FYI, you don't want them to germinate now. You want them to germinate in spring.

I would try a critter protected area in the yard mulched lightly. In zone 5 it should feel at home. I haven't tried this before but I have gotten Pinus Strobus seeds come up wild in similar circumstances.

Hopefully, there is no freshness issue.

Well, the seeds are in pots. I can't plant them outside at this time of year I don't think. They're going to be grown for use as a Christmas tree to use in like 10 or 15 years.

Why can't you plant them outside? Naturally they would be outside.

Because I want to grow them as an indoor house plant. I already have a White Pine that I'm leaving in it's pot outside. It's already dormant. I want to grow an indoor spruce.

So you would keep it outside in winter?

Seeds of spruce trees need a period of "stratification," which means being stored at cold temperatures for a minimum period of time. Without this period of cold dormancy, they will not germinate. I am not sure if different spruce species need different periods of stratification at different temperatures. You could plant them outside in the fall, and have them stratified that way if you are in a cold climate. I have done that and had good results, meaning 25% germination. I am not sure of the quality fo the seed I used, however. Or you can use a refrigerator.

If you do a search of "spruce seed stratification" you will find some sites that will explain.

--Spruce

Any idea what kind of spruce? Most North American native and naturalized spruces make lousy house plants...even if they do germinate. For example, most would require a certain amount of winter cold in order to have bud break in the spring. Also, if your seed is from Colorado Blue Spruce, it will bite you with its sharp needles so often that even if it did live you'd pitch it before it reached 2 feet tall. Then there is the dryness of indoor air (both winter and summer with A/C) that is not only inhospitable for them, but also makes most spruces spider mite heaven.

tj

I wish I knew what kind of spruce it is. The package just says "Spruce Tree." It didn't give a scientific name or a common name.