Easy Grow
All About Seeds
Collection & Storage-
Seeds should be collected when ripe and dry on the plant. Continue drying in an open bowl or paper bag. Seeds do best when storing in envelopes. Tupperware or plastic bags are not recommended unless completely dry.
Seeds should be collected when ripe and dry on the plant. Continue drying in an open bowl or paper bag. Seeds do best when storing in envelopes. Tupperware or plastic bags are not recommended unless completely dry.
Germination-
Seed stratification is a time for moist seeds to sit preparing to germinate. Seeds that have a thick, hard coating may require scarification before stratification. Many seeds require a cold stratification period in order to germinate while some require a warm stratification prior to the cold stratification. Cold stratification is at the temperature of 34-41 Degrees F., while warm stratification is at the temperature of 68-86 degrees F. When a seed requires both a warm and cold stratification, the warm stratification is done first, followed by the cold stratification. A warm stratification is done to soften the seed coat or allow the seed embryo to mature. Only the mature seed embryo is capable of the cold stratification process. Seed must be moist to stratify. Most seeds are dried to below 10% moisture for best storage. Seed below 10% moisture does not stratify very much and will just sit dormant (this is good for storage prior to stratifying or sowing). The moisture level must be increased to 60% + to allow the seed to begin to stratify. Mother Nature will naturally cold stratify the seed over the winter for seeds planted outside in colder areas. When required, seed may also be artificially stratified to facilitate sowing in the spring or sowing in a greenhouse environment. This also allows sowing the seed in areas that do not have a long-or cold-enough winter. You do not stratify seed that is being fall sown outside in colder areas if the winter is long enough to give the required pre-treatment after sowing. The seed requires the recommended treatment only once. As an example, do not cold stratify a seed and then fall sow. This is a double cold stratification. Once the initial stratification is complete the seed is ready to germinate. Should there be a fall warm up, the seed will begin the process of germination and will be killed by the freezing temperatures of winter. In addition, once the seed has completed stratification, it is ready to start growing. In this state the seed will use up its energy reserves at a rapid rate and will have a much reduced shelf life at warmer or cooler temperatures. Seed that requires a stratification period of 30 days or less can be dry stratified without a moisture medium, while seed that requires 30 days or more stratification should be stratified with a moisture medium. The seed does not know if it is inside a plastic bag or sown outside. All the seed can do is react to the warm or cold moist stratification in any environment or warm stratification.
Seed stratification is a time for moist seeds to sit preparing to germinate. Seeds that have a thick, hard coating may require scarification before stratification. Many seeds require a cold stratification period in order to germinate while some require a warm stratification prior to the cold stratification. Cold stratification is at the temperature of 34-41 Degrees F., while warm stratification is at the temperature of 68-86 degrees F. When a seed requires both a warm and cold stratification, the warm stratification is done first, followed by the cold stratification. A warm stratification is done to soften the seed coat or allow the seed embryo to mature. Only the mature seed embryo is capable of the cold stratification process. Seed must be moist to stratify. Most seeds are dried to below 10% moisture for best storage. Seed below 10% moisture does not stratify very much and will just sit dormant (this is good for storage prior to stratifying or sowing). The moisture level must be increased to 60% + to allow the seed to begin to stratify. Mother Nature will naturally cold stratify the seed over the winter for seeds planted outside in colder areas. When required, seed may also be artificially stratified to facilitate sowing in the spring or sowing in a greenhouse environment. This also allows sowing the seed in areas that do not have a long-or cold-enough winter. You do not stratify seed that is being fall sown outside in colder areas if the winter is long enough to give the required pre-treatment after sowing. The seed requires the recommended treatment only once. As an example, do not cold stratify a seed and then fall sow. This is a double cold stratification. Once the initial stratification is complete the seed is ready to germinate. Should there be a fall warm up, the seed will begin the process of germination and will be killed by the freezing temperatures of winter. In addition, once the seed has completed stratification, it is ready to start growing. In this state the seed will use up its energy reserves at a rapid rate and will have a much reduced shelf life at warmer or cooler temperatures. Seed that requires a stratification period of 30 days or less can be dry stratified without a moisture medium, while seed that requires 30 days or more stratification should be stratified with a moisture medium. The seed does not know if it is inside a plastic bag or sown outside. All the seed can do is react to the warm or cold moist stratification in any environment or warm stratification.