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This is a fantastic way to make Seeds Germinate Quickly.. I call it the coffee filter/Baggie tip. Here's what I do:
1) With masking tape and a Sharpie waterproof marker, mark a zip lock baggie with seed type,
date, and any info about germ temps/stratifying/light required.
2) Wet a coffee filter, then squeeze out excess moisture so it is just damp, not wet.
3) Imagining it as a pie, sow your seeds on 1/4 of the pie, then fold filter in half, then in half
again. Your seeds should have one layer of filter on one side, three layers on the other.
4) Place the folded filter into the zip lock back, blow a little air in the baggie, then seal, leaving
it just slightly puffed, not completely flat.
5) Place in warm place to germinate or in a covered container in the fridge for cold start, and
wait....
Check baggies every few days, and re moisten as needed. Even if one doesn't appear to need
re moistening, don't let them go over a week without opening them up for some fresh air. For
seeds that need light, keep them with the single layer of filter up, and in bright light, though
not direct sunlight. If they need dark, put in a drawer or cupboard Below are other good tips
but I prefer this one. On hard shelled seeds such as Morning Glory, Pride Of Bar. And other
hard seeds wait for a few days so roots can form then plant. I get almost 100% germination
on all my seeds with this method! See Photos below of this method. The seeds are Pride
Of Barbados.
Other Germination Tips Soak: Some seeds take a long time to absorb all The water they need to germinate. This
Process can be speeded up by soaking Them in water overnight. Do not soak seeds for more
than 24 hours, unless it is specifically recommended on the packet.
Nick, chip, or scarify: Seeds like sweet peas and morning glory have hard seed coats that
block the uptake of water into the embryo. To speed germination, you need make a tiny hole
in the seed coat. This is done either by nicking the surface of the seed with fingernail clippers
(much safer than using a knife), or by rubbing the seed against a piece of sandpaper. Be
careful not to damage the embryo by removing too much of the seed coat. It's best to nick or
scarify the seed on a side away from the growing point. For example, the growing point on a
morning glory seed is the pointed tip, so scarify it on the rounded side.
Even without nicking, some seeds will still sprout. So if you don't want to nick all the seeds,
just soak them overnight, plant the ones that swell, then nick the remaining seeds and soak
them again.
Refrigerate, per-chill, or stratify: Some seeds like columbine and penstemon germinate best
after a period of cold and wet that simulates the winter season. The easiest way to stratify
seeds is to sow them into their pots, water them, cover the pots with plastic, then place them
in the fridge for the recommended amount of time
Planting Seeds I use flats to plant all my seeds. The hard shelled seeds I use the baggie method. Morning Glories are so very easy I just soak over night.
I never plant my seeds very deep and keep moist with lots of light.
Click Photos to enlarge.
Remember these seeds a week ago? Orchid Purple tree. Look at them now in another pix
What about these Orange Pride of Barb. just planted recently.
Look how these grown in one week from seed to plant. You notice that some are slower to grow it was because I was just trying to get them planted to show you all but in reality I would of left them to germ a little more but they still are all coming up.
Remember these a week ago MUCH bigger Pride of Bar. Look on the right hand side and you will see the Purple Orchid Tree seedlings!
Seed Germination Tips Back to Shopping! This is a fantastic way to make Seeds Germinate Quickly.. I call it the coffee filter/Baggie tip.
This is the only one I use! Here's what I do:
1) With masking tape and a Sharpie waterproof marker, mark a zip lock baggie with seed type,
date, and any info about germ temps/stratifying/light required.
2) Wet a coffee filter, then squeeze out excess moisture so it is just damp, not wet.
3) Imagining it as a pie, sow your seeds on 1/4 of the pie, then fold filter in half, then in half
again. Your seeds should have one layer of filter on one side, three layers on the other.
4) Place the folded filter into the zip lock back, blow a little air in the baggie, then seal, leaving
it just slightly puffed, not completely flat.
5) Place in warm place to germinate or in a covered container in the fridge for cold start, and
wait....
Check baggies every few days, and re moisten as needed. Even if one doesn't appear to need
re moistening, don't let them go over a week without opening them up for some fresh air. For
seeds that need light, keep them with the single layer of filter up, and in bright light, though
not direct sunlight. If they need dark, put in a drawer or cupboard Below are other good tips
but I prefer this one. On hard shelled seeds such as Morning Glory, Pride Of Bar. And other
hard seeds wait for a few
Other Germination Tips Soak: Some seeds take a long time to absorb all The water they need to germinate. This
Process can be speeded up by soaking Them in water overnight. Do not soak seeds for more
than 24 hours, unless it is specifically recommended on the packet.
Nick, chip, or scarify: Seeds like sweet peas and morning glory have hard seed coats that
block the uptake of water into the embryo. To speed germination, you need make a tiny hole
in the seed coat. This is done either by nicking the surface of the seed with fingernail clippers
(much safer than using a knife), or by rubbing the seed against a piece of sandpaper. Be
careful not to damage the embryo by removing too much of the seed coat. It's best to nick or
scarify the seed on a side away from the growing point. For example, the growing point on a
morning glory seed is the pointed tip, so scarify it on the rounded side.
Even without nicking, some seeds will still sprout. So if you don't want to nick all the seeds,
just soak them overnight, plant the ones that swell, then nick the remaining seeds and soak
them again.
Refrigerate, per-chill, or stratify: Some seeds like columbine and penstemon germinate best
after a period of cold and wet that simulates the winter season. The easiest way to stratify
seeds is to sow them into their pots, water them, cover the pots with plastic, then place them
in the fridge for the recommended amount of time.
But if fridge space is limited, try this method: Place the seeds in a paper napkin, then fold it
and moisten it with tap water. It doesn't have to be sopping wet, just damp. Place the napkin in
a ziploc bag, and put it in the fridge. After the recommended amount of time, remove the seeds
from the fridge and pot them up. This method won't work for very tiny seeds, which are
difficult to handle individually.
You can try stratifying these seeds in a bag with moist peat moss, which can then be
scattered over the surface of the soil. The only drawback to this method is that you can't tell
how thickly you're sowing the seeds. But fortunately, most seeds that require stratification are
large enough to handle easily.
After stratification, the seed containers should be placed in a sunny window or under lights to
stimulate germination.
Freeze: Some seeds like Bells of Ireland germinate best if they are placed in the freezer for a
few days before soaking and planting. Other seeds like Eryngium giganteum prefer
alternating warm and cold temperatures. For these seeds, it's best to sow them outdoors in
the fall and let nature work on them over the winter. They can be direct sown in the garden, or
they can be sown in pots and kept in a cold frame or a protected location like the north side of
the house. Check the pots frequently, and add enough water to keep them moist but not
soggy.
