Cold stratification

[Pacey]

Hello all
I have a question regarding cold stratification in the fridge.
The guide I had with my seeds state I should leave them in the fridge for 4-6 weeks.
I have also seen in a video and read somewhere online that you should wait for them to sprout in the fridge? Is this correct? I would have thought in nature it would happen when things warm up in the soil.
Thanks for looking.

Pacey

 

[PonderingSage:]

I would suggest searching the site l remember a few similar threads. I stratified trident seeds for about 90 days, but that may depend on species. I don’t propagate from seed much, so I’ll let someone else chime in about that.
I would recommend that you time it so they are ready as spring comes.
Yes, they will usually start sprouting in the fridge, this is because most seeds (dicotyledons) will push the root down first as the dicots(false leaves) open.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Both methods can work. Sometimes seeds germinate so easily that you can't stop them in a fridge.
Sometimes, they start responding after the cold has gone.
It's pretty species dependant and hard to say which method is better without knowing the species.