What kind of seeds are they? I'd crush them a bit to get the seeds out. If your winter is too cold, they may die, that's why I'm wondering what you have.

I like to collect seeds and plant where I want them. That being said, you can toss broken up/crushed seed pods into an area and let nature to its thing! Hollyhock, black eyed susans and purple coneflower are very successful this way. As seeds dry naturally, rain pelts them out of the pod and hopefully into the dirt. Sometimes it is better to help nature along! Hope this helps!

i would separate the seeds from their seed heads or else you'll end up with globs of plants in a one inch spot competing for space, light, nutrients, and you'll have to separate them. look up which plants in your area respond to scattering right after harvest and which ones need to be started in a later season. with the right knowledge and methods, this is a very gratifying pasttime.

i dry my seeds on paper plates for a day or two and then store them in baggies or scatter them right away. they grow where they are happiest. i learn a lot about my plants' needs this way. it's a wonderful connection to the earth.