# Scarifying goldenrod and aster seed.



## erikebrown (Oct 27, 2014)

I do not, but there is some information here that might be useful:

http://www.epa.gov/greenacres/wildones/handbk/wo18.html

Good luck!


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## Native Bee (Feb 28, 2014)

How would you scarily them? They're too small to really get a handle on to do so. Maybe you could put them in a container with some dirt and give that a good shake before you broadcast them.


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## JMann70806 (Oct 13, 2014)

Sand would be your best bet .


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## Native Bee (Feb 28, 2014)

Yeah maybe some fine grained clean sand. I'd think that if the grains are too large they could crush the seeds.


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## JMann70806 (Oct 13, 2014)

We use sand for Centipede grass seeds and it works great down here .


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## enjambres (Jun 30, 2013)

Do you mean stratify the seeds, i.e. provide them with a period of cold, moist pre-germination treatment? (I can't recall off the top of my head iif either of these two require this extra step to speed and promote germination.)

Or do you mean scarify the seeds which means cut or abrade the seed's outer covering to weaken it and promote early emergence, which is sometimes done on larger, nut-like seeds with thick, protective coats? Neither asters nor goldenrod would seem to me to be good candiadtes for this (too small, and not needing it.)

Or do you mean scarify the seed bed (soil, dirt), i.e rake or disc very shallowly to break up just the top layer of the soil to ensure good contact of the seed with the soil when first sown? 

Each of these is quite different so it's difficuult to tell you how I do each one.

My go to reference for germinating collected seed is this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Collecting-Processing-Germinating-Wildland-Plants/dp/1604690739.

I am not in the same place as my copy tonight, But I will be tomorrow and could look up the germination requirements for both of these plants, if that would be iseful for you.

Enj.


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## billabell (Apr 19, 2010)

Nature has it's own way of doing this, depending on how you stored them after harvesting the seed heads, you might consider just frost seeding in your area I would think in late February-early March. Or you could follow the guidelines here
http://https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/Portals/0/Shaw%20Nature%20Reserve/PDFs/horticulture/Propagation.pdf


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## Walliebee (Nov 17, 2006)

Scarification is not needed for these seeds.

Assuming that all the seeds are viable (unlikely in these species), you can expect a 40-50% germination rate by doing nothing and planting in March-April as you have planned. 

By giving the seeds 6-8 weeks of moist and cold temperatures (stratification), you can increase the percent of germination by another 20%.

In addition, goldenrod germinates even better when exposed to light while germinating, so don't cover them too much.

As billabell said, mother nature is best, especially with seeds this small. If I were doing this, I would plant these seeds now where I want them to grow. It will save a lot of work and will most likely provide better results.


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## philip.devos (Aug 10, 2013)

@ enjambres: I think you are right, I meant stratify, not scarify.

Thanks all for the replies. For aster I have read that putting them in the refrigerator in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel for about 4-6 weeks will benefit germination. I will probably do that in February, and plant in mid to late March.

Phil


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## KGB (Jun 25, 2014)

Are you starting a new planting or adding to a flower area? 

If overseeding, a dormant frost seeding in Feb/March should work well. I had good success with this method and broadcast seeding by hand for my prairie restoration planting. I did not work the ground at all, limiting weed seed germination. Two rounds of roundup-Aug. & Sept. to prevent weed competition during germination, burned off in December(ground warms quicker in March when black), broadcast seeded in February BEFORE the spring thaw, mowed to 6" monthly the first summer (prevent weed canopy/seeding out), and it turned out very well. That being said, I went heavy with my seeding rate. The other option for a large planting is to drill it in, no more than 1/8 inch deep. For small plantings or over seeding like you are wanting to do, just toss it into the air late winter.

http://ionxchange.com/news/1/Fall-and-Frost-Seeding.html


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

I'm not sure if stratification is needed for such a small seeds. Usually the hard coated seeds
need stratification like ginseng, peaches, etc.
What I do is to wet a small amount of peat moss mixed with the seeds and put them inside a
small zip loc baggie inside a fridge.  Different seeds have different time requirement. It is better to
sow with the peat moss too.


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## Michael B (Feb 6, 2010)

Just leave them in the cold garage over the winter or leave them in the fridge for a couple months. Most annual seeds need a cold period but I am not sure about goldenrod.


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## JWChesnut (Jul 31, 2013)

Solidago spp. are typically non-dormant. They germinate without stratification when a critical soil temperature is reached (20 C)
The Native Plant Propagation Protocol Database is a critical resource for seed requirements. The NPPPD has several entries for the various spp of Solidago. You can read one detailed one here ---
http://www.nativeplantnetwork.org/Network/ViewProtocols.aspx?ProtocolID=34

I would corroborate what others say in this thread: Keep seeds in dry cold storage until spring temperatures are reached, and then sow. In my experience in greenhouse flats and plugs germination is extremely rapid: 3 days to green. 

Stratification is a common need for many plants with large fruits and hard shelled seeds, this is not a universal requirement, and the details of optimum stratification are specific to many plants. For instance, many need day-night fluctuation to break dormancy.


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## Chickasaw Honey (Jul 21, 2014)

Great idea. I will be collecting this afternoon. There are Black-eyed Susans and loads of goldenrod here. I am also going to plant white clover on our acreage in the early spring.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

CSHoney, do the bees work on the black eye susan too? Or they like the asters and golden rods more?
I look into some golden rod seed heads but cannot find a viable seed among the clusters. But the runner plants they
send out a lot. So I think it is better to plant the golden rod runners. Just simply break off the side shoots along with the dirt to replant them.
It works for me here.


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## Rob Hughes (Apr 23, 2012)

I have been growing asters (both common and New England type) for the past few years to boost the numbers in the field near my hives. They are useful, as they flower at a time (here, anyway) when there is typically nothing else available. I collect the seeds in late fall/early winter after some good rains and freezes and have no problem germinating them in flats in spring. Emergence is good and you can rapidly get a huge number of seedlings going. They take 2 years from seed to get to flowering usually.

cheers and good luck,

Rob


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## BadBeeKeeper (Jan 24, 2015)

Chickasaw Honey said:


> Great idea. I will be collecting this afternoon. There are Black-eyed Susans and loads of goldenrod here. I am also going to plant white clover on our acreage in the early spring.


My bees pretty much ignore the white clover, though the bumblebees seem to like it. They love the goldenrod, I've been letting it increase in coverage- sometimes I run the tractor mower through it after it dies in the Fall, or the next Spring, to try to broadcast the seeds...no idea if it does any good or not.


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