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Re: pre-soaking seeds

Dear Asle:	
	Have you seen portion cups, little 1 and 2 oz plastic cups with lids
used by hospitals and cafeterias?  The 2 oz size works well for me with
small portions of seeds.  
	After soaking sometimes I put vermiculite equal to the volume of the
seeds into the container and grow until the root radicles are visible. I
fish the individually germinated seed and place in an individual 2 1/2
inch square x 4 inch deep pot. 
	I think small zip lock bags would work even better than my 2 oz cups. 
You wouldn't lose any time taking the individual lids from the
containers.
	How do you handle tiny dust like seeds?  Without a good solution I've
been sowing tiny seeds on top of compressed seed starting mix and then
dealing with the seedlings once they've grown some.
Best, Vicki

Asle Serigstad wrote:
> 
> At 18:05 05.04.97 +0300, Steve Manch wrote:
> >I have been told that for many seeds, presoaking in warm water for
> >several hours enhances germination. I tried this using small plastic
> >test tube-like containers for the different types of seeds. However,
> >I found that when I poured the contents onto the soil medium, many
> >of the seeds stuck to the surface of the plastic & I had to add more
> >water & pour several times. Also I found that it was very difficult
> >to sow the seeds evenly when they are wet. Does anyone have any
> >special techniques or recommendations in this situation?
> 
> After the seeds have been soaked, I pour out most of the water, or I use a
> little water as possible in the first place, and then I fill the plastic cup
> (I use youghurt cups etc.) with fine sand. Then I shake till the seeds and
> the sand are mixed, and I sow the mix out. This makes it easier to sow
> evenly. But it is a lot of extra work to soak the seeds. I usually do this
> only for large seeds like Helleborus, Podophyllus, Tropaeolum, Lathyrus etc.
> 
> Sowing in paper towels is a very time-consuming method, and I have never
> seen the point in this. But perhaps if you sow very small amounts of seeds,
> you are willing to spend the extra time. In stead of sowing on paper towels,
> you can sow in small zip-lock bags or youghurt cups and mix the seeds with
> moist sand. This way you can easily give each bag of seeds the individual
> treatment they need: You can place them above an electric heater to
> germinate MUCH faster (if some seeds germ. in 10 days in 60F they may germ.
> in 3-5 days in 75F), you can put them in the fridge if they need a cold
> period, etc. They also takes up very little space, so you can sow hundreds
> of species in a small box. This is a very useful method for seeds needing a
> cold period, even in summer when there is no possibility to give them a cold
> treatment outdoor. And in the bags you can easily see when the seeds start
> to germinate, and sow out the seed/sand mix as soon as possible.
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Asle Serigstad
> 
> Asle's Staudegartneri - perennial nursery in south-west of Norway
> Snail-Mail: Asle Serigstad, Lalandsvn. 351, N-4340 BRYNE, NORWAY
> E-Mail:     asles@online.no
> Homepage:   http:/home.sol.no/asles
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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