ALDI has done it again. They just launched a new mini greenhouse that will help you take your gardening game to the next level this year. A mini greenhouse boosts seed starting and propagation while also keeping pesky animals away from your new seedlings.

Mini greenhouses extend your growing when frosts are still a threat and the Gardenline Mini Drop Over Greenhouse from ALDI is the perfect solution. Just pop it over seed starting trays, pots, or railing planters to encourage strong plant growth and have your best summer yet. I’m putting this one in my cart now. Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of using a mini greenhouse in your garden.

Benefits of a Mini Greenhouse

Ideally, I would love an enormous backyard with an unlimited budget and space for a fabulous glass greenhouse with a luxurious atmosphere. That’s not going to happen any time soon, but I don’t have to wait for the benefits that a greenhouse offers.

A mini greenhouse is a fabulous way to extend the growing season and give plants the best chance at success. Greenhouses, no matter the size, retain humidity that seedlings, newly rooted propagations, and tropical plants need to thrive. They also provide a controlled environment for seed starting compared to planting directly outside. You can keep pests and late spring frosts from harming your baby plants.

I have railing planters that I try to grow herbs and lettuce in every year, but they are attacked by birds and squirrels as soon as the seeds sprout their cotyledons. I am really excited to try this mini greenhouse from ALDI to protect my porch herb garden. It is 24.6 inches (62.5 cm) square so it will fit perfectly over my railing planters and it features a zippered opening with ties to allow for ventilation and easy access.

When you don’t have much space, or don’t need a full walk-in greenhouse, a mini greenhouse is a smart way to reap the benefits of a greenhouse. You can grow vegetables, flowers, or houseplants in a perfectly controlled environment. Protecting your seedlings means they will be bigger, stronger, and healthier when you transplant them in the garden and you are more likely to have the garden of your dreams come true.

Shop More Mini Greenhouses

There are many other options for mini greenhouses if the one from ALDI isn’t for you. There are some that are slightly bigger and even some really great DIY mini greenhouses you can make with the family for a fun weekend project!

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Knowing how to water seedlings correctly is the difference between a tray full of healthy starts and a tray full of heartbreak. The method matters as much as the moisture—and the right tool for each stage makes both a lot easier to get right.

Most seedling failures come down to water. Too much and the stems rot at the soil line—a fungal condition called damping off that can wipe out an entire tray overnight. Too little and the roots never establish properly, leaving plants that look fine until they suddenly don’t. The frustrating part is that both problems often come from well-meaning watering rather than neglect. A heavy pour from the wrong can. A missed day under a dome that dried out too fast. The excitement of watching something germinate can turn to heartbreak faster than most gardeners expect.

The good news is that damping off prevention and consistent moisture aren’t complicated once you match the method to the growth stage. Pre-germination, germination, and true-leaf growth each have different needs—and each has a tool built for the job. A solid seed starting kit covers most of it, but knowing why each method works is what keeps seedlings alive when things don’t go exactly to plan. Here’s how to water seedlings at every stage, and what’s worth having to do it properly.

Method 1: The Humidity Dome – For Consistent Moisture Pre-Germination

Before anything germinates, the job isn’t really watering—it’s moisture maintenance. Seeds need consistent humidity around them to germinate reliably, and an open tray loses that moisture fast under grow lights or in a warm room. A humidity dome traps ambient moisture and helps recirculate it, dramatically reducing how often the tray needs attention and creating a stable microclimate that speeds germination.

The risk is the same as any enclosed humid space: tip too far and fungal problems follow. Vented domes solve this—adjustable vents let you dial humidity back as germination starts, transitioning seedlings gradually from enclosed to open air. Leave vents closed pre-germination, crack them once green appears, remove the dome entirely once true leaves develop.

Method 2: Bottom Watering Seeds – The Gold Standard

Bottom watering is considered one of the most effective methods for seed starting, and the reason is simple: it keeps the soil surface dry. Damping off is a soil fungus that shows up at the surface—it thrives where the top layer stays wet and moisture sits against young stems.

Bottom watering seeds means filling the outer tray and letting capillary action pull moisture upward through the drainage holes in the cell tray. The roots find water from below and the surface stays dry. The fungal conditions that kill seedlings never get the environment they need, and roots grow downward toward the moisture rather than clustering near the surface. Sturdier plants, better transplant outcomes, less babysitting.

Method 3: The Gentle Shower – For Established Seedlings

Once true leaves appear, seedlings need more water than a reservoir alone can deliver through capillary action. Top watering becomes appropriate at this stage—but the wrong can will flatten a seedling in one pour. The goal is a fine, even shower that moistens the whole surface without any force against the stem.

The "rose" head on a watering can does this work: it breaks the flow into dozens of fine streams that fall like light rain rather than a stream. Applied from 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 cm) above the cells, a good rose produces exactly the coverage seedlings need without disturbing the soil or knocking stems sideways.

The seeds of some types of plants need a little help to sprout. These are seeds that have an impermeable exterior shell that keeps water out. Because of this hard coat, you can’t just toss these seeds into worked garden soil and expect a good result. Gardeners need to know how to scarify seeds to break through the coating and trigger germination.

Nature has set up this hard-coat seed system to be certain that the seeds have a hospitable environment before sprouting. But this isn't a quick process. You won't want to wait for this to happen naturally when learning how to germinate seeds. Before planting seeds like this, you need to practice scarification techniques that penetrate the hard coats, such as learning how to nick seeds or some other method that allows moisture to get inside the seed’s hard shell.

What is Scarification of Seeds?

If you want to start scarifying seeds, it’s important to understand the purpose and the process. The basic concept of scarification is to create an opening in the hard shell of a seed so that water can enter. The presence of moisture triggers the seed inside to grow.

Any process that breaks or scratches the seed coat to make it permeable to water can be classified as scarification. While nicking seeds with a knife is the most common method, it is not the only way to create an opening in the seed coat. Sanding, grating, boiling, and chemical scarification using sulfuric acid are also possible.

In areas with cold winters, the dropping temperatures are sufficient to open the seed coat – a process known as seed stratification. However, it is also possible to stratify seeds at home by subjecting moistened seeds to cold temperatures in a freezer.

Is it Necessary to Scarify All Seeds?

Anyone who has ever planted a garden knows that it is not necessary to scarify all seeds. Most seeds will grow well without scarification. The seeds that need scarification are those that have a waterproof seed coat and go dormant over winter.

Dormancy is nature’s way of preventing the seeds from starting to germinate until the conditions are favorable for the survival of seedlings. This is often the case for trees and shrubs that fruit and seed in the autumn. Since seedlings that germinate in fall are unlikely to make it through the winter, dormancy keeps the seeds “sleeping” until better conditions for plant growth arrive in spring.

Dormancy is sometimes controlled by the temperature and environment. But it can also be due to some inhibitory factor in the seed like an impermeable seed coat.

