Q: I have been trying to reproduce a goldenrain tree for 12 years. How do you get the seeds to germinate?

A: The key is harvesting and planting the seed when fresh. Sow them shallowly, an inch apart, in a protected location immediately after the pods drop in fall. If you have some saved seed, try soaking them overnight in lukewarm water then putting them in a plastic bag with slightly damp sphagnum moss. Put the bag in your refrigerator crisper drawer and make a note to check them in May. Any that have germinated can be planted then.