Direct Outdoor Seed Sowing

• 1). Gather ripe fruit from beneath a mature madrone tree in summer once they turn red and drop to the ground. Pulverize the fruit by hand or against the inside of a colander to remove the pulp and flesh. Extract the tiny light brown seeds from the pulp, and lay them on a sheet of paper towel to drain.
  
  
• 2). Wrap the madrone seeds in moistened paper towel and place them in a sealable bag. Store the bag in a refrigerator for 60 days to help break their dormancy. Remove the madrone seeds once the planting site is prepared.
  
  
• 3). Prepare a bed for the madrone seeds in autumn as soon as possible after gathering them. Spread a 1- to 2-inch-thick layer of sharp river sand and a 6-inch-thick layer of oak-leaf compost over the planting site to increase the drainage and pH of the soil. Work the sand and compost into the soil to a depth of 12 inches, using a rotary tiller.
  
  
• 4). Sow the madrone seeds 1/4-inch deep every 10 to 15 feet. Firm the soil on top of the seeds to anchor them in place. Spray the planting site with water just until the soil appears slightly darkened. Spread a 2-inch-thick layer of pine-bark mulch over the planting site.
  
  
• 5). Leave the madrone seeds to sprout at their own pace according to the natural cycle of rain and sun. Watch for germination in spring once soil temperatures stay above 70 degrees F during the day and 50 degrees F at night. Thin the seedlings to one every 20 to 30 feet.
  
  

Container Seed Sowing

• 1). Collect and process the madrone seeds as described in the first two steps of Section 1. Prepare the planting pots before removing the seeds from the refrigerator.
  
  
• 2). Fill 4-inch peat pots with a mixture of equal measures of sharp river sand and oak-leaf compost. Pour 1/4 cup of water into each peat pot. Set the pots on a nursery tray or other type of tray to make them easier to handle.
  
  
• 3). Sow two madrone seeds in each pot. Sow them to a depth of 1/4 inch. Spread a light layer of pine-bark mulch over the surface of the soil in each pot.
  
  
• 4). Set the nursery tray outdoors against a north-facing wall or other shaded area. Water the madrone seeds periodically during the winter if little rain falls. Water them by spraying a hose over the tray so the water falls on them like rain.
  
  
• 5). Move the pots to an area with direct sun for approximately 2 hours a day, once outdoor air temperatures rise above 60 degrees F. Remove the pine-bark mulch. Increase the amount of direct sunlight per day over the course of two weeks until they are exposed to strong, direct light for six hours a day.
  
  
• 6). Watch for signs of germination around late April. Thin the madrone seedlings to one per pot once they grow to 2 inches in height. Remove the less vigorous of the two.
  
  
• 7). Plant the peat pots in the ground once the madrone seedlings grow to 6 inches in height. Keep the soil moist for the first two weeks, then cease watering and allow the madrone trees to grow unaided.