Now that you know about the ease of seed-sitting, you may be asking yourself if there are more difficult ways to grow native plants from seed. Yes!!! and you can be sure that I love those methods too. You can replicate the same cold/moist stratification process that happens over winter in nature by keeping your seeds in a damp medium for 6-8 weeks in the fridge NEVER FREEZER! The fridge best replicates what happens in nature as seeds are actually insulated from freezing weather by snow and debris. Putting them in the freezer is an effective way to KILL most seeds.
Some people have beer fridges….. I have a seed fridge! It is a small fridge but it’s a great way to store and stratify seeds.
I keep most of my seed collection in a cool/dark location for long-term storage. There are two types of stratification that I use my fridge for.
Method 1: cold/moist stratification
Method 2: cold stratification
Method 1: Cold/moist stratification
Once seeds begin to sprout, plant them in soil and put in a sunny location. Over the years I have discovered that cold/moist stratification is not the ONLY way to get most native seeds to grow for me.
Method 2: Cold stratification, soaking when you want to sprout
By separating the cold period from the moist, I have been able to keep seeds in the fridge for prolonged periods. When I am ready to plant them, all I have to do is soak them overnight and put them in a paper towel in plastic bag to provide them with stable humid conditions.
Well, for one thing, it’s quite fun!
I absolutely love trying different ways of growing plants and what better time than in the dead of winter when there is absolutely nothing happening in the garden? My 3 light stands in the basement keep me sane during the long Canadian winters and that extra growing time gives the seedlings I start indoors a jump on the growing season.
