Astrantia & Stratification
02 March 2010 00:24:37
Last autumn I sowed several trays of seeds and left them in the greenhouse to overwinter.
They were all seeds that required, or would tolerate, stratification - Sarracenia, Astrantia, Verbascum, Aquilegia.
I note the definition of botanical stratification - simulating winter conditions to promote germination by chilling to ideally +1° to +3°C - not freezing.
Given the abominable winter we have had, with temperatures of -10, I had given up on my seeds in the greenhouse for lost. However, yesterday I decided to take a little look at them.
No sign of life in most trays but the Astratia tray did have one seedling peeping up. I decided it was probably a weed and left it. But today I went back to check again and have found several similar seedlings peeping up in the same tray.
So, for anyone who may have inadvertently collected a few Astrantia seeds in Belvedere at the Garden.ie get-together last year, GO check your seeds!