Go To Seed

 

 

 

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Temperature: The temperatures aren't set in stone, as most annuals should pop up at any temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees, while some tropicals will prefer the higher end of that range. Perennials and hardy annuals, which tend to like cooler conditions, usually will sprout at any temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees.

Moisture: To keep the seed starting mix moist for your seeds, cover their containers with plastic wrap until the seeds begin to sprout. Use aluminum foil instead for those which prefer darkness for germination.

Chipping or Sanding Seeds: These processes are only ncessary for seeds that have very hard coats, which water won't penetrate. To protect your fingers, hold each seed between the "jaws" of needle-nose pliers on top of a cutting board as you nick it with the tip of a utility knife. To sand the seed instead, rub it against an emery board or sandpaper until you break through the seed coat.

Soaking Seeds: You easily can soak seeds overnight in Styrofoam cups, writing the name of each seed on the side of its cup. If you need to heat the soak-ing water to a certain temperature, use a candy thermometer to measure that temper-ature. Otherwise, use lukewarm (room temperature) water.

Gibberellic Acid: If you need to use gibberellic acid, dissolve a 100 mg packet of the white powder in about 1/2 cup of water overnight. Then add an equal amount of water to the mix to make a 500 ppm solution, which is best for most species, before soaking your seeds in the solution overnight.

Smoke Treatment: For seeds that require smoke treatment, add 1 teaspoon commercial smoke flavoring to every 3 tablespoons of water you are using. For the best results, find a flavoring that contains only smoke and water in its ingredients list.

Cold or Warm Treatment: When seeds need to be kept damp and either warm or cold for a certain number of months, fold a paper towel into a card shape. After writing the name of the seeds and the date on front of the "card" with an indelible marker, soak the paper towel in water, squeeze out the excess water, and place the seeds inside the card.

You can keep several such cards inside a folded-over sandwich bag to help preserve their moisture.

Keep in mind that, when a seed begins to sprout inside the towels, the first thing to emerge usually is a radicle (main root). So, if you pot up the seed at that point, be sure that you position it with the root underground and lower than the seed from which it is protruding.

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Plants Beginning with S

Salpiglossis (painted tongue): Press the seeds into the surface of damp and sterile seed-starting mix, but don’t cover them with the mix. Cover their container with aluminum foil and keep it at 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) until the seeds sprout in 3 to 30 days.

Salvia (sage): Press the seeds into the surface of damp and sterile seed-starting mix, but don’t cover them with the mix. Place their containers under the center of a grow light at 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) and the seeds should sprout within 3 to 13 days.

Sambucus (elderberry): Sow the seeds 1/4 inch deep in damp and sterile seed starting mix. Place their container in a protected location, such as a cold frame, outdoors in late autumn. They should sprout when the weather warms in spring.

Saxifraga (rockfoil): Press the seeds into the surface of damp and sterile seed-sowing mix, but don't cover them with the mix. Place their container under the center of a grow light at 68 degrees (20 degrees Celsius) until the seeds sprout in 21 to 30 days.

Scabiosa (pincushion flower): Sow the seeds 1/16 inch (1.5 mm) deep in damp and sterile seed-sowing mix. Keep the container at 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) until the seeds sprout, usually in 5 days or so.

Scadoxus: Wait until the berries on the plant turn red to harvest the seeds. Press those seeds into the surface of damp and sterile seed starting mix. Keep the container at 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) and the seeds each will send down a root first to make a bulblet. They then may take a month to several months to produce leaves.

Schisandra (five-flavor berry): Place the seeds inside a damp paper towel in a baggie in your refrigerator for 3 months before moving the baggie to a warm position until the seeds sprout. They then can be potted up in damp and sterile seed starting mix.

Schizanthus (poor man's orchid): Sow the seeds in damp and sterile seed-sowing mix, barely covering them with that mix. Keep their container at 68 degrees (20 degrees Celsius) until the seeds sprout in 3 days to 3 weeks.

Scrophularia (figwort): Press the seeds into the surface of damp and sterile seed starting mix and place their container in a protected location, such as a coldframe, in late fall or early winter. They should sprout when the weather begins to warm in spring.

Scutellaria (skullcap): Place the seeds inside a damp paper towel in a baggie in your refrigerator until they begin to sprout--often in about a month. They then can be potted up in damp and sterile seed starting mix.

Sedum (stonecrop): Press the seeds into the surface of damp and sterile seed-starting mix, but don’t cover them with the mix. Place their containers under the center of a grow light at 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) and the seeds should sprout in 10 to 30 days.

Semiaquilegia (false columbine): Place the seeds inside a damp paper towel in a baggie in your refrigerator for 6 weeks. Then press the seeds into the surface of damp and sterile seed-starting mix, but don’t cover them with the mix. Place their containers under the center of a grow light at 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) and the seeds should sprout in 1 to 2 weeks.

Senecio (ragwort): Press the seeds into the surface of damp and sterile seed-starting mix, but don’t cover them with the mix. Place their containers under the center of a grow light at 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) and the seeds should sprout in 10 to 14 days.

Silene (catchfly): Sow the seeds in damp and sterile seed-sowing mix, barely covering them with that mix. Place their container under the center of a grow light at 68 degrees (20 degrees Celsius) until the seeds sprout in 10 to 14 days.

