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Entheogen Growing: Germination |
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Written by Glider
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Monday, 21 December 1998 |
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Page 3 of 3
Much has been said of gibberellic acid. It should be noted that GA actually inhibits germination in certain species. One concentration may promote germination in a certain species, but a slighter stronger concentration may actually inhibit the same species. If you must experiment with it, use a control group so that you can determine the exact effects of the plant hormone. Interestingly, many cacti seeds are very much positively influenced by GA. More specifics are available from the trio of books by Dr. Norman C. Deno. Due to the complicated nature of this chemical, and my lack of experience with it, I will omit directions for its use and instead refer those wishing to try it to these books.
Hydrogen peroxide, extreme heat, and bleach have all been recommended as stimulating germination in a variety of seeds. Most of these I have not tried, though extreme heat seems to work in some cases. As a whole, I currently believe that an over all better germination rate will be achieved by avoiding these methods. If anyone has personal experiences that indicate otherwise, I encourage you to contact me. Keep in mind that to prove something like this works, a control group is needed to contrast the results.
There are several seed treatments that I know work. One is a cold germination. This is often referred to as cold stratification. In this, seeds are stored at approximately 40 deg F for at least one month, and there is evidence to suggest that 3 months is ideal for many temperate species. Most tropical species do not normally experience a cold period in their natural habitat, and are not likely to enjoy being subjected to these temperatures in your home. Most refrigerators are set at 40 deg F, making this a convenient storage area. Freezing seeds generally does not increase germination rates, and may be deleterious to the germination rate. During this cold germination period, it is important to keep the seeds moist, as refrigerating them in a dry state will not induce germination.
Drying seeds, and keeping them dry for an extended period of time is actually necessary for some species to germinate. In other species dry storage aids in germination by removing other requirements. For example many common garden vegetables require either light or GA3 in order to germinate when they are fresh. After 6-12 months of dry storage however, they will germinate easily, and often times more successfully, without either. Desert species also commonly require a dry period before growth.
Scarification, or nicking, the seed coat may help certain species to germinate. This is best accomplished by using a small file on the outward curving (convex) portion of the seed. Very small seeds can be rubbed with sand, then sown sand and all. I believe that very few species benefit from this. I've tried several techniques on seeds with hard seed coats, and I've found that in most cases I get as good or better germination without filing. This is in direct contrast to what many gardeners have reported, but is supported somewhat by botanical literature. Most hard seed coats have been found to have at least one pore or soft spot on the seed, often indistinguishable to the naked eye. I would urge anyone attempting to grow hard coated seed forming plants to try several methods, and let us know what works best for them, and with which species. Certain species of temperate trees do require piercing or removal of the seed coat before they will germinate. At this point it should be mentioned that the coat should be filed only until the meat of the seed can be seen, and that some seeds have an inner and an outer seed coat. It is not always the outer coat that is water impervious.
While I am mentioning that properly drying seeds can be helpful and in some species it is a requirement, I should also mention that drying out will kill some seeds. Many wildflowers such as Trilliums and buttercup will die with less than two weeks of dry storage. E. coco is said to die within two weeks of harvesting the seed. Research and trial and error will let you know which seeds need to be dried, and which need to not be dried.
Hopefully as you explore the world of gardening you will learn much that will be shared with others for many years to come. Enjoy yourself, and try not to get too much sun!
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