Question
Hello Tom, I walk with my dog in the local desert for exercise and came across the yucca pods that are about 1/2 full of the flat black seeds. Since it's June 30th here and @ 101deg in NM. would now be ok to start the planting process or wait until the beginning of next year?

Thank you,
Best, Ed

Answer
Hi Ed,
Thanx for your question.  Yes, you could start the seeds now if you like.  You can either make a nursery bed in your yard which is just a bed kept weed free in which you plant the seeds.  Water it periodically so it doesn't dry completely out.  I have had some yucca seeds germinate rather quickly, say, in a couple weeks.  Others can take a couple seasons unless you cold treat them which involves wrapping the seeds in a damp paper towel and inserting in a plastic bag and then leaving in the fridge for about 90 days.  This breaks a natural dormancy some seeds seem to have to prevent them from germinating at the wrong time of year.  Once you lower the temps on these seeds and then bring them out into the warmth, the auxins (hormones) in the seed are triggered to break dormancy and signalled that it is ok to germinate.  Any any rate, it will take many years to get a decent sized plant and many more for blooms.  I would look for "pups" or side shoots and remove those from the mother plant for quicker results.  Seed starting is fun though, I've done it before with yucca too.  I hope this helps.
Tom