You can't grow Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice' from seed. It is a sport of another cultivar and can only be propagated by cuttings. I assume you have collected (or been sent) seed from a Ruby Spire plant. You should grow on a number of plants to see if any of them come through with pink flowers. Seed from Clethra alnifolia should germinate easily and quickly, within a month at room temperature. No need for cold or warm stratification. If you are having problems, the seed may not be viable. Clethra seed takes a long time to ripen on the plant and doesn't store well.

Thanks

Hi Marty - you're not alone. I have 4 'Ruby Spice' purchased in 2008 from the same nursery. All 4 in acid, moisture-retentive soil,lightly filtered shade with about 3 hours of direct sun. One bloomed profusely last year, one is dead this year (branches break right off) none show any signs of life except that there is a 'springyness' in the branches of the remaining three. Mine leaf-out late, nearly the end of May, but side by side in my back garden, one lived, one didn't. I don't usually replace like-for-like plants that die. Yesterday I came home with Chaenomeles speciosa "Toyo Nishiki" (Japanese Flowering Quince) - beautiful shrub. In bloom now, not August as Ruby Spice would be (should be). If my remaining three clethra are not happy in my yard, they will not be replaced with other clethra...I'll move on. Good luck at the sale! Kindly, Jane

I'm no expert but thinking and reading about these shrubs I would tend to believe you obviously have been doing something right all along to get them to survive in a zone 4 area when they are only rated hardy to zone 5. I have one planted on the east side of my house and I offer it no protection at all. (I will be moving it away from the house this spring-far away) I'm not sure what you mean by wooden snow protectors and what the purpose of those would be, but if it is to keep the snow off of them I wouldn't do it. I would keep as much snow piled on them as I could for the insulation. I've never developed the habit of using burlap to wrap anything to protect it. When my DH has to get out the snow blower I always remind him to mulch the beds with the blowing snow. He gets a kick out of this but it's an easy way to keep things covered and protected. :-)