Hard to crack seeds

[tokaite]

High!

Got that from somewherer and liked the idea.....I did not try it!

"Yet another 'odd' technique uses a silicone ice tray and water !Put one or two seeds in each cell and fill with water and pop into the freezer.No more than overnight[8hrs]....but pretty much anytime after the ice cube is solid.The expanding water causes micro fractures in the seed hull and the melting cube waters in the seed into the soil.I use it on the notoriusly hard to sprout okra seed.I walk along and stomp the ice cubes into the ground and kick a little dirt over and >BAM < okra plant every time!I have used some 'one teaspoon to a gallon of water MiricleGro powder' to make the ice cubes but have no real evidence this improves anything^_^

Peace!

 

[GCase]

Interesting. Thanks tokaite.

 

[hedgeraider]

oh nice one. I bust my seeds in 2 using my thumbnail, there is a ridge area under the top point where the rootlet sits, if you press your thumbnail on the ridge 2/3rds of way up, after 5-10 hours of soaking, the wood is soft and the seeds crack very cleanly in 2, revealing the shrivelled germ ready for water. Amazingly, i never squash the seedling, the rind barely moves it just ticks open, cracks in 2.

I then soak the opened seeds in 28-32 degrees water, same as a hot day in sun, and it gets a large proportion of seeds out of green ones. i think i can germinate any seed that has the slightest viability. i.e. i get 100% of available seeds germed.

Then they need just nice compost conditions, and a clear warm water signal to wake them.