Hi!
I'm asking this question here because it's more a general knowledge ? about sowing seeds in the winter, not necessarily in containers. I'm trying to understand how this works.....some people cold stratify in the fridge (not freezer or freezing temps), some people winter sow leaving containers outside but they don't live in a cold enough place for ground to freeze and essentially bind any moisture up in crystals...sucking it out of potting medium...so their soil is perpetually damp and moisture surrounds seeds, then some people, such as myself, live in areas where the ground is frozen solid for a few months over winter (water is bound up in crystals and not exactly surrounding the seeds) and I'm wondering how these 3 methods can be and are successful since there is a great range of conditions. What is the difference between putting seeds in freezer in soil and putting them in containers that freeze over the winter? What is the difference between leaving packets (storing dry) in fridge and putting them in a place where water crystallizes out of soil for most of the stratification period?
My other question is...how important is it to fuss over whether ones soil medium is damp enough for germination? I have a choice: put out seed containers in area that small critters frequent and I can't protect but that has contact with ground and receives more ambient moisture or put the containers on an elevated deck where they would receive intermittent snow fall but the soil would be frozen or fairly dry most of the time and I am gone for most of the winter so am not able add water to the pots?
