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Re: outdoor sowing of perennials -Reply

Loren Russell <loren@peak.org> wrote:
> seeds which only germinate after the seed coat is damaged.
> Lupines and other legumes often germinate well only when
> the seed coat is abraded [with sandpaper or whetstone] or
> cut [with a razor blade or xacto knife.

Gratuitous scarification tip:  I was scarifying Erythrina seeds -
sandpaper and pinpricks did little, seeds were too hard to hold for a fine
saw, and a file took off more of my fingers than seedcoat; and for the
sake of my fingers I'm glad I didn't think of a blade.  What did work very
well was tweezers, those with a slanted, flat end with sharpish points
on either side.  Pinch a short arc of the seed with a point, and a
seedcoat piece chips off like automobile paint.  It helps a little to pinch
over the slight ridge on the back of the seed, rather than on the
shallowest curve.

Regards,
Martin
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