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Cold stratify seed outside then bring inside?

8 years ago

Trying various primula from seed (japonica, florindae, waltonii...). Wintersowed them about 1.5 months ago here in zone 5a. Now that they've had a decent period of cold, thinking about bringing containers back inside and placing under lights to get quicker germination rather than waiting a couple more months. From what I've read, they germinate best at approximately 68 degrees. I would then gradually harden them off outside. What would be the downside to this method?

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deanna in ME Barely zone 6a, more like 5b
8 years ago
The downside I believe is possibly in losing vigor from the outdoors. I haven't tested this phenomena myself, but one website blog (which i cannot find at all now) compared indoor tomato seeds to WS seeds, and he said the indoor seeds started faster, but then the WS seeds outgrew and outproduced them. He stated it was due to the the WS seeds having better strength/vigor due to the hardier starting conditions. Honestly, if you have the chance why don't you try it BOTH ways this year and see what happens? You can let us know! I tend to kill all the little seedlings that come indoors, so I'm stuck with outdoor WS by default, anyway.
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