Stratification of seeds at home is a proven method of preparing the planting material, which does not require high costs. Even experienced gardeners, with a luggage of knowledge about each culture, rarely take risks and sow without prequalification. For each plant there are recommendations, ways of stratification, terms and features of further work.
What is the stratification of flower seeds?
After flowering, most plants form boxes with seeds. In autumn they fall and winter under a layer of fallen leaves and snow. With the onset of heat and wet weather, the seeds are awakened, and they are let out in hardened growth. All these processes are excluded, when the seeds fall into the soil from bags purchased in stores. The answer to the question, what is the stratification of seeds, is precisely the imitation of such natural processes by artificial means.
Why is stratification of seeds necessary?
In each seed there are chemical substances that block the development mechanism. Gradually, the number of growth retardants decreases, stimulants begin to work. All this occurs at low temperatures and high humidity. Proper seed preparation for seeding on seedlings will ensure amicable shoots and strong seedlings.
- High humidity provides softening of the shell of the seed. The crust on the surface is cracked and the seeds are covered with a slimy layer. When the planting material begins to swell, the complex substances break down into simple, accessible to feed the embryo.
- If the seeds grow in the strip with sudden changes in humidity and temperature, without such measures they will not ascend.
The seeds of what colors require stratification?
Preparation is needed for many medicinal herbs, flowers planted in the spring. For the sake of convenience, the answer to which seeds stratification is needed can also be divided by the duration of the procedure.
- Two weeks of seed stratification at home is enough for verbena, viola, licnis and delphinium.
- Three weeks will be needed for stratification at home geraniums, vitropter, crocosmia, linen, sharovnitsy.
- Decorative bows and astrations are prepared for disembarkation for four weeks.
- Six weeks are stratified at home by daylilies, hellebells and dinets.
- Felicia and wolfenia need eight weeks of preparation.
- Lilies need a stratification of duration of twelve weeks.
How to make seed stratification at home?
The size and type of planting material affects the way of stratification, some plant species do not grow without such influence. However, not all seeds need only lower temperatures, it is possible to awaken growth substances in three different ways.
- Cold stratification is suitable for plants whose seeds need ripening. This applies to many tree and shrub cultures. Stratification of seeds in the refrigerator is suitable for blue spruce, mountain pine or lavender. In the trays laid coconut substrate, calcinated river sand, and the small seeds are scattered on damp cotton fabric. At the bottom of the refrigerator, the seeds lie at different times: large ones with a diameter of the order of 10 mm for two to three months, an average seed with a diameter of up to 6 mm should be no more than thirty days, and very small soak for only a couple of weeks before sowing.
- A warm stratification of seeds at home is suitable for seeds with an underdeveloped embryo. These include sleep-grass, lemongrass. A soft sponge is cut along into two parts. The optimum temperature is 25-28 ° C. Hothouse conditions will create a food film, which loosely wrapped foam. Timing of the seeds from two weeks to a month.
- If the plant is a hard-to-grow, you will need a combined stratification at home. This method germinates the seed of gentian or primroses . The best option is a fine hydrogel. First, the planting material is laid in it and sent to a warm place at a temperature of 20 ° C for a couple of weeks, then transferred to the bottom of the refrigerator for a month.
Terms of stratification of seeds of perennial flowers
At the perennial seed, the outer shell is strong, which considerably complicates the growing process. Some seeds have to be mechanically assisted by shallow incisions on the shell. The stratification of seeds at home is individual, the timing for each species depends on the size of the seed and the thickness of its shell. For the preparation of phloxes , peonies or aconites it will take from several months to a year. But the astrames, delphiniums or lion's pharynx lack stratification in two or four weeks.
What to do with seeds after stratification?
When the timing of the seeds is suitable, you can start mixing soil to forge seedlings. The scheme of work with planting material after stratification is no different.
- For each culture, a fertile, loose substrate is prepared and the boxes are filled with them.
- For most plants optimal conditions are considered when the temperature fluctuates between 13-21 ° C. If the stratification of the seeds ends in early May, the landing is carried out directly into the soil.
- Some plants require additional stimulants at home. They are doused with boiling water so that the outer cover of the shell is cracked and allowed nutrients to pass to the embryo. This is typical for seeds with a very strong shell.
How to replace the stratification of seeds?
When there is little space in the refrigerator or there is simply no possibility to provide the necessary temperatures at home and moisten the seeds in time, you can replace the artificial stratification with a natural one. On the packaging of seeds, there is always information that you can sow under the winter, and that is waiting for a warm spring. For certainty, it is worthwhile to familiarize yourself with this moment individually, because sometimes the cost of seeds is impressive. If the seeds are small and there is a risk of losing planting, they can be sown in boxes and put in a cold basement or put on a site, having dug in a windless place.