Abstract
Breaking seed dormancy during long-term cold storage before seeding is necessary because this could intensify dormancy because of the decreased moisture content. In this study, we investigated the effect of the temperature and duration of cold and the combination of warm and cold stratification on the germination of thirteen deciduous broad-leaved tree seeds. Seed dormancy was broken by cold stratification for about more than three months. The final percentage of germination of five species that were subjected to warm and cold stratification was less than 20.0 %. Euonymus sieboldianus and Viburnum dilatatum seeds, which did not germinate after cold stratification alone, were germinated after being subjected to a combination of warm and cold stratification; however, the final percentage of seed germination for the species subjected solely to cold stratification was low.
