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Re: Seeds in hot water

Don,

I've used hot-water treatment mainly for plants I know or suspect to have 
fire-ecology mechanisms.  These I give tea-bag treatment: pour BOILING 
water into an 8-ounce cup containing the seed, let cool.  Many of the 
seeds responding to this have waxes in the seedcoat that won't break down 
at much lower temperature.

Brief exposure to 200 F is unlikely to affect unimbibed seed, at least 
those we'd use the treatment on.

This year I germinated western redbud for the first time.  I'd previously 
scarified the seedcoat only.  This year I cut holes in the seedcoat AND 
used the boiling water treatment.

Loren Russell, Corvallis, Oregon

On Tue, 17 Jun 1997, Don Martinson wrote:

> Instructions for the germination of many seeds direct that the seeds be
> treated with hot or even boiling water.  I have always been hesitant to do
> this, particularly with boiling water, because of fear of damaging the
> seed.  Has anyone had practical experience with this?
> How hot does the water have to be?  How hot CAN it be?
> 
> Don Martinson
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