I like to speed up the germination process of my seeds because I want them out and in the ground in no time to fill up those empty growing spots. If you are like me, and also like to grow in succession, or just like to have the plants in the garden simply sooner than later, I invite you to a good read about some of the ways you can implement into the germination process to speed it up!
- To germinate seeds faster, start the seeds wrapped in a moist paper towel, sealed in a zip lock bag, and placed in a constantly warm spot.
- Seeds can be started in a moist paper towel placed in a plastic container and kept in a warm place.
- Keeping the moistened seeds nice and warm will tremendously help speed up the germination process. A heat mat can be used to keep the sowed seeds warm. A heat mat can be placed under the seed tray with sowed seeds inside the trays.
- Use a humidity dome on your seed trays to keep the moisture and warmth locked in.
- Soak the seeds before sowing. Soaking the seeds will soften the outer coating, or the shell of the seeds, and speed up the germination process. The seeds will break through the coating faster. The seeds can be soaked for up to 24 hours. As a rule of thumb, larger seeds with harder shells are to be soaked longer than the smaller seeds with softer shells. Some seeds however are not suitable for soaking and do not need soaking at all.
The damp paper towel in a zip lock bag technique to speed up seed germination
For the seeds to germinate they need moisture, warmth, and oxygen. Not all seeds germinate easily or fast. To help the stubborn seeds germinate, moisten the paper towel and wrap the seeds in it. The paper towel should be wet but not dripping wet. Place the paper towel in a zip lock bag and seal it. Place the zip lock bag with the seeds wrapped in a paper towel in a warm place. The top of the fridge if it is warm, or a heat mat, south-facing windowsill, or under warm grow lights to keep the seeds warm at all times. Constant moisture and heat should help the seeds germinate faster.
I used this method to germinate my strawberry seeds. I took the seeds off of the most delicious strawberry, then kept them in the fridge in a dry paper towel in a zip lock bag for two weeks for stratification. Then I took them out, moistened the paper towel with warm water, and kept them on a counter till they germinated. They germinated well and then I just sowed them in a seed tray. Once the seedlings were ready, I planted them in the garden. The same method is used to sprout and grow blueberries.
If you start growing your plants from seed, you will encounter some seed-starting problems. Let me walk you through What are some common seed-starting problems, to have you recognize them, prevent, or fix them!
The damp paper towel in a sealed plastic container technique to speed up the seed germination
A very similar technique to the wet paper towel in a zip lock bag is a wet paper towel with the seeds placed inside a sealed plastic container. Use a container with a lid, a clear-lid lunch box that can be sealed will do just fine. Wet a paper towel so it is moist but not dripping. Wrap the seeds in the paper towel and place them inside the container. Close the lid and place it in a constantly warm place. The lid will ensure the moisture and the heat will be locked inside and the seeds will speed up their germination process. Use warm water to soak the paper towel for the best result.
Learn here: The best way to start seeds outside.
Heat mat under seed trays will speed up the germination process
Seeds can be sowed in a regular seed tray in the soil of your choice and then placed on top of the heat mat. A regular seedling heat mat or a reptile tank heat mat will do the job. The best is to use a heat mat with a temperature controller to keep the heat constant and not fluctuate.
I do not use a heat mat, since I do not see the need to purchase as. If you also do not have a heat mat, do not worry, you do not need to purchase one if you have to grow lights. I keep my seed trays warm using my grow lights. I turn my grow lights on, or I have them on anyway to provide my other seedlings with light. I cover my freshly sowed seeds with a humidity dome and place them under the grow lights. Grow lights generate enough heat for the soil inside the trays to warm up, and the humidity dome keeps it locked in.
Did you know you can start growing plants from seeds even if you do not have any grow lights? Read, How to start seeds without grow lights, here!
Clear plastic humidity dome for faster germination
Place the clear plastic dome over the seed tray to lock the moisture and heat inside. Always use a clear plastic dome over your seedling trays. If the seed tray does not come with a clear plastic dome, use a clear plastic bag or plastic wrap to help lock the moisture and heat in the soil. If the plastic dome or cover is not used over the seeds, the soil might dry out faster and the heat will escape from the top.
A dome needs to be taken off as soon as the seedlings start to pop and grow, as they need light and air circulation to grow healthy.
I always use a humidity dome to germinate my seeds. I do not purchase seed trays without a humidity dome or if I do, they better be spectacular and fit the humidity domes I already have. If the humidity dome fits your trays well, the seeds that germinate need to be watered only once, during the sowing process. After that, the humidity dome is placed on the trays to lock in the moisture until the seeds germinate. If the dome does not fit well, check if the soil needs to be moistened. Moisten with the spray bottle. After the seeds germinate, the dome needs to be taken off so the seedlings do not rot, or die from too much moisture and heat, and are exposed to the correct light exposure they need.
If you do not grow from seeds because you simply do not have space inside your home, read here on How to start seeds with minimum space.
Soaking the seeds speeds the germination process
Soak the seeds that are harder to germinate or the seeds that take longer to germinate to speed up the germination process. Soak the seeds for up to 24 hours. In general, the smaller seeds with a thinner seed coating need less time to soak than the larger seeds with a harder coating.
A good example of seeds that benefit from soaking before sowing are corn, pepper, and beans. These are either lagers seeds or have a harder shell around them. Soaking makes the seed swell and softens the coating. It is then easier and faster for the seed to germinate.
If you never soaked your seeds and have had less success with germination or the seeds take longer to germinate for you, try soaking them.
I usually soak corn, beans, and peppers overnight, then I sow them in seed trays or directly in the ground in their permanent place.
Some seeds are not suitable for soaking because they develop a gelatinous coat around them and are more difficult to sow them.
If you need more advice on seed starting and caring for seedlings, I will walk you through the process in my other article titled, How to start seeds and care for seedlings.
How to find if the seeds are viable
All of these germination speeding methods will also help you find out if the seeds you have are viable before you plant them. If you find you have old seeds or if you are for any reason not sure if your seeds are good enough for sowing, take some of the seeds, a sample batch, and use any of these methods to sprout them. If they do sprout, they are viable and good to be sowed. If the little sample batch of seeds does not germinate, the rest of the seeds might be a waste of time too. Testing the viability of the seeds before you actually plant them and wait for them if they sprout or not, will help you save time, labor, soil, and trays.
I invite you to share with us, what germination method you use to speed up the sprouting of your seeds.
How to start seeds and care for seedlings
