stratification is a cold moist period that some seed must experience in order to germinate. The best way to do this is to simply sow the seed outside in the spot which you would like it to grow sometime in very early April - the weather (freezing thawing cold/warm) cycle will break the dormancy of the seed, allowing it to germinate when the time is right.

Stratification is a means of breaking dormancy. Some seeds will not germinate without this process.

Polygonum, Kiss Me Over the Garden Gate requires a 60 day stratification period. Some growers put the dry the seeds in a plastic zip-lock bag, add a small amount of water to moisten, inflate the bag a little, seal it, shake the seeds until they are all coated with the water. You may need to add a bit more water, or drain off excess. Then, place the bag in the refrigerator. Most of our seed is delivered to us in foil packets. We put the seeds that need to be stratified in the freezer.

Polygonum resents being transplanted. It should be direct seeded where it is to grow.

Trish

Thanks Trish & "FarmGarden"

Trish - after the 60 days in the freezer, do you sow the seeds immediatley or is there a waiting period? Also, what type of spacing do you recommend? Since it's tall, does it require netting? Thanks again for your detailed replies!

Henry,
Sow the seeds immediately after you take them out of the freezer. These should be planted as early as possible in the spring because they can take up to 120 days to bloom. It doesn't matter if you plant these before the last frost date. Seeds are hard-wired to grow when they are supposed to grow -- meaning they will grow when the soil warms up. (Ah, the beauty of nature). Kiss-Me-Over-the-Garden-Gate is a late season crop. We plant the seeds 18" apart. The stems are bamboo-like. They can grow up to 10 feet; however, I think ours grow 6-8 feet. We don't use support netting because they aren't grown in a 4' bed. We think they grow best in rows because of their size. They are grown as a hedge row along our fence line. And, I suppose they lean up against the fence. The seeds from this plant will self-sow.

Trish