Question
hi i was wondering if you cold help me, i have been gathering some seeds from a group of trees that have been bearing fruit ever since i was a kid in the early seventies and they had been around a long time before that, so i'm hoping that they are not hybrids, i live in england an was wondering if what you have said about the fridge is still required for me or could i just leave them bagged up on a window sill

Answer
Hi Mark,
thanx for your question.  The process I have described in past regarding the cold treatment of certain seeds is called vernalization or sometimes referred to as stratification.  Most deciduous trees and shrubs produce seeds that require vernalization.  That is because there are enzymes in the embryo of the seed that keep the seed dormant until just the right time to germinate.  The reason for this in Nature is so the seed does not germinate at an inopportune time of the year.  For instance, it would be bad for a seed to germinate and begin growing in October if the first killing frost were to occur in only a week or two.  This would definitely ensure the demise of the species wouldn't it?  So the way the enzyme works (as I understand it.) is the embryo is kept dormant during a cold period that must last for a certain amount of days.  In many cases it is only 60-90 days but there are some seeds that require longer vernalization and even multiple events of cold/warm periods before they germinate.  Some rose species require multiple cold/warm periods to break dormancy.  So, with all of that said, the final analysis is, the seed must be vernalized or (placed in the fridge or planted outdoors for the winter.).  I hope this helps.
Tom