Re: Darlingtonia stratification

Loren Russell (loren@PEAK.ORG)
Tue, 21 May 1996 14:56:28 -0700 (PDT)

Concerning the "ice-cube tray" method.... I've tried some weird
methods myself [most recently putting some fire-ecology types through my
kitchen espresso machine.] But... freezing is NOT necessary, or
desirable for stratification. Stratification involves a physiological
process at lower environmental temperatures, and often does not proceed
when seeds are frozen. The seeds must be moist, and a common technique
is mixing seeds with moist sand, preferably in a polyethylene baggie [to
keep aerobic], stored at refrigerator temperatures for about two months.
This is a very general technique for a variety of temperate-zone plants.
If you're sowing only a few plants, and especially fine seed which needs
to be surface-sown, it's most convenient to sow the seed in 4-inch pots
[typically on milled sphagnum over potting mix], hydrate and baggie the
pots, and refrigerate for the appropriate period.

Loren Russell, Corvallis, OR