Bittersweet
December 3, 2016
I bought some bittersweet at a craft fair to use in a fall wreath and stored it after
the season. When I opened the box I had a bunch of seeds. How and when can I plant
them?
Bittersweet seeds need to be planted in the fall outdoors so they can get the cool,
moist temperatures they need to germinate, or you can do this stratification artificially
by storing the seeds in a plastic bag filled with moist potting soil in your refrigerator
for the winter months, then plant outside. The seeds should grow quite readily after
the stratification process. There is one drawback to growing bittersweet from seed.
It will take a few years before they are mature enough to flower. Only then will
you know if you have male or female plants, and you need one of each to get fruit.