Question
I was given seeds from the Catalpa tree.  I think these trees are gorgeous and would like to know how to grow them into tree for my property.  Can you help me? The seeds are from Columbus, Ohio and we live about 30 miles east of Columbus, Ohio.
Miriam

Answer
The seeds do not need any special treatment, such as freezing. Use a shallow container that has drainage and fill it with coarse sand or seed-starting mix. The sand, or mix, should be kept evenly moist and the container should be in a place where it gets some bottom heat or at least, where it is not exposed to chilly drafts. The bottom heat can come from sitting on top of the refrigerator or similar light-heat generating appliance. The seeds may well take 4 to 8 weeks to germinate - or they may surprise you and come up sooner. Plant them twice the depth of their thickness - this is a rough rule of thumb and my time to sprout is an educated guess. Fair warning!

After sprouting, the seedling will grow rapidly and after it's gotten two sets of true leaves, it can be transplanted to a four-inch pot filled with container soil mix and kept in a sunny, warm spot, or under artificial light. If you plant the seeds now, by the time they sprout and are ready to transplant, the days will be getting longer.