Grape Seed Extract From Japanese Kosu Wine

By Michael J. McGroarty

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Most Japanese Maple seeds ripen in the fall. Watch the tree andwait for the seeds to turn brown. The seeds are ready to beharvested when they are brown and can be easily removed from thetree.

  The seeds are attached to a wing, it's best to break the wingoff before storing or planting the seeds. Japanese Maple seedshave a very hard outer coating as do many ornamental plants.Under natural conditions the seeds would have to be on theground for almost two years before they would germinate. Allthat happens the first winter is the moisture softens the hardouter shell, and the second winter germination is beginning totake place.

  In order for all of this to happen in the proper sequence sothe seedlings actually sprout at a time of the year whenfreezing temperatures or hot summer sun doesn't kill them, takesa tremendous amount of luck.

  You can improve the odds by controlling some of theseconditions, and shorten the cycle. Once you have picked theseeds and removed the wing just place them in a paper bag andstore them in a cool dry place until you are ready for them. Youdon't want to plant your seeds out in the spring until thedanger of frost has past. Here in the north May 15th is a safebet.

  If May 15th is your target date you should count backwards onthe calendar 100 days. That will take you to about February 5thif my math is correct. On or about the 100th day prior to yourtarget planting date, take the seeds and place them in aStyrofoam cup or other container that will withstand some hotwater. Draw warm to hot water from your kitchen faucet and pourit over the seeds. Most of the seeds will float, just leave themin the water overnight as the water cools down. 24 hours latermost of the seeds will have settled to the bottom of the cup.

    Drain off the water. Place the seeds in a plastic bag with amixture of sand and peat or other suitable growing mix. Evenlight potting soil will work. The peat or soil should be moist,but not soaking wet. Poke some holes in the bag so there is someair circulation, and place the bag in your refrigerator for aperiod of 100 days.

  After 100 days you can plant the seeds outside. If you havetimed it correctly, you should be at or close to your targetplanting date.

  To plant the seeds just sow them on top of a bed of welldrained topsoil or sterilized potting soil, and cover withapproximately 3/8" of soil. Water them thoroughly, but allow thesoil to dry out completely before watering thoroughly again. Ifyou water them frequently, not only do you stand a chance of theseeds rotting from being too wet, but you will also keep themcool, which will slow down the germination process.

  Once they start to germinate provide about 50% shade to keepthe sun from burning them. Snow fence suspended about 30" abovethe bed will provide about 50% shade. Japanese Maples willtolerate some shade so it isn't too important to transplant themtoo quickly. Depending on how close together they are, you mightbe able to leave them in the same bed for one or two growingseasons. Don't transplant until they are completely dormant.

Michael J. McGroarty is the author of this article. Visit hismost interesting website, http://www.freeplants.com and sign upfor his excellent gardening newsletter.  Article provided byhttp://gardening-articles.com

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