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actionclaw

Cold stratification & "tricking" seeds

Was originally posted here, in the Growing from Seed Forum but after three years with no answer, as some suggested, I'll try in the "BOTANY" forum.

When artificially cold stratifying seeds (that require cold stratification), can they be "tricked"? I've read articles, anecdotes, etc. that seem to support both sides of this issue. Like the joke about the thermos bottle being able to keep hot things hot and cold thing cold: "How do it know?" how would the seed know whether it's been in the freezer/refrigerator for a day, a week, a month or for years?

In nature, they might receive 90 day (or 120 day or whatever) cold stratification due to the length of the seasons but to the "mind" of the seed what's most important: length of time being cold or merely the transition from one state to the other? ("I've been cold for 90 days. I've had enough" versus "I was cold; now I'm not. It's go time! ) If the goal is simply to soften, swell and crack the hard seed coat a few days (perhaps less) would be as good as all winter.

I ask in reference to the idea of being able to, for example, harvest seeds, do a quick cold stratification and plant a second crop the same season?

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