02/06/2024
A WAY TO TEST YOUR SEED GERMINATION AT HOME
Have you ever wondered if some older Seeds you have are still good to plant? This would be good if you have some older Seeds you might want to check, or maybe some Seeds you saved from the Garden. Testing your Seed germination is the best way to know this. If you store your Seeds properly, you will be able to keep them viable, and with a high germination rate for years. You should know, before you start your Seeds indoors, or sow your Seeds in your Garden, how healthy and viable they really are. One way to know for sure, is to purchase your Heirloom Seeds from a reputable company like THE SEED GUY. We conduct our own tests, and only send out fresh Heirloom Seeds that can pass the muster. (We have Fresh 2023 Harvest Seeds Now)
Now, if you have old seeds, or are curious about the quality of seeds that you grew and saved, taking the time to do a home germination test might be a good idea.
HERE IS WHAT YOU DO:
1) Use a spray bottle, and mist down a paper towel until it is thoroughly wet.
2) You will need a sampling of Seeds for your test. The more seeds the better, but at the same time you don't want to use too many of them. It really depends on how many Seeds you have of each variety you are going to test. For instance, if you only have 50 Corn Seeds, then don't test 20 of them. I would say you should either test 10 - 20 seeds of each variety, or if you only have a small amount of seed, then no more than 10% of them.
3) Place seeds of the variety to be tested on one half of the wet paper towel, and then fold the other half over the seeds. Put the wet paper towel and Seeds in a plastic ziplock bag, and then seal it. You can use a black magic marker to mark the name of each Seed variety, amount of Seeds, and starting date on the outside of the bag.
4) The bag should be kept in a warm dark place; a cabinet above your refrigerator is a good place.. When you check on the Seeds from day to day, make sure the paper towel stays moist and doesn't dry out. You can mist it from time to time.
5) Seed germination varies for each variety, but after a few days--your seeds will begin germinating. You will have to keep a running tally on good and bad seeds as you do this. The count of the Seeds that germinate (sprout) will give you an accurate germination percentage. If a Seed germinates (sprouts) then it is counted as a good seed. If some of the seeds mold or don't sprout at all, then count them as bad seeds.
6) When doing this test, give your Seeds 10 days or less if they have all germinated before then. Count all your Seeds that have germinated (sprouted) in the sampling. If you tested 20 Bloomsdale Spinach Seeds, and 18 of them germinated, then your germination percentage would be 18/20 or 90%.
If your germination percentage is 80% or higher, then your Seeds will do just fine when it is time to plant them. If you noticed a lower percentage, like for example 50%, you can still make do with them by planting twice as many Seeds to get the harvest that you want. Keep in mind that older seeds, with lower germination percentages, won't be as vigorous or healthy as fresh Seeds. Sometimes your best bet is to toss out the old Seeds, and purchase fresher seed stock.
At THE SEED GUY, we always add a thick 10 x 14 silver mylar bag in our Heirloom Seed packages. Your Heirloom Seed packets, sealed in the mylar bag, will stay more viable and higher germination for 5-7 years in the refrigerator, and up to 10 years in the freezer. Seeds will last longer than this, but germination rates start dropping off quite a bit after the above stated time frames.
If you need some Fresh Heirloom Seeds, we have a great 60 Variety Heirloom Seed Package. It has 33,000 Seeds, Small Farm Grown, Fresh from The New Fall 2023 Harvest, and all Seeds are Non GMO,. You will get 49 Veggie Seed varieties, 11 Heirloom Herb varieties, and Good Pricing Now at $89,
You can see Seed varieties in package and ORDER on our website at https://theseedguy.net/seed-packages/50-60-variety-heirloom-seed-package.html ;
We also have 9 other Heirloom Seed packages, and all of our Individual Seed Varieties in Stock on our Seed Guy website at https://theseedguy.net/15-seed-packages You can also Call Us 7 days a week at 918-352-8800 if you would rather Order By Phone.
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