Seed Viability and Germination Tests
Save time, money and seeds this new growing season!
January 3rd…the holiday season is officially over and the seed starting extravaganza has officially begun!
Has anyone else noticed that much like everything else as of late, seed packet prices have skyrocketed? So much so, that I’ve had to excerpt much more will power than I usually do on my annual purchases. But that’s more than okay because I have plenty of seed stock carried over from previous years. And because the cost of electricity, potting soil and all the other seed starting support items have also seen increases, I’m going to do a little more germination testing than usual…why put all the effort/cost into sowing seeds that were never going to germinate in the first place?
So before you place your next seed order, check out the seed viability of the packets you already have.
Seed viability is basically whether or not your seed will germinate. You can read all about it in one of my earlier articles HERE, along with an approximate shelf life (in years) for each of your vegetable, herb and flower seeds.
Because the shelf life of seeds is something I need to refer to each spring, I made this chart to print out and keep tucked away with my seed packets.
Just CLICK on the chart below and you can download a high-resolution PDF if you’d like to print a copy of your own.
I also made this downloadable PDF that you can use to keep as a quick reference. I print out a copy and keep it tucked away with my seeds.
DO A GERMINATION TEST TO CHECK YOUR SEED’S VIABILITY:
1. Fold a dampened paper towel in half.
2. Take a few seeds and place on the damp towel (ideally try to use 10 seeds).
3. Fold the towel over the seeds and place in a closed ziplock bag in a warm location.
4. After a few days, open the bag and take a peek to see what’s germinated, that’ll give you a good gage of how your seeds are doing. Keep in mind, some seeds take longer to germinate than others. Many seed packets offer an estimated germinated gage that you can use to see how long you should wait before peeking.
If the germination rate is down, but there is still viability, simply sow those seeds out in the garden at a heavier rate, knowing that not all may germinate.
Cheers to kicking off this new growing season! May it be bountiful, prosperous and bursting full of joy!