The process of exposing seeds to a specific period of cold and moisture to mimic the natural winter conditions they would experience outdoors. This breaks the internal chemical dormancy of the seed, allowing it to germinate once temperatures warm up. Growers usually achieve this by mixing seeds with damp sand or peat and placing them in a refrigerator for several weeks.
Heard on the job
I started the stratification for the apple seeds last month, so they should be ready to sow by March.
Also heard as
- cold stratification
- cold treatment