Wildflower stratification question

If wildflower seeds requiring stratification are scattered in the spring, will they still come up the following spring?  I had some mixes I didn't get in last fall due to irrigation problems.  I went ahead and scattered them this spring, but I'm sure there are varieties that require stratification.  Will those come up next year or will going through a spring\summer "ruin" the seeds somehow?

Thanks in advance.

How would mother nature spread these seeds? when would she spread them? Those are the prime questions to always ask when dealing with seeds.

Nature doesn't wait usually, if she does then the seeds would remain in their "pods" until the time was right for them to be planted.

Cone flowers are a good example, as are most of the nut trees. The seeds are released in the fall and they overwinter on or in the soil, the next spring they germinate and grow.

Stratification is man's way of doing what nature does automatically, it is an attempt at giving seeds their "winter chill", this can be done artificially (stratification) or naturally (plant in the fall and let winter be the cold storage).

Redhawk

I was able to find the answer in a a guide on Prarie Moon's site.  Sounds like at least some of them will.

If seed is sown untreated in the spring, some species will not germinate until the following spring after wintering over.

It's always great to find documentation after you've done something.  On the other hand, if I'd had it I might have been to intimidated to take on the project.  This year was really optimal as far as weed conditions go.  No turning back now!

Every year since I have been here (six years) I have different wildflowers.  My theory is it takes some seeds 5 years to germinate.  It also depend on a lot of variables such as rainfall, temperatures, etc.

Seeds like echinacea purpurea and firewheels, gaillardia pulchella will sprout in the spring of the year they were sown, whether spring or fall.

So, I take from this thread that I could consider sowing some wild flower seeds randomly right now before the end of winter so they get the benefit of these last few months of cold.

Any recommendations on where to find the best collection of wild flower seeds for variety and quality?

Jeff Pollari wrote: Any recommendations on where to find the best collection of wild flower seeds for variety and quality?

I bought Bee centric / Pollinator mix kits last year and planted those. There were quite a variety of flowers growing out of those. I did no stratification. And, this was a freshly tilled grass strip. I used the fine Playground sand to mix the seeds in for my little spreader and that seemed to work fine as I had a good spread of flowers along the entire 3 ft. X 30 ft. strip.

Yes! You can sow them right on top of the snow. I put mine in containers so that I can confirm the seeds germinated and then plant them where I want them, but that isn't necessary.

Most of my seeds that need cold stratification are already outside, but I would be happy to mail you a mix of seeds you can direct-sow now. I've mailed seeds to other folks on here before. I know I still have lots of smooth blue aster, ironweed, cup plant, turtlehead - things that get tall and like sun and moisture. But if that doesn't describe your site conditions, just let me know, and I can send appropriate seeds. I also have seeds for native grasses, like little bluestem, that are pretty in a wildflower field. Oh, but also let me know if there is a maximum plant height you don't want to exceed.

All I can say is that it depended on the flower. Last year, I tried to sneak a couple more in in February- Spikenard & Eastern Red Columbine. The Columbines may have sprouted, but I'm not sure because they never flowered, but I'm pretty sure at this point that the Spikenard did not.

But, everyone's right. Do not bury wildflower seeds, just scatter them on the ground. Not a single one of the wildflowers I tried to bury ever came up, so far as I can tell. A few false alarms, maybe.

Only plant I did just scatter the seeds of that I never saw a single seedling, let alone a flower, for was the Indian Paintbrush. Everything else I did the correct way looked like I got something, at the very least. But, Indian Paintbrush is parasitic, so I don't know. Maybe I still did that one wrong, maybe it takes a while.

Jeff Pollari wrote:Any recommendations on where to find the best collection of wild flower seeds for variety and quality?

Look for Native Seed growers in your state or your area as those will be the companies selling a seed mix that is best for your area.

Bryant RedHawk wrote:How would mother nature spread these seeds? when would she spread them? Those are the prime questions to always ask when dealing with seeds.

Nature doesn't wait usually, if she does then the seeds would remain in their "pods" until the time was right for them to be planted.

Cone flowers are a good example, as are most of the nut trees. The seeds are released in the fall and they overwinter on or in the soil, the next spring they germinate and grow.

Stratification is man's way of doing what nature does automatically, it is an attempt at giving seeds their "winter chill", this can be done artificially (stratification) or naturally (plant in the fall and let winter be the cold storage).

Redhawk

Well said!!