Seeds and Germination: Stratifying Milkweed

When I first started growing my own plants from seed, I didn't realize there were several different processes I needed to get acquainted with to insure a successful germination. Most seeds, especially annual flowers, vegetables, and herbs, do not need any special treatments and germinate easily without intervention. Most perennials, on the other hand, tend to need a little helping hand in germination depending on the plant. A little research and planning on specific plants and their germination type is necessary before starting. There are three general processes to initiate germination:

• Stratification- most perennials have a embryo that are dormant or immature when harvested. These seeds must go through a moist-cold treatment before they will germinate. I will be discussing this particular process further in this post.

• Soaking-some seeds have a hard-outer shell that must be softened or contain a chemical that must be leeched out before germination will occur. Seeds are soaked in hot (but not boiling) water. Most only need 24 hours but could need longer depending on seed type. If longer time is necessary, water must be changed out daily.

• Scarification-Due to the hardness of some seed coatings, they are unable to absorb the proper amount of moisture to ensure germination. This process includes the breaking of the seed's surface with sandpaper or small, sharp edge. Be careful not to cut too deeply into the seeds surface.

This growing season I'm taking on the processes of starting Milkweed. With being pollinator-minded, I have struggled to find locally sold milkweed and I have tried transplanting Milkweed with little success due to the sensitive taproot of this plant.

While plants are available on-line, I’m still hesitant to spend the money on sensitive seedlings that may not make it through the shipping process. Through my research I discovered if I had the hope of starting any milkweed seeds, they must be stratified before germination will occur (I snuck in Echinacea seeds since they need stratification as well).

Below is the process I continued with.

Cold Stratification

To begin this process, I stored several containers (depending on the amount of seed varieties) of distilled water in the fridge until chilled.

After the water had chilled, I empty the seed packets into each individual container, and stored them back in the fridge for another 12 hours. I taped the empty seed packets to the lids to keep them straight.

When the 12 hours was up, I strained each container individually using a mesh strainer.

I lightly moisten a paper towel and arranged the seeds. Carefully I transferred the paper towel into a Ziploc bag and sealed it. Again, so not to confuse seeds, I taped the empty packets to the Ziploc bag.

Once I was done transferring all the seeds to bags, they went back into the fridge to sit for 4-6 weeks. Its important to note that bags need to be checked often for mold. If mold starts to grow the seeds need to be planted right away!

Hopefully germination will occur, and I will be able to transfer the seedlings to a growing medium in about a month and a half!

Also, when selecting Milkweed seeds its important to research which plant varieties are native to your area. Search plants by scientific name Ex: Asclepsia syriaca ( Common Milkweed), Asclepias tuberosa (Butterflyweed), Asclepsia incarnata (Swamp Milkweed).