Germinating agastache seeds
It helps to “stratify” the seeds.
This is because they need to “feel” that Winter is over before sprouting again – if not, they’d sprout in Fall and quickly die of frost in Winter. On a chemical level, the cold helps some compounds develop which trigger germination in Spring.
To stratify agastache seeds:
Use an airtight tupperware or zip-seal bag. Choose a small one so it doesn’t take up much space.- In the container, pour a handful of sterilized soil mix. Fresh soil mix straight from the bag is fine. Otherwise, bake a handful in an oven for half an hour (after preparing a meal with it to save on energy), it’ll kill any fungus.
- Mix the seeds together with the sterile soil, and add a few spoonfuls of water, just enough to get the soil moist but not soggy. Close the container/pouch.
- For about ten days, switch the container from refrigerator (40°F or 5°C) to freezer (10-20°F or -10/-5°C) every day. This mimics freeze and thaw.
- After that, the seeds are ready for sowing in a tray!
