Easy Germination Test

Germination tests are an easy and important way to test the viability and vigor of older seed and saved garden seed. This test is an adaptation of the rag doll method.

Supplies:

• Paper Towels

• Plastic Bags

• Spray Bottle with Water

• Seeds

Adapted Rag Doll Method:

Take 10 seeds and place on a folded paper towel 1” down from the top edge. Fold the bottom of the paper towel over the seeds. Mist the paper towel until it is damp through out but not sopping. Label the bag with the seed type, date, grower, suggested days to germination for the variety etc. Put the paper towel in the bag and close it partially. Leave in a warm place and check after 2-3 days to see if germination has started. Make notes of when the seeds start to germinate and how many have germinated in the suggested time frame for the seeds. After the suggested time has passed count the seeds that have germinated and divide that by the number 10. This will give your percentage of germination. Seeds that are a 2 years old or less should germinate quickly like the squash seed to the right. They took only 3 days.

Tomato and Pepper seeds take a little bit longer to germinate and benefit from having exposure to a heated seed mat. Making note of the temperature that the seeds were exposed to during the germination test will help you determine what soil temperature is optimal for the seeds to successfully grow.

Seed Starting is easy with this testing method. Once the germination test is done you have seedlings ready to be transferred to soil. To the right are the seedlings from the squash and pepper germination tests.

Squash seeds before germination

Squash seeds after germination