There are certain seeds that benefit from scarification or stratification. There seeds are usually perennials, shrubs or trees. If you’re not familiar with the terms the definitions are below.

photo credit: n0rthw1nd

Scarification

The germination of some seeds is greatly improved or is only achieved with indoor gardening by Scarification. This is a process where you rub the seeds lightly between two sheets of sandpaper. What this does is enables the moisture in the soil to penetrate the seed coat. Seeds with a heavy coat or cover benefit from this.

I use this process for lotus seeds, shrub and tree seeds. Other seeds that will benefit from this process are Burnet, Salad; Clovers; Crane’s-bills; Liquorice Wild; Medic Black; Melilots; rock Rose; Restharrows; Trefoils; Vetches and members of the pea family.

NOTE: Use care when removing part of the sed cover. You want to only remove a small amount. That would be enough to help the interior take in water easier. If you remove to much you will hurt the seed and it may  rot.

Stratification

Stratification is a process I use every year. Quite a few seeds have to be subjected to a period of cold during winter before germination takes place in the spring. So when starting certain seeds you need to create this period of cold by adding the seed to damp sand and putting it in a plastic bag in the fridge for 6-8 weeks. You can also sow them in a cold frame in the autumn.

Species that benefit from this technique are Bellflower clustered, Bluebell, Burnet-Saxifrage, Carrot Wild, Cowslip, Honeysuckle, Lords & Ladies, Mignonette, Ramsons, oxlip, Primrose, Violets, Weld and all Sedges. Basically any perennial seed and about half the flowering shrub seeds that I collect I use this method to help the seed to sprout more naturally. I have a very high germination rate with perennial seed so I feel this process helps.

Sprouting and trees, shrubs and perennials from seed make the winter months go quickly and it fun to see what will grow successfully from a seed.

The only problem I have had from starting seeds this way is that sometimes I start too many of a certain seeds and storage until it’s time to plant the small seedlings, either in the ground or a holding bed, can be challenging.

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I enjoy the look of Hosta plants. They are easy to care for and work well in those shady areas that you’re not really sure what to with. And with Hostas you have a wide variety of color variations and sizes in the plants.

photo credit: teresatrimm

They look wonderful alone or as accents for other perennials and annuals. The Hosta is a perennial that can be divided to create more plants or started from seed.

Hosta seeds are actually very easy to start from seed and an advantage to this is that you can harvest a variety of seeds from many locations. If you see a Hosta plant you like in the fall and it has the long seed stem ask the property owner if it’s ok if you collect some seeds.

To collect seeds wait until the seedpod is turning brown or quite brown. Pick the seed pods and place them on paper towels to dry. Once dry split the pod and collect the seed.

Perennial seeds benefit from a cooling spell. It’s the seeds way of knowing its time to sprout. In nature this occurs with the seasons. If you collect seeds you need to give them a cold treatment in the refrigerator of freezer to create this seasonal change.

When I collect seeds I mark the variety or description of the seeds and place in envelopes once they are dry. Then I place in the refrigerator until I am ready to plant.

Planting Hosta seeds.

I use plastic trays and fill with a potting soil. Place the seeds on top of the soil. If you cover the seeds, just dust the top of the seeds lightly. (I often use peat moss for this.) A Hosta seed does not seem to need to be covered to germinate.

Lightly moisten the soil, place in a semi dark area with moderate heat and ignore. I usually see seedling in a week. Then the seedling start to sprout I move the tray to sunlight. You water these by lightly misting the tray.

In about one month I will transplant the seedling into small peat pots that will dissolve when planted into the ground.

Often times when a plant is this small I will place the plant in a holding bed for a year until it has more size and will not be taken over by small plants and weeds. (A holding bed is a raised bed that is made to hold small or weak plants so that they are protected from animals, weeds, plants, and the lawnmower.)

When your plants are bigger, its time to select their new garden location and get them planted. Or if you have a lot of plants you may want to trade them with friends for other plant varieties.

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A two liter clear pop bottle will make a quick, inexpensive greenhouse, perfect for starting a few seeds or propagating a plant cutting. I really like these for cuttings. They create a perfect starting climate for cuttings.

photo credit: yugenro

Start the project by using a clean two liter pop bottle. Use a serrated knife and cut near the bottom of the bottle. Most plastic bottles have a clear line about two inches from the bottom, where the straight sides begin to taper down.

Make the cut at least an inch above this line, so you’ll be able to fit the two sections back together. The pop bottle may want to move or pop on you so use extreme care when cutting.

Finish the cut either with the serrated knife or with scissors. I find scissors are easier for me to use.

You can place potting soil directly in the bottle bottom or use min pots. Little peat pots will work well. Some people make pots from toilet paper rolls cut down to 3 inches in height.

Plant your seeds or cuttings. If you use a rooting liquid or powder on the cutting they will root much quicker.

If needed, water the pots, and then fit the top of the bottle in place. There’s a trick to this – slide most of the top inside the base, then press your fingers against the last section to make an indent; this will enable you to slide the rest of the top inside the base. When you release the indent, that section should spring back out, creating a close seal all around. But if you don’t get a good seal, don’t worry – the plants won’t mind a little fresh air.

Set the bottle greenhouse in a sunny windowsill and observe the humidity level over the next few days. I also like to set the bottle on a TV or refrigerator if the area gets sunlight. You get bottom heat this way, which is beneficial to many plants.

A slight film of moisture collecting on the sides of the bottle will add humidity to the air in the bottle, which is good. But if water starts to run down the sides, open the top of the bottle for a while to reduce the humidity. Too much liquid will cause soggy soil and possibly soil mold.

When the last frost date approaches, you can begin setting the bottle outside on warm days. This will allow the plants to adjust to full sunlight. For the last week or so before planting, you should also remove the top of the bottle. This will let the seedlings harden off and acclimate to the sunlight and wind. This is a very important step and overlooked my many gardeners.

I also use clear pop bottle in the garden in early spring to cover small seedlings at night for protection form the cold and even insects.

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