Planting tree seeds

Over the past few months I have been saving up a bunch of apple, peach, plum, black locust, and pea shrub seeds to plant. So I am wondering what you guys think about when/how I should plant these seeds. I understand the apple, peach, and plum seeds need to go through stratification in order to sprout, but not locust and pea shrub.

So should I go out this fall before the snow starts to fall and stick a bunch of these seeds in the ground where I want them, or would it be better to wait until spring and put the stratification seeds in the fridge for a while before planting?

Would it be a good idea to dig up a nice little spot and fill it with nice soil/compost before sticking in the seeds, or just dig the grass out and scuff up the area a bit before planting?

Or maybe I should start some of these seeds in my house in pots some time this winter and have them grow out a bit before planting in the spring?

Or start them in the green house in the spring and plant later in the summer?

I have access to many locust seeds (there are some trees around with lots of pods on right now) and many apple seeds (I have a bunch of apples stored for eating over the next little while and will save the seeds). The peach, plum, and pea shrub seeds I don't have access to as many. Just something to keep in mind when deciding what to do with the seeds.

Any thoughts on this would be excellent. Thanks guys.

Last year I had a great crop of peaches and saved some seeds. From what I remember, I started out by stratifying them from around October to December in the refrigerator. Before Christmas, I planted them in a couple pots at my office and when I came back in the new year a couple had sprouted above ground level. I grew them inside until about May 1st when I transplanted them outside.

Thanks to the extra long growing season, several of the 1st year trees are well over 2 feet tall now and will be grafted over next spring. By the way, if you happen to grow a cluster of peach tree seedlings in your office, you might get funny looks from your co-workers who think you're growing marijuana.

most everything you mentioned should work, so those are your options.

pros for stratifying in the fridge is you can control it a bit more and look in on them, give them a peroxide soak if they get funky. cons is sometimes they get funky, its good to check on them.
it's also a bit awkward to transplant them if they already sprouted, depending on what medium you choose. sometimes with paper towels they get all stuck into it and even through it, making it difficult to get them out gently and put them in soil. you could stratify them in the fridge in peat moss for a short while, and then plant outside in a couple of months.

pros to planting outside in a pot or a special nursery bed(or direct seed) is- its easy. if you do know where you want them that is an option, i would dig up a bit around where you want them, fill that with half the soil you dug out and half something else, finished compost, bag dirt, coco coir, etc so its nice and fluffy around the root area.
cons are that animals and birds might mess them up and dig them up. seeing how you are in a really cold climate you could plant them now in the greenhouse and they would get stratified and be protected, as long as its not heated.

anyway you go, you should plant them immediately, or at least get them in cold stratification in the fridge, they need moisture and to not completely dry out.with the cold strat in fridge you want them to be moist, not totally soaking wet, but a good soak before hand starts them off as they absorb water.

Right on. Thanks guys. Unfortunately I have already let the peach, plum, and apple seeds dry out, but I will give them a good soaking and stick a bunch in the ground around and also try getting some going in the fridge.

Any thoughts on the locust and pea shrub seeds? Might they do better planted in the spring or should they also be planted asap? Should they also be kept from drying out?

there are degrees of dryness. even something that seems completely dried out to us, can still have a small percent of moisture, enough to keep the seeds viable. but after too long in a dry place, or in sunlight or other heat source, the longer they are drying the more likely they get too dry and arent viable anymore...with peaches and plums and cherries they would in nature have a period of warm and dry in the summer after they fell from the tree, followed by wet and cold (like the cold strat or winter sowing), followed by wet and warm (spring!).

anyway it should be ok, if you dried them for a month or two, though something to keep in mind for next time. i think keeping the fruit on them helps keep a little moisture, its a pain in the butt to clean them all off and can be easier after the initial quick drying. putting them in a cool or cold place also helps keep them viable.

i have never tried to grow locusts or pea shrub. with how almost invasive they can be and easy to grow, and how many locust sprouts i see all over from those pods, i would think they are easy to start, but idk.