Scarification Methods

Successful scarification can be accomplished by any method of opening the seed coat or of creating an opening in the hard seed coat through which water can pass.

For a home gardener, it is easiest to scarify seed by mechanically opening the seed coat. This means nicking seeds with a knife, grating them with a file, or hitting the seed with a hammer. Sanding can involve the use of sandpaper or can be accomplished by shaking the seeds in a bag of sand.

The key to nicking, sanding, and grating is to create an opening in the external coat without damaging the parts of the seeds inside. Likewise, if you are hammering the seeds you want to take care not to smash them, but only to crack the outer shell.

Some seed scarification methods only work for certain types of seeds, such as placing the seeds in boiling water, and then leaving them in the pot until the water cools. This is effective for lupines, sweet peas, nasturtiums, and some types of beans.

Commercial growers often use sulfuric acid to scarify seeds – placing the seeds in a glass container and covering them with concentrated sulfuric acid until the seed coat thins.

Whichever method you use, follow it up by soaking seeds before planting – a few hours or overnight in a glass of water is ideal. Then get them planted as soon as possible. Scarified seeds shouldn’t be stored because they can quickly lose the ability to germinate.

More Seed-Starting Inspiration

• Learn how to make the perfect DIY seed-starting mix with these easy recipes for strong, healthy seedlings.
• Struggling to grow? Fix these 7 seed-starting mistakes before it's too late.
• Try germinating seeds in paper towel: the easy, no-mess method for faster growth.
• Join our seed-starting workshop to learn everything there is to know about starting all of your favorite plants from seed.

Deodar cedar (Cedrus deodara) is a beautiful conifer with soft blue foliage. It makes an attractive landscape tree with its fine textured needles and spreading habit. While purchasing a cedar tree can be expensive, you can obtain a tree without investing a lot of money if you grow deodar cedar from seed.

Read on for information about propagating deodar cedar seeds, and get tips on how to collect deodar cedar seeds.

How to Collect Deodar Cedar Seeds

If you want to grow your own cedar tree, it’s time to learn about deodar cedar seed planting. Keep in mind that cedar can reach 70 feet (21 m.) tall with spreading branches and is only appropriate for large backyards.

The first step in growing one is getting the seeds. While you can find seeds available in commerce, you can also gather your own. Collect cones from a deodar cedar in autumn before they turn brown.

To remove the seeds, soak the cones for a couple of days in warm water. This loosens the scales and makes it easier to remove the seeds. When the cones dry, remove the seeds by rubbing the wings with a dry cloth.

Deodar Cedar Seed Germination

Now it is time to start propagating deodar cedar seeds. The seeds need a short period of cold stratification before they will germinate well, but this is easier than it sounds. Once you have removed them from the cones and drained off the water, place them in a plastic baggie with a little wet sand.

Put the baggie into the refrigerator. This enhances seed germination. After two weeks, start checking for deodar cedar seed germination. If you see that a seed has sprouted, remove it carefully and plant it in good quality potting compost.

You can wait for each seed to sprout or you can remove and plant all the seeds at this time. Keep the containers at room temperature in indirect light. The compost should only be slightly damp, and the humidity should be low as the seedlings develop.

Deodar cedars are tough trees when mature, but you’ll want to protect them when they are young from winter’s worst. Keep them in the containers indoors for several years. After three or four years, you can think about transplanting the young trees outside.

The first year after germination you won’t see much growth. After that, growth speeds up. When the seedlings are large and strong enough, it’s time to plant them in their permanent places in the backyard.

Figs are those jammy, sweet fruits that make you feel like you’re cheating on dessert. Knowing how to grow figs from the fruit is a scrappy gardener’s challenge. It's nothing like the quick win of cuttings, but pulling it off feels like you’ve outsmarted nature. There are plenty of ways to propagate a fig tree, but starting from seeds is a wild card worth playing if you’ve got patience.

It’s a gamble, though. Seeds might not grow a tree that matches the fruit you ate, and you’ll wait years for a harvest. Still, it’s a cheap, hands-dirty project that can yield a tree nobody else has. Here’s how to propagate a fig tree from seed to a full-blown tree, step by step.

Understanding Figs and Their Seeds

Figs aren’t your average fruit – they’re more like pouches stuffed with tiny flowers, called syconia. Those crunchy bits inside them are the real seeds. Sometimes there are hundreds in one fig. Each could sprout a tree, but figs play hard to get most of the time.

Most figs you eat come from female trees that skip pollination, so their seeds might not be viable. Types like Smyrna figs need a wasp to make viable seeds, which isn’t common with store-bought ones. Even if they sprout, the tree might give you something totally different – maybe better, maybe not. It’s like planting a mystery novel.

That uncertainty is part of the deal. You’re not just tossing seeds in dirt. You’re betting on a tree with its own quirks.

Are Seeds a Good Way to Propagate Figs?

Growing figs from seed isn’t the fastest way to go. Cuttings or layering get you a clone of the parent tree, fruit and all, in a couple years. Seeds take 2-3 years for a solid sapling, 5-7 for fruit, and you might end up with small, tart figs instead of sweet ones.

Still, it’s got its perks. It’s dirt-cheap and a fun way to grow something unique. Starting few seeds from a Brown Turkey fig, and seeing those tiny green miracles break through can be a rush of excitement. If you want a sure bet for fruit, go with cuttings. Seeds are for folks who don’t mind a long wait and a surprise.

How to Grow Figs from Seed

1. Collecting Seeds from a Fig

Pick a soft, ripe fig – fresh from a tree beats store-bought, but either works. Then it is time to slice it open. Just scoop the gooey insides into a bowl of water, and let it sit for a day or two. Good seeds will sink, and the slimy junk floats.

Skim off the goop on top, then you can strain the seeds through a fine mesh. Spread them on a paper towel to dry for just a few days, just until they are dry. One fig gives you dozens of tiny, sand-like seeds that are ready to plant. Don’t skip soaking – the pulp can rot and undo all of your progress of germination. It’s messy, but some that has to be dealt with.

2. Preparing the Seeds

Dry seeds need a quick setup. Many people swear by soaking them in warm water for a day to soften the coat, but I’ve realized that you can just jump straight to planting, in most cases. You’ll mix equal parts of peat moss, perlite, and vermiculite for a light, airy soil. A seed tray like this biodegradable kind from Amazon

Moisten the mix until it’s damp, not drenched. You’re giving those seeds a soft bed to start life. Good prep stops rot and gives them a fighting chance to sprout.

3. Germinating the Seeds

Scatter fig seeds across the soil and tap them in lightly – don’t jam them down. Toss a thin 1/8-inch (3 mm) layer of mix over them, then mist with a spray bottle. If you want to go a step further, then an ultra-fine mist spray bottle like this one from Amazon will set you ahead. Simply stick the tray in a nice, warm spot, 70-75°F (21-24°C), like a sunny windowsill or even a heat mat.

