Hi,

Thank you for your question. Silver Dollar Plant (Lunaria annua) is a hairy stemmed biennial plant native to Europe and Asia. Yes, you may  direct sow Lunaria in late summer or in early fall as it needs a cold period to germinate.  Here is a link to winter sowing techniques that may be helpful. If you sow in the spring, sow the harvested seeds outdoors  as soon as you can work the ground, covering them lightly with soil and water.  Space seeds about 15-18 inches apart. Germination takes about 2 weeks. Keep the soil consistently moist during growing season. Lunaria plants do well in both full sun and partial shade locations. 

 For propagating Lunaria from seed, collect pods after they've dried on the stalk. You may  dry the stalks by hanging them upside down.   Gently rub the pods to release the seeds (which you have already done), then store the dried seed in a cool, dry place in a paper envelope. Avoid any moisture as this will cause seeds to mold.  If left on the plant, Lunaria will self-seed naturally and return the following year.  Note, that self-seeding may lead to random plant placements in your garden.  As a biennial plant, keep in mind in the first year, Lunaria  will grow into a small, rounded plant of green foliage, these  leaves are almost heart-shaped with sawtoothed edges, the plant will not flower. The following year, tall stems will reach two to three feet tall and produce purple flowers. As the flowers fade, green seed pods will appear. The pods will turn brown and dry up as the year goes on. Once dry, the two sides of the pod will fall off, releasing the seeds.

Fun fact that Lunaria annua is in the  Brassicaceae family and is related to broccoli! 

I hope you find this information helpful. Please let us know if you have further questions.

Christine