HelpfulGardener.com

I am going to start a little experiment for the heck of it to look at effects of different water content on germination time, root growth, and sprout progression.

I have 10 sets of 5 tubes set up. I am going to put sterile water in one set, tap water in another, sugar water in another, salt water in another, and nitrogen enriched water in yet another. But that's only 5. I can do 5 more. Anyone have any other suggestions for the other 5 tubes? Get creative! I don't care what it is...apple juice, aspirin water? Water with whey protein added? (I have that stuff if it sounds like a good idea.) lol

Also, I am still deciding which seeds to use. I was thinking lettuce because it is such a simple plant and germinates easy. But maybe other have better ideas? I don't have a real reason for lettuce other than it is easy and pretty consistent germination rate.

Raining a little right now! I'll stick a jar outside!

and yes I do. It never stops turning...and it makes me a very restless person. I started volunteering on a rescue squad just to give me something to do.

I would replace the salt one with compost or something. we all know what salt does to soil. if you do use salt, choose some sort of sea salt or another salt rich in minerals(pink Himalayan salt for example) and dilute GREATLY. like a small pinch in a liter of water maybe even a gallon.

well there is no soil involved in the experiment. But if you're talking about using a compost tea I could do that. I want to keep the salt one, and it will be way diluted. But also keep in mind that even though I will allow the plants to go as far as they can, this will be more about germination and initial root development than long term plant health.

People wouldn't water their plants with bleach. But commonly soak seeds in a diluted solution with water overnight to speed up germination. Salty water may soak into the seeds quicker. Maybe not.

so with compost tea that makes 7. I still need 3 more.

Rice and bamboo seeds are supposed to germinate better if soaked for a short time in salt water first. There is a ratio. I'll see if I can dig it up. But the salt water is then rinsed thoroughly.

How about my favorite -- UCG dregs water?

...although with lettuce pH may affect the results.

you lost me un the UCG dregs thing apple

you could try a chlorine/water solution, my son's teacher had him do his science fair project last year on seeing how quickly seeds germinate with different amounts of chlorine in the water and the teacher thought that chlorine would make it germinate more quickly. So he did different amounts of chlorine (pool) using a test kit to be sure of the amounts of chlorine each time he watered

hmmm. I don't have chlorine though. BUT....maybe the sterile water vs the tap water will give us a hint as to if the chlorine helped.

Try coffee!

I've always wanted to try watering a plant with coffee.

CFG

coffee! got it. Still need 2 more unless I figure out ap's UCG comment. That still just hasn't sunk into my brain correctly.

I dump Used Coffee Grounds from a personal coffee maker (2 rounded tablespoonsful of coffee measured dry before brewing) in approximately 2L watering can of water to water my indoor plants with. I occasionally just refill the little French press coffee maker (12 oz?) with water and use the more concentrated stuff to water with.

Sounds like Canadian Farmer Guy has a similar idea

OH! UCG = used coffee grounds. got it, man I'm slow. Sometimes I swear it's amazing I'm still alive!

That's OK. I get so used to using these shorthands/initials and some names for stuff that are *made-up words* that I forget that they're not necessarily recognizable common usage words....

Maybe Tea. Chamomile or Cinnamon or black/green.

Eric

Stupid mistake, realized that there is no coffee in the house....lol. I don't even have a coffee pot. I substituted for tea. I know it's different but, close as I can do for now.

Starbucks has a corporate policy, somebody said, to give away used grounds for gardening use. Some places package measured amounts for pick up and have hand out info sheets and everything. Manager at my local one apologized to me one time --for not having any saved and ready, but offered "what they had" behind th counter.

There's thread about them in the CompostIng Forum (I think). Found it
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30608

wow I didn't know that. But is it THAT beneficial? I mean I have heard of it possibly warding off some pests. I would worry about the ph being thrown off balance, going too acidic if I used too many grounds.

Well here goes. We shall see what happens. Headed to put it down by the rest of the plants now. I'll keep it updated.

[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v687/grnpez/exp.jpg[/img]

Did I miss something. Is the lettuce seed floating in the different liquids.

Eric

I cut tips off of q-tips and put them just far enough down into the tubes to wick up the moisture. Seeds aren't floating

Interesting.

I give it a 15% success rate, but what do I know.

Edit: I changed my mind. I'll give it a 75% germination rate. These are all water based solutions. None, I don't think, are pre-emergent. The seeds with their built in requirements, will probably germinate then die of pollutants. If they don't rot first.

Eric

Marlin do you mean directly in the garden? Or in this horsing around I am doing? I don't have coffee to use in either place. But I did use tea in the experiment. I wouldn't throw whole tea bags in my garden that's for sure! I saw how "quickly" those peat pellet nets broke down, or didn't. I would imagine that I'd have about the same results with a tea bag. I could get coffee grounds at work, or starbucks as apple informed us. But I just want to hear someone tell me there is some significant benefit from it before I go through the trouble.

microwaved water!

Sparkling water or fizzy water. CO2 hmm.

Jeff, will you have to push down the Q-tip as the liquid moves down?


Eric

DoubleDogFarm wrote:Sparkling water or fizzy water. CO2 hmm.

Jeff, will you have to push down the Q-tip as the liquid moves down?


Eric

I don't think I'll have to. The evaporation will be very slow. but I have a syringe I can add more with if I need to.

Boil a little water and place in a sealed container so it has little or no air disolved in it! Put the seed in the airless water sealed and see if germanates faster and better! Also another thing to try would be a soda water that has only carbon dioxide in it!

wow, this is really cool. Any progress so far?

I would have tried... going to be kind of gross... tobacoo spit.

As for the Starbucks grounds, I use them every year in my raised beds. They are great to keep the plants fed and it actually helps cut down on the acidic "swamp dirt" that they call top soil here, or the river sand I have to use. Also, potatoes (fingerlings and yukon gold) grow really well in coffee grounds as it is acidic but will dry out if not watered regularly.

I have to make my own topsoil most times, so I use quite a bit of coffee grounds (watered out until clear) for a base. It does work, it just takes a lot of work.

No thing much so far. I think I need bigger tubes or something. Only on vile sprouted, that was one of the compost tea ones. But the other 3 compost tea viles have done nothing, like the rest of the viles so I think something is wrong. Especially since these same seeds germinated in less than 48 hours for me in the dirt.

What is the heat difference between water and soil? If I remember correctly, evaporation causes a cooling effect.

I would give it more time.

Eric

Try 1.5 aspirin to 2 gallons of water: https://www.plantea.com/plant-aspirin.htm

Vinegar seems to be good for just about everything, but I couldn't find anything online to support it helping seed germination.

My soil is just a touch basic, so it would probably help me. This might be good for several plants with different concentrations in each one.

I've heard of using milk one time on peppers, but as it will likely sour, that's one I'd use outside.

Any result Mad Scientist?


Eric

Try a little Epsom Salts in water

You might want to try it again by planting the seeds in potting mix that is saturated with each solution, then water each variable with the same amount with that specific solution. Have each solution the same concentration. Keep all other conditions the same, such as temp, time when watered, light.Let us know what happens.

Hey GRN, any luck? I am curious as to how it is progressing?

I think the hoophouse GardenRN and friend is building collapsed and they are trapped underneath eating seeds to survive.

Hope to hear something soon.

Eric