Some seeds require cold, warm, or moist treatment. Wether you plan to sow your seeds right away or store them for later. Vermiculite is an ideal growing medium for germination and starting seeds. It retains moisture without rotting or molding the seeds. In addition, vermiculite is loose and you can easily remove seedlings without damaging the roots. Which makes it easier to transplant from the vermiculite to soil. For tiny seeds (like snapdragons) Sprinkle the seeds on top of moist vermiculite and they usually sprout in a couple of days. Vermiculite is also ideal for when a plant seems to be dampening off. I have sprinkled it around the plant and it usually recovers quickly.
Just a few Tips:
Most seeds can be stored in the refrigerator, and can withstand cold treatment. Annual flowers and vine seeds usually germinate without any cold treatment. Although there are many Annual seeds that benefit from cold treatment (like Impatiens capensis and pallida) Very tiny seeds (like snapdragons) can be sown right on top of the growing medium surface for germination. Hard coated seeds can benefit from being nicked and soaked in water before sowing. For example, Morning Glory seeds germinate faster when soaked before sowing. Seeds that benefit from cold treatment are usually Cold Hardy Perennials. They can be winter sown in the ground or prepared indoors.
Keep in mind when sowing seeds indoors the key is: You are trying to duplicate how germination occurs in natural conditions for that particular plant. For preparing indoors, place seeds inside the vermiculite bag, add water. Just enough to wet the vermiculite and squeeze any excess water out the baggie, then seal it shut. Then place the ziplock bag in the freezer (very cold hardy plants) or in the refrigerator (semi-cold hary plants) for 6-12 weeks until ready to sow. Therefore they will already be cold stratified and ready for sowing indoors. Always use good seed starting soil (or vermiculite
) when trying to start new seeds.New Info: Seeds will germinate in the Baggie in the refrigerator. So keep an eye on them after a few weeks.
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4 comments:
Hi Kim, does this stuff work for veg seeds too, as I'm currently having a propogation medium debate (in my head, obviously).
Good informative post. Vermiculite is costly here and we mostly use leaf mold, sand and loamy soil to germinate seeds. I sure be visiting your blog often as i start lots of plants with seeds. Keep posting.
Yes Yes And Yes...LOL. I love this stuff. I read some years ago about how someone used vermiculite to germinate. So I figured I'd give it a try. I can not live without it. I wouldn't have most of the plants I have now if it wasn't for it. As far as vegetables what kind are you trying to start? Because I DO sow all my veggies in the ground. But let me know what you're thinking about..in your head..ha ha
Muhammad: If you want a Baggie to try I would be happy to send you a sample. Send me an email.
To vermiculite removalfirst we have to know that Molded shapes: this process involves mixing exfoliated vermiculite with inorganic bonding agents such as sodium silicate and to produce an 'earth damp' mixture. Open fireplaces High-temperature or refractory insulation Acoustic panels Fireproofing of structural steel and pipes Calcium silicate boards: exfoliated vermiculite is added to calcium silicate slurry, this is then dewatered by pressing or
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