It’s advised to cover them with plastic wrap, poke a few holes for air, and make sure to check daily to keep it moist. Sprouts can take 2-6 weeks, so don’t bail out early. Don’t check them too much, because waiting is the game. Once you see green, shift to bright, indirect light to keep them strong.

4. Caring for the Seedlings

Fig seedlings are fussy little things. Keep soil moist but not soggy – overwatering is a death sentence. Use a tray with drainage holes to stay safe. Feed them monthly with a diluted 5-5-5 fertilizer to nudge growth.

Give them 6-8 hours of bright, indirect light. A south-facing window works. Leggy seedlings scream for more sun. You can lose them to dim light, so don’t slack here. Thin out weak ones at 3-4 inches (5-8 cm) to let the strong ones spread out.

5. Transplanting and Care

When seedlings hit 6 inches (15 cm), about 3-4 months in, move them to 1-gallon pots with loamy, sandy soil. Bury the root ball just below the surface and water deeply. Let the top inch dry before watering again.

After the last frost, shift them outside in zones 7-10, where figs love it. Pick a sunny spot, shielded from harsh wind. Water weekly, fertilize monthly in growing season. Stake taller ones to keep them steady. In a year or two, plant in the ground or bigger pots. With luck, you’ll taste figs in 5-7 years. It’s a slow haul, but homegrown figs are pure gold.

Hibiscus is a gorgeous tropical shrub that thrives in the warmer environments of the southern United States. Although most gardeners like to purchase young hibiscus plants from garden centers or nurseries, you may want to try your hand at sowing hibiscus seeds.

While it does take longer to grow hibiscus from seed, it can be a rewarding, productive activity, and an inexpensive way to fill your garden with these amazing plants. Let’s learn how to plant hibiscus seeds, step by step.

Hibiscus Seed Propagation

You can plant freshly harvested hibiscus seeds directly in the garden in autumn if you live in a very warm, frost-free climate. However, most gardeners prefer to start seeds indoors. Here’s how to go about it:

Nick the seeds with fine grade sandpaper or the tip of a knife to allow moisture to enter the seed. This step isn’t absolutely required, but it provides a jump start on hibiscus seed germination. Nicked seeds usually germinate in a month or less, otherwise, hibiscus seed germination may not occur for several months.

After nicking the seeds, soak them in warm water for at least an hour, or overnight.

Fill a container with good quality seed starting mix. (Avoid mixes with fertilizer pre-added). Any container with a drainage hole will work, but if you’re planting several seeds, celled seed trays are convenient.

Water the seed starting mix until it’s evenly moist but not dripping wet or soggy. Hibiscus seeds will rot in too much moisture. Plant hibiscus seeds to a depth of about one-quarter inch to one-half inch (.5-1 cm.).

Hibiscus seed germination requires heat, so a location where temps are maintained between 80 and 85 degrees F. (25-29 C.) is ideal. You may need to set the tray on a heat mat to provide adequate warmth. Cover the tray with clear plastic or slide it into a white plastic garbage bag.

Check the tray daily. The plastic will keep the environment moist, but it’s critical to water lightly if the seed starting mix feels dry. Remove the plastic and put the trays under fluorescent bulbs or grow lights as soon as the seeds germinate. The lights should be on sixteen hours per day.

Move the seedlings to individual, 4 inch (10 cm.) pots when the stems begin to get woody and have several sets of leaves. Handle the seedlings carefully as the stems are easily broken. At this point, begin feeding the seedlings an all-purpose, water-soluble fertilizer diluted to half-strength.

Gradually move the young plants into larger pots as they grow. Plant the hibiscus plants outdoors when they’re large enough to survive on their own. Be sure there’s no imminent danger of frost. Otherwise, you may continue to grow them as houseplants but allow them to enjoy the warmer months outdoors.

For many gardeners, the process of choosing when and what to plant in ornamental flower beds can be a difficult one. While it is easy to purchase blooming plants from garden centers and nurseries, the cost of creating a beautiful landscape can add up quickly. Thankfully, many flowers can easily and quickly be grown from seed, thus, creating impressive flower beds and borders at only a fraction of the cost. Nemesia flowers are a great option for gardeners having mild winter or summer temperatures.

When to Sow Nemesia

Nemesia plants produce small, vibrant blooms that are very similar to that of snapdragon flowers. Native to South Africa and naturally more cold tolerant than many other flowers, these hardy annual plants prefer cool conditions, and come in a wide range of bright colors. With their easy-to-grow habit, these ornamental plants are an invaluable asset to the home garden.

Choosing when to plant Nemesia seeds will greatly depend on your climate zone. While those with cool summer temperatures will be able to plant Nemesia in the spring, gardeners with warm summers and cool winters may have better success by planting in the fall.

How to Plant Nemesia Seeds

Once timing has been established, planting Nemesia seeds is relatively simple. When growing Nemesia from seed, no special treatment is required. In fact, this plant can be germinated indoors in seed trays and/or may be directly sown into the garden once temperatures have started to warm in the spring.

In general, Nemesia seed germination should take place within one to two weeks of sowing. Nemesia flowers can be transplanted into the garden as soon as the last frost has passed, or as soon as the plants have developed at least two sets of true leaves. Hardening off transplants will help reduce the risk of transplant shock and ensure greater success in the garden.

Caring for Nemesia Flowers

Beyond planting, Nemesia plants require little care. Like many other flowers, deadheading (the removal of spent flowers) will help to prolong bloom time into the summer. When temperatures begin to rise, growers may naturally start to notice a decline in bloom. At this time, plants can be cut back and may resume growth when temperatures have cooled in the fall.

Naranjilla (Solanum quitoense) is considered a rare fruit tree in this country, and it’s true that none of your neighbors are likely to be planting naranjilla seeds. However, the plant, with its round, juicy fruit resembling oranges, is a common sight south of the border.

It’s a lot of fun to bring naranjilla into your garden, and inexpensive too, since you can easily grow naranjilla from seed. Read on for information about naranjilla seed germination as well as tips for propagating naranjilla seeds.

Growing Naranjilla from Seed

Naranjilla is a uniquely ornamental plant with an edible fruit that looks cool and tastes delicious. It’s a perennial shrub that doesn’t normally get above 8 feet (2 m.) high, so it works just fine in a container. The thick stalks of the bush get woody as they age, and some varieties grow spines. Most cultivated plants do not.

Narajillo is a spreading shrub that fills out with ornamental foliage. Its rich leaves grow up to 2 feet (61 cm.) long and nearly that wide. They are soft and woolly, covered with tiny purple hairs. Some types have spines on the leaves as well.

The flowers are small with five petals, white on top and fuzzy purple below. These give way to round, orange fruit that look like hairy oranges. The fuzz brushes off easily and you can drink the delicious juice.

The juice tastes like a unique mix of pineapple, lime, melon, and some say rhubarb. In South America, it is sold as Lulo juice, sweet and refreshing. You can cut the fruit in two and squeeze the juice into your mouth, but save those seeds for propagating.

