Hello Kathleen, dry stratification will work…the moist part softens the seed coats which increases germination rate + speed of germination. In the meantime, keep you Milkweed seeds in a dry, aerated envelope and store in a dark place for the Winter. Hi Lexi, I don’t put our seeds in the refrigerator until I want to stratify them. Many thanks. Would watering the seedlings with peroxide water help or would that “burn” very young plants? Always make sure they are native to your area: In spring rising temperatures and moisture will trigger these seeds to sprout. December 2019 Generally what is the lowest cost milkweed seed per pound? I haven’t given up on the other 4 yet. 4. Only two things can thwart my plan. We have A. syriaca, A. tuberosa, A. amplexicaulis and A. quadrifolia in the area. I hope they sprout. Right now we have our seeds chilling in the refrigerator (dry stratification), but I will also give the cold moist stratification a try too. Once the … I consider this a huge success. Hi Eli, I have never seen any. ? Types of Seeds That Require Scarification. Is it ok to plant them right now and put in pots so the plants can be portable during cold weather days? Label the bag with the seed variety and the date you started stratification. Add cold water back to the jar, then store the jar in the refrigerator until you change the water the next day. Plant the Seeds Indoors.  If you limit each container to one species of milkweed, you should be able to place the filters directly in the sealed containers without the plastic bags. We even get tropical milkweed seeding up north in Minnesota. I am in Delaware and it’s early June. I dig a hole, get an empty water gallon (jug), cut the bottom out of the jug and sink it into the ground. Cold moist stratification worked well using a wet coffee filter sealed inside a plastic baggie. Best of luck! Make sure each seed has good contact with the damp towel. Should I leave them in the freezer and plant them in the spring? If you don’t want seedlings all overs, cut off some/most of the seed pods before they mature. For method #2, take your damp paper towel and fold it over your seeds, then fold this inside a dry paper towel, and place this bundle into a plastic bag. Here’s hoping that 2015 is a great year for everyone! Seal the bag and place it in your refrigerator. I was going to do a comparison of germination rates between seeds that had wet cold stratification to those that had dry cold stratification, but I don’t know when my paper towel dried out. Try this Alan and good luck! Thanks for the tips. Gently add water until soil is damp. Also, we have a lot of seeds. Hi Rain, if you are giving them out in late April, probably best to cold stratify so they can plant soon after…. will drop seed in autumn, then lay dormant under snow through winter. Milkweed seeds need to go through a period of cold to germinate, which is called cold stratification. Your site is incredibly valuable. Box #390135 I thought I might try it with the Swan milkweed, and the Family Jewels. Another thing I’ve heard is to soak the seeds following stratification for 24 hours and then planting. Store in a warm place. Posted on May 18, 2014 May 18, 2014 by Kim Smith. Dampen your soil with a spray bottle full of water and place 1-2 seeds into each 2" container. I was curious to see how seeds from a warm weather variety would be affected by cold treatment. Check the seed envelope or the seed supplier’s web site for more information. I also have a few tuberosa, incarnata, and syriaca seeds in water, just to see what kind of germination rates I get. Hi Dani, I’ve tried this propagation technique successfully and I think the first seeds started germinating in under a week. I love to plant more Milkweed of different types. Hi Michelle, we keep seeds about 3-4 years but I can’t give you an exact answer for the germination rates. Just checked and didn’t see anything yet. About how long does it take for sprouted seeds to be ready to transition to the garden? Like your website. Then I am going to strategically plant the seedlings (cup and all) into the garden. Seeds require cold moist stratification. It has worked well, but I wanted to see if there was a difference if the moisture was applied earlier. It is a learning experience and I am enjoying every moment! Thanks. I will be experimenting more with this next spring. Thanks for reading and best of luck with your milkweed! I spray it on seedlings and their soil to kill fungus gnat larvae. I’ve consulted it numerous times when researching something about my monarchs. To give out and we will distribute them to be stratified to help them germinate at https: //maps.journeynorth.org/maps!. 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