Seeds w/ No Embryo

I read some where, can't remember where, that when and if you soak your seeds in water... the ones that float have no embryo and are no good. I wanted to run this by you guys to see what you thought.

Donna

In my experience, some seeds that float will germinate.

I've also heard that the floaters are dead, but I've had the same experience as dmj1218 where sometimes seeds that were supposedly bad have germinated. So unless you're constrained by space or something on how many seeds you can try, I would plant them all.

Thanks for the responses guys!! I figured some were good... but wasn't sure.

I just wish I could remember which they were--I probably can on another day--I am just really tired today--lol

If the seeds I am soaking are really important to me, I nick the floaters and soak again. Sometimes it is just a matter of having a harder seed coat to penetrate.

Windy,

Yes, I am doing daylily seeds atm.... so... and it appears that the longer they soak, the more that sink. I usually soak daylily seeds for 2 days. Then I kinda have an odd procedure I do to germinate them. But I have them up in about 10 days start to finish.

Donna

Sounds good, ten days is pretty fast for daylily seeds.
I have pots of them I can't wait to get into the ground when it cools off.

Normally floaters are dead...but not always. Sometimes you can just tell the live ones from the empty ones...there will be a different weight/feel to the seeds.


Like everyone said...sometimes floaters take a day or two to sink because of the hard seed coat. When in doubt...and the seeds are not replaceable...plant them...you have nothing to lose.

Windy,

If you wanna know my odd but tried and true method... I can post it.

Donna