CULT: seed germination

Arnold was asking about germination on his I. missouriensis:

" I had no idea any seeds would sprout 
in the cold of the refrigerator, thought they'd wait until the pots 
were in the warm again.  There were 2 pots in there, but all the 
seeds that have sprouted so far are in just one of them.  Meanwhile, 
I also kept some seeds--there were so many in the packet--to put 
directly into the garden as soon as things warm up.  
    Question:  Is this normal to have the seeds sprout while still in 
the cold?  If not, what might I have done to prompt this?  Or is it 
in spite of what I may have done?"


Arnold, in my not-that-large experience with missouriensis, the seeds require 
a month to two of chilling (and it doesn't have to be all at once--I like a 
variation on Sharon's cycle-through-the-refrigerator  trick).  I think this is 
probably more important than whether or not they are exposed to light.  And if 
I plant them outside in the ground rather than in a pot, I make sure it's in 
the fall so they can get their chilling naturally.  I would expect your 
leftover seeds would do better if you pre-chill them in the fridge (not the 
freezer!) before you plant them out this spring--without that, they may not 
germinate until another year has passed.

Happy seedlings!

Barb, in Santa Fe, where the I. missouriensis are certainly not bog plants!
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