Plants in the Refrigerator stories
 

We hijacked a thread here today with stories of plants in the fridge.
estación seca suggested a new thread so here it goes.

Tell us your tale of the plants, seeds or cuttings have you put in the fridge.
Where in the fridge was it and for how long?
As a bonus, tell us the reaction of your friends and family.

I’ve never put an orchid in the fridge but this did remind me that I have smoke-treated Mitilija poppy seeds in the fridge that are ready to plant! I’m very curious about other people’s experiences cold treating orchids in their fridge.

One year as Christmas gifts I gave 4" / 10cm round clay pots with paperwhite narcissus. They need to be chilled for 6 weeks or so after planting to induce rooting before flowering. I planted them in the pots, wet them and put them in the crisper drawer. But they didn't all fit there, so I needed another two shelves. Some family visited and were a little upset I would not let them have more refrigerator space. I told them they shouldn't drink soda anyway.

none but my mother might mistake it for a a premature bokchoi and sauté it on the frying pan.

im a helpless threadjacker....sorry, i can’t help it! i am legit happy for ray that his partner is understanding of plants in the fridge, tho....and a little bit jealous!

Between my children and my dogs, my orchids have a rough time. Here is my fridge story.

Years ago, I found a Pleione at an orchid show and fell madly in love with it. In autumn, I packed the bulb with its offsets carefully and it went into the fridge. The next year, I added two more varieties and those did well, too. I added another the third year of growing them. That winter, they took a little more space then usual...instead of being tucked into one of the shelves of the door, I devoted a drawer to them. When my children were home for the holidays, one did not know what they were and tossed ALL of them!!! Because it was the holidays and I was very busy, I did not notice until it was too late.

Love this thread!

At my rudest, I had about 10 seedlings in 2 inch pots dormant in the fridge. I was growing silver maples and mugo pines for bonsai and there was a bit of grumbling about trees in the fridge... I scrapped the maples and eventually lost the mugos to neglect. Karma?

Weird bags of moss, moist sand, and seeds are a boring sight in my fridge at this point. Coffee cans full of acorns etc. Might be about time to get a separate fridge for stratifying...

I remind my boyfriend not to throw out my Cyps on a weekly basis. Luckily, fridge cleaning duty usually falls on me so they should be safe. Ray's story has shaken me thoroughly :)

My tale involves a Japanese Red Maple in front of my house.
Every year it has seeds but I look for seedlings in the spring and find none.

2 years ago, I found an article with steps to sprout them.
In step 6 and 7 I took a quart sized zip lock, potting soil/sand/peat, some moisture and my 20 seeds and put in the fridge for 3 months.

My wife rolled her eyes and every now and then would make a comment about looking for the minced garlic and finding the dirt bag.

Not one of the seeds sprouted.

Pre-bonsai and Hardy Palms Go in the Refrigerator Here in Port Charlotte
 

I have been putting pre-bonsai and bonsai in the refrigerator in Orlando for 20+ years though I lost most due to a number of difficult moves. Now in Port Charlotte, I have a few I put in the fridge that wouldn't in Orlando. Here is my Torreya taxifolia current spending 60 days around 34 F.

Torreya taxifolia
 

Torreya taxifolia in the fridge currently waiting 60 days.

Acer floridanum
 

My favorite tree species, Acer floridanum, the Florida sugar maple. This tree species is closely related and to some taxonomists synonymous to Acer saccharum, the northern sugar maple. This one is destined for bonsai glory in 20-30 years and I gave it the chop and put it in for 60 days at around 34F and it is now leafing out a month after being in the refrigerator for 1440 chill hours!

Nyssa sylvatica and Crape Myrtle need chill!
 

These two are next in line for the fridge. Just not enough chill here in Port Charlotte and we have had a mild winter though January had a rare two days with highs in the mid 40s back to back.

Winter Park ecotype Quercus virginiana
 

This little oak was languishing and slowly dying here in SW Florida so I popped it in the fridge for 30 days and here it is leafed out and healy now after a month of just sitting outside after the chill hours.

A couple of palms go in the fridge here too!
 

Trachycarpus fortunei and Sabal minor "McCurtain" went in for a month and they are doing okay so far.