How To Germinate Seeds

Have you spent hours of tender loving care planting seeds while dreaming of the beautiful lush green plants they will grow to be?

How did you feel when you realized nothing was going to grow?

Disappointed? Frustrated?

That is exactly how Tony and I felt last year.  So much wasted time, resources, and money with nothing to show for it.

By the time  we realized we weren't going to be successful, it was too late to start over.  Grrrr!

We ended up going to our local nursery and bought seedlings for our garden. 

I did some  research and this year we are trying again armed with our new found knowledge: Germinating Seeds

What does germinating seeds mean, you ask?  To germinate means to cause to sprout, grow or develop.  So how do we know our seeds are going to even grow?  We are going to jump start their growing by soaking the seeds.  Thus eliminating the guessing game of which seeds will grow and which won't.

Various areas on the internet suggested using tea, coffee and other liquids to soak your seeds in.  I want to be as organic as possible so I used what nature provides, rainwater.  However, not everyone collects rainwater so use tap water or bottled water.

• Using a ramekin,  place the seeds of the plant you want to grow. 

• Fill the ramekin with enough rainwater (tap or bottled water) to fully cover the seeds.

• Make sure to label and place a plant marker in each ramekin.

• Let seeds soak up to 24 hours but no longer than 48 hours.

• Plant as directed.

Yes, it is THAT simple.

For larger seeds or seeds with thicker/harder shells, damage the shell of the seed.  Scarring the shell makes it easier for water to penetrate the seed.  This is called scarification.  Scarring can be done by cracking the shell open or using a knife to nick it.

Try germinating your seeds BEFORE planting and let us know how it worked for you.

Next time, we talk about DIY Greenhouses.