Thank you for your post. I feel so silly. Minutes after my initial post, I was digging around on the net, and I came across this video.. And the leaves in that video confirmed that it was indeed a Maple tree leaf.

Maple Seed Grow Timelapse - Panasonic GH5

They look like they need more light than they are getting. Spindly and leaning over.

Yeah, I read your comment so I took them out & put them in my cold frame. Now they're protected from the elements, but they're still getting plenty of light.

to many maple helicopters.. sprout in my gutters.. a few weeks after they fly away form the tree...

im not really sure you needed 5 months of cold stratification ..

you are using a very heavy peat based media.. many.. if not most trees,... do not like that much moisture ... be sure to let the pots near dry before you water then again...

i hope you used a razor blade to cut drain holes in the bottom rim of the cup ...

you did not harden the plants off gradually to taking them outdoors.. not sure where you are.. but if you were in my MI ... they would most likely be severely damaged when some april night slipped back down towards 30 degrees ..

always harden off whatever you take out of the house .. sun.. light.. temps.. etc.. all plant culture variables need be addressed .. mid may is usuall take outdoors time...

ken

Some maples need a period of cold stratification to release the seed from its dormant state, others (like A saccharinum) will germinate as soon as collected w/o any stratification. Putting a seed that doesn't require stratification through the process usually causes rot or poor germination %s.

If you know your tree's species, and it's listed at Schumacher's site, you should be able to determine what stratification process, if any, is required.

See Schumacher's here.

Al

They do look a bit leggy.

Increasing sun exposure is good but if it's still too cool outside, they may stop growing or even go dormant.

Their Maple leafs are starting to sprout now. 😊