Germination Of Seeds

Carol Bradford: Don't give up on germinating seeds

Dear W.B.: That sounds discouraging. Seed packets have instructions, some thorough and some sketchy, depending on the company. If the instructions are generic, say "most seeds germinate best at a temperature between 68 and 86 degrees," you should consult a reliable germination guide. William Cullina's book, "Wildflowers: A Guide to Growing and Propagating Native Flowers of North America," (The New England Wild Flower Society) gives detailed directions.

There are many different species of rudbeckia (black-eyed Susan) and helenium (sneezeweed or Helen's flower), both annuals and perennials. The germination requirements vary. Some seeds sprout easily and quickly at room temperatures. Others may benefit from a time in damp cold storage in the refrigerator (cold stratification) and take months to come up. Don't give up too soon.

There are only a few possibilities here. First, the seed was no good to begin with. Some types of seeds last for years; others lose viability quickly. Buy fresh seed and plant it reasonably promptly. Seed should be labeled with the month and year it was tested and the germination percentage.

Second, the seed was good, but was stored improperly, so viability was lost. Cool and dry suits most seeds. Warm and wet is generally a mistake. Seeds for some wetland plants may be exceptions.

Next, the seed was good quality, but the germination requirements were not met. Light is needed for some types of seeds to germinate, but light actually inhibits other types. The directions should usually say whether to cover the seed. Even if the seed needs dark, it is possible to bury it too deeply, so the energy contained in the seed isn't enough to get the leaves to the surface.

Germinating Apple Seeds?

The Answer :-- Germinating Apple Seeds
Get a small 3 - 4" pot with holes in the bottom. Put your soil mix in it and water it. You want the soil level to be about an inch and a half from the rim after watering. Take your little sprout and gently set it on top of the moist soil mix with the sprout pointing upwards. Gently add dry soil around and on top of the seed part (not the sprout). Using a clean spray bottle with water, mist the dry soil until moist. Set in a well lit (not direct sun), area. Mist it every other day for about a week. Then water it only when the top inch of soil begins to dry out. THIS the easiest way ive found, id harvest (gently!) the seeds from the fruit of your choice, keeping in mind they will not grow `true to seed`, the apples will not be exactly the same from parent to offspring, due to the pollen from other trees fertilizing the apple. not to say it wont produce delicious fruit. harvest the seeds, put them aside, no treatment is necessary directly to the seeds, but a rinse in cool water wont do any harm if theres any apple on them. youll need a ziplock baggie and a paper towel. get the paper towel moist, not sopping wet, just moist. depending on the size of your ziplock baggie, fold it accordingly. before you fold it to the exact size of the baggie, on the last fold, place the seeds you wish to grow about an inch away from each other on the wet paper towel. place the wet paper towel in the ziplock bag, and seal it, keeping your little finger in the zipper so it doesnt close completely and allows air flow. the idea is to retain moisture, but not suffocate the seeds. place the baggie in the fridge, and forget about it! in about two weeks, you should see beginning germination of your apple seeds. ive also done pear seeds this same way with great success. always place more seeds than you want in the paper towel, as some wont end up growing. when the roots are anywhere from a half inch to two inches long, you can plant them into soil pots untill they get bigger, or straight into the ground. i like to plant them in pots while the roots are short, that way they dont have a chance to burrow into the paper towel, making removing them a bit difficult. if it happens, simply cut around the root, and plant the seed, paper towel and all. good luck! I think we get our wide variety of apple types from the random trees that grow from random seeds. So it's a crapshoot.

The germination of seeds

The germination of seeds

The germination of seeds

Germination of seeds

Seed development, dormancy and germination