Advanced Seed Starting

An alternative to soaking is scarification. This works better than soaking for large hard seeds like peas, lupines, or morning glories. Scrape or nick the seed coat with a file, sharp knife, or sandpaper before sowing. Some really tough seeds benefit from both soaking and scarification. Soak them first, then scarify.

Finally, there is light and dark sensitivity. Some seeds won't sprout if they are covered by soil; others won't if they aren't completely in the dark. Examples of plants that need darkness to germinate are calendula, borage, echinacea, pansy, and sweet pea. So be sure to cover these seeds with a generous layer of potting soil. Some of them also need either stratification or scarification.

Plants that won't germinate without light include columbine, dill, foxglove, lettuce, impatiens, and petunia. Scatter these seeds on top of your planting medium and gently press into the potting soil. Some are tiny as pepper grains, so planting individually is all but impossible. Don't cover the seeds, just water them in.

Intimidated yet? Or itching to try something new? Be aware that even with these special seed starting techniques, germination will be spotty. So plant more seeds than you would normally to assure a good crop of seedlings. Now get out that T&M catalog and start dreaming about growing a bat plant from seed, or maybe even a gardenia. You may not succeed, but think of the personal gratification you'll feel if you do.

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