Silphium (compass plant): Place the seeds inside a damp paper towel in a baggie in your refrigerator for 3 months before moving the baggie to a warm position until the seeds sprout. They then can be potted up in damp and sterile seed starting mix.

Sinningia (gloxinia): Press the seeds into the surface of damp and sterile seed-starting mix, but don’t cover them with the mix. Place their containers under the center of a grow light at 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius). The seeds can sprout as early as 5 days later, but may take several weeks to do so.

Sisyrinchium (blue-eyed grass): Sow the seeds 1/8 deep in damp and sterile seed starting mix and place their container in a protected location, such as a cold frame, outdoors in late autumn or early winter. They should sprout when the weather warms in spring.

Solanum: Sow the seeds in damp and sterile seed-starting mix, barely covering them with that mix. Keep their container at 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) until the seeds sprout, usually in 5 to 11 days.

Sollya (bluebell creeper): Soak the seeds overnight in a smoke solution before sowing them in damp and sterile seed starting mix, barely covering them with the mix. Keep their container at about 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit (10 to 16 degrees Celsius) until the seeds sprout in 21 days to 6 months.

Sparmannia (cape stock rose): Sow the seeds in damp and sterile seed-starting mix, barely covering the seeds with that mix. Keep the container at 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) until the seeds sprout in 22 days or so.

Spathodea (African tulip tree): Soak the seeds overnight and press them into the surface of damp and sterile seed-starting mix, but don’t cover them with the mix. Place their containers under the center of a grow light at 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) and the seeds should sprout in 9 to 28 days.

Spilanthes (toothache plant): Press the seeds into the surface of damp and sterile seed-starting mix, but don’t cover them with the mix. Place their containers under the center of a grow light at 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius), and the seeds should sprout in 3 to 7 days.

Spinach: Sow spinach directly into your garden about a month before your last frost date. Plant it 1/2 inch (12.7 mm deep) and it should sprout in 1 to 2 weeks.

Squash: Sow the seeds directly into your garden about 2 weeks after your last frost date, planting them 1/2 to 1 inch (12.7 mm to 25 mm) deep. They should sprout in 5 to 10 days.

Stapelia (African starfish flower): Press the seeds into the surface of damp and sterilized cactus and citrus potting mix, but don’t cover them with the mix. Place their containers under the center of a grow light at 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) and the seeds should sprout in 3 days or so.

Stemmadenia (milky way tree): Soak the seeds overnight and sow them in damp and sterile seed-starting mix, barely covering the seeds with that mix. Keep their container at 77 degrees (25 degrees Celsius) and the seeds should sprout in 23 days to 2 months.

Stephanotis (bridal jasmine): Sow the seeds 1/16 inch (1.5 mm) deep in damp and sterile seed-sowing mix. Keep the container at 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) until the seeds sprout, usually in 5 days or so.

Stevia: Sow the seeds 1/4 inch (6.4 mm) deep in damp and sterile seed starting mix. Keep their container at 68 degrees (20 degrees Celsius) until the seeds sprout in 2 to 3 weeks.

Strelitzia (bird of paradise): Remove the orange tufts from your seeds and press those seeds partway into the surface of damp and sterile seed-starting mix, but don't cover them with that mix. Place their containers under the center of a grow light at 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) and the seeds should sprout in 23 days or so.

Streptocarpus (cape primrose): Press the seeds into the surface of damp and sterile seed-starting mix, but don’t cover them with the mix. Place their containers under the center of a grow light at 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) and the seeds should sprout in 8 to 24 days.

Strophanthus: Sow the seeds in damp and sterile seed-starting mix, barely covering the seeds with that mix. Keep the container at 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) until the seeds sprout in about 9 days to 2 months.

Stylophorum (celandine poppy): Sow the seeds in damp and sterile seed starting mix, barely covering them with that mix. Place their container in a protected location, such as a cold frame, outdoors in late autumn. They should sprout when the weather warms in spring.

Styrax (Japanese snowbell): Soak the seeds overnight before placing them inside a damp paper towel in a warm location at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) for 3 months. Then move them into your refrigerator for 4 months. Finally, sow them 3/8 inch deep in damp and sterile seed starting mix and keep them at 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) until they sprout.

Sutherlandia (cancer bush): Rub each seed against an emery board or sandpaper until you break through the seedcoat. Then soak them overnight before sowing them 1/16 inch deep in damp and sterile seed staring mix. Keep the container at 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) until the seeds sprout, which can take 10 to 30 days.

Swertia: In autumn or early winter press the seeds into the surface of damp and sterile seed-sowing mix, but don't cover them with that mix. Place their container in an outdoor location, such as a coldframe, over winter. They should sprout when the weather warms in spring.

Symphyandra (ring bellflower): Press the seeds into the surface of damp and sterile seed-starting mix, but don’t cover them with the mix. Place their containers under the center of a grow light at 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) and the seeds should sprout in 8 days or so.

Syneilesis (shredded umbrella plant): Seeds must be plump to germinate. Sow them in damp and sterile seed-starting mix, barely covering the seeds with that mix. Keep the container at 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) until the seeds sprout, which can take 10 days to 3 months.