Playing with seed!

I saved a lot of Limbaughs Legacy "Potato Top" seed this year so I will have a lot for folks who want it in the future (it was one of my best this year). I had not used the paper towel germination test before. This year I used it to test all of my saved seed to determine germination rates. While everything germinated at 100%, I was throwing the test pads away after determining rates.

I remembered that many people germinate in paper towels to produce seedlings for growing. I germinated six Limbaugh seeds with the intent of moving the seedlings into pots after germinating. My belief was the seedlings would be very, very fragile. They were not at all fragile. The seedling roots penetrated the underlying towel layers and grew as much as an inch into the towels. When I lifted the top layer of towel, the underlying seedlings sprang upwards as if they had little springs under them. When I lifted them to remove them, the root had grown into the towel layers beneath them and it required a small amount of force to pull the root out. They seemed to hold up well to the force and transplanted easily into prepared pots in little holes I made with a pencil.

It's to hot outside too attempt growing them outside. I sat the six seedling pots in a south facing window sill and covered the lower part of the window with a layer of "Press and Seal" food wrap to diffuse the strong afternoon sunlight. I hope it works to protect the tiny seedlings from the sunlight until they grow a little.

I have in the past up potted normally germinated seedlings in order to disturb the tap root and force the plants to produce hairy root balls instead of a tap root. I'm wondering if moving the seedlings from paper towels to pots will have the same effect as up potting.

Ted

[TightenUp]

paper towel method works great. i am about to test some seeds i just received to make sure i am good to go for next season. when i do the paper towel method i put the seeds in the moist towels and then into a zip lock which i press the air out of before sealing. i do open the bags up daily just for a breather and to make sure everything looks good. during the process i keep the bag on top of my cable box which i just keep on. nice and warm.

i have now switched to plastic egg cartons that i fill with potting mix and heavily seed. this allows for 12 varieties and can be hundreds of plants if needed. but for a germination test the paper towels are great

Originally Posted by TightenUp

paper towel method works great. i am about to test some seeds i just received to make sure i am good to go for next season. when i do the paper towel method i put the seeds in the moist towels and then into a zip lock which i press the air out of before sealing. i do open the bags up daily just for a breather and to make sure everything looks good. during the process i keep the bag on top of my cable box which i just keep on. nice and warm.

i have now switched to plastic egg cartons that i fill with potting mix and heavily seed. this allows for 12 varieties and can be hundreds of plants if needed. but for a germination test the paper towels are great

I do it the same way as you in the zip locks. I don't open the bags until they germinate. I just lay them on my desk and wait. Our house temp of about 78 degrees works well. When I fold the paper towel's, I can get four into a one quart ziplock and the ziplock's can be reused. I use a black magic marker to write the variety and date on the towel after it is folded but before I moisten it. I squeeze out the excess moisture and place the seed under the top layer of towel. They are easy to see through one layer of damp towel. Most I have germinated have popped out in about seven days. I also like the fact that they come free from the seed capsule. When I plant in germinating soil, I usually have a few deformed because they can't push the seed capsule off the first leafs.

I found some really neat "Jiffy" trays at home depot designed to fit in a window sill. They come with the little coconut fiber planting wafers with the netting on them and a snap on plastic cover for the tray. I save the planting wafers for future use if I choose to use them. Six of the square 4" soil containers fit nicely into the tray. When placed in the window sill, the tray fits perfectly and makes watering easy.

Ted

[TightenUp]

so you leave the seeds in the paper towels until the seed pops off and you have a very tiny seedling?

i usually plant them as soon as the stem pops out but the seed is still attached

Originally Posted by TightenUp

so you leave the seeds in the paper towels until the seed pops off and you have a very tiny seedling?

i usually plant them as soon as the stem pops out but the seed is still attached

I don't open the zip lock until all the seeds have germinated and the cotyledons have escaped from the seed capsule. I do that because the capsules would dry on the cotyledons if removed to soon. If all seeds have not germinated within three days of the first, I remove them and discard the ungerminated seed.

[TightenUp]

wow, ive never left them in that long. ive never had a problem with the seed drying out, well maybe one or two but nothing major. i will try leaving them in longer.

another thing i do is instead of pulling the tap root off the paper towel i have just cut or torn the towel so not to damage the tap root.

Originally Posted by TightenUp

wow, ive never left them in that long. ive never had a problem with the seed drying out, well maybe one or two but nothing major. i will try leaving them in longer.

another thing i do is instead of pulling the tap root off the paper towel i have just cut or torn the towel so not to damage the tap root.

I was surprised that they are not at all fragile. None of them broke when I was pulling the root from the towel and they are doing fine in their new containers. I will not try to grow the plants through the winter, but I will grow them long enough to see how their roots develop after being mistreated.

Ted

[TightenUp]

good to know. i wont be so meticulous next time. took forever the way i was handling them