Naranjilla Seed Propagation

If you are interested in naranjilla seed propagation, you’ll need to clean and treat the seeds. Spread them in a shady spot until the fleshy parts attached to the seeds ferment. At that point, wash the seeds and air dry them.

Many recommend that when you are propagating naranjilla seeds, you dust them with fungicide after they are thoroughly dry. Then you are ready for the next step, naranjilla seed germination.

Plant your cleaned, treated seeds in well-drained, sandy soil. Containers work well, and you can bring them indoors if the weather dips. You can also consider planting naranjilla outdoors if you live in a warm region. Cover the top of the soil with a thin layer of grit and kept the soil moist.

How soon can you expect naranjilla seed germination? It all depends. Sometimes growing naranjilla from seeds requires patience. Those propagating naranjilla seed may have to wait four to six weeks for the seeds to sprout, and sometimes much longer.

If you are planting naranjilla seeds in containers, sow more than one per pot to ensure that at least one of them sprouts. If you get several sprouts per pot, thin to leave only the strongest seedlings.

More patience is required for the fruit. Propagating naranjilla seeds is just the first step. You may not get fruit until a year after seeding. Here’s the good news: the fruiting continues for three years, with over 100 fruit per year.

Cape marigold, also known as African daisy, is a pretty annual that can be grown in most zones in the U.S. Where you live and what your climate is like will determine whether you grow it as a summer or winter annual. Planting cape marigold seeds is an inexpensive way to get started with this pretty flower.

Growing Cape Marigold from Seed

Cape marigold is a pretty, daisy-like annual flower that is native to South Africa. It thrives in warm but not too hot temperatures. In hotter zones, in areas like southern California, Arizona, Texas, and Florida, you can grow this flower from seed starting in early fall for blooms in the winter. In colder regions, start seeds in late winter or early spring, outdoors after the last frost or indoors earlier.

Whether you start indoors or out, be sure you have the right conditions for the final location. Cape marigold likes full sun and soil that drains well and leans toward dry. These flowers tolerate drought well. In overly-moist conditions or wet soil, the plants get leggy and limp.

How to Sow Cape Marigold Seeds

If sowing directly outdoors, prepare the soil first by turning it and removing any other plants or debris. Sow by scattering the seeds over the turned soil. Lightly press them down, but do not let the seeds get buried. Use the same technique indoors with seed trays.

Cape marigold seed germination takes about ten days to two weeks, so plan to be ready to transplant indoor seedlings six to seven weeks after sowing.

Let your indoor seedlings grow to about 4 to 6 inches (10-15 cm.) tall before transplanting. You can thin seedlings outdoors, but you can also let them grow naturally. Once they are this tall, they should be fine without regular watering unless you have especially dry conditions.

If you let your cape marigold reseed, you will get vibrant and more extensive coverage in the next growing season. To promote reseeding, let the soil dry out after your plants have finished flowering. African daisy makes a great groundcover, so let it spread to fill out an area with colorful flowers and greenery.

Starting seeds in sponges is a neat trick that is not difficult to do. Small seeds that germinate and sprout quickly work best for this technique, and once they’re ready, you can transplant them to pots or garden beds. Try starting plants with small seeds on a simple kitchen sponge as a fun project with the kids or just to try something new.

Why Start Seeds on Sponges?

While the traditional way to start seeds is to use soil, there are some good reasons to use sponges for seed growing:

• You don’t need messy soil.
• You can watch the seeds grow and roots develop.
• Sponge seed germination happens rapidly.
• It’s easy to sprout a lot of seeds in a small space.
• The sponges can be reused if seeds turn out to be unviable.
• It makes a great experiment for children.

Here are some great plant choices for seed rowing on sponges:

• Lettuce
• Watercress
• Carrots
• Mustard
• Radish
• Herbs
• Tomatoes

How to Plant Seeds in a Sponge

First, start with sponges that have not been treated with anything, like detergent or antibacterial compounds. You may want to treat the sponges with diluted bleach to prevent mold growth, but rinse them thoroughly if you do. Use the sponges whole or cut them into smaller squares. Soak the sponges in water and place them in a shallow tray. There are a couple of strategies for putting the seeds in the sponges: you can either press small seeds into the many nooks and crannies, or you can cut a larger hole in the center of each sponge for a single seed. Cover the tray in plastic wrap and put it in a warm location. Check under the plastic wrap occasionally to be sure there is no mold growing and that the sponges have not dried out. Give the sponges a regular mist of water to keep them moist but not soaking wet. To transplant your sprouted seedlings, either remove them entirely and place in a pot or outdoor bed when ready or trim the sponge down and plant the roots with the remaining sponge still attached to them. The latter is useful if the roots are too delicate and can’t be easily removed from the sponge. Once they’re big enough, you can use sponge-grown seedlings as you would any seeds you started in soil.

In springtime, Paulownia tormentosa is a dramatically beautiful tree. It bears velvety buds that develop into magnificent violet blossoms. The tree has many common names, including royal empress, and it is easy to propagate. If you are interested in growing royal empress from seed, as Mother Nature does, you’ll find that planting royal empress seeds is almost foolproof. Read on for more information about royal empress seed germination.

Paulownia Seed Propagation

Paulwnia tormentosa is a very attractive, fast-growing tree and easy to grow in a home garden in the right environment. It bears trumpet-like flowers which are large, lovely, and fragrant in shades of blue or lavender. After the flower show in spring, the royal empress’s huge leaves appear. They are beautiful, exceptionally soft, and downy. These are followed by a green fruit that matures into a brown capsule. The tree was introduced into the U.S. during the 1800's. Within a few decades, it naturalized across the eastern side of the country via Paulownia seed propagation. The tree’s fruit is a four-compartment capsule containing thousands of tiny winged seeds. A mature tree produces some 20 million seeds every year. Since the royal empress tree readily escapes cultivation, it is considered an invasive weed in some places. This raises the question: should you plant royal empress seeds at all? Only you can make that decision.

Growing Royal Empress from Seed

In the wild, seeds of royal empress trees are nature’s propagation method of choice. Royal empress seed germination is quite easy to achieve in most regions of the country. So, if you are growing royal empress from seed, you’ll have an easy time. Those sowing seeds of royal empress will need to remember that the seeds are tiny. That means that you’ll have to make an extra effort to sow them thinly to prevent crowded seedlings. One way to proceed with royal empress seed germination is to place them on a tray on top of compost. The seeds of royal empress require sunlight to germinate so don’t cover them with soil. Keep the soil moist for a month or two until you see that they are germinated. Covering the tray in plastic holds moisture in. Once the seeds germinate, remove the plastic. The young seedlings shoot up fast, growing to 6 feet (2 m.) in the first growing season. With any luck, you may go from royal empress seed germination to enjoying the showy flowers in as little as two years.

