Germinating Colorado Blue Spruce seeds

[flattedfifth]

Hi there! About a month ago I came back from a visit to Denver with 5 pine cones from a Colorado Blue Spruce in my family's yard. I understand there's roughly a 1/1000 chance of getting the characteristic blue coloring of the parent tree, but I'm still interested in trying to stratify and germinate the seeds.

I haven't any luck so far stratifying seeds in the fridge, with some failed experiments this year with Japanese maple, Bing cherry, and apricot seeds.

Absent better advice, I'm torn between a few options:
- Shaking out the seeds, placing them in a wet paper towel in a baggy in the fridge until they sprout
- Sewing the seeds in a pot and trying to stratify/germinate outside naturally this Winter into next Spring (I live in the St Louis, MO area)
- Sewing the seeds in the ground outside, hoping for the same result as option #2

What would you do in this situation?

 

[Colorado]

I have only done seeds a couple times, but I’ve used the paper towel in the fridge method and it seems to work pretty well. I’d probably just store the seeds until December, then put them in the fridge and then when they sprout just pot them up and protect from freezing for that spring.

Just my 2 cents anyway, I am no seed growing expert by any means

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

The paper towel should be damp, not wet.
But first I would dry the cones at room temperature, shake out all the seeds, peel out the ones that don't come out and then let those dry for another week.
After that week, store them in the freezer or use them immediately.

If you don't store them in the freezer, this is how I would germinate them:

Soak them in water for 48 hours, change the water after the first 24.
Then put them in some damp moss, paper towel or perlite and store in the fridge.
After a week or three, take them out, leave them at room temp for a day and store them again. Repeat for good measure, sometimes it can take three of these runs.
Then check weekly for any germinators, plant those out.

 

[flattedfifth]

The paper towel should be damp, not wet.
But first I would dry the cones at room temperature, shake out all the seeds, peel out the ones that don't come out and then let those dry for another week.
After that week, store them in the freezer or use them immediately.

If you don't store them in the freezer, this is how I would germinate them:

Soak them in water for 48 hours, change the water after the first 24.
Then put them in some damp moss, paper towel or perlite and store in the fridge.
After a week or three, take them out, leave them at room temp for a day and store them again. Repeat for good measure, sometimes it can take three of these runs.
Then check weekly for any germinators, plant those out.

I believe the cones should be plenty dry by now, as they've been sitting at room temperature for about a month and they were all open or nearly open when I collected them.

I haven't ever tried periodically taking seeds out of the fridge for a day when trying to germinate, interesting idea! I'll try this out and see what happens.

I have only done seeds a couple times, but I’ve used the paper towel in the fridge method and it seems to work pretty well. I’d probably just store the seeds until December, then put them in the fridge and then when they sprout just pot them up and protect from freezing for that spring.

Just my 2 cents anyway, I am no seed growing expert by any means

I'll probably have enough seeds to set a several aside to go into the fridge in December. Maybe I can see if following the more natural progression of the year yields better results than trying to germinate in late Summer like this.

You may not be a seed growing expert, but I expect you know a thing or two about Colorado!