Germinating Seeds for your Garden

What Is Seed Germination?

Requirements For Germination

In order to germinate, your seeds need the right conditions and proper temperature. But don’t be intimidated — germinating seeds is relatively easy, and you’ll get better with practice.

During germination, seeds need to be in a dark, warm, moist climate. Aim for a seed germination temperature between 74 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit.

It’s also a good idea to only germinate a few of your seeds at a time, especially if you’re a beginner. For instance, if you have 10 seeds total, try germinating and growing three of them to begin with. This way, you’ll gain some experience and be able to experiment with germinating and grow methods to find out what works and what doesn’t work.

Now, let’s look at how to germinate seeds.

1. Paper Towel Germination
One of the most popular ways to germinate seeds is the paper towel method. To do this, you’ll need paper towels as well as two plates.

The first step is to dampen one of the paper towels and set it on one of the plates. You want the paper towel to be completely wet, but not so much that it’s dripping water or pooling on the plate.

You’ll then place the seeds onto the damp paper towel. Don’t crowd the seeds together, leave plenty of room between them. Then place another moist (not soaking or dripping wet) paper towel on top of the seeds. Gently press the paper towel down on top of the seeds to ensure they are completely enveloped between the paper towels.

Finally, place the second plate upside down over the seeds in a clamshell-like fashion. This will provide the dark environment your seeds need to germinate.

You’ll want to check on the seeds every day to monitor their progress and ensure they don’t run out of moisture. If the paper towels start to dry out, dampen them again with a spray bottle.

Germination time can vary, but generally the seeds should open up within a few days of starting the germination process. Once sprouts have emerged and grown to a few millimeters in length, you’ll be ready to transfer your seedlings.

Check out this LINK for a great tutorial!

2. Grow Medium Germination/Starter Kits
Another common germinating method is to place the seeds directly into a grow medium. However, you must be careful with this method; seeds are very sensitive to nutrients, and germinating them in a nutrient-rich environment can actually cause them damage.

Our favorite method is coco coir pods. The basic idea here is the same as the paper towel method: You’ll dampen the coco coir pods, insert the seeds, then keep them in a warm, humid environment until the sprout emerges.

Once the seedlings have sprouted, you can transfer them directly to your soil.

3. Seed Starting Mix/Custom Mix
For the more advanced grower, starting seeds in a starting mixed designed for the specific requirements the seeds need to begin their life. Like the other two methods, prepare the mix to be damp and not too wet, place seeds in your mix, provide warmth, humidity, and of course LOVE, until the sprout emerges.

If you’re interested in starting your seeds in a soil mix, we at The Worm Farm Portland have you covered, with 12 ready to go unique soil mixes, and over 60 different soil amendments and fertilizers, including natures ACE IN THE HOLE, Mycorrhiza. We want your gardens to have the absolute best advantages to succeed. If you’ve never heard of Mycorrhiza, give us a call or stop on by and find out why you and your plants could be missing out!