Nothing beats home grown vegies from the backyard garden. My first seed catalog arrived in the mailbox this week. It’s funny how a bunch of papers with pretty, colorful pictures of plants can make a person so happy. Every year I look forward to seeing the new plants being offered. And anyone that knows me, knows it doesn’t matter how many seeds I have left over from last year, I’m still going to buy seeds this year.
So, you might ask, how will I know if the seeds I saved from last year will still be viable this year? I will perform a simple germination test on my saved seeds and if they germinate all is good and I’m ready for another planting season.
This simple germination process requires very few supplies. The idea is to create an environment where the seed can remain moist for several days without being so wet that it rots before it germinates.
The easiest way to do this test is to place a couple of damp paper towels in a glass or plastic container (saucers work well) and place a few seeds on top of the paper towel. Cover the seeds with another paper towel and then cover with a lid. The lid should not be airtight, but it is important to use one, as it helps to slow water loss out of the paper towels. Most seeds don’t need light for this test, since the only goal is to test for viability, not to grow a plant.
I prefer to put ten seeds on the paper towel to make it easy to gauge a quick percentage of germination. If six out of ten seeds germinate, then I have a sixty percent germination rate. Which means at sowing time, I may sow a few extra seeds in order to get the number of plants that I need for my garden.
Check on your project each day for germination and make sure the paper towels remain moist. If the paper towels start to dry out, just apply a little mist to rehydrate. Some species will germinate quickly, and some will not. For those seeds that tend to germinate one or two at a time, it can be helpful to remove them as soon as they germinate to help keep fungal issues to a minimum. Just remember to count the germinated seeds you’ve taken out as viable.
For more information on this or any other horticultural topic, you can contact your local OSU Extension Educator.
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