How to Germinate Vegetable Seeds

Germinating vegetable seeds is the first step toward reaping healthy produce from your garden. Germinating and planting seeds takes more thought than many novice gardeners imagine. Simply sticking a few seeds in a pot of soil will not produce the same results as proper planning.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Vegetable seeds
• Paper towel
• Plastic storage bag
• Seed-starting mixture
• Small pots or seed trays
• Grow light (optional)

1. Fold 10 seeds into a damp paper towel, then seal the towel in a plastic storage bag at room temperature. After a week, check the seeds and count how many have sprouted. A germination rate of seven or more out of 10 is good. If six or less sprout, purchase a new batch of seeds.

2. Fill small pots or seed trays with sterile seed-starting mix. Make sure the pots have enough soil to allow for settling and runoff from watering.

3. Place a few seeds on top of the soil in each pot or compartment, then sprinkle a thin layer soil over the seeds. Gently pour in some warm water.

4. Place the pots under a grow light if you have one; the light should hang 1 to 2 feet over the pots. If you don't have a grow light, place the pots in a warm, sunny location.

Tips & Warnings

• Plant a few seeds in each pot to ensure germination. After the plants are a couple of inches tall, snip all but one of the sprouts to the top of the soil.
• Don't put your seeds outdoors until the threat of frost has passed. Bring the seeds indoors if heavy rain or wind are forecast.

References

• Seed Germination--Washington State University
• Starting Seeds Indoors
• Planting, Germination and Care

Resources

• Grow Lights