RE: [The Seed Exchange] - Scarifying seeds with a dremel tool

My favourite method of scarifying seed is to get two pieces of rough
sandpaper 
'80 grit'  place the seed in the 'sandwich'  and rub away for a few seconds.
You don't usually need to remove large amounts of material from a seed coat
to get the desired result.
I looked at some Acacia seed after rubbing this way (under a stereo
microscope) and they were covered 
all over with tiny scars  from the sanding,  they germinated fine.

If you look carefully at some legume seed after heat treating you can see a
slimy coat falling off the seed
this is what is preventing the seed from taking up the water need to
germinate.  This coat is usually water
impermeable but allows the seed to breath.  Only heat, scarification or just
plain old time and biodegradation
breaks down this coat.   
Some seeds require much more drastic action to cut through this coat.
Sometimes the impermeable coat is underneath the seeds tough nut structure,
these can be real pigs
to deal with. I've used concentrated Sulphuric acid, or highly caustic
solutions and have bought a 
dremel for those really difficult customers.  Of course I prefer to use the
least invasive method 
possible to minimise damage to the embryo and maximise germination.

Cheers, Rod

> ----------
> From: 	Judy Showers
> Reply To: 	jshowers@epix.net
> Sent: 	Friday, 27 August 1999 7:56 AM
> To: 	The Seed Exchange; medit-plants@ucdavis.edu;
> HGA-L@LISTSERV.LOUISVILLE.EDU; penngardeners; propagation@mallorn.com
> Subject: 	Re: [The Seed Exchange] - Scarifying seeds with a dremel
> tool
> 
> 	I can't remember if I saw this "thread" on this discussion group or
> another one (I am on so many) but I recently heard of & tried "scarifying"
> seeds with a dremel tool.  It worked really great except for one big old
> tough bean & I had to use my grinder for that.  I just gently ground the
> seedcoat down til I got to the white or light part of the seed, & made
> sure it was the pointy end of the seed & not the other end where the
> plantlet is.  I am soaking them overnight in warm "rain" water (hoping the
> acid rain will help), and then planting them tomorrow evening.  Most of
> the seeds are climbers in the convolvulus family.  Anybody else have
> discover a new trick into opening up a very small portion of the seed, so
> the water can get to it & soak it?  Thanks, Judy Showers, Greenhouse
> grower in Pennsylvania, zone 6b 
> 	http://www.epix.net/~jshowers
> 
>
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