How to Plant a Pinecone

Research the time of year that the pinecone in your area reaches maturity. Ask a local forest ranger or college professor. Generally, this will fall around July, August and September.

Locate a freshly mature female pinecone. A female pinecone is the type you are accustomed to seeing. A female pinecone is brown; it's mature when it has just opened but hasn't dried out yet.

Look beneath each scale for one or two seeds nested toward the center of the cone. Shake the cone or dislodge the seeds in another way. Each cone produces hundreds of seeds. Collect as many as possible.

Fill a sink with 6 inches of water. Place the seeds in the water. Throw away the ones that float. These are least likely to germinate. Keep the ones that sink.

Place rocks or sand in the bottom of a growing pot. Use a pot that has a hole or holes in the bottom for water to escape. Fill the rest of the pot with potting soil.

Plant the seed with the pointy part facing down about 1 inch below the surface. Keep the soil moist. Place the pot inside near a window where it will get direct sunlight. Allow three to four months for germination. Transplant outside after it reaches 12 inches.