Knowledgebase
Winter stratification of wildflowers seeds #894239
Asked March 12, 2025, 2:55 PM EDT
St. Louis County Minnesota
Expert Response
https://www.prairiemoon.com/how-to-germinate-native-seeds.html
https://www.prairienursery.com/resources-guides/seed-stratification/?srsltid=AfmBOoqJkGLb_rqNQ7Tm1avl_srbdJbPKqhPuEC1JZSr5cuFtnTrXbZs
https://wildseedproject.net/blog/how-to-grow-natives-from-seed
Fresh seed is the most likely to germinate, so I would not store them until next year. You live near Duluth so you are about a month’s worth of colder temps. Using towels or trays and planting out seedlings will probably produce more viable plants than simply broadcasting the seeds. If you do broadcast the seeds the soil would need to be exposed first and your ground may still be frozen. If seeds sprout before they can be planted out having a temporary pan of dirt or cold frame to put them would be necessary. The damp paper towel method works pretty well and you can keep them in the frig until the seeds sprout so because spring is coming soon that is the method I would use. The damp paper towel method doesn’t depend on the weather.
Wishing you good luck.