The invention discloses a method for improving the cold hardiness of cotton seeds and cotton seedlings through initiation with nutrient elements. The method includes the following steps that Fe-EDTA, ZnSO4.H2O, MnSO4.H2O, KCl and CuSO4.H2O are used as the corresponding Fe source, Mn source, Zn source, K source and Cu source for single-element nutrition initiating at first; and the nutrient elements with the good sprouting effect are screened out for initiating treatment, nutrient element combination is performed, the cotton seeds are subjected to nutrition initiating treatment at different periods of time with different concentrations, and the optimal nutrient element combination, concentration and initiating time are screened out. By the adoption of the method, mainly aiming at the problem of cold damage adversity stress existing in Xinjiang cotton production practice, the action of physiological and biochemical indexes and mutual relation of the physiological and biochemical indexes of the cotton seedlings are analyzed under the condition that the nutrient elements cause, regulate and control cold damage stress, the physiological mechanism for the nutrient elements to cause and relieve the cotton cold damage stress effect is elaborated, and a defense technology is provided for cold damage stress in production.