Seed Germinating! -- different seed starting methods?

[tedln]

I looked for, but didn't find a "Seed Starting" forum on this forum.

I usually start or germinate seed in some variety of sterile soil. It is a hit or miss method which requires the soil to be maintained at a certain moisture content, an optimum temperature, and other variables.

I'm curious about other methods like germinating in moist paper towels. When germinating in paper towels, how do you identify which paper towel contains which variety of seed" How do you know when the seed has germinated when growing multiple varieties and the seed is covered? How do you contain your germinating seed to a limited area when germinating multiple varieties? How do you monitor or maintain the proper moisture content in the towels? After the seed has germinated, how do you handle the seedling without damaging it to transfer it to soil in a container?

What are some other methods for germinating seed which give good results?

Ted

[applestar]

I don't pre-germinate (chitting, I think it's called) in paper towels often because my experience is that when you do that, you're "slave" to the germinating seeds -- it's CRITICAL that you plant them as soon as the tiny radicle (tip of germinating seed) makes an appearance, and not let the rootlet grow out into the paper towel.

More often than not, I'm NOT READY to plant them when THEY are, and miss the timing. Some people suggest filling the seed growing containers with growing medium ahead of time, by I feel it's important to use properly moistened soil mix, and if you prep ahead, the soil mix dry out in the containers.

That said, what I do when I do it is to write with indelible ink on the paper towel the name, variety, and date (and any other reminders) prior to moistening. Roll up the seeds in two layers and put them in labeled zip bags. I tend to group the seeds in the bags according to expected germination rate or kind of seed -- i.e. all the toms in one bag, etc. If it's a small batch of multiple varieties, then all paper towel rolls might go in a single bag.

The zip bags should be placed according to germinating temp requirements (I like Johnny's Selected Seeds catalog/website for this info, but there are other sources). Note that some seeds need darkness to sprout. As long as there is condensation on the bag above the paper towels, I think they're moist enough. You do need to watch out because sometimes one area dry out faster than another, especially if bottom heat is being used. I use a handheld sprayer to mist/moisten the towels when needed.

If I manage to let the root grow too long , I cut the paper towel around the germinating seed and plant the paper WITH the seed.

Found a nice illustration of germinating seed anatomy:

http://hawaii.hawaii.edu/laurab/general ... nation.jpg

[rainbowgardener]

Yeah, I've sometimes thought we should have a seed starting forum. If you type seed starting in the Search the Forum keyword box, you will find tons of posts about it, but scattered through lots of different Forums (Fora?).

For all the reasons you and Apple mention, I just start seeds in potting soil in the little cells, 72 cells per tray. Works very easily and well and I've never seen a reason to do anything different. I just put them in the soil and let them do their own thing. Some larger, harder seeds (peas, beans, moonflower, etc) I soak in water over night before planting, but that's it.

About a month now until I start the first seeds! About time to clear off the counter they go on, which has lately been Santa's workshop... I've been making herbal tea blends, filling tea bags, making candles, making soap, all fragranced with my own essential oils. Almost all my Christmas presents were homemade this year. But everything is done and wrapped, so now I can start getting ready for seed starting season.

[TWC015]

I start my seeds in regular potting soil in the container they will stay in until I transplant them. I use 18-cell containers with one plant per container, except onions which I keep 8 in one cell since onion roots are big, easy to separate, and the roots don't have many root hairs.

I plant all of my seeds quite deep, deeper than they need to be so that they won't dry out easily. I also cover the whole flat with saran wrap and keep it covered until the first seedling is up. With this way I don't have to water them; I do mist the surface occasionally though. I also keep a box or something similar on top of the flat so the saran wrap won't come off.

I haven't had any problems starting the seeds this way. Our house is always around 70F so the seedlings come up rapidly. Brassicas are first with most up in 3 days, sometimes in 2 days. The other cool weather plants also come up around 3 to 4 days. Peppers usually take the longest for me; they come up about 2 days after tomatoes. I have had some take up to 2 weeks.

I've tried the paper towel method before and I hate it. It dries out too easily, and gets mold if too moist. Also, I don't always have time to move the seeds as soon as they germinate so they get too large. It is much easier for me to just start them in the soil so I can leave them on their own without any problems.

The only seeds I start outside are those that don't transplant well and big seeded things like squash. I don't like starting outside for multiple reasons: I have to go back and thin the plants, insects can easily destroy the seedlings, and they just don't seem to do as well as those I start inside and transplant.

[applestar]

I should add that on jal's recommendation, I pre-sprouted summer-sown fall crops last season and that worked out well. I'll be continuing the practice and working on refining my technique this summer.

[tedln]

applestar,

I plan on starting my mid summer and fall grows within a month after I plant out my spring garden. I would like to have a few tomato plants to grow after the early plants that die in the heat are pulled. I will also grow some other stuff, but I'm not sure if I want to start squash or cucumber inside. They seem to germinate quickly in the soil in mid summer. I'm not going to cover my squash this year, so I expect to lose some to vine borers. It may be good to have a few squash plants ready to replace those that die and they can then start producing quickly. I haven't decided. I may plant them late in small containers outside for transplanting.

Ted

[tedln]

RBG,

What can I trade you for some of the Christmas candy?

Please don't tell me you make everything sugar free. We have friends who make sugar free candy, sugar free pumpkin pie, and everything else they cook is sugar free. It seems almost sinful to me.

Ted

[tedln]

TWC015,

You never up pot anything before planting out? Do you plant them outside while they are still very small or do you let them grow for a few weeks before planting them out?

Ted

[lorax]

What I do depends greatly upon the seed that I'm germinating.

For things like beans, which I know will transplant well, I start them either in newspaper pots with sterile coir and a ziploc moisture tent or in small black plastic nursery starter baggies with the same medium and humidity tent. When they get good and rootbound (5-6 leaf stage), I plant them out.

