Thanks to cold-moist stratification, it’s possible to break dormancy of most native plants using the winter sowing method.
Here are the instructions, developed by the Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library.
- Fill a flower pot (or juice jug / clamshell container / plastic container) with potting soil.
- Make sure the pot has drainage holes at the bottom.
- Water the soil and press down firmly on it.
- Sprinkle a package of seeds into the pot.
- For “surface sow” seeds, press the seeds onto the soil surface.
- For most seeds, gently stir the seeds into the soil with your finger or a small stick.
- Use two methods to label your seeds, an oil-based marker is ideal.
- Place the pots outside in a North or East facing area (never South).
- Make sure rain and snow can get in the pots (i.e. not under an overhang).
- Optional: cover the pots with an old window screen or netting.
- Leave the pots outside until the spring.
- Once the snow melts, make sure the soil does not dry out.
- Make sure the pots get morning sun exposure.
- Once the seeds have germinated and the seedlings reach a few inches in height, they can be transplanted in your garden.
- Very small seedlings can be repotted into larger pots to provide more space for root growth before transplanting in your garden.
- If many seedlings are growing tightly together in the pot, place a clump of soil and seedlings in a small basin of water and gently stir it around to separate the roots, then either repot the seedlings or transplant them in your garden.
- Once you have transplanted the seedlings in your garden, keep them watered until they get established (usually a couple of weeks).
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