes to the length of the stratification period. I like to sow my seeds before Christmas(most outside, some in the fridge). It means that they get 2 to 3 months of cold stratification. It usually works. Note that some species first need a warm period before a cold period (Fraxinus, Chionanthus, Paeonia, Styrax and Stewartia for example). Many species can be stored for some years without significant loss of viability. There are however species that can't be stored for very long or should be stored under the right conditions to maintain viability. The problem for the seed buyer is that he/she cannot see how old a seed really is. There is no easy solution to this problem. All I can say is: buy only from reliable sources and share your experiences with others.