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Hi I'm Tricia, an organic gardener. Starting plants from seed can be a lot of fun
however it can also be tough because some plants have seeds that are hard to
germinate. Today I'm going to give you some tips on how to germinate those tough
seeds.
Some seeds have characteristics that served them well in the wild
but can be frustrating for the gardener
i'm talking about dormancy periods, tough seed coats
and even light requirements
there are a few different things we can do to increase the chances of
germination
scarification, stratification and soaking
and all must be done with love in your heart
scarification is used on seeds that have a tough outer shell like nasturtium
and morning glory
you can think of it as scarring the seed coat to allow in moisture and gases
necessary for germination. If your using the file you don't wanna scratch the seeds
too much just enough that the seeds are dulled and you can see the
scratches
if you use the nail clippers you want a definite nick in the seed coat
another method of scarification is to put the seeds in very hot
but not boiling water
put them in the water, and let the water cool down to room temperature
and then let them soak for another twelve to twenty-four hours
plant the seeds immediately after soaking
some seeds need what is called stratification
this process mimics the natural freeze and thaw cycles that some seeds require
in order to germinate
wildflowers and perennial flowers are often planted in the fall
and they may stratify naturally
or you can ensure that this process happens with a few simple steps to
stratify the seed we're just gonna mix it with a little bit of moist not wet
perlite, vermiculite or builder sand
mix the seed and the medium in a plastic bag, you want one part seed to
three parts medium
place the bag in the refrigerator
not the freezer for about ten to twelve weeks and check every so often to make
sure that the medium stays moist
after that period
take the bag out and plant the seeds along with the medium be gentle with
the seeds in case any have sprouted
There's scarification stratification and then there's just plain old soaking of
the seeds
for about twelve to twenty-four hours in room temperature water
and seeds like beans peas and okra benefit a lot from this soaking
Parsley is a special case the seeds from parsley are actually coated naturally
with a substance that retards germination
It really helps to soak the parsley seeds for forty eight hours and change
the water twice
For some seeds they don't need soaking they don't need scarring but
the amount of light that they get while they are germinating is important
for example
alyssum
needs light to germinate so it's planted very shallow
on the other hand fennel will not germinate unless its in total darkness so
you'll plant it deeper
If you want to learn more about starting your own seeds I recommend this book
the new seed starter handbook
so start your own seeds and grow organic for life!