Soaking Seeds
Gravity Girl
Some of the seeds I'm planting say to pre-soak for 24 hours. Are there
any special conditions needed, like warm water or warm spot to sit in, etc.?
kl...@cobra.uni.edu
>
> Some of the seeds I'm planting say to pre-soak for 24 hours. Are there
> any special conditions needed, like warm water or warm spot to sit in, etc.?
Seeds require oxygen, and I've seen many seeds killed by soaking them
too long or in too deep of water. How to do it depends on why you're
soaking them. If you are soaking the seeds simply to get them nicely
moistened and start the germination process, I prefer to put them on
soppy wet paper towels, seeds forming a single layer, and cover
with another layer of wet towels, with something arranged to drip
water slowly on them to keep the whole assemblage moist.
If the point of the soak is to remove seed germination inhibitors,
putting them in a small stream of water for 24 hours is effective;
I use a tea strainer and a drippy faucet, supplemented by a good
blast of water whenever I happen to walk by the sink.
There are some seeds that do best when you really rather mistreat
them: some of the hard-seeded legumes seem to do best when you
dump near-boiling water over them, then let them sit just barely
covered in the cooling water for the next day. Otherwise, I
don't take the water temperatures much over about 80oF.
Kay Klier kl...@cobra.uni.edu
Async User
: Some of the seeds I'm planting say to pre-soak for 24 hours. Are there
: any special conditions needed, like warm water or warm spot to sit in, etc.?
All I did with mine was to nick ( actually just cut off a small
piece) of the pointed end and put the seeds in a jar lid with water and
indoors. After awhile you can see the "roots" come out of the shell then
I planted 8-) Fred 8-)
Keith and Georgia Mueller
>
> In article <41qmn7$j...@odo.PEAK.ORG>, gra...@PEAK.ORG (Gravity Girl) writes:
> >
> > any special conditions needed, like warm water or warm spot to sit in, etc.?
>
> too long or in too deep of water. How to do it depends on why you're
> soaking them.
>
>
>
One thing that can be done if leaving seed to soak overnight is to provide
oxygen by using an aquarium air pump to bubble air into the water. I use
an "air stone" (a small pumice like attachment) to make a finer bubble.
I use this for rooting cuttings as well. They root much faster and
produce more roots in this manner.
MC^2
>
> Some of the seeds I'm planting say to pre-soak for 24 hours. Are there
> any special conditions needed, like warm water or warm spot to sit in, etc.?
If you have a bit of rubber tubing around that you can attach to yer faucet
you can set up a nice system for soaking seeds and keeping them well
aerated. Lotta water though. The best way to do this is with a sidearm
flask so that the extra water pours out and yer seeds don't - but that
isn't a household solution I know.
kl...@cobra.uni.edu
> What about Albizia seeds. They are like little rocks! I have had
> some luck by trimming them with an Xacto knife (VERY difficult) and
> then soaking over night. Is there a better way?
Using a Dremel Moto-Tool to file a nick in the seed coat is a high-tech
way to do the same thing... I usually use fingernail clippers or toenail
clippers. Follow with overnight soak in warm water.
Some folks use sandpaper blocks and rub the seeds between them, or acid.
Kay Klier kl...@cobra.uni.edu
Robert Lewis
>In article <41qmn7$j...@odo.PEAK.ORG>, gra...@PEAK.ORG (Gravity Girl) writes:
>>
>> Some of the seeds I'm planting say to pre-soak for 24 hours. Are there
>> any special conditions needed, like warm water or warm spot to sit in, etc.?
>Seeds require oxygen, and I've seen many seeds killed by soaking them
>too long or in too deep of water. How to do it depends on why you're
>soaking them. If you are soaking the seeds simply to get them nicely
>moistened and start the germination process, I prefer to put them on
>soppy wet paper towels, seeds forming a single layer, and cover
>with another layer of wet towels, with something arranged to drip
>water slowly on them to keep the whole assemblage moist.
