by Mickey T
What’s the best way to germinate seeds?
9:00 pm in Uncategorized by Mickey T
Hi I’m Mickey and I’m building a window farm for my senior project. My kit came with butter crunch lettuce, romaine lettuce, basil, and rosemary seeds. I’m looking for an effective and easy way to germinate them before I put them in my window farm. I can find the instructions for constructing the whole window farm system but can’t locate the instructions for germinating the seeds. I remember something about putting them in a mixture of water and hydrogen-peroxide, but I can’t recall for how long. Thank you for your help.
I need help germinate seeds. Working on getting my farm together. Having fun
Never seen the kit before but I’ve germinated seeds a couple of ways.
First attempt was growing the seeds in regular soil. I picked up a seed kit from a local store. It was basically a plastic basin with a clear dome on it for light to get through. I ended up cutting a couple of breathing holes to allow air to circulate. Once the seedlings had grown, I carefully removed them from the container and put them under the tap to wash away the soil (very carefully not to damage the roots). Then I just put them in clay pellets and they grew fine.
The other method I used was using the same seed kit, but instead of soil, I picked up some rockwool. You can get it in bulk or pre-formed cubes. You put a hole in it and put the seed inside. It grows through the cube and then you pick the entire thing up and put it into the farm.
I found the second way a lot easier, there was less chance damaging the plant.
The only thing to mention is that, after the initial sprouting has happened, you need to remove the dome. The dome is there to keep heat in, but after the plants have sprouted it might encourage fungal growth.
I had a first and second stage seedling tray. The first stage had the dome, and the second was just a tupperware container with no top. I also recommend filling in the gaps around the cubes with clay pellets to protect the roots whole the seedlings grow.
Some pictures from last April as example:
http://www.addictiveprojects.com/wp-content/gallery/april-20th-2010/picture-001.jpg
http://www.addictiveprojects.com/wp-content/gallery/april-2nd-2010-grow/picture-011.jpg
http://www.addictiveprojects.com/wp-content/gallery/april-15th-2010/picture-001.jpg
I’ve had success using water and a small amount of hydrogen peroxide… it’s called “chemical scarification,” if you need help with it, try searching that on the internet.
Basically all I use is an ice tray filled with water and a few drops of hydrogen peroxide in each ice cell. Place seeds in water (organized by seed type) and let sit for 5-10 min.
You have to place the germinated seeds in a substrate.. Rockwool works, also tree bark grow cubes… search “hydroponic growing medium” and look for denser material. Follow Hardware Junkie’s instructions above for preparation and germination tray, and you should be all set.
If you get multiple sprouts in a cube, it’s recommended to trim back the less desirable seedlings, but hey, experiment… that’s what it’s all about.
Forgot to mention that, for nutrients during the seedling stage, I was using a product specifically designed for growing seedlings (thought it was called Bioroot but can’t find it online at the moment) before switching to an A&B mix for the farm. You should be able to pick up similar items from any hydroponics store.
I am currently expermenting with using wet paper towels in the system to germinate seeds. seems to be working. think I saw some bioroot at Lowe’s the other day, in the gardening section.
It depends what kind of seed you are going to sprout. I used a bottle cap as grow dish. Even for lettuce! Don’t use sponge espcially for seeds like lettuce, for beans are ok not lettuce because lettuce takes a long time to sprout. I have used paper towel on small kidney beans with great results:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1hxwEc92Jo
Here is the same bean with bean pods:
And another one using a vertical system for Lettuce:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N2Z7XKxPig
so there is no problem sprouting on a napkins.I do change it after two weeks if the sprout is not big enough to be transplanted.
I hope this helps.
P.s. I forgot to past the bean pod results here it is sorry:)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThWGzEGPdME
I have been using these compressed pucks. Essentially it is a mass of dirt and other stuff put in a shotglass sized outer paper bag, then dehydrated and compressed into a disk. I got a pack of 12 for a few hundred yen.
So, you sit them in a saucer of water for a few hours and they expand back to size. There is a nice convienient hole in the center to drop the seeds in.
After that, you put shield them from direct sunlight for a few days and within a week or two, prestochango, sprouts.
It also helps to sit a clear plastic cup over them. At least, thats what the Japanese farmers do.
Thank you all very much for your feedback. This was all very useful information. I ended up putting the seeds in the hydrogen peroxide and water mixture then placed them in the grow cubes provided with the kit. Now I have a bunch of little leafy sprouts to place in my window garden, but we’re not sure if they are ready for the California sun that shines through my window. I’m just going to go for it and hope everything turns out alright ^_^
Here’s my group’s flickr documenting the project http://www.flickr.com/photos/herbingarden/
If you think the sun might be a bit too strong, get some paper that’s used to wrap lunches and such, or the type used when baking ookies, and stick it on the window in front of the plants.
@Emery Premeaux – your talking about Peat Pucks, or Jiffy Pucks..
Yeah, those Jiffy pucks are nice. For plants you intend to transplant to large pots or a garden, at least.
I’ve been using a ‘plant starter’ which is a three-part design.
There’s a bottom tray, a transparent top, and a midsection consisting of 49 1″ diameter, 2″ long tubes in a 7 x 7 matrix. These tubes taper slightly towards the bottom end(they’re open) and the bottom section has taps that’s slightly narrower than the tubes, and when the midsection is placed on top, the taps works as bottoms for the tubes, with just enough of a gap that liquids can seep into the tubes.
fill the tubes with soil and fill the bottom tray with water, then check the water level once every day until the plants have developed enough.
When the plants have sprouted and it’s time to transplant them, you push the midsection down onto the bottom tray and the taps will push the soil ‘plugs’ out of the tubes.
(The roots will keep the soil together long enough to transplant into a pot if you want to do that. If not wash off gently in lukewarm water)
Not that I ever pushed down to release every plant at once. That would have taken a bit more planning.
(Instead I lifted the midsection and used an old Penol marker to push the plants out one at a time.)
Since 49 plants at one time is a bit small(I’m planning to grow ‘a few’ plants in a mini greenhouse and assorted flowerboxes next summer), I plan to build a bigger one myself.
I’ll probably post the directions here if I do that.