can you help me understand these sowing instructions?!

Hi,

I live in Spain and have some commercial seeds for New Zealand Flax (Phormium cookianum) brought back from a trip there.On the packet the instructions for sowing them are as follows:

"When: Sow anytime indoors. Soak seed overnight. Spread seed between layers of a wet paper towel. Seal in a plastic bag with plenty of air space. Refrigerate for 6 weeks. Keep moist.
Where to sow: Best sown into a tray of quality seed raising mix..."

I don't get it. Especially the refrigerating for 6 weeks. After the soaking the seed overnight, do I put it between paper towels, seal it in a bag and keep it in the fridge for 6 weeks?

Any ideas welcome. I am already soaking the seeds - started before realising I didn't undeerstand the next step... so I hope someone replies soon!!
-

Here is my take, and please someone correct me if I am wrong.

Soak the seeds overnight - CHECK
Put the seeds in a folded up piece of a paper towel
Put the paper towel in a baggie, sealed, but wth plenty of air inside

This gives the seeds the stratification (Right word??) needed to "tumble their little internal lock" and bloom at the right time after warming up.

Thanks jlp. Very helpful. I've just consulted the wikipedia entry on"stratification" - it does seem to be the right word.

Now I get it. So I DO put them in the fridge for six weeks, and the theory is that this period will just create a kind of artificial winter so that when I take them out they'll think it's spring and germinate.

Brilliant. The only disappointing aspect is that I've got to wait at least 6 weeks before I see signs of life. But that's the beauty of nature I guess.

Yeah, I've got some hyacinths snuggling away in a cold damp baggie. Basically, you're trying to make the seeds think that it is damp early spring. Frost is past, spring showers are starting - their signal to start growing.

Good luck!

ETA lol, nm, you figured it out yourself. Yeah, I hate the waiting part. I want flowers NOW!

This message was edited Mar 14, 2009 1:31 PM

Just a slight clarification on stratifying seeds. Stratification is a cold/damp treatment that many perennial seeds need to break dormancy before they will germinate. Stratification of seeds is not related to bloom. It is actually a chemical/hormonal process that occurrs only at cooler temperatures.

You may want to experiment with shorter times for the cold treatment if you have enough seed. Many of the perennials that I grow suggest stratification for as long as 90 days but I almost never stratify for longer than 3 weeks with good results.

Many perennial plants do need a cold period before they will bloom, but it is the plant that needs the cold to initiate flower buds, not the seed. The period of cold needed to initiate flower buds can be as long as 10 - 12 weeks or longer depending on the plant.

Hope this helps.

trc65

Excellent explaination. You took the words right out of my mouth.

Right. But they do sorta need to germinate before they can bloom, that's the relationship.