- Japanese maple seeds ripen in the fall and should be collected at this time. Depending on the local climate, seeds will mature sometime in late September or October. Pick the normally green-colored seeds as they begin to brown or redden.
- Sow ripe Japanese maple seeds in an open seed bed or containers as soon as they are picked. Protect the planted seeds from rodents, squirrels and other hungry critters looking for food. Seeds planted in the fall will germinate the next spring.
- Transfer seedlings to a nursery bed after they have opened one or two sets of leaves. Seedlings for bonsai should be placed in small pot instead. Grow them in the bed for another 12 to 24 months, when they will be ready for transplanting to a permanent site.
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