Germinating seeds in baggie?

scottfsmith · February 15, 2007

I don't have a heat mat and I always have a few varieties that I have to re-seed due to non-germination, so this year I am thinking of germinating them in baggies with a wet paper towel and placed in a warm area (the warm area is too small for all the pots but can fit a ton of baggies). Once the root pops out I will plant them in the dirt. I have done this in the past for seeds besides tomatoes that I was having major germination problems on. It worked great. Anyone try this on tomatoes?

Scott

Suze · February 16, 2007

Yes, I've tried the baggie method before. It's kind of like using those peat pellets -- some really like it, and some don't.

It can certainly work, and I've gotten germination doing so. However, if germination takes a while to occur, that paper towel can get really rank.

I prefer to soak hard to germinate seeds overnight (or up to two days) in warm water and then sow.

scottfsmith · February 16, 2007

Thanks Suze. I now realize there is one other thing I was hoping to get out of the baggie method, the ability not to overseed. I start about four seeds per plant in the pots to increase the odds of getting one to work. I'm one of those guys who can't kill off any tomato plant that has sprouted, so next thing you know I have 100 plants I am trying to nurse along.

I'll probably try the baggie method this year and see how it goes. I already started my peppers that way and it seemed to work OK. Last year I had about 30% germination on peppers, looks like 100% this year with same seeds.

Scott

michael johnson · February 17, 2007

I am trying little four inch squares of bought capillary matting, in my baggies, which is washable and re-usable over and over again.

tumbleweed · February 17, 2007

I wrapped ziploc baggies (containing cofee filters/pepper seeds) in a bath towel and placed on top of two side-by-side grow lamps. Used a small battery powered digital thermometer to monitor towel wrap core temp. Temp varied between 80 -90 degrees. Soaked pepper seeds for 6 hours before bagging. On day 6, got germination sprouts from 5 out of 6 varieties sweet peppers: Gypsy, Carmen, Spanish Spice, Red Marconi and Aconcagua. But noda Sweet Pickles.

Potted the sprouts in Jifify Mix packed in the small pockets of plastic ice cube trays (Rubbermaid got at WM). It would help to have nimble fingers and sharp eyes for the transfer job. They are under the lights now.

scottfsmith · February 23, 2007

To followup, everything worked well in the paper towel except I got tied up and didn't have time to move them when they started sprouting so they got a little too far along in the paper towel and then were a pain to pull the roots out. I ended up ripping apart the paper towel to get the roots out.

One thing I really like about it is I quickly learned my Earls Faux and Prue seeds are being a lot slower, and I already started a bunch more in case the dud rate is high. When they are in dirt all you can do is guess how things are going down there, and pull your hair out.

Scott

February 15, 2007	#1
scottfsmith Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 53	Germinating seeds in baggie? I don't have a heat mat and I always have a few varieties that I have to re-seed due to non-germination, so this year I am thinking of germinating them in baggies with a wet paper towel and placed in a warm area (the warm area is too small for all the pots but can fit a ton of baggies). Once the root pops out I will plant them in the dirt. I have done this in the past for seeds besides tomatoes that I was having major germination problems on. It worked great. Anyone try this on tomatoes? Scott

February 17, 2007	#5
tumbleweed Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Dallas Texas Zone 8A Posts: 37	baggies I wrapped ziploc baggies (containing cofee filters/pepper seeds) in a bath towel and placed on top of two side-by-side grow lamps. Used a small battery powered digital thermometer to monitor towel wrap core temp. Temp varied between 80 -90 degrees. Soaked pepper seeds for 6 hours before bagging. On day 6, got germination sprouts from 5 out of 6 varieties sweet peppers: Gypsy, Carmen, Spanish Spice, Red Marconi and Aconcagua. But noda Sweet Pickles. Potted the sprouts in Jifify Mix packed in the small pockets of plastic ice cube trays (Rubbermaid got at WM). It would help to have nimble fingers and sharp eyes for the transfer job. They are under the lights now. __________________ Nature favors harmony.

February 16, 2007	#2
Suze Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 3,027	Yes, I've tried the baggie method before. It's kind of like using those peat pellets -- some really like it, and some don't. It can certainly work, and I've gotten germination doing so. However, if germination takes a while to occur, that paper towel can get really rank. I prefer to soak hard to germinate seeds overnight (or up to two days) in warm water and then sow.

February 17, 2007	#4
michael johnson Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: UK. Posts: 960	I am trying little four inch squares of bought capillary matting, in my baggies, which is washable and re-usable over and over again.

February 23, 2007	#6
scottfsmith Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 53	To followup, everything worked well in the paper towel except I got tied up and didn't have time to move them when they started sprouting so they got a little too far along in the paper towel and then were a pain to pull the roots out. I ended up ripping apart the paper towel to get the roots out. One thing I really like about it is I quickly learned my Earls Faux and Prue seeds are being a lot slower, and I already started a bunch more in case the dud rate is high. When they are in dirt all you can do is guess how things are going down there, and pull your hair out. Scott