I have found an easier way to cold stratify that appears to be as useful as the old way of wrapping rose seeds in a paper towel. See my blog for more details.
I will give an update at the end of the germination season.
Jim Sproul
Link: sproulroses.blogspot.com/2011/02/making-cold-stratification-easier.html
I stopped using paper towels a while ago. It was too nasty. I use dishes, with a small layer of perlite/vermiculite at the bottom. I then add a minor amount of water. The outer bits mold but I ignore this. It goes away when theyre planted. If it looks too bad, I spritz on some neem oil, and it goes away. I just flop in the entire mass of seeds and bottom layer into the germination bedding without an issue.
I also quit toweling some time ago. For about seven or so years, I buy a large box of house brand snack bags, the locking type which hold three or four Oreos only. I clean the seed, write a tag then put all the seed from the same cross in the small bag with the tag. They still germinate when and if they want and the germination after planting appears to only vary with the weather and rain as always. Lazy? YES. If it is “work” it ain’t fun and no escape. Kim
This technique I have used for 6 yrs now and does’nt fail me. I raided the local photo developer shop and got the containers that film come in, they are filled to about 1/3 with moist peat. When the hips are picked , seed is taken out and put into the container then into the cooler, I usually start checking them around 1 1/2 mths. If some of them get mould , it does’nt really phase me as it is a natural process breaking down the outer coating.
I have read so many articles and talked to so many people on how to prepare seeds for germination I can no longer remember what information came from where. I do remember visiting Ray Ponton several years ago and he showed us how he stored shelled seeds in plastic zip lock bags with spaghum peat moss that he had soaked, then very carefully wrung out all the water out of. So being the inovator I’m not I copied his process and it works fine for me. I then put the seeds into refrigeration and let the seeds germinate in the peat moss and then transplant them.
Because my garage refrigerator is used for many purposes I keep the temp at 35 degree’s. What I have noticed with the temp that low, it takes my seeds about 3 months before they even start to germinate. A friend of mine keeps his in the mid 40’s and his germinate in around 8 weeks, well before mind. Below is a picture of some seeds that germinated in the zip log bags with spaghum peat moss.
Link: []i824.photobucket.com/albums/zz166/billcashin/IMG_1650A.jpg[/IMG]](http://i824.photobucket.com/albums/zz166/billcashin/IMG_1650A.jpg[/IMG)
I have no clue where my picture of the germinating rose seeds went…
Hi Bill C!
I had nothing better to do, so I searched your picture on photobucket and I think this is it?!
A very reliable and experienced source has informed me that peat moss, depending on the batch, may at times confer some antifungal activity when used in stratification of rose achenes!
It is interesting how many ways there are to get this accomplished. Because I plant so many seeds, I prefer them to not start germinating in the refrigerator. We take the seeds out of the zip-lock bags and then sort of broadcast plant them in the seedling benches where they will germinate and grow. Any seeds that are already germinating in the zip-lock bags have to be carefully planted to avoid damaging the root. Before using a greenhouse, I would germinate them in trays filled with potting soil where the seeds where planted very thickly. After germination, these were then transplanted into separate pots. I have preferred planting the seeds directly into the seedling benches to save time. Depending on germination rates for particular seed parents, I use a factor to determine the density of seeds per bench space. When it works right, this allows me to use all of the seedling bench space with proper spacing between the various seed lots.
Using the above method (seeds in zip-lock bag with wad of paper towel) makes it easier to get to the seeds. There is no having to separate them from peat moss, perlite, or to disentangle from paper towels. If I didn’t have a greenhouse, I would probably try to design seedling benches that could be used outside and plant the same way that I do in the greenhouse.
BTW Bill, that is a great picture of germinating seeds! Knowing that each seedling will be unique makes it all very exciting.
Jim Sproul
I am surprised that no one has mentioned sand in zip lock bags.
“The reasons for using moist sand instead of moist paper are: 1) that the sand changes color when drying out, 2) the root of the sprouted seed is not as easily damaged when removed from sand as when removed from paper, 3) the sand does not decompose and 4) the seeds are easily separated from the sand by using a kitchen wire strainer with a mesh large enough to pass the sand particles but not the seeds. The last is important as some seeds leach out inhibitor chemicals. A “freshen up” every once in a while gets rid of the leached out inhibitor. The leaching away of inhibitor is one of the possible reasons given for an explosion of seed germination outside after a heavy rain.”
Link for above quote is given below.
George,
When you have time send me an email on what link you used to insert the picture and yes that is the picture I was trying to upload. Thanks for taking the time to upload it for me.
billcashin dot verizon dot net
The thing about seeing activity in germination allows you to sow once one of the seeds presents a radical, I dont normally let the roots get that long where it becomes a problem of breaking off when attempting to sow them.
An other indication I use is the colour of seeds, as every one knows the colour straight out the hip is pale yellow, over a period of time during stratification it changes to dk brown , similar to a apple pip , if the desired time during stratification is satisfied I will sow
I also use the lunch baggie with builders sand, and I allow them to sprout with the baggies loosely filed in a container outdoors on a cool shady side of the patio, after stratifying in the refridge. This is the 3rd year doing this and so far I have only broken 1 root, and some of these roots do grow fast-I check them once weekly. Most of the time they look like the germinating seeds in Bill’s fine picture, but they come out of the sand really cleanly, and many times they have sprouted a bit more, with the cotyledons opened. But most important is to do what works within the space and set up you have.
this is all tremendously interesting to me. Does anyone use vermiculite or is perlite the first choice medium? I have chitted lots of seed,(grass, parsnips, curcubits) and must agree, I really don’t care for paper towels but peat use is definately frowned upon too.
I’ve been stratifying my seeds in baggies in moist coir for about 10 years or so. Since the coir sifts well & doesn’t stick the way peat moss does, it’s easy to locate & extract the germinating seeds. I also find the seeds stay clean without any fungal problems. The coir sold in Ontario doesn’t seem to have the problems mentioned elsewhere. I stopped using paper towels after the first try as folding & unfolding seemed tedious.
I really like the sound of Henry’s sand idea!!! I am going to try it out this season, to be sure!!!
george,
Make that billcashin at verizon dot net . Another senior mistake!
Hi Bill!
I just sent you an email. Please let me know here if you do not receive it.
Henry, I’ll give it a whirl on some next year. When I was new and did germinations only indoors, I’d cover the top layer with a few millimeters of white sand to prevent damp off. It worked well, but I never considered it solely as a stratification medium.
Lydia,
I think some of the problems with coir (salt) has long since been resolved, unless you buy coir specifically packaged for non planting use,i.e., like small animal bedding or as a mulch material, which also is usually washed and flushed. I have used it for several years for plant related uses and have bought several different brands with absolutely no problems. I am now using approx. 15% mixed into Promix for seedlings, and last year started to use it to see if it worked better than straight pro mix when planting up seedlings from their coffee cup size pots, and what I found is they like that mix and do quite well(almost as good in a 1 qt as in a 1 gal)with good root developement. This is useful only when it comes to not wanting to take up so much space while doing some secondary evaluations. As for the coir, you can almost always go online and check out the manufacturers specs regarding the flushing of sodium and what mix of fibers are used. So far any brand I have checked has been flushed and states that clearly. It seems like it would be a great medium for stratifying seeds.
![i824.photobucket.com/albums/zz166/billcashin/IMG_1650A.jpg[/IMG]](http://i824.photobucket.com/albums/zz166/billcashin/IMG_1650A.jpg%5B/IMG%5D){kind=link}