Planting Paulownia Trees

If you are wondering where to plant Paulownia, pick a sheltered location. It’s a good idea to shield royal empress from strong wings. The wood of this quick-growing tree isn’t very strong and limbs can split off in gales. On the other hand, royal empress trees don’t require any particular type of soil. Another good point is that they are drought tolerant.

Lychees are a beloved southeast Asian fruit that are steadily becoming more popular worldwide. If you’ve ever bought fresh lychees at the store, you’ve probably been tempted to plant those big, satisfying seeds and see what happens. Keep reading to learn more about lychee seed germination and growing lychee from seed.

Can You Grow Lychee from Seed?

The good news is that lychee seed germination is usually very reliable. The bad news is that you may never get a lychee fruit out of it. The lychee fruit you buy in the store is often hybridized, and the likelihood that the resulting tree will match its parent is very low. 

Also, the trees are slow to mature, and it could take as long as 20 years for your sapling to produce fruit, if it ever does. In other words, if you want a fruit bearing tree any time soon, you should buy one from a nursery. If you just want to plant a seed for the fun of it, however, that’s a different story.

Growing Lychee from Seed

Lychee seed propagation works best with mature fruit. Select several lychees that are plump, red, and fragrant. Peel your fruit and remove its single seed from the flesh. The seed should be large, smooth, and round. Sometimes, seeds are oblong and shriveled – these are rarely viable and shouldn’t be planted. 

Lychee seeds dry out and lose their viability in a matter of days and should be planted as soon as possible. Fill a 6 inch (15 cm.) pot with moist, rich growing medium and sow a single seed at a depth of 1 inch (2.5 cm.). Keep the pot moist and warm, between 75 and 90 degrees F. (24-32 C.). Lychee seed germination usually takes between one and four weeks. 

Once the seedling has emerged, move it to a spot that receives partial sun. Over the course of the first year, the plant will grow vigorously to 7 or 8 inches (18-20 cm.) in height. After this, however, growth will slow down. Transplant it to a larger pot and be patient – growth should pick up again in a couple of years.

Almonds are not only delicious but extremely nutritious as well. They grow in USDA zone 5 to 8 with California being the largest commercial producer. Although commercial growers propagate via grafting, growing almonds from seed is also possible. It isn’t simply a matter of planting cracked almond nuts, however. Although almond germination does take a little know how, propagating your own seed grown almond trees is definitely a fun project for the novice or avid home gardener. Keep reading to find out how to grow an almond from seed.

About Planting Almond Nuts

A little nugget of information that you may not know; almonds, although referred to as nuts, are actually a type of stone fruit. Almond trees bloom in February or March, leaf out and produce a greenish fruit that looks quite a bit like a peach, only green. The fruit hardens and splits, revealing the almond shell in the core of the fruit hull. If you want to try almond germination from seed, steer clear of processed almonds. As a result of a couple of Salmonella outbreaks in the early 2000's, the USDA began requiring all almonds to be sanitized via pasteurization as of 2007, even those labeled “raw.” Pasteurized nuts are duds. They won’t result in trees. You must use fresh, unpasteurized, unshelled, and unroasted nuts when growing almonds from seed. The only way to get such nuts is to get truly raw seeds from a farmer or overseas.

How to Grow an Almond from Seed

Fill a container with tap water and put at least a dozen almonds into it. Allow them to soak for at least eight hours and then drain them. Why so many nuts if you only want one tree? It is because of their uncertain germination rate and to account for any that may mold. Using a nutcracker, partially crack the almond shell to expose the interior nut. Don’t remove the shell. Arrange the nuts in a container lined with damp paper towel or sphagnum moss and cover the container with plastic wrap to retain moisture. Place the container of nuts into the refrigerator for two to three months, checking each week to be sure is still moist inside. This process is called stratification. Stratification just means you are tricking the almond seeds into believing they have gone through winter. It boosts the germination rate of seeds which usually germinate within a few days of planting. Seeds can also be “field stratified” by soaking them overnight and then planting outside in the fall. The seeds will not grow until spring, but the stratification process will increase their rate of germination. Once the seeds have been stratified, fill a container with potting soil. Press each seed down into the soil and inch (2.5 cm.) or so. Water the seeds and place the container in a warm, sunny area. Water once a week or when the soil feels dry 1 ½ inches (4 cm.) down into the soil. Transplant the plants when they are 18 inches (46 cm.) in height.

Sweet bay is a medium sized Laurel that hails from the Mediterranean. It is used primarily as a culinary herb, but historically it has been used medicinally. A component of bouquet garni, a French seasoning blend, bay lends itself well to soups, stews, and sauces. Usually, sweet bay is purchased as a seedling from a nursery, but growing bay tree seeds is also possible, provided the grower has some patience since bay seed germination is a slow process. Interested in planting bay seeds? Read on to find out when to sow bay seeds and information on how to grow a bay tree from seed.

About Planting Bay Seeds

Sweet laurel or bay (Laurus nobilis) is hardy to USDA zones 8 to 10, so those of us growing the plant outside these parameters will need to move the bay indoors when temperatures dip. The good news is that bay makes an excellent container plant. It can grow to 23 feet (7 m.) in height, but its size can be retarded by frequent pruning. It is also quite tolerant of pruning and training into topiary shapes which look gorgeous with the tree’s glossy green foliage. As mentioned, while not the usual method of propagation, growing bay tree seeds is possible, if at times frustrating. Why frustrating? Bay seed germination is notoriously long, up to six months. With such a lengthy germination period, seeds may rot before germination occurs.

When to Sow Bay Seeds

To hasten guarantee viable germination, never plant seeds that are dried out. Order your seeds from a reputable purveyor and when they arrive, soak them in warm water for 24 hours and then plant them immediately. Also, germinate multiple seeds to allow for germination failure and rotting. If you plan to harvest seeds from an existing tree, look for a female. Sweet laurels are dioecious, meaning that male and female flowers are borne on separate plants. In the spring, inconspicuous pale yellow-green flowers bloom followed by small, purplish black, oval berries. Each berry has a single seed found on mature female trees.

How to Grow a Bay Tree from Seed

Fill a seed tray with a layer of moist soilless seed mix. Spread the seeds out over the surface, keeping them about 2 inches (5 cm.) apart and press them gently into it. Cover the seeds with a bit more moist soilless mix. Dampen the medium with a spray bottle. Make sure to just lightly moisten, not saturate the mix or the seeds will rot. Place the seed tray in a warm area of around 70 degrees F. (21 C.) that gets up to eight hours of sun per day. Keep the seeds moist to slightly on the dry side as they germinate. Keep an eye on the progress of the seeds and be patient. It can take from ten days to up to six months for the bay seeds to germinate. Transplant the bay seedlings into pots or into the garden proper when leaves begin to appear.

