OKbonsai

If you are going to grow trees from seed I would recommend that you get the book "The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation" by Michael Dirr and Charles Heuser, a very valuable and helpful book. Another book I use but a less user friendly is "Seeds of Woody Plants in North America" by Young and Young. I am in zone 7 as for Tridents, when I get my seeds I first place them in very hot water, not boiling, let them soak for 24 hours and then I place them in plastic bags with either moist spagnum or vermiculite and place them in cold storage for 60 to 90 days. This is what my seed source recommends. The recommended length is the same for all zones, as far as I know. The hot water treatment is used to help break down the hard seed coat. Not all trees have the same requirements that is why the books are important.

When I recieve my Japanese Black Pines I put them in cold storage with the tridents. They don't need any pregermination treatment but need the 30 to 60 day cold stratification treatment. I generally store them in plastic bags.

I plant the seeds outdoors in seed beds and it is usually well after the last chance of frost is past. I like the sand in my seed beds warm to hurry up germination plus by the time I get my 60 to 90 days in it is usually May or later.

I have been growing trees from seed for bonsai many years and before that I worked for the State of Oklahoma at their tree farm. And while I would not call myself an expert I have learned a lot through the years and have been very successful here at the nursery raising seedlings.

Frank