Question
what is the rite month to sow salal seeds in western washington state.  

Answer
Hello Tanis,
Thank you for your question.  Salal seeds require 3-5 months of cold stratification.  That means you should plant the seeds in a pot and let Mother Nature take care of it (outdoors) or, you can put the seeds in a small pot, dampen the soil, put the pot in a plastic baggie and store it in your fridge for 5  months.  Germination should occur within a few weeks after you bring the pot back out into a warm environment.  This is one of the many plants that require a full 3-6 months of winter temperatures in order to break the dormancy of the seed.  There are some tree, rose and shrub seeds that require repeated warm/cold periods in order to break the dormancy of the seed.  I hope my information helps you.

Okay, the basic answer is...I would plant the seeds in a large pot and place it outdoors in the late fall and keep it watered (not soggy) until late Spring.  You should see sprouting seed by then.  I do hope this helps.
thx,
Tom