Moist Packing

Ok I'm back now... and Maybe I should have titled this post TRIAL and ERROR! Basically that is what this batch is for me.

Hoping and wishing...but seriously there aren't many seeds I have not been able to germinate (eventually). I recently bought seeds from Garden's North. The description of the seeds "Aconitum lycoctonum subsp. moldavicum" stated will come moist packed. Well I had no idea what the heck that meant and was curious to see. I received them and many others and some were "Moist Packed". Well well well...These packages were little plastic baggies tightly packed with moist vermicullite and the seeds. Ahhhhhhh! Well I have tons of vermiculite.

Soooooo I figured I will take all my aconitum seeds, astrantia, and Tree Peonies and moist pack them for experiment. Then place them in the fridge from now until Spring. This coming year I am going to have a BLAST! I can not wait to see what I get. Bought some seeds from JL Hudson many many years ago. Gonna moist pack some of those too. Resurrecting Long Lost Plants! ha ha

I don't germinate anything in soil (except veggies). I use vermiculite or I place them in Bounty Paper Towel (moistened) and in a ziplock bag. This is because if I start seeds of any plant. It is because I really really want it. Therefore I never play the wishing and hoping game. I've been germinating things like this for years. When the seedlings are big enough I move them to a soil. I make my seeds do what I want them to! ha ha haa! That's probably why I never throw any I plan to grow away. I personally would never place seeds of a plant I really want in the ground for germinating. But to each their own and hats off to gardeners that do and are successful getting the plant they WANT. Vermiculite is very loose and doesn't mold. Great for those itty bitty seeds. I have found that some soils mold if the seed requires a lot of moisture for germination. The vermiculite is so loose that the seedlings roots grow twice as fast, and you can virtually pull them out. Therefore no root damage and extremely easy transplanting from the vermiculite to soil. I use little cups and fill them with vermiculite and water. Sprinkle the seeds on top. Place the cup in a ziplock bag. Usually within a few days they sprout. I also get lazy and they can live in there for quite some time. With the baggie I always feel like I have to get the newly germinated seed potted up or in the ground. Vermiculite It's just a really nice medium...Next post will be a list of what's in the itty bitty bags in the fridge (packed with moist vermiculite)