Mesquite plants are considered symbols of the American Southwest. They grow like weeds in their natural region and make excellent native plants in that area's gardens. Producing a lovely tree with tiny, yellow spring flowers and bean-like pods. This member of the legume family can secure nitrogen in the soil, improving the garden. Growing mesquite from seed found in the wild is a fun way to enjoy these plants for free. However, mesquite seed germination can be capricious and requires several steps for success. Read further for info on how to grow mesquite trees from seed.

How to Grow Mesquite from Seed

Plant propagation by amateur gardeners is an interesting way to develop new plants and enhance your garden expertise. Sowing mesquite seeds for intentional propagation requires some specific steps to enhance germination. In the wild, any animal who eats a bean pod will spread the seed, and the animal's digestive tract provides the necessary treatment to break embryo dormancy. For the home gardener, additional treatment will be necessary. Many experts state that growing mesquite from seed is the hardest way to propagate the plant. Air layering or propagation through grafting are common commercial methods. For mesquite seeds, the maximum germination occurs at temperatures of 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit (27-29 C.). The seed does not need light to germinate but does best under 0.2 inches (0.5 cm.) of soil. Seedlings do need light to grow and soil temperatures of at least 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 C.). Scarification of the seed and a soak in sulfuric acid or horticultural vinegar enhances cotyledon emergence.

Enhancing Mesquite Seed Germination

Seeds need to be scarred with a knife or file to wound the hard exterior. Next, a 15 to 30 minute soak in sulfuric acid or in a strong vinegar solution will help soften the hard seed exterior. Another treatment that may help is stratification. Wrap seeds in moist sphagnum moss in a plastic bag or container and place them in the refrigerator for eight weeks. This is a common method of stimulation the emergence of the embryo. While it may not be necessary, it will not hurt the seeds and may encourage seedling emergence. Once all treatments have been completed, it is time for sowing mesquite seeds.

When to Plant Mesquite Seeds

Timing is everything when planting. If you are planting seeds directly outside in containers or a prepared bed, sow seed in spring. Seeds started indoors can be planted at any time but require a warm area to germinate and grow on. Another trick to ensure germination is to wrap the seeds in moist paper towels for a week. The seeds should send out little sprouts in about that time. Then install the sprouts in a mixture of sand and sphagnum moss that has been lightly moistened. Depending upon the cultivar, many growers have experienced success just by planting seeds, untreated in potting soil. However, since some cultivar seeds are resistant, following the treatment plan outlined will not harm seeds and will prevent much of the frustration associated with these resistant varieties.

Learning how to nick seeds is a valuable skill for all gardeners to master. While many seeds will grow with little help, others benefit from penetrating the hard seed coating. This process of seed scarification improves germination rates and speeds up sprouting, which might otherwise take many weeks. It's a particularly useful technique for growing flower seeds that have a winter dormancy period, but some vegetables can also benefit from nicking.

If you do nothing, some of the seeds will eventually open after being exposed to cold temperatures, warmth, or even passing through the digestive tract of birds or other animals. But waiting for nature to act allows little control for the home gardener. Knowing how to scarify seeds by nicking or other methods is an extra step in the seed germination process that allows you to plan your planting and make the most of the growing window.

What Does it Mean to Nick Seeds​?

Nicking seeds involves making a small cut in each seed to break through the waterproof coating. When done before planting seeds, it allows them to absorb water and signals to the plant embryo inside to begin the germination process.

The process of nicking and then soaking seeds before planting jump-starts germination in a controlled way, meaning you can get your garden growing faster.

However, it is not the only way of giving seeds a boost. Other scarification methods involve grating or sanding the seeds to break the coating, cracking them with a hammer, using chemicals such as sulfuric acid, or boiling them in water.

You may also have heard of using cold treatment to stratify seeds. This can be used to achieve the same goal, as freezing seeds will simulate their natural dormant period and weaken the outer coating. It's widely practiced to germinate seeds of perennial shrubs, trees, and native wildflowers.

Which Seeds Need to be Nicked?

Seeds with an impermeable (waterproof) seed coat benefit the most from nicking. Large or hard seeds like those of beans, sweet peas, okra, and nasturtium often require scarification for optimal germination. Most plants in the tomato and morning glory families also have impermeable seed coats and will germinate better after scarification.

Seeds that have a low germination rate or that are scarce should also be carefully nicked to increase the chances that you’ll get them to sprout.

Check the seed packet information for guidance on whether seed scarification is recommended. If unsure, check the Gardening Known How growing guides for your chosen varieties of flowers, trees, shrubs, and vegetables.

How to Nick Seeds

You can nick seeds with the edge of a nail clipper, a nail file, or a knife. Alternatively, damaging the seed coating with sandpaper will achieve the same goal.

Many seeds have a hilum, a scar left where the seed was attached to the ovary inside the fruit. The hilum is easy to find on beans and peas. For example, the “eye” of a black-eyed pea is the hilum. Since the bean embryo is attached just under the hilum, it is best to nick the seed opposite this point to avoid causing damage.

Make as shallow a cut as possible on the seed, just deep enough to allow water to penetrate the seed coat. Be careful to avoid damaging the plant embryo inside the seed – you want to cut just through the seed coat while leaving the plant embryo and other structures within the seed unharmed.

After nicking, it is a good idea to soak the seeds for a few hours or overnight. Then, get them planted right away. Do not attempt to store scarified seeds, as they will quickly lose their ability to germinate.

More Seed-Starting Inspiration

• Not sure how deep to plant seeds? Get it right every time with this simple trick.
• Try these easy recipes for making the perfect DIY seed-starting mix – save money and grow healthier seedlings.
• Boost your growing potential by germinating seeds in paper towel: the easy, no-mess method.

If you are looking for a truly astounding flowering plant, you have to try bat flower. These natives of southern Asia have dusky, purplish black blooms with unique, whisker like bracteoles bristling around the flower. All in all, the effect is quite unworldly and worthy of a true collector of unusual plants. You can order bat flower seed online, but the trick is in knowing how to grow bat flower from seed. These special plants have very specific growing conditions and bat flower seed germination can be a challenge unless you are armed with a list of the plant’s likes and dislikes.

Bat Flower Propagation

Bat flower, or Tacca, is a plant that is native to warm, humid regions of Asia. It can grow to 36 inches (91 cm.) in height and bear huge 12 inch (31 cm.) flowers. The bizarre flowers are the real conversation starter and ender. The slightly creepy flowers boast two large, leathery flanking bracts which inform the notion that the bloom is bat-like.

Bat flower propagation is generally from rhizomes or occasionally cuttings. Perfect conditions need to be met for growing bat flowers from seed, but it isn’t impossible. Many expert growers claim they get excellent germination from seed and have no problems, but other collectors express frustration with their green thumbs when trying to propagate from seed. Fortunately, the pods contain dozens of seeds, so if you get your hands on one, it never hurts to try.

How to Grow Bat Flower from Seed

The first step in growing bat flowers from seed is to acquire a mature seed pod. Pods should be allowed to mature and dry right on the plant for the best chance of germination.

