Don’t buy seed you don’t need: The Germination Test in 9 easy steps

Save both time and money by checking seed germination before you order your Spring seeds.

Its time to make my seed order for this Spring.  I tend to buy larger packages of seed so that I don’t have to buy fresh seed each season.  Seed is a living organism.  Seed has a shelf life.  Most seed will last several years, if kept in a cool dry place.  See my article about how long different vegetable seeds remain viable for more information.

Before ordering this season’s seed I will check the germination of the seeds I still have.  There is no point in planting seed that doesn’t have at least a 50% germination rate.  If I think a seed package is less than 50% I will throw it out on the fertile ground outside the chicken yard and let it feed the chickens, with the sprouts.  With my short growing season — less than 45 days frost free, maybe, if I’m lucky, I don’t want to risk having to replant, so I need to be sure my seed is viable the first planting.

How to test the germination

Testing germination is easy.

1.  Take a paper towel.

2.  Label the paper towel with permanent ink with the name and variety of the seed that you are going to test.  Add the date.  Let the ink dry before proceeding.
Dampen it so that it is just moist but not dripping wet.  Wring it out so that it isn’t too wet.

3.  Fold it in half.

4.  Place 10 seeds on half the paper towel.  Fold it over.

5.  Place inside a sandwich bag or glass jar.

6.  Place in a warm area, out of the way.

7.  Check back in a week to 10 days.   If there is little germination, wait another week.  After 15 days on most plants you should have sprouted seed.  A few might require 21 days.  Keep the bag sealed so that you don’t have to add more water.

8.  Count the number of seeds that germinated out of 10.  Add a zero and you have the percentage of germination.  If you get 50% or higher, you can safely use the seed another season.  Less than 50% and you might get away with it by planting more thickly or by starting seeds in pots and transplanting out.   Less than 30% and you will want to buy fresh seed this year.

9.  Some plants like onions and corn have a very short shelf life.  I have had corn seed with 50% germination after 5 years, though, so its important to check the germination rate before you discard older seed.  And also, once you have determined that seed is no longer viable, please discard it, so that you don’t need to test it again.

Testing seed germination before you order your seeds ensures that you only buy the seed you really need.  It also saves you grief during the growing season because you’ve culled out the seed that won’t do well, allowing you to optimize your garden space.  Take the time now to check germination and save time and money on your gardening this year.

Once you’ve tested the germination you may want to plant the germinated seed into starter pots and keep them growing.  Just put them in a pot as you would ungerminated seed but handle gently so that you don’t separate the root and the tip from the food source.  Or not.  The choice is yours.

Bonus tip:   Store seed in envelopes, in dry glass jars, to which you have added a few tbsp. of dry clay kitty litter.  This will keep excess moisture from building up inside the jars, in your cool storage room, and let your seeds last longer.

Back to you: 

How do you save money on your garden seeds?  Leave a comment.

Resources to help you grow more vegetables:

 Photo credit:  Creative Common License from Flickr – Brian Giesbrecht.

This post was shared on Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways # 15 and Wildcrafting Wednesdays #27 and Simple Lives Thursday #84