6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
Right, I wasn't trying to give an endorsement of the product, only suggest where available.
Depending on the age of the child/student, I would caution using oak for a classroom project at all unless the attention span of the children could match the germination requirements - which are approx 4 to as long as 12 months and following a period of moist cold conditions (depending on which oak). It could be boring to a less sophisticated class :)
From my own experience I can say that the freshness of the seed has something to do with it. I have never had old (that is over one year) seed sprout--except for one batch that was on its second year, but it was hermetically sealed. Fresh is best with this plant.
Also, I use the paper towel method. I wrap in damp paper towel, put in a plastic bag and put it someplace warm. I open it up for air each day or so. Then after some days, a gross, stringy, gooey, guk is on th outside of the seeds. I pull that off, wipe the seeds well, give them a fresh paper towel, and put them back in the bag.
As soon as I see a sprout (sometimes as soon as a week), I plant it root tip down, and allow part (not quite half because it is already sprouted) of the seed coat to stick out of the soil straight up and down. The seed comes right up.
Once up, sometimes the little cotyledons have difficulty getting out. Be careful not to mess with them too much because you can damage or kill them. However, I have been known to assist a seed or two. The tip of the seed that was sticking out is quite dry, and hard for the seed to push off. If you dab it with moisture regularly (with a Q-Tip) it may be fine. if not, you may have to split the seed off: use caution! Wait to see if the plant can do it for itself first. Right now, I have 9 plants going; several have their second set of true leaves!
I hope this was helpful. Again, this is only from my own experience & mistakes.
Good Luck,
Robin
Thanks for the responses. Indeed, the seeds I'm asking about are Ipomoea alba.
I decided to plant all of the seeds, floaters and non-floaters. Using a nail clipper, I also scarified the seeds that still had a hard outer shell after soaking. Since my first post I read at a different forum that this idea that seeds float in water when they've lost their viability is more folklore than a science. We'll see.
I had the same problem with white mold growing in the dirt in my peat pots. I watered my seeds and took the plastic cover off. The mold went away without any treatment and my vegetables and herbs are growing well now. I am wondering if they will still be safe to eat?
There shouldn't have been any need to double transplant. Your plants from the 6 packs should have gone directly into your hanging baskets. If you remove a good portion of the root ball, it will result in a pretty unhappy plant! Water and nutrients are taken up by the roots, and they support the plant. Remove a good portion, and the plant suffers (equate it to removing one of your lungs). You should easily be able to fit 3 4" pots into a standard 10" hanging basket without removing root mass.
hmm.... I don't have any advice, but I started mine about a month ago, indoor by the windsill, without heating mat, and all seeds germinated in about 7 days!
They grow so fast so they became quite leggy. Since it is still early in the season, I am going to just start over directly outdoor.
I have not tried it but am sure it would work. The manure is providing the heat to speed up germination of the seeds. If the seeds are sown when the soil is already warm, which is what is suggested for squash seeds, you need not go to all that trouble. Al
jinginuk: Good to know, that helps a lot. No germination for me yet, but it has been just over 2.5 months or so for the ones indoors. I have been remiss on keeping the humidity and moisture levels high for the seeds, so I do not expect them to germinate after all - but you never know.
How is the growth rate of the seedlings for you after germination?
Worthwhile to wait and see - best of luck.
The stem of the seedlings measures between 3 to 4cm with healthy leaves (4-6)on top. Once the seedling hit the cling film I put the pot into a plastic bag tied at the top but still on the window sill as it was wnter. My impression (just 2nd time I've tried growing a tree from seed) was that they seemed to grow to 4 leaf stage quite fast and then slowed down. I have recently moved them out to an unheated greenhouse as there was a short spell of warm weather. But it has gone cooler so I think they might slow down even more as that's their permanent home now.
I have some petunias that I spring sowed outside and they are under a thin clear plastic. Mine have just sprouted and dont have true leaves yet. Our temps here dropped to 29 tuesday night. All I did was put an additional tarp over them and they are fine now. If your porch doesnt go below 35 I think they would be ok. If in doubt cover them with sheets.
The root will come out first. Then the stem. The plant will be confused, because it will not be allowed to send the root and stem the direction they should grow, because the bag will not allow the root to go down, and the stem to go up.
I wait until I have a root and a stem with leaves (cotyledons) that are starting to turn green, then I plug them into a tray of starter mix. I find if I put them into starter mix too early, when only the root is evident, usually cotyledons do not shed the seed shell (helmet heads).
Then you have to keep it wet (I use saliva) and hope it comes free before it dies, or do micro-surgery to save it. Fingernail clippers is the best tool I have found to try to remove the "helmet". If you can get it wet enough, a knife blade may be successful in prying the shell off.
My seedlings go under lights, because I start them early enough that it still freezes every night. When I run out of space indoors under lights, they go to a heated greenhouse.
If your nights are reliably warm enough, I see no reason you could not grow them completely outside. 50F may be too cold, but 59F may be warm enough. But, if it gets too cold, your effort was wasted. I have no idea how reliable your temperature forecasts are.
Sun? Shade? If they sprout in the sun, leave them in the sun. If they sprout indoors, see "hardening off".
Thanks for your experience and suggestions. I finally planted almost all my sprouts in the vegetable bed and we will see how it goes. Most of them just had the root with no leaves, I hope I don't have the seed shell problem you mentioned, but will watch for it, in case I need to bring out the nail clippers. Thanks again!
Z
I have Pepper and Egg plant. I did seed them in March and they too long time to sprout. Noe they are growing very slow. I can not take them to the outside Garden that little. If I wait for them the season will be over. I saw at the Nursery Store Pepper and Egg Plant 10 times as big as mine. How did thay do that? I bought two dozens and thay still in my Green House. They look giants beside my little ones.
My sweet peppers are small too. Perhaps they started them before you in a hot greenhouse...peppers like heat. Mine are in my basement, in Wisconsin. I want to start getting them outside on warmer days, now that they are FINALLY here (although today its only 40!)
Jessica
Yes you can!
Just make sure you harden them back off when they go back outside.
Keriann~