I have been testing some gourd seeds by putting them in paper towels to get them to germinate. While I have had a lot of luck with it there is one problem. The root comes out and imediately turns down making them really hard to plant. Is there a way that anyone has come up with to keep the seeds upright so when the root starts you can easily plant them and not break off the start? Also, how far do you let the seeds go while in the paper towels or coffee filters? Just to the point they start to root or a lot further than that?
Keeping the seeds upright isn't all that important. When you start them in a pot of soil you can't control which way the seed is laying and it still grows just fine. If the seed has roots and a sprout when you plant them, poke a hole in the soil with your finger and stick the seed down into it. You can gently backfill the hole so the roots are covered. If the sprout falls over you can always gently mound more soil around the base of the stem for support. Last year I waited until the seedling was about an inch long with it's first set of leaves before planting them in pots and they did just fine. If you wait too long and the roots get tangled in the toