I can’t get no stratification
A happy thought during our current weather experience is the fact spring arrives in about four weeks. Yippee! Gardeners probably have already planned for what seeds they want for this year’s garden adventure and have worked to get garden beds ready. We’re almost ready to get excited, but there is another chore to consider.
Nettle leaves provide vitamins A and C plus iron, magnesium and calcium which bolster the immune system. Nutritionists consider nettles a super food. More than once along the way I planted nettle seeds but to no avail because my best intentions did not know to stratify the seeds.
Seed stratification is a method of mimicking the natural processes some seeds need to germinate. Many native perennials – monardas, goldenrods, echinaceas, milkweeds, wood betony, dozens of others – need a period of cold and damp to soften the seed coat to encourage germination when warm weather arrives. You might simply sow these seeds in autumn and let winter do the stratifying.
I have learned that a well-meaning gardener needs to mark the spot where autumn-sown seeds are resting because folks (me) forget things, plus write down somewhere what went where, and don’t lose the list.
This being the middle of February, you could try putting seeds out for stratification and see what happens, or try a different approach. You might successfully stratify seeds by placing them in a plastic bag or in moist sand, sawdust, vermiculite or other medium and carefully storing them in your refrigerator. Cover lightly to maintain but not contain moisture. I have tried stratifying lavender seeds on a damp napkin in the refrigerator, but the napkin dried out too fast all the time (operator error), so this time I’ll try sand or potting soil. Won’t matter if I allow it to dry out, so dampness relies on the gardener on duty.
Annuals such as leafy greens, marigolds, eggplants, okra and tomatoes don’t need stratification. However, planting perennials adds color and diversifies your garden space, and adding flowers and herbs around your bell peppers makes the peppers happy which makes the gardener happy at harvest time.
In my garden space, I am regularly treated to black-eyed Susans, golden alexanders, goldenrods, sky blue asters, mountain mint and silene virginica – all of which benefit from stratification. I had no idea about this requirement because they show up year after year without the benefit of my refrigerator. Makes sense that a perennial native to a place with cold winters might need stratification.
While monitoring for moistness of your seed trays at the back of your refrigerator, also watch for sprouts (that’s a good thing!). You might carefully transplant healthy sprouts to a protected corner for further attention, and, yes, it’s another gardener task to take on, and, yes, you asked for it. But in the end, you get happy astragalus, lavender, nettle and coneflower seedlings you can share.
Thirty days might be enough for some seeds to stratify. Rely on your extrasensory gardener intuition to know what’s best. Someday, you’ll know what you’re doing, and, regardless, who knows what the weather has in mind for late March. But now, check seed packets to see what your refrigerator might be hosting. I’m clearing space between kimchi and yogurt for cute trays of bachelor buttons, echinacea, lavender, marshmallow, and nettles.
Even if I don’t know what I’m doing, I might never know if I don’t try. It’s called science.