Freezing seeds???

[333]

Peace,

Anyone, success, failure, if so how long will they keep?

thanks

333

[annabella1]

For most seeds not a good idea, freezing breaks down cell walls on soft seeds. However there are a few kinds of seeds that require a short freeze to germinate. I can't remember a lot of them right now but peach comes to mind, and I think that ginseng seeds require a short period of freezing but I could be wrong.

[WileyCoyote]

Ditto, annabella - "freezing" seeds tells them it is a very cold winter.

I had great success with my echinacea seeds; they require freezing before planting them in spring. All I had to buy was three plants; after that, I cut off the seedheads and bagged them in zippys and froze them and planted in spring. Now the little buggers are everywhere! LOL

Also since tulips have to have cold weather (otherwise they are annuals) you have to dig them when they turn brown and stick them in the freezer for six-eight weeks in warmer climates, then replant outside in February. It is a real drag unless you are doing something to brighten the dark winter, or to plant something pretty in a pot for Christmas.

But most seeds are poorly affected by freezing! Even when they are allowed to simply fall off the plant in cold climates, they are covered by layers of loam, etc and stay nestled there under the snow which actually insulates them from cold weather. To purposely freeze them usually kills them.

[333]

Peace

Thanks ladies, I will have to look for some literature on it and go through my list of seeds. Thanks again :)

333