The end of fall ushers in the busy season of gathering seeds, a ritual that has become both a necessity and a source of profound connection with the land. The fields, once bursting with blooms, now offer a different kind of bounty – seeds.
Seed starting is not merely a practical task; it's an art, a delicate balance between science and intuition. The first step is choosing the seeds to grow, a selection process that feels akin to curating a gallery of living art. The second is getting the seed to germinate. A dance of creating the ideal environment for the magic of plant life to unfold and flourish.
As the seed-starting season unfolds, I revel in the delicate dance of responsibility and anticipation. The quiet low humming of grow lights signal a promising spring. A tiny seed, a world deep inside, ready to share a new chapter in the never-ending story of the garden.
This is the journey to starting seeds.
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Majority of seeds have four main cycles. From pollination, fertilization, formation, and lastly maturity. It wasn’t until much later in my gardening journey, I learned there’s a fifth (unofficial) cycle that’s often overlooked. It’s the dormancy, or hibernation, stage.
Depending on the seed type and plant, the seed may need to go into dormancy, take a winter nap, before being able to germinate effectively. To ensure you can ‘wake’ the seed up and help the seed germinate at the right time, you use a process called stratification.
Seed stratification means you're more likely to have your seed germinate. Saving you seeds, money, and time in the long run.
Seed stratification involves mimicking nature to break dormancy. E.g. some seeds like lavender require a period of cold before germination. They prefer to be planted before winter comes. The key is understanding the method, length, and what you need to do before you ever plant any seed in any soil.
Seed stratification methods is like the hidden map you didn’t know you needed. A guide to helping the seed germinate at just the right time. To help you on your journey, here’s my map to you. May your gardens be bountiful and your journey to seeds be filled with success and wonder.
Happy Growing!
🌱Elizabeth
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START HERE FOR STRATIFICATION METHODS
There are a handful of seed stratification methods. These are the four most common ones used by many urban farmers today.
Cold Stratification:
Warm Stratification:
Water Soaking:
Scarification:
The type of the plant, seed, and natural growing hardiness determines which method is best for your seed. Let's explore each of these methods in more detail.
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COLD STRATIFICATION
Unlike the water soaking method, the cold method doesn't require moisture. Instead, you place the seeds in a resealable container and store in the refrigerator (or freezer - below 32˚F) for a specified time (often 24hrs up to 1-4 weeks depending on the plant).
Most flowers, including dahlias and wildflowers, prefer being stored in a dry cool place over the winter, never getting below 40˚F. While others need to get cold in order to mimic its winter.
The refrigeration method simulates the "winter", and almost tricks the seed into thinking it's passed winter and safe to grow. After the specified time for the specific plant, remove the seeds from the fridge (or freezer) and plant them according to the label.
WARM STRATIFICATION
This method is particularly useful for plants originating from regions with tropical or subtropical climates, or if you need to simulate that winter is "over" and the seed can germinate.
To mimic warm stratification, gardeners need to create an environment that simulates the warmth of their natural habitat. This is most commonly done with a heat mat, or seed starting mat, and/or placing the seeds in a warm light covered in a moist towel. The key is to have a consistently warm environment.
WATER SOAKING
The water soaking method is one of the most common methods growers use for a majority of seeds. This is because the majority of seeds are able take in the moisture to kick off germination (especially those with a hard shell).
The best way to use this method is with a wet paper towel and put it in a sealable bag. The steps to doing this method is straight forward.
Wet a paper towel (wring out the water)
Place the seeds on top of the wet paper towel spread out
Put the wet paper towel (with the seeds) in the bag and close the bag
DONE!
When the seeds begin to sprout, remove the tiny sprouts and place in soil or hydroponic growing media. Some seeds will sprout within days (such as lettuce), while others may take a bit longer (such as tomato). Once the seed sprouts, it's important to either plant it in soil or a hydroponic growing media right away. A good practice is to keep the seed moist so it doesn't slip back into dormancy.
SCARIFICATION
The cutting method is where you clip the tip of the hard shell seed, or making small cuts to scratch the coat of the seed so moisture can begin soaking into the seed. Seeds like luffa and lemons, the kind with hard shells, are more likely to have a Cutting stratification before being soaked or planted. In nature, animals usually mistakenly do this. Now its up to you!
To cut the shell, use finger clippers or a small pair of scissors to cut the pointed tip of the shell. To scratch the coat of the seed, use a sanding block or scratchy surface, and gently rub the seed on the side of the block. Plants, such as Peas, prefer cutting or scratching up their outer shells to help increase the germination rate.
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LAST NOTE:
As mentioned, using the seed stratification methods is NOT necessary or required to grow, however, these methods will increase the chance of success and conserve seed from your stash. To me, there's more benefit to trying these methods than if you weren't doing it. After all, the goal is to grow healthy strong plants, and to hopefully save you some money along the way.
Seed stratification is just one method that helps growers maximize their growing strategy throughout the season. And now you can too! You don't need any special tools to do these methods, just a little time and planning.
HAPPY GROWING!
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Below are seeds that have confirmed need a stratification method. If the plant is not listed, it likely doesn't need a stratification method. When in doubt, pre-soaking seeds with a warming mat for up to 6 hrs can only help them germinate.