Use a good potting soil that has been pre-moistened and plant seeds in a 2 inch (5 cm.) pot so they don’t need to be moved right away. Tacca plants do not seem to like to be transplanted and will take a while to recover. You may also choose to make your own mixture. A good planting medium is 10% sand, 40% peat moss, and 50% fine bark.

Seeds don’t need any stratification or scarification to germinate, though soaking the seed in water overnight may help enhance germination. What they do need is time. Germination times run the gamut from a couple of weeks to several months.

They also need evenly moist soil but not soggy media. Use a clear cover over the pot to conserve moisture but remove it daily to release excess that will build up and can cause damping off.

The last important ingredient to successful bat flower seed germination is heat. A heated soil mat to keep the bottom of the medium warm will greatly improve your chances of seeing a little sprout.

Caring for Bat Flower Seedlings

Remember where these amazing plants hail from and consider the wild seeds' needs as you set up your nursery. Plants live in tropical rainforests and need plenty of warmth with a partially shaded location that mimics the dappled light of a treed area.

Once you can safely handle the delicate seedlings, move them to larger pots. In summer, keep the little plants evenly moist, but in winter, diminish watering by half, while never allowing the plant to dry out completely. That would be a death knell for these humidity loving plants.

If your heating system tends to dry out the air, mist the plants once per week or set the container in a saucer with some small pebbles and fill with water. This increases humidity without soaking the roots.

An amazing tip from an expert grower is regarding water. He recommends using 1 cup (240 ml.) of hydrogen peroxide per gallon (4 L.) of water to help prevent fungal issues. Bat flowers in home cultivation are prone to these problems due to high humidity, low circulation, and often excess moisture.

Fertilize in spring and increase circulation as you keep the plant moist. In several years, you may be rewarded with a display of the odd, yet beautifully eerie flowers and their subsequent pods.

Want to Step Up Your Houseplant Game Even More?

We've put together a complete guide to houseplants here. You'll find not only the tips to growing jaw-dropping houseplants that'll impress your friends, but also details on just about every step in growing houseplants.

Happy Gardening!

Marigolds are some of the most rewarding annuals you can grow. They’re low maintenance, they’re fast-growing, they repel pests, and they’ll provide you with bright, continuous color until the fall frost. Since they’re so popular, live plants are available at just about any garden center. However, it’s a lot cheaper and more fun growing marigolds by seed. Keep reading to learn more about how to plant marigold seeds.

When to Sow Marigolds

When to sow marigold seeds really depends upon your climate. Planting marigold seeds at the right time is important. Marigolds are very frost sensitive, so they should not be sown outdoors until all chance of frost has passed. If your final frost date is late, you’ll really benefit from planting marigold seeds indoors four to six weeks before the last frost.

How to Plant Marigold Seeds

If you’re starting indoors, sow the seeds in a well-draining, rich, soilless growing medium in a warm place. Scatter the seeds on top of the mix, then cover them with a very fine layer, less than ¼ inch (6 mm.), of more medium. Marigold seed germination usually takes five to seven days. Separate your seedlings when they’re 2 inches (5 cm.) tall. 

When all chance of frost has passed, you can transplant your marigolds outside. If you’re planting marigold seeds outdoors, pick a location that receives full sun. Marigolds can grow in a variety of soils, but they prefer rich, well-draining soil if they can get it. Scatter your seeds on the ground and cover them with a thin layer of very fine soil. 

Water gently and regularly over the next week to keep the soil from drying out. Thin your marigolds when they’re a few inches (8 cm.) high. Short varieties should be spaced a foot (31 cm.) apart, and tall varieties should be 2 to 3 feet (61-91 cm.) apart.

Spider plants are very popular and easy to grow houseplants. They’re known best for their spiderettes, little miniature versions of themselves that sprout from long stalks and hang down just like spiders on silk. The interesting spiderettes often overshadow the fact that spider plants bloom, producing delicate white flowers along these stalks. When pollinated, these flowers make seeds that can be harvested and grown into new plants. Keep reading to learn more about how to grow a spider plant from seed.

Harvesting Spider Plant Seeds

Do spider plants have seeds? Yes. Your spider plant should bloom naturally, but it will need to be pollinated in order to produce seeds. You can do this yourself by gently brushing a cotton swab against one flower after the other, or you can simply put your plant outside to allow insects to pollinate it naturally. After the flowers have faded, you should see bumpy green seed pods appear in their place. Harvesting spider plant seeds is easy, and mostly involves waiting. Allow the seed pods to dry on the stalk. Once they’re dry, they should split open naturally and drop their seeds. You can place a piece of paper under the plant to collect the seeds when they fall, or you can break the dry pods off by hand and put them in a paper bag, where they should split open.

How to Grow a Spider Plant from Seed

When growing a spider plant from seed, you should plant the seeds right away, as they don’t store well. Sow the seeds about ½ inch (1.25 cm.) deep in good potting mix and keep them warm and moist. Spider plant seed germination usually takes a couple of weeks, so be patient. Allow your seedlings to grow many true leaves before transplanting them - growing spider plants from seed produces delicate seedlings that don’t like to be moved too soon.

Cotyledons may be one of the first visible signs a plant has germinated, but what is a cotyledon? It is the embryonic part of a seed which stores fuel for further growth.

Seeds are the earliest part of the plant life cycle and cotyledons are seed leaves which fall off a plant within a few days of sprouting. There are cotyledons on plants that grow above the soil and photosynthetic. They take in the light and feed the plant so it can grow. There are also hypogeal cotyledons which remain under the soil but serve the same purpose.

These unique plant parts are a crucial step of plant emergence after germination. Cotyledons help the new plant store energy to grow. Let's dig in and explore more.

Types of Cotyledons

You can study hypogeal cotyledons by viewing a split peanut. The cotyledon is the two halves of the peanut we eat as a snack! Photosynthetic cotyledons are those first little leaves that appear when seedlings sprout and will look quite dissimilar from the true leaves of the plant. They eventually fall off when the true leaves come in.

Scientists use the number of cotyledons to classify plants. A monocot has only one cotyledon and a eudicot has two. Corn is a monocot and has an endosperm, embryo, and single cotyledon. Beans can be easily split in half and each side will bear a cotyledon, endosperm, and embryo. Both forms are considered flowering plants, but the blooms are not always evident.

Monocot vs. Eudicot Seed Leaves

The number of cotyledons in a seed is the basis for classifying any plant in the angiosperm or flowering plant group. There are a few fuzzy exceptions where a plant cannot simply be designated monocot or eudicot simply by its number of cotyledons, but these are rare. Magnolia trees are ancient and an example of this oddity.

When a eudicot emerges from the soil, it has two seed leaves whereas a monocot will bear only one. Most monocot leaves are long and narrow while dicots come in a wide range of sizes and shapes. Flowers and seed pods of monocots tend to come in parts of three while dicots have three or five petals and seed heads come in a host of forms.

