Okay! **** Smooch **** ;-)

(I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. I don't know anything about Polygonum, but someone else here will, I'm sure.)

BBH,

I got seeds from one of my cottage garden friends last summer. I just sowed them directly into the ground last fall and let the winter cold stratify them. Mine emerged after several warm then cold, then warm then cold spells. We had two weeks of HOT weather this month and then some came up. Then we had the snowstorm this past weekend, and I feared the worst. When it warmed up on Sunday, the snows melted away. I checked them today and they were still just fine! I am so happy. So far, I just have three little seedlings up in the garden, but that will be enough to get them started. Maybe more will emerge when the Spring flux weather finally stabilizes. They already have purple stems. I am so excited!

So, the freezing shouldn't hurt them. It will actually help them germinate, but they are kind of slow to get going, so be patient. They like very warm soil when they do finally sprout. (from my humble 1st year novice experience at growing them, that is to say).
So, give them time.

Best of luck to you.

~Annie

I grow it and it will self-seed like crazy, so the freezing should do the trick. It is a warm season thing so won't come up until the ground warms up a bit.

I use the stalks which are very bamboo-like for stakes!

I have direct sown it in the Spring or even at the end of May, as soon as the soil warms up and it always germinates. Blooms in summer.

Got some seedlings up now that I wintersowed this January. I agree that once you have it, it will reseed itself with wild abandon. Grew it a few years ago and then got tired of it. Was weeding out seedlings for a few years after. Then I decided to grow it again. Go figure! LOL

Thank you everyone!! I'll TRY to be patient (not one of my better virtues!!) I think sometimes I make things harder than they should be. This time of year is especially hard because I can't wait to get in the dirt....

"This time of year is especially hard because I can't wait to get in the dirt...."

Me 2, BBH...me 2!

It went wild at a friend's house, so much so that I decided I didn't want to invite it into my garden. Keep your eye on those seed heads.

I've had the same concern myself, GG, but with a name like that, I just had to try them. :)

I winter sowed some this year and I've got seedlings! It's going to go into a butterfly garden.
Joann

You all should check out the wintersowing forum. When God made seeds, he didn't intend for them to come put of sterile paper envelopes purchased at a garden center, needing to be nicked and labor-intensively fridge-stratified; He intended to do it Himself, hence we have seasons and native plants. Wintersowing takes advantage of natural stratification, just like described above for those that were "open-sown" in the garden and sprouted after a warm spell--believe it or not, there are people the world over doing that very thing on purpose!

How it works: the alternating warm and cold, combined with the moisture, causes a seed to moisten & expand, thereby causing tough seed coats to split as they have in nature for a debatable number of years. It works for any native plants to your area, and for an amazing amount of vegetables, flowers, annuals and perennials alike. You can also review and just about anything that isn't a tropical or subtropical can be wintersown, but depending upon your zone it may make more sense to start some veggies inside if they need a longer days to harvest time.

Good luck, and be sure to let us know how your kissing booth turns out!

I have sprouts !!!!! Yay!!!
Growing from seed is not something I've done very much (except with our vegetable garden).

Mayberrygardener, I will definitely be visiting the wintersowing forum.

Reseeding with "wild abandon" sounds glorious to me. (I reserve the option to change my mind - depending on how wild it gets lol!!)

Funny, when it comes to farming and gardening - I've been around it all my life. My parents always had a HUGE garden and my dad was a small scale commercial potato grower. I spent every summer of my childhood in the garden or the field. No vacations for us - we had to get the crop in. As an adult, I'm grateful for the sense of responsibility and the work ethic I was taught.
Unfortunately, we weren't taught why we planted this or that when and where and how deep etc. So I'm learning it now, and will pass it on to my kids.
I'm always grateful to the folks here and other forums who are so willing to share their knowledge.

mmmm... got a little nostalgic, my apologies
BBH

Try the variegated one. I've had it for 4-5 years and only get a few seedlings a year.