Seed stratification is literally “interbedding”. The occurrence of collocations is associated with pre-sowing preparation of grains by mixing them with layers of wet sand, followed by placement in the cellar. To date, stratification of seeds is a broader term, implying a different essence of the action.
Classification
Seed stratification is a process that improves future germination. It is divided into warm and cold. In the first case, the seeds are soaked and aged under conditions of high humidity and the necessary aeration. Sphagnum moss acts as an excellent store of moisture. Due to its bactericidal properties, it helps to inhibit the reproduction of fungal infections. The air temperature can vary in the range from 10 to 35 degrees Celsius. The need for this operation is determined by the presence in some seeds of underdeveloped embryos. An example of this is a plant like lemongrass.
Cold stratification of seeds is a process involving the preliminary soaking of grains with their subsequent content in conditions of low positive temperature. Moderate ventilation is also a necessary requirement.
Some plants need phased stratification: first warm, then cold.
Basic Rules
Every beginner gardener asks how to stratify the seeds. First of all, it is recommended to soak them in water. After this, the seeds are disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate, which has a dark pink color. Also, the special drug "Maxim" is suitable for this task. After disinfection, the seeds are sprinkled with a substrate. Some use washed sand, which is pre-fried in the oven. But in most cases, the use of peat, sphagnum, coconut substrate, which have bactericidal properties and suppress the development of various types of rot, is practiced. The ratio of seeds to substrate is one to three, respectively.
Some gardeners are smart and place the seeds on a damp cloth or cloth placed in a small box. Two pieces of foam rubber moistened with water are perfectly suitable for this task, between which grains prepared for sowing are laid out.
Important Terms
After the above procedures, the seeds should be provided with the required temperature, depending on the type of stratification (warm or cold). If it is necessary to create coolness, they are placed in a refrigerator or cellar, and in order to provide heat, they are placed close to the central heating system. It is important to remember to create labels that indicate where and what seeds are. For this purpose, tape, cut off an angle from foam rubber or the like, is suitable. Successful stratification requires sufficient substrate moisture. It should be maintained at the proper level, while avoiding excessive accumulation of water.
In the event that there are a large number of seeds, and there is not enough space in the refrigerator, you can take them to the balcony and place them in a pallet. The latter is wrapped in several layers of paper.
Stratification of primrose seeds implies their placement directly on the snow. Grains of plants such as lobelia, gloxinia are prepared in a similar way. In the process of melting snow, these small seeds will be rammed, drawn into the ground. Necessary conditions for such preparation: safety of the snow cover and the absence of pets nearby. Stratification of strawberry seeds is carried out according to the same principle.
How to “wake up” seeds
Seed material of some vegetable crops is characterized by such a deep physiological calm that germination occurs only in rare cases. An example of this is katran, perennial onion or wild garlic. This property is determined by the conservation mechanism in nature, by which the untimely germination leading to death is eliminated. In order to "wake up" such seeds, preparation for sowing involves stratification in conditions of lowering temperature and increasing humidity. Katran and wild garlic require the passage of warm and cold stages of preparation for sowing. This procedure begins three to four months before the time of sowing, that is, in January. The material is placed in gauze bags or in a capron stocking, after which it is tied and marked with a label with the name. During the first three days, the resulting bags are soaked in water, which is regularly changed. After that, the seeds are placed in a pink solution of potassium permanganate.
At the end of the preparation, the bags are carefully straightened, transferred to a box or box filled with a substrate. The latter should be constantly in a wet state. A container of seeds is placed in a cool basement. Onions are stratified for five months at temperatures from zero to five degrees Celsius, wild garlic - from eighty to one hundred days at air temperatures from zero to three degrees Celsius.
Scarification
Experienced summer residents and gardeners know firsthand what stratification of flower seeds is. It includes scarification - the process of damage to the hard shell of seeds in order to accelerate their swelling. It is produced by gently filed, cracking, scratching, grinding with sand.
Creating stressful conditions
In order to better germinate the seeds, preparation for sowing involves the use of the scalding method with boiling water. In this way, seeds of white acacia, gledichia are treated. To begin with, they are placed in hot water, the temperature of which ranges from eighty to ninety degrees Celsius. The calculation of the volume of hot water is made in a ratio of 1: 2 (seeds: water). After that, the seeds are left for a day in this condition so that they swell.
Creating contrasting conditions for seeds
To ensure optimal germination, preparation of seeds for sowing involves treatment with water of various temperatures. To do this, put the seeds in a bag, near which a pair of large containers of water (hot and cold) is placed. Next, the bag is placed in turn in hot and cold water for thirty seconds. The duration of the procedure is from ten to fifteen minutes. In conclusion, a bag of seeds is placed in a container with a small amount of hot water and left in this state for a day.
Accelerating development with cold
The snowing method helps to better understand what stratification of flower seeds is. A seed box is buried in the snow one to four months before the warm season, depending on the variety. They also resort to unpacking bags of gauze or nylon seeds among a large snow pile. This method significantly increases the germination energy. In order to avoid melting of the upper snow layer, it is covered with hay, a board, cloth, and so on.
On the eve of spring sowing, seeds are soaked. This allows you to achieve a condition in which the shell softens, and the embryo swells. The process involves placing seeds in a bag that is immersed in water. The temperature in the room should not fall below 18-20 degrees. Water changes daily.
How to grow clematis
Fashion trends have introduced charming flowering vines into flower gardeners. Clematis pleases with an unusually huge assortment of varieties. Despite this, not everyone has the opportunity to purchase a seedling or cuttings of this amazing flower. However, you can buy seed from which a no less beautiful plant will grow. Stratification of clematis seeds is the basis of preparation for their planting in the ground. The seed is placed in a container filled with a special soil mixture, the basis of which is equal parts of such elements as peat, sand and earth. Here, the seeds are aged for several months at a temperature of five degrees Celsius. Do not forget that the sowing material of clematis is a very attractive dinner for various kinds of rodents. In this regard, it will not be superfluous to protect the crop from the external effects of animals with a fine mesh or a simple transparent glass. Subject to the above recommendations, it is possible to achieve friendly seedlings in a period of 10–20 days.
How to grow grapes from seed
Some believe that this is a rather troublesome and problematic activity. The grapes that were grown from the seed, begins to bear fruit in the 4-5th year, in some cases later. But there are varieties that bloom in the second year.
In order to grow grapes from seeds, it is necessary to select disease-resistant varieties. Bones are taken only from well-ripened berries. Faster seedlings help to achieve stratification of grape seeds. It includes thorough washing of the seeds under running water, followed by placing them in a nylon bag and a bag of polyethylene. Next, the seeds are placed in the refrigerator, periodically they are removed from the bag and washed. From the moment of cracking the seeds, they are ready for germination. This happens one to two months after the start of stratification. Thanks to this method, those bones that were isolated in September begin cracking in November.
Thus, the rational presowing treatment of seeds increases their germination by several times. Stratified hard-growing seeds give amicable fast-growing seedlings. In such a material, the water content is significantly increased. Due to this factor, special enzymes are activated in the seeds that trigger the redox process. All this removes seeds from the "hibernation", called the state of the biochemical pause of embryo development.