Trillium, orchids, tulips, lilies, daffodils, and irises are examples of flowering monocots. Corn, wheat, sugarcane, and bamboo are agricultural monocots.

Roses, daisies, petunias, pansies, geraniums, and sunflowers are examples of flowering eudicots. Apple trees, tomatoes, beans, peas, and mint are other eudicots you may grow.

When Do Cotyledons Fall Off?

Photosynthetic cotyledons remain on the plant until the first true leaves appear and can begin to perform photosynthesis. This is generally just a few days and then the seed leaves fall off. They remain to help direct the energy stored in the seed to new growth, but once the plant is self-sufficient, they are no longer needed.

Similarly, the hypogeal cotyledons that remain under soil are also directing stored energy from the seed and will wither when no longer needed. Some plants’ cotyledons persist for up to a week, but most are gone by the time the first two true leaves are evident.

Shop Seed Starting Essentials

Hours of careful planning are followed by still more hours of planting and tending seed trays, all to fill your garden with beautiful plants, but fungus in seed trays can stop the project before it barely gets started. Depending on the type of fungal disease, seedlings may take on a twisted or water-soaked appearance, sometimes with fuzzy mold or dark colored threads on the surface of the soil. Read on to learn about fungus in seed trays and tips for fungus control when seed starting.

How to Control Fungal Growth

To help prevent fungal problems, use the following tips for fungus control when seed starting:

• Start with fresh, uncontaminated seed-starting mix. Unopened bags are sterile, but once opened, the mix comes in contact with pathogens easily. You can sterilize seed-starting mix by baking it in a 200 degree F. (93 C.) oven for 30 minutes. Warning: it will stink.
• Wash all containers and garden tools in a mixture of one part bleach to ten parts water.
• Plant your seeds in warm potting mix. Read the seed packet carefully and be careful not to plant the seeds too deep. To discourage fungus and speed drying, you can cover the seeds with a very thin layer of sand or chicken grit instead of soil.
• If you are a seed saver, keep in mind that saved seeds are more likely to develop fungus than commercial seeds.
• Water carefully, as overwatering leads to fungal diseases. Many gardeners prefer to water from the bottom, which keeps the surface of the soil drier. If you water from the top, be sure not to water seedlings directly. Either way, water only enough to keep the potting mix slightly damp.
• Some gardeners prefer not to cover seed trays, while others use plastic wrap or a dome cover. It’s a good idea to remove the cover as soon as the seeds germinate, but if you want to leave the cover until the seedlings are larger, poke holes in the plastic or remove the dome periodically to allow air circulation. Note: never allow the plastic to touch the seedlings.
• Peat pots are convenient, but they are more prone to fungus growth. Seedlings in plastic trays tend to be more resistant.
• Don’t plant too thickly. Overcrowded seedlings inhibit air circulation.
• If the air is humid, run some fans on low speed for a few hours each day. As an added benefit, the circulating air creates sturdier stems.
• Provide at least 12 hours of bright light per day.

Fungus Treatment During Germination

Commercial fungal treatments, such as Captan, are readily available and easy to use. However, you can also make an anti-fungal solution consisting of 1 tablespoon (15 ml.) peroxide in 1 quart (1 L.) of water. Many organic gardeners have good luck by watering seedlings with chamomile tea or by sprinkling cinnamon over the surface of the soil immediately after planting.

Seeds are amazing, containing all the energy and information to grow a plant or tree. In nature, many plants easily propagate from seed with an innate knowledge about when to form and drop seeds at just the right time to germinate. Other seeds need to go through a process called stratification, a period of cold followed by warmer temperatures that trigger the seed to end its dormancy. Gardeners sometimes need to stratify seeds at home, mimicking this natural process, for them to sprout properly.

There’s no mystery to stratifying seeds – it’s a simple process, but a necessary part of learning how to germinate seeds. This article explains how to stratify seeds and what seeds need to be cold-stratified.

What are Stratified Seeds?

Stratified seeds are those that have been treated with a period of cold temperatures much as they would in nature, to break their dormancy period and encourage them to germinate. Naturally, winter is such a trigger.

Stratification is a survival method for a particular plant species. It keeps the seeds from germinating too early. Instead, the seeds become buried in soil or debris and overwinter. Cold temperatures, moisture, and the natural freeze/thaw cycle weaken the tough outer coating of the seed, readying it for germination in the warmer months of spring.

Do I Need to Stratify Seeds?

Some seeds do need to be stratified by the gardener when starting seeds indoors while for other varieties it is best to direct sow seeds. Cold treatment for seeds is necessary for plants or trees that require time in the ground over winter in order to germinate.

However, other seeds require a warm and moist treatment before sprouting, so you need to understand the needs of the seed you are sowing. Checking the seed packet information is a good starting point.

How to Cold Stratify Seeds

If you are starting cold treatment in the late summer or fall, you can put the seeds in a pot of soil and dig the pot into the ground. The seeds will sprout in the spring. Otherwise, you will need to stratify them indoors.

The best way to cold-stratify seeds is to put them in the refrigerator. There are a few ways to do this but in general, place the seeds in a moist paper towel and then place this into a sealable container or plastic bag partially filled with equal amounts of peat and a free-draining material such as sand, vermiculite, or perlite.

Label the container with the date and the species of seed, seal it closed, and place it in the refrigerator. Don’t store the seeds with fruit like apples that give off ethylene, a ripening gas.

Keep an eye on the seeds and check them every couple of weeks.

How Long to Cold Stratify Seeds?

The length of time it takes to stratify seeds varies greatly and depends on the variety of seed. Also, sometimes it may be necessary to both stratify and scarify seeds to break dormancy. This is usually done through nicking or sanding and then soaking seeds before planting.

In general, seeds take from between 1-3 months to stratify. Check your seeds every so often to see if they have sprouted or if they are too moist and are beginning to mildew.

After you remove the seed from the refrigerator, directly sow them outside if weather conditions are suitable, or sow the seed in containers indoors for later transplantation outside.

What Seeds Need to be Cold Stratified?

If a seed comes from a perennial plant, shrub, or tree, it will need to be stratified. Native wildflower seeds also need to be stratified. Most vegetables and annual flowers need no stratification, but there are some exceptions.

The following are some common plants that benefit from a cold stratification treatment (Note: This is not an all-inclusive list. Be sure to research the germination needs of your particular plants beforehand):

• Black-eyed Susan (rudbeckia)
• Butterfly bush
• Catmint
• Chinese lantern
• Cleome
• Columbine
• Delphiniums
• Evening primrose
• False sunflower
• Fuchsia
• Hardy hibiscus
• Hen-and-chicks
• Hollyhocks
• Ironweed
• Lavender
• Lobelia
• Lupines
• Poppies
• Roses
• Sedum
• Snapdragon
• Sweet peas
• Verbena