If you have seeds from last year or even older you can do this simple germination test to see if they’re still viable (good). This will help you decide if you need to purchase new seeds for the upcoming season.
- Moisten a full sheet of paper towel and fold it in half. You want it saturated but not to the point of dripping.
- Choose which seeds you’re going to test. The more you test the more accurate your results will be.
- Place the seeds on one side of the paper towel and then fold the other side over making sure that the seeds are covered.
- Place the paper towel into a container, Ziploc or plastic bag or on a plate with plastic wrap over it. Don’t fully close whatever you put them in. You want it mostly closed but you still need to allow it to breathe and get a little bit of air.
- Mark on the container, bag, etc what the seeds were and how many that you placed in it. Also put the date so you know when you started the test.
- Place it in a warm dark place. On top of the refrigerator, in a cupboard or even a closet all work well. It doesn’t have to be completely dark, just no direct light at all.
- Check on it daily to make sure the towel still has moisture and didn’t dry out.
- If they’re viable, most seeds will germinate within 3-14 days. This will vary by which variety and type they are.
- Keep checking it daily. If you see any mold or fungus, toss those particular seeds out.
- If the germination rate is low, you can still try planting them and they may do just fine. You’ll just need to plant extras.
- If you have seeds that germinated, if you’re very careful not to damage them, you can go ahead and plant them.
