Water well and keep the medium moist until the seedlings emerge. Seeds should be sown about half an inch deep. If you prefer, you can sow two seeds per pot and remove the weaker seedling after germination. Prep the soil by working in lots of well-rotted compost.Īlternatively, fill six-inch pots with a soilless potting mix and sow one seed per pot. You can also plant the seeds directly in the garden in the fall and let nature do the work. These generally need about three months.īecause most seeds should be planted in the spring, start your stratification work in the early winter. Many sugar, red, and silver types don’t require stratification, but some do. If you’re not sure if your species requires stratification or for how long, try reaching out to your local extension office.Ī broad rule of thumb is to stratify bigleaf seeds for about three months. The amount of time that the seeds must be kept cold varies depending on the species. If you’re planting a species that requires cold stratification, place the seeds in a moist mixture of equal parts sand and vermiculite in a resealable plastic bag or jar, and put it in the refrigerator. The seeds are ripe and ready when they either start falling off on their own, or have turned a brown color with a papery, dry texture.īreak off the wings and soak the seeds in room temperature water for 24 hours before planting. You can purchase seeds or collect your own from an existing tree.

Many hybrids are sterile or won’t grow true, but most cultivars and species plants will grow well from seed. It is possible to grow some varieties from seed. Growing from seed is less common in home gardens, but totally doable if you’re patient and plan ahead. Air layering is common where people are attempting to restore populations of trees that have been decimated by fire or pests. There are lots of ways to propagate maples. There are trees that grow everywhere from USDA Hardiness Zone 2 to Zone 10. Today, the most commonly cultivated maples in North America are the red, silver, and Japanese species, but we’re starting to see a lot more options out there. Europeans use maple to build all kinds of furniture and in flooring because the wood is hard, long-lasting, and relatively straight.

Of course, they also used the wood to make tools, boats, and paddles, and the leaves of larger-leafed species as temporary containers.

Maple tree seedlings