Faster seed germination - interesting

http://botanicalinterests.com/inthegarden/flowers/grow-seeds-faster-imbibition/?utm_source=March+2013+free+ship+fast+seeds&utm_campaign=March+free+ship+fast&utm_medium=email

Cville_Gardener
Thanks for posting that, that reminds me to soak some more pepper seeds before I plant them. I am having a heck of a time trying to get any peppers started.

HI CAROL HOPE YOU WILL JOIN US :)

NEW SPRING PLANT SWAP COME CHECK US OUT :) IF YOU HAVE OTHER FORUMS YOU LIKE TO SHARE THIS LINK PLEASE DO SO . TY
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1302498/

Hi Susie -- Thanks! I will check it out. I've not been plant swapping for quite awhile due to some personal circumstances. Just been trading a few seeds here and there. But I'll take a look. ^_^

As I have told everyone you do not have to sign up every month so hope to see ya there even if its only to chat :))

^_^

The article was great! I routinely soak seeds prior to planting, indoors or out, however I've never tried soaking tiny seeds. The "spooning in" method was an eye opener but the community pot was jam packed so how can one provide a little more space? Then it struck me - use an eye dropper! Perhaps that tool will provide a little more control for seed disbursal...experiment time!!!

That is a great idea. I always wash and save eye-droppers from anything I buy that has one. I have quite a few so I am delighted to have this use for some of them.

Keep us posted about your results.

Thanks, I'll try it! Especially the eyedropper method. And maybe I'll mop out the last few drops and seeds with a scrap of Kleenex or toilet paper, then rin se most of the seeds off that with a sprayer or mustard squeeze bottle.

I'm thinking of using a plastic ice-cube-tray so I can soak several varieties of small seeds at once, in small volumes of water.

I like the ice cube tray idea a lot.

This is a fun thread! What great ideas!

I like Rick's ice tray idea as well- I would try to get three - tiny seeds
per "cube" cubical into the tray. After soaking, how to plant them?

Here are several ideas -
1. Eye dropper them into the planting medium or ground.
2. Strain seeds using a tea strainer and teeezers, or mosquito or no-seem netting
3. Flip over the ice tray!
You of course labeled your ice cube trays with Sharpie marker, cube by cube, before you put the seeds or water in.
like this

1 Lobellia 2 EMPTY 3 Carrot 4 EMPTY 5 Chia 6 EMPTY
7 EMPTY 8 Marigold 9 EMPTY 10 Tomato 9 EMPTY 10 Pepper

Your ice tray was _upside down_ when you made these labels. Flip em over into the soil or
the flats and duplicate the ice cube graph on a piece of paper. rubbing alchohol washes
off the Sharpie marker, you can re use the same ice tray- square _inch _gardening!
Happy Springtime, everyone!
Heather

How about freezing the seeds in the tray, then set the ice cube where you want it and let it melt.

Heather,

Great idea about alternating cells and then flipping into a flat!

>> You of course labeled your ice cube trays with Sharpie marker,

Actually, for a hydrogen peroxide soak, I cut tiny squares from a mini-blind slat and labelled them with a mechanical pencil, then dropped it into the bottom of the ice cube cell. There was only room for codes like "P1" and "S5" for first Petunia variety and fifth Salvia variety.

If I did the "Heather Flip", the mini-blind square should fall out onto the flat and label each splash ...

... IF the label and seeds don't stick to the plastic of the ice cube tray.

We might have to cut the ice cube tray lengthwise into a single row of cells, so we can "pour and then spray" to get everything out.


I'm working on an idea like yours right now where I'll cut the bottom out of a cell from a 72-cell tray, if I'm sowing into cells in a 72-tray.

Then I'll hold that over a cell filled with soil, like a little funnel. That way, I can pour or fling a micro-pinch of Lobelia seeds into the funnel (through the air, not water) and keep all the dust-like seeds in one cell even if I fling them so that they spread out somewhat.

Seedfork said:
>> How about freezing the seeds in the tray, then set the ice cube where you want it and let it melt.

Genius! But I can hear it now:

"MOM!! Why is my Coca-Cola gritty and funny-tasting?"

This is a great idea---even for small seeds.
Planting the ice cubes would fool some critters too.

Ice would not kill the seeds!!!???

I am now thinking of using the alternating ice tray with "the Heather flip" _(thanks I just love that!)
technique with a cardboard egg crate instead!

Well, I'm off to sneak more Chia seeds into the tapioca - only way to get the Man to eat his fiber is to
disguise it...
cheers
Heather

This totally worked!

Which worked well for you, soaking tiny seeds or freezing seeds in ice cubes?

Or the Heather Flip? (TM)

Soaking tiny seeds... all my seeds. Clarkia. Snaps, cosmos, calendula, tomatoes, larkspur, I got germination on day three with the snaps and clarkias, cosmos, tomatoes, marigolds. I'm going to try viscaria, agrostemma and zinnia now. yay!

Great! ^_^

Wow, that is awesome! I think I will try that, too!

Great germ, but the darn bugs are getting everything!?!?! I put my cosmos out on the deck on something ate all the leaves over night! Bah!

If you have more, when you put them out at night, spray some Neem oil on them...the bugs will die!

Thank you! I just mixed some up