First, I would like to call your attention to the poll at the right. In an attempt to see the reasons for why my blog is being viewed, I have made one. I ask that you all, whether a first or second timer, whether a gardener or a person who just accidentally came across it, answer the post. I believe that you don't need to be a member or anything. If you could, I would appreciate that greatly. I apologize for the fact that you may have to scroll sideways. I failed to be concise.
Anyhow, back to germination. Germination is the sprouting and growth of a seed. When you put a seed in the ground, if it germinates, it is well on it's way to growing. My dad brought my attention to speeding up the germination process.
When a seed germinates it is using water from the soil and around it, to a)soften the shell around it, to let out it's roots and b)unlock the stored energy and nutrients in the seed. Now water does not unlock these things on it's own, but it is an important factor to this process.
My dad said that, instead of letting the water in the soil (which might not be a lot) germinate the water, if I soaked it in a large amount of water for a couple days, the seeds would germinate a lot faster.
What we did was we took a plastic container and placed a segment of paper towel in it. We then took the larger seeds and opened the packet. You do this by placing a pencil in the packet opening and rolling it while sliding it forward. That should be able to open the packet neatly, so you can close/staple it later.
Then using my plan, I decided which and how many seeds to germinate. You always want to germinate 5 to 10 more than you plan to use, since some seeds will not germinate.
Now some seeds look alike, such as the pumpkin and the squash, and the spinach, carrot, and lettuce. Because of that germinate these seeds in two groups. Also, make a diagram of where each group of seeds are. Here is my diagram:
I made the mistake of putting the two tomatoes together, and the spinach and carrots.
Next I put another section of paper towel over all the seeds, and got half a glass of warmish water. It can't be too hot or too cold that it shocks the seeds. Not shocking the seeds, while germinating and planting is one of the most important things to remember. While in their dry shells, the seeds can put up with some force, pressure, and roughness. However, once the shells are soft, handling the seed even slightly rough can damage a seed. Pour the water over everything, dousing it thoroughly. Then cover up the container with a lid and place in an area where it won't be disturbed, and where it is humid and warm, such as near a radiator. It is important that you make sure the container does not have air holes, or a way for the water to evaporate or dry. We put some of our seeds in a tomato container with air holes and when we came back, it was bone dry and the seeds were dead.
For smaller seeds, which you can not plant by hand, you can use an egg carton and put small pieces of paper towel in each slot. Then you put a couple seeds in each one, and cover with a paper towel. You then use the water. Later, when you plant it, you can cut away the carton and put the whole thing in the ground. The paper towel and egg carton should dissolve in the ground, as long as it is a small piece.
This doesn't always work, and it might be better and easier to just place the seeds straight in the ground. If you water them zealously for a week or two, they should sprout just fine.
Generally, seeds take a few days to germinate using the method. Check after the 3rd day and if some of them have tails (a sprout that sticks out of them) then they are ready to plant. Here is a picture of a seed with a tail. It is not mine:
http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/how-do-seeds-sprout/
When you plant, place the tail down (it is the root).
What we did was our biggest mistake with this germination. It is also the reason the "Slimy Bean Incident" happened. We never had time during the week to plant, so we always let our seeds sit for a week-week and a half in the water. Because of this, our plants might not have grown well in the future, I am not sure. Anyhow, our seeds would sit there, and the paper would rot. Finally, we would plant them. The first batch did not at first show signs of that they had been over germinated. The only thing was that I wished I had planted my carrot seeds without this method, for they are actually quite small and hard to pick out.
The second batch, however, was when it happened. The beans had leaked open this thick white, sticky, disgusting mucus. It covered the other seeds and mixed with the smell of the rotten paper. I remember opening it in the kitchen. It took a while for the smell to disappear. Anyway, we were worried. We thought either a)beans were not supposed to be germinated in this way or b)the seeds in this packet were bad. I did some research, but I don't really remember my results. I also don't remember what my dad got except the fact that some people actually eat this! Maybe it tastes better, if you cook it. We still didn't know, so I contacted the seed company. The man who responded said that as long as the bean is germinating it is okay, but if it doesn't, then it is probably rotten. He said that beans need a temperature of 70 degrees and that you should probably plant them in the ground. Anyway, between this email and Google search, we found out the bean had fermented. This can be caused by too much germination. Oops. We planted our beans directly into the ground and they grew fine, until the bugs. That's another story, however. We did plant one or two slimy beans, and they actually grew!
One other thing I noticed, was that basil seeds actually get this transparent glob around them. This is perfectly normal, but makes it easier to shock this plant.
So, next year I have learned some important things about germinating. I do not have any actual pictures of this, but I will take some pictures the next time I germinate.
This is the Blomer signing out.