>If the point of the soak is to remove seed germination inhibitors,
>putting them in a small stream of water for 24 hours is effective;
>I use a tea strainer and a drippy faucet, supplemented by a good
>blast of water whenever I happen to walk by the sink.
>There are some seeds that do best when you really rather mistreat
>them: some of the hard-seeded legumes seem to do best when you
>dump near-boiling water over them, then let them sit just barely
>covered in the cooling water for the next day. Otherwise, I
>don't take the water temperatures much over about 80oF.
>Kay Klier kl...@cobra.uni.edu
What about Albizia seeds. They are like little rocks! I have had
some luck by trimming them with an Xacto knife (VERY difficult) and
then soaking over night. Is there a better way?
Bob
Bryce Grevemeyer
I have heard people swear that putting the seeds (like grass seed)
in the fridge or the freezer for a few days before you plant them
increases the chances of germination.
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Dave Kliman
<bgre...@etcv01.eld.ford.com> wrote:
>Talking about seeds and germination.
>
>I have heard people swear that putting the seeds (like grass seed)
>in the fridge or the freezer for a few days before you plant them
>increases the chances of germination.
>
Some seeds require a "winter" period to germinate. Putting them in the
fridge. for 6 weeks is the only way to let them grow, unless you just let
them go through a winter cycle outside.
-Dave
--
dkl...@panix.com |" By the time they had diminished from 50 to 8,
Dave Kliman |the other dwarves began to suspect 'Hungry'..."
| -Gary Larson, "The Far Side"
Dwight Sipler
>In article <422h33$5...@chelsea.ios.com>, robl...@soho.ios.com (Robert Lewis) writes:
>
>> some luck by trimming them with an Xacto knife (VERY difficult) and
>> then soaking over night. Is there a better way?
>
>way to do the same thing... I usually use fingernail clippers or toenail
>clippers. Follow with overnight soak in warm water.
>
>Some folks use sandpaper blocks and rub the seeds between them, or acid.
It seems kind of contrary to the idea of survival of the fittest that these
seeds need jackhammers and acid baths to prepare them for germination. How do
they germinate in nature? or are you just talking about getting uniform
germination? Are these the kind of seeds that just lie around waiting for the
right conditions which only occur every 100 years or more(earthquakes and
acid rain at the same time)?
Pollinator
From: Bryce Grevemeyer <bgre...@etcv01.eld.ford.com>
Date: 31 Aug 1995 13:24:48 GMT
Message-ID: <424d70$h...@eccdb1.pms.ford.com>
>Talking about seeds and germination.
>I have heard people swear that putting the seeds (like grass seed)
in the fridge or the freezer for a few days before you plant them
increases the chances of germination.
It certainly is true for most tree seeds. Probably should be a few
weeks rather than a few days, though. I like to put them in some damp
sphagnum or sand.
An alternative for acorns, nuts, etc, is to go ahead and plant them in
the fall, so the chilling is naturally taken care of.
Polli...@aol.com Dave Green
Dave's Pollination Service Eastern Pollinator Newsletter
PO Box 1215, Hemingway, SC 29554
kl...@cobra.uni.edu
Close! They're mostly seeds that are designed to survive passage through
the alimentary tract of an animal, complete (perhaps) with sandpapering
in the gizzard, and a nice HCl treatment in the stomach. I've also
fed really recalcitrant seeds to ducks, and --um--- recovered them for
germination. Works quite well in many cases.
Being *too* ready to germinate (as most domesticated crops are) can be
hazardous to your health as a species. Thin seed coats may mean that
it gets digested. One of the few crops that survives this sort of
outrage on a regular basis are the tomatoes you find at any sewage
treatment plant...
Kay Klier kl...@cobra.uni.edu
kl...@cobra.uni.edu
> Talking about seeds and germination.
>
> I have heard people swear that putting the seeds (like grass seed)
> in the fridge or the freezer for a few days before you plant them
> increases the chances of germination.
Nope. Doesn't work. Someone's getting vernalization (moist, cold storage
of certain seeds to break dormancy) confounded with the idea that most
garden seeds store well under cool, dry conditions.