For things like tomatoes and peppers, I tend to start them in garden soil, in 1 L takeout tubs with humidity tents. I get nearly 100% germination that way, in about 1 week. Squashes, Zucchs, and Cukes are done the same way, but sometimes take longer for reasons I don't adequately understand. I don't pot up - once the plants are about 10-12" tall (for tomatoes) or have 5-6 leaves (for Curcubits), I plant them directly into the garden. Waiting until the plants show their respective heights or leaf numbers ensures they're well rootbound, which makes them quite vigorous for direct transplant.

For things that don't transplant well, like corn, I start in newsprint pots in garden soil, then plant the entire pot into the garden once they have 3-4 leaves or are about 4-6" tall.

For things that really don't transplant well (like root crops and lettuces), I direct-sow.

For specialty things, I tend to sprout with a misting of water only, no medium, in ziploc baggies on the back of the fridge at the top. This works wonders for things like ornamental banana, canna, ginger, papaya, kiwi, and other fairly recalcitrant plants. I've also had great success with citrus this way.

Oh, and hops (after cold-strat in the freezer for at least 3 months) are started in 1 L takeout tubs with moist garden soil, lidded, and hidden in the back of the fridge. I check them once a month or so until they sprout, then the lids come off and the tubs go into the windowsill. Sometimes it takes more than half a year to get sprouts, so I'm very cautious with my live plants and propagate them often.

On the rare occasions that I start seed in moist paper towelling (as when I'm speed-forcing beans), I label the towel with a sharpie marker before I wet it.

[TWC015]

I don't pot up anything because the containers I use are already big enough to allow growth before I put them outside. I let them grow inside for around 6 to 8 weeks. I use the deep 18-cell containers so that I don't have to pot up anything. The plants are usually small when I plant them out.

I'm about to start more onions from seed to plant out in February. I'm also going to start some Brassicas. I don't start the warm weather stuff until February. This year I'm going to try to get the tomatoes out in mid-March or around spring break and cover them if it gets too cold.

The big cell containers are also nice for me so that I can allow an extra week or two without much harm since I don't always have time because of school (I'm a senior in high school).

[wordwiz]

I usually try to germinate 8-10 varieties of toms, a similar amount of peppers and a few other plants (everything from cotton to sorghum, peanuts to broccoli). The number of seedlings varies from 50-200.

My son use to work at a restaurant where they had to-go trays, those plastic octagonal trays with lids. I would first drill small holes in the bottom then add about 1.5" of Ferti-lome Ultimate potting mix. Add the seeds, anywhere from a dozen to 60, then add a layer (about 1/8 to 1/4") of sifted potting mix.

Next, I would set the tray into a tub of tap (after sitting for a couple of days so the chlorine can evaporate) or rain water until it was soaked - totally soaked. Remove, let the water drain, close the lid and then set it on a waterbed mattress heater set at 85 degrees.

Within 3-7 days, depending on the type of seed, the first ones would sprout. As soon as it (they) do, the lid comes off, it is removed from the heater and goes under lights.

I let them grow, bottom watering with a week solution of Tomato-tone dissolved fertilizer in water. When they get close to 3" tall, I transplant them into 18-36" cell nursery flats.

Those flats are filled with the potting mix, compacted, filled back up and then again soaked in water. When possible, I try to let them dry for a day.

To transplant the tiny seedlings (water the tray the day before!) I use a pair of hemostats to sort of dig them up, poke a hole in the nursery cell, stick the plant in it, then push the soil around the plant. Once again, it goes into the tub of water to get soaked.

Remove it, let it drain and put it under the lights.

Can't say I have 100 percent success this way, but the averages seem to be maybe one plant out of 54-72 do not survive.

YMMV,

Mike

[Gary350]

I took a class in college we germinated seeds in less than 24 hours. Not all seeds germinate fast the ones that are fast will.

You need to know what your seeds are. Don't mix a whole bunch of seeds together then wonder what you have after they germinate. Be orginazed.

If you roll some seeds in wet cloth or paper towel then put them in a plastic bag to hold moisture and keep them in a incubator at about 100 degrees F they germinate very very quick.

You can put seeds in wet potting soil in 6 pak seed trays inside of a zip lock bags keep it in the incubator the plants will be up in 48 hours. Then they need to be in direct sunlight.

[lily51]

I start my seeds in a tray with a starting mix, no fert.ilizer. Then when they get their first true leaves, I transplant into cells, 72,48 or36.

Many seeds are easy to start, some have very specific temp and light requirements. Some have to be left uncoverd and exposed to light. some require a cold temp, then warm; for some I wrap the entire tray with a black trash bag for the darkness requirerment.

As for time to germinate, that depends on the species also. Some it is normal to take 2-3 weeks.

The main thing is to read up on how to germinate types you are not familiar with.

[tedln]

The replies to this thread have been much more interesting than I anticipated. I expected to see a few "this is the right way to do it", replies.
More accurately, it seems most people simply do what works best for them. I gleaned a few gems from the answers that I want to try. I don't think I will be trying the paper towel thing. It seems that technique requires more exact steps than I want to perform. It's a shame we don't have a seed starting forum. I have a lot to learn.

Ted

[TZ -OH6]

When I'm doing rare peppers I will use thick strip of folded toilet paper and just sit the 5-6 seeds on top of the pillow. The toilet paper holds a lot more water than paper towel so I don't put a cover layer on top. I have these in a plastic clamshell container (cookie box) with a little sliver of note card with the name/code in pencil sitting between each set of seeds. I have also done individual TP pillows in egg cartoons for a dozen seed sets or less

When the root emerges I will transfer the seed to a pot and have some idea of my success rate.