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Jan 13, 2015 11:47 PM CST
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Name: Keith
Long Island, NY (Zone 7a)
Zinnias Plays in the sandbox Roses Lover of wildlife (Raccoon badge) Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Organic Gardener
Region: New York Native Plants and Wildflowers Lilies Seed Starter Spiders! Enjoys or suffers hot summers
Last summer I hybridized gerbera daisies and got the seeds to sprout, they were only a few inches and doing great when it got cold in fall so I had to bring them in, no seedling survived they rotted quickly no matter what I did. Sad I never had trouble growing seedlings only with gerbera.

So, if lets say in summer I get more seed can I freeze it until next spring and then sprout them early so by fall the plants will be bigger and possibly tolerate the indoors.
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Jan 14, 2015 7:01 AM CST
Name: Caroline Scott
Calgary (Zone 4a)
Bulbs Winter Sowing Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Peonies Lilies Charter ATP Member
Region: Canadian Enjoys or suffers cold winters Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Garden Ideas: Master Level
Gerbera is a tropical plant so I doubt the seeds would survive freezing.
I would store the seeds only in a 'frig -- i.e. above freezing, but cool.

I want to edit this as I was sowing meconopsis paniculata at the time.
It will not take 3 months at 4ºC or 40ºF according to Dr. Deno.
The seeds die under those conditions. But those seeds would have been in MOIST paper towels.

If seeds are really dry they MAY take freezing.
Some of the world seed banks keep seeds frozen, but under low humidity.

Some seeds can not take freezing and moisture.
Some seeds can not take freezing even when dry.
Some seeds can not take dry storage either.
Last edited by CarolineScott Jan 20, 2015 12:22 PM Icon for preview
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Jan 17, 2015 2:09 PM CST
Name: Kyla Houbolt
Gastonia, NC (Zone 7b)
Composter Plant Identifier Organic Gardener Herbs Daylilies Sempervivums
Frogs and Toads Container Gardener Cat Lover Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! The WITWIT Badge Winter Sowing
I agree. They don't need to be frozen, just protected from heat and moisture until you're ready to grow them out.

Plastic bag in the refrigerator works fine usually; you might want to wrap the actual seeds in a paper so there's a little moisture absorption between them and the plastic.

Good luck!
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Mar 15, 2015 1:31 AM CST
Name: Paul
Bunbury, Western Australia. (Zone 10b)
Region: Australia
G'day Keith-- thought you might like to see my hand-pollinated gerbera seed just starting to germinate.This is a half tray (the other half empty, but showing where I would have placed any seed, with fluffy parachute above ground) that were sown on the 6th March and germination showed within 7 days.All are single crossed single this year, as I had no doubles or triplexes ready at the same time as the pollen bearing singles.150 seed was sown, but I know not all were viable.
Sorry you lost your seedlings.I have no personal experience with freezing gerbera seed, but I guess I would not freeze them if saving them only from one season to the next.
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