Store your excess veggie seed in a sealed jar in the back of the refrigerator;
under those conditions, most species will retain most of their % germination
(viability) for several years. Carrots are a real exception... they usually
only last a year or two as seeds.
The "rule of thumb" for seed storage I learned is that most things survive
at least a year at 50oF, 50% relative humidity. Decreasing relative humidity
by 10% or temperature by 10oF doubles the expected storage life.
So if you expect a packet of tomato seeds to live 6 years at 50oF, 50%
RH, you can expect it to live 12 years at 40oF, 50% RH, or 50oF, 40%RH,
and 24 years at 40oF, 40% RH. Conversely, increased temps or relative
humidity shorten the lives of seed: 3 years at 60oF, 50% RH, 1.5 years
at 60oF, 60%RH, etc.
Kay Klier kl...@cobra.uni.edu
Kay Klier kl...@cobra.uni.edu
Stavros Macrakis
>[does]...putting the seeds... in the fridge or the freezer for a
>few days before you plant them increase the chances of
>germination.
In article <dkliman-3108...@dkliman.dialup.access.net> dkl...@panix.com (Dave Kliman) writes:
Some seeds require a "winter" period to germinate. Putting them in the
fridge. for 6 weeks is the only way to let them grow, unless you just let
them go through a winter cycle outside.
Just in case this isn't obvious, they need air and water during this
period. Putting them on moist paper towels folded into Baggies brand
bags (oxygen-permeable) is recommended by Norman Deno's _Seed
Germination_. Different species need different conditions; some
require one cold period; some require two; some die with any cold
period. Also, many species' seed dies if dried. Of course, this is
not true of the familiar garden plants grown from seed.
-s
Vicki Morin Gallagher
their very bodies rather than the seed, have you tried numerous boiling
hot water soaks. Allow the seed to soak overnight in a small amount of
the boiling water. Be sure and change the water each day.
Vicki Morin Gallagher
Probably the best $20 garden book you could purchase.
Jeff Stier
to vermicomposters.
The moist warm environment of a worm bin is the ultimate place for
starting seeds. With appologies to Sylvester Stallone, you can even name
your worm bin: THE GERMINATOR
JEFF
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Keith
>In article <424d70$h...@eccdb1.pms.ford.com>, Bryce Grevemeyer <bgre...@etcv01.eld.ford.com> writes:
>
>So if you expect a packet of tomato seeds to live 6 years at 50oF, 50%
>RH, you can expect it to live 12 years at 40oF, 50% RH, or 50oF, 40%RH,
>and 24 years at 40oF, 40% RH. Conversely, increased temps or relative
>humidity shorten the lives of seed: 3 years at 60oF, 50% RH, 1.5 years
>at 60oF, 60%RH, etc.
>
>Kay Klier kl...@cobra.uni.edu
I was told there would be no math....
Keith
>
>Nope. Doesn't work. Someone's getting vernalization (moist, cold storage
>of certain seeds to break dormancy) confounded with the idea that most
>garden seeds store well under cool, dry conditions.
>
ick" questions). Otherwise all the following advice was true.
vernalization = the cold treatment of vegetative tissues to induce FLOWERING, such as the case with certain ceral crops like winter =
wheat.
Stratification = is the cold treatment of seeds to induce germination, such as the case with walnut.
>The "rule of thumb" for seed storage I learned is that most things survive
>at least a year at 50oF, 50% relative humidity. Decreasing relative humidity
>by 10% or temperature by 10oF doubles the expected storage life.
>
>
>Kay Klier kl...@cobra.uni.edu
One can decrease RH by the use of desicants such as silica. One often finds packets of this stored with electronics equipement. Some=
types of silica change color depending on the amount of moisture it contains. Silica can be slow dried in an oven (like tomatoes) t=
o remove the moisture and used again. Some seeds prefer a small amount of moisture and too low of RH can produce a negative effect. =
For melon seed, I always use about the same amount of desicant as the weight of seed.
