Seed Starting Method I Use

I've been through many threads on seed starting & sowing & thought this might help someone. Especially with tiny seeds. The very first seeds I started were Gloxinia. They were like dust. I was afraid to breath for fear of losing them all. Anyway, I believe this is probably a variation of the paper towel/Deno method. I start all my seeds in a layer of sand approximately 1/4" deep in a part of a take out foam inserted in a plastic baggie. This way it doesn't matter if you put them in rows, just sprinkle tiny seeds on the surface & remove them as they germinate. I also, water the sand with 1 part hydrogen peroxide (3%) to 19 parts water. I thoroughly water the sand before sprinkling the seeds (damp but not soaking wet). If the seeds are larger than fine dust, I use an ink pen tip (toothpick will work), and put them where I want them. I water them everyday with the H2O2 solution, even after potting them up. At the time they get watered they also get fresh air. I blow into the bag before resealing. I had no damping off last year with 3000 seedlings. After the seeds sprout, I get them out of the sand with a baby spoon, and plant them in cell packs. I like the 9 cell ones. Hope this makes sense & helps someone. I've gotten so much from you all, I hope I can give back something in return. Thanks! Pam

This is great advice. I may give this a try with my begonia seeds this year. Thank you very much for the suggestion. I will let you know how it works out.

Pam, thank you for the info. I will do this with some of tiny seeds.

kdjoergensen, It works great for begonia seeds. I have 5 of 10 germinated & put in cell packs so far this year. This is my first begonias from seed. Hope we both have fantastic results!

Good morning - I have a "stupid" question but does the Hydrogen Peroxide help with the dampening off????

Yes, juja, that is my understanding. I read about it and tried it. Since I didn't have any damping off, I am assuming the hydrogen peroxide is what prevented it. I probably go to a lot more trouble than I should, but I want to do everything I can to have good results. I have made plenty of other mistakes with seedlings, like not fertilizing them when they got bigger. Oh, well. You just have to try your best and learn from your mistakes. It sure helps being a member of Dave's Garden, if we can learn from others mistakes, that's always nice.

I use the H202 solution also, for everything from sprtizing plants to starting seeds to spraying on veggies or sprouts I'm making that I want to grow faster and fresher.

Here is a site that you might find useful--and there are lots of others.

http://www.h2o2oxytech.com/h2o2-uses.htm

Thank you so much for the advice - it is so hard for me when I go to so much trouble and then dampening off sets in - I've tried using ground up charcoal in soil some one recommended one time - but it doesn't seem to work real well. I'll give the H202 solution a try as I have lots of trays of seedlings planted and are waiting for them to make an appearance.


Chilko - Link was interesting - I didn't think there were so many uses for Hydrogen Peroxide!!!!

a new method to try - thanks so much for the info. this year i'm trying winter sowing and make-your-own seed tapes too. what kind of sand do you use?

handhelpers, I just used sand from Home Depot, but I sifted it so it would be finer. I have used the sand in the section with the cement supplies, and the play sand.
I made the mistake the other day of using some I didn't sift and I am sorry I did. When the seeds sprouted they were harder to get in the cells, because the sand particles were as large as the sprouts. They were Lisianthus and I had to use a magnifier to get them planted.
As a side note, if you don't want a hundred Lisianthus, don't plant that many. Their germination rate is very high, and they are very very tiny sprouts. : )
Chilko, I'm glad someone else has had good results with the H2O2.

Thanks, Prism for your info on starting seeds. I've been reading everyones ways of how they do it and I want to try a few different ways this year. Last year was my first year in starting seeds indoors. I wanted to start some yesterday but didn't. My throat is really sore so I hope I don't have strep throat.
:( Donna

Great idea, Prism. I'm going to give it a try!