Winter sowing

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Camassia & alpine strawberry

When you wander off the beaten path into growing unusual edibles, you come across seeds that require cold stratification to germinate. Commonly grown vegetables have had this requirement bred out of them – they rely on the gardener to sow them at the right time. Wild seeds fall when they fall, and require cold and wet weather (or other weather patterns, depending on the climate they grow in) to break through a tough seed coat before they will germinate in spring.

The instructions for the impatient are generally to put the seeds in damp compost and put them in the fridge for about 3 months, then sow them as normal. I haven’t had much luck with that in the past.

But there is another way. At this time of year, European gardeners are well used to sowing seeds of hardy annuals and perennials and letting the winter take care of cold stratification. It’s such a common practice, for ornamentals, that we don’t have a name for it. The Americans call it Winter Sowing.

Despite a ground frost the previous night, golden autumn sunshine yesterday tempted me out into the garden and I decided to sow my seeds that need cold stratification. Camassia quamash is a Canadian plant that used to provide food for native people with its starchy roots. I ordered the seeds from eSeeds.com (and had no problems, although a quick internet search will show you plenty of people who aren’t as happy with their service). I also have some white alpine strawberry seeds from Patrick.

Writing this, I have just remembered that I also have some Sweet Cicely seeds somewhere. I will have to sow those soon too.

Cold stratification

The seeds are now in pots in my cold frame, covered in perlite that may well blow away. I can close the lid on the cold frame when the weather gets very wet, but otherwise I will leave them exposed to the elements. They join a pot of shrub rose (Rosa rugosa) seeds that have been there since I pulled them off a bush in the local park in July.

Posted 20 October 2007, 12:22.   Posted in .
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