Please share the parsley germination secret (again)

[stormymater]

2 years ago I used some ratio of H2O2/H20 for a soak (how long?) & sprouted them within a couple of days.

This year different but fresh seed - no luck. Maybe soak was too strong, too long?

Dunno before I reseed the Italian parsley thought I would ask my fellow Tvs for their tried & true methods of sprouting parsley. TIA!

[salix]

Hi Stormy - I usually just pour a small handful of seeds (collected the previous year from my own overwintered-in-a-pot-in-the-garage-and-set-outside-early-in-the-spring-plants) into a glass or jar and half fill it with warm water. Let sit for an hour or so. Decant, letting any chaff and "floaters" run out and down the drain. I usually repeat this at least three times, the last time letting it sit overnight. You will notice that the water will be slightly brownish or discoloured, that's OK. This procedure is usually sufficient to soak off enough of the germination inhibitors. Decant for the last time and plant the wet soggy mass. Since I plant densely (similar to Craig L.) it is easy enough to do. If you prefer to plant more individual-like, it will probably take a lot more time and effort. In any event you should see germination in about 5 days, instead of the usual 2 weeks. What was the old wives tale - it had to go down to the devil 9 times before it would sprout? Hope this helps, good luck to you.

[fortyonenorth]

I soak for about 24 hours in warm water. Then place the seeds on a damp paper towel, fold it up and put it all in a baggie. I also placed it on the heating mat with my pepper seeds during the day - off at night. I had germination with a week.

Not sure if the heat aided in germination, but it certainly didn't hurt.

[Mark0820]

I put my seeds in a fairly damp paper towel, fold the paper towel over the seeds a couple of times, and put it in a sealed plastic bag. When I see the first sign of sprouts, I put them in seed starter mix.

[tjg911]

wow i never considered soaking the seed. it takes 12, 15 days sometimes longer for germination. parsley is very hard to sprout. i keep the promix very damp and cover the container with plastic wrap.

carrots are in the same family so when i direct seed carrots i cover the plot with damp burlap and wet it 2 or 3 times a day depending upon temperature and sunshine. this gets them to germinate fast.

i'll try soaking seed next time i start parsley which probably won't be until next year.

[ddsack]

I wish I would have seen this soaking thread yesterday! I sowed some in a flat this morning with no soaking. Normally, I just throw some in the ground out in the garden when the weather allows, but this year I decided to grow a pot of seedlings to speed things up.

[stormymater]

TY! You guys are the best! I remember using some hydrogen peroxide in the warm water soak - can't remember amount 1T seems safe & 1:4 H2O2:H2O may be too strong... Anyone use hydrogen peroxide?

Clearly getting old & need to take better garden notes LOL!

[puttgirl]

I've only used warm water, too. Changing it for a few hours to keep it warm, and then soaking overnight. Since I've had such luck this year with a seaweed fertilizer soak with peppers and tomatoes, I'd try it with parsley, too.

[recruiterg]

Are the seeds that don't sink in the water not viable?

[stormymater]

That's an interesting question recruiterg - a LOT of mine float (seems I remember them floating alot 2 years ago when I got GREAT germination) so I dunno. Gonna plant them all this pm - I use a teaspoon to slop them into the cells - makes smearing them around easier. Yea I way overseed but found I can just cut the cells into 6 or 8 chunks & most of the seedlings do fine (do the same thing with my basils but not quite as over seeded b/c they are dry seed).

These will get the same plastic trash bag on heat treatment as the tomatoes & peppers.

I'm liking the seaweed fertilizer suggestion.

And I'm loving the slow parsley germination rationale shared by salix!

[nctomatoman]

I don't do anything special - used Parsley I bought in a store packet (Burpee, Italian Flat Leaf) in 2009 - just put a pinch of seeds in the cell, sprinkled just a bit of soilless mix on it, misted it, loosely covered with plastic, and onto the heat mat, in front of a south facing window (my usual dense planting technique, in a 50 cell flat with other flowers and herbs) - got excellent germination, but took 11 days.

[ireilly]

Originally Posted by recruiterg

Are the seeds that don't sink in the water not viable?

I've seen things that say yes, not viable, and a few that say no.

I would say that there is a subset of the floaters that are not viable as immature, and few of the sinkers are immature, so probably the consensus is why waste time if you already have a ton of seed anyway?

But no, I have not tested this theory.

And I _still_ don't have that heating mat!

[stormymater]

Ireilly - psst mine is an electric blanket - GFI outlet

[delltraveller]

You might want to check your floaters and see if they have tiny air bubbles attached to them that are making them float. That happens to me sometimes.

[barefootgardener]

I dont soak mine..I plant in dampened soiless mix. sprinkle seeds on top, mist seeds well with room temp water, then cover lightly with more soiless mix..Mist again..I mist if the soil dry's out a bit on top...Mine germinated in 10 days..