Keith
Robert Lewis
>In article <424d70$h...@eccdb1.pms.ford.com>, Bryce Grevemeyer <bgre...@etcv01.eld.ford.com> writes:
>> Talking about seeds and germination.
>>
>> I have heard people swear that putting the seeds (like grass seed)
>> in the fridge or the freezer for a few days before you plant them
>> increases the chances of germination.
>Nope. Doesn't work. Someone's getting vernalization (moist, cold storage
>of certain seeds to break dormancy) confounded with the idea that most
>garden seeds store well under cool, dry conditions.
>Store your excess veggie seed in a sealed jar in the back of the refrigerator;
>under those conditions, most species will retain most of their % germination
>(viability) for several years. Carrots are a real exception... they usually
>only last a year or two as seeds.
I think leaving the jar unsealed (at least for a while) in a
frost-free refrigerator would lower the humidity around the seeds.
>The "rule of thumb" for seed storage I learned is that most things survive
>at least a year at 50oF, 50% relative humidity. Decreasing relative humidity
>by 10% or temperature by 10oF doubles the expected storage life.
>So if you expect a packet of tomato seeds to live 6 years at 50oF, 50%
>RH, you can expect it to live 12 years at 40oF, 50% RH, or 50oF, 40%RH,
>and 24 years at 40oF, 40% RH. Conversely, increased temps or relative
>humidity shorten the lives of seed: 3 years at 60oF, 50% RH, 1.5 years
>at 60oF, 60%RH, etc.
>Kay Klier kl...@cobra.uni.edu
>Kay Klier kl...@cobra.uni.edu
Seaside
>I hear that some of the hardest to germinate seeds are no challenge
>to vermicomposters.
>The moist warm environment of a worm bin is the ultimate place for
>starting seeds. With appologies to Sylvester Stallone, you can even name
>your worm bin: THE GERMINATOR
I suppose he'll relay your message to Arnold before his worms turn into COBRAs.
<g>
Steve E. Mercer
>It seems kind of contrary to the idea of survival of the fittest that these
>seeds need jackhammers and acid baths to prepare them for germination. How do
>they germinate in nature? or are you just talking about getting uniform
>germination? Are these the kind of seeds that just lie around waiting for the
>right conditions which only occur every 100 years or more(earthquakes and
>acid rain at the same time)?
I think that many of these seeds evolved to be spread by animals.
Animal eats fruit, seed passes through digestive system, animal
deposits seed, seed germinates. The scoring/soaking/acid baths
could be a method of emulating the conditions that the seed
experiences when it is eaten.
---
Steve Mercer
steve....@network.com
Gilles Guerin
to put them in liquid nitrogen (before soaking in water). It seems to be
a joke but it works pretty well and is very useful with small seeds
(like those of locust tree) which would be difficult to sandpaper when
hundreds are involved... Therfore, after this treatment embryos can be
alterated (cotyledon are broken for instance) and this induce a
non-negligible post-germination loss (I would say around 30%).
Karl King
Soaking softens the seed coat and gets the seeds off to a faster start.
Soaked corn, for instance, will hit the ground running ... while dry
seed might find the soil too cool in early spring Spring.
In other cases the tough seed coat may even be knicked with a knife or
file, otherwise they might lie around for months without sprouting.
That's why they have the tough coats, so they won't sprout with the
first little sprinkle of rain.
In any case, the seeds should swell up noticeably.
I raised some Dwarf Poinciana, once. The recommendation was to knick the
seeds and soak. Mine swelled and sprouted without knicking, perhaps
because I was planting freshly harvested seeds.
Lettuce seed is not normally soaked, but if you want to plant it in the
summer when the temperature stays over 75F, or there-abouts, they may
refuse to sprout. To force them, put some damp filter paper (I use
coffee filters) in a small covered dish. Sprinkle on the lettuce seed
you need, and put it in the fridge. The seed will sprout in a couple of
days -- lettuce seeds need to be both cool and dark to sprout.
Karl