When mature seed is placed under favorable conditions and fails to germinate, it is said to be dormant . There are two basic types of dormancy. The first, seed coat dormancy or external dormancy , is caused by the presence of a hard seed covering or seed coat which prevents water and oxygen from reaching and activating the seed or prevents seed expansion. The second type of dormancy, embryo dormancy or internal dormancy , is caused by the condition of the seed which prevents germination. The length of time conifer seeds remain dormant can be reduced or eliminated by a simple seed treatment called stratification.
Stratification is the process of soaking and chilling seeds prior to sowing.
It simulates natural conditions where the seeds would remain all winter on cold wet ground. Seeds will germinate promptly and uniformly after stratification. Unstratified seeds may take up to two years to germinate, if they are able to germinate at all. Pine Pine cones should be collected in the fall when the cones begin to crack and open. I for specific dates.