I live very close to lake ontario and we recently brought back some colorado blue spruce cones and we were wondering how to plant them in the best way. So could someone tell me how, where, when, and in what type of soil to plant the cones in. thank you, mark
You first need to extract the seeds from the cones - put the cones on a warm sunny window until they dry out fully and open, then shake the seeds out. The seeds are black, about 3mm long, with a papery pale brown 15mm wing. If the cones were old, they may already be empty when you collected them, so be prepared for disappointment. In a full cone, there are two seeds under each cone scale. After extraction, store the seeds cold and dry over winter (in the fridge at about +2°C), then a month before you want to sow them, mix the seeds with some sterile damp sand, and refrigerate again for 3-4 weeks at +1° to +2°. This pre-sowing cold moist treatment helps good germination after sowing. Sow the seeds in a well-drained compost, ideally slightly acidic and peat-free, but the exact type does not matter too much. It can be done either in pots indoors in late winter (February onward), or in the ground outdoors after all risk of frost is over; if planting outdoors, protect the seedbed from rodents and birds.