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Germinating seeds in Gel, Gelatin, Jello

crabs
13 years ago

Hi, I've been hearing that seed germination in gel gives greater success with hard to germinate seeds because it prevents molding often caused by over-watering and to prevent the drying soil in case one forgets to water the seed.

I am not sure. Does anyone have any experience with gel/jello as a sees propagation medium?

Thanks!

Comments (13)

  • origami_master
    13 years ago

    the medium is not jello/gelatin, it's called agar, and it comes from certain algae. i can tell you for fact, it does NOT PREVENT molding, in facet, if anything, it can facilitate molding once it starts.

    in the lab, we use agar to sow some of our seeds. you will need to supplement nutrients and sugar (sucrose/table sugar) if you intend to keep the seedlings in it for a while. after mixing in the sucrose and nutrients and adjusting pH, we sterilize the medium by putting it through an (almost like a giant) pressure cooker and we use sterile petri dishes to pour the agar into. the seam between the top and bottom petri dish is sealed with a sheet of paraffin wax. everything is done under [almost 100%] sterile conditions and in a flow hood. even so, sometimes, you get contamination. you'd be surprised how fast mold can grow in the agar!

    you might want to try the papertowel method; it should help to resolve any over/underwatering issues

  • crabs
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thank you for your comment. I appreciate the planty wisdom and you taking the time. The papertowel method does work best. But are you are saying in so many words that there is no benefit at all in propagating seeds in gelatine?
    In your opinion, why do some gardeners swear by it?

  • origami_master
    13 years ago

    I've never heard of using gelatin to start seeds before, to be honest, so I can't give you any opinion as to whether or not it works. I can tell you from experience that as long as whatever you use is sterile/clean (this also applies to tradition peat based seed starting mixes), chances are the seeds will grow well. I did a search of google and came across an article that claimed 'gelatin is high in phosphorus and calcium' but have not found any scientific literature to back that up (not saying there isn't, but I just haven't found any). To be honest, I think part of it has to do with luck, and part of it has to do with their technique. I've tried every way to root wild roses and have never succeeded while my neighbour throws his trimmings in the compost and find them rooted a few weeks later. Don't let me discourage you from trying - you'll never know if it works unless you try it!

    If you are up for it, I'd suggest you try agar. I remember my parents used to make desserts with agar. Lab use agar is in powder form, and the agar you buy from the supermarket is in sheets or look like bundles of clear noodles. It's relatively common in Asian desserts and most Asian supermarkets carry it. In the lab, the medium I make is 8g of powdered agar in 1 liter of water (I'm not sure of the equivalent imperial units). I would suggest (regardless of agar or gelatin) that you transplant the seeding as soon as you can because there are few to no nutrients in either medium.

    Keep an eye out for medium that starts to look cloudy. It is an early sign of contamination. Wiping everything down with 70% rubbing alcohol (including your hands) will help to keep things clean.

  • wwigderson
    6 years ago

    When I was a kid they use to put out containers to grow seeds for a science project, can't remember what it was called, just that it worked super well! Does anyone else remember that?

  • poaky1
    5 years ago

    I remember being told to try gelatin to start Rhododendron Maximus seeds, I never tried it but I have heard of it, I'm glad I didn't waste my time trying it.

  • albert_135   39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    I've experience with agar. My first thought is that unless one knows STERILE TECHNIQUE it might very well be that agar or gelatin might encourage and hasten the growth of fungi.


    ✔ ✔

  • PRO
    SeedsRUs.Etsy
    5 years ago

    In our experience we have not had any luck with gel and palm seeds. You would be better off with a wet paper towel in a seal cup.

  • poaky1
    5 years ago

    I will not likely get an answer with my comment, but, I kinda wonder when some medical folks try to grow cultures of fungi or virus's in petri (misspelled I know) dishes, are they using gelatin to try to get those things to grow?

  • albert_135   39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    When I worked in a lab decades ago we used a substance called agar.

    Edited to add: agar is pretty much gelatin. Agar is from sea weed and gelatin is usually from animal sources. All manner of things may be grown on or in agar.

    Edited to add: Science project kits using agar, mentioned by wwigderson above may still be available on Amazon.

  • Vladimir (Zone 5b Massachusetts)
    5 years ago

    Poaky, bacteria and fungi are grown on agar, not gelatin, because they cannot digest agar but some of them can digest gelatin and turn it into liquid. Viruses cannot be grown on agar alone because they must invade cells in order to multiply.

  • poaky1
    5 years ago

    Wow, Vladimir and Albert for the CSI ( a popular show about crime that had used DNA and fingerprints mostly in the 1990's, and they used petri dishes to grow disease cultures) type of info, BTW, I haven't tried the seed germination with Agar and /or gelatin, I've found a nursery who sells these native plants, so I am happy to just purchase these plants. Nature seems to do just fine without Agar or gelatin, but, sometimes people need to find a way to get propagation going beyond nature, I am not sure how these nurseries got the plants I bought but, I'm pretty sure that they got these plants I bought from "air layering" of the native Rhododendrons. That means simply taking a branch from the native Rhody, and securing it to the soil of a new pot, and waiting until it forms roots in that pot. But, If they got their new Rhodies from seed or whatever, I really don't care, but, I am thinking "air layering" is what they just might use for making new plants, I say this because I think that the seed growing system of making more Rhodies of the "native" Rhododendron Maximum" which is the native Rhododendron, the one Rhodie that I was wanting to grow many of here in my zone 6 Pa garden, I should say my Zone 6 western Pa yard under my trees because this Rhodie only likes shade. Well, anyway, I'm glad to get my seedlings from my nursery that had grown these native Rhodies from air-layering or whatever damn method they had used, but, I must admit that I am kinda curious about the use of gelatin or agar, when they do use these substances to grow from seed, IF they are using this agar to grow plants from seeds.

  • wwigderson
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Anyway, as I said before we had these round Petri dishes (3) each & we were to take 3 different seeds to see if any one of the seeds would germanite ; how long it would take ect. Now I remember we had to follow exact directions (wearing gloves was one) & it was a jelly like substance but whatever it was, it worked like a charm. The only problem I had was after it started growing, we removed the top, let it grow some more (watering it with sterile water by an eye dropper) we had to soak the plant when it was ready to transfer because the roots were stuck to the jelly-really stuck! Gosh; I really wish I could find it again! Think they stopped it because some people were using it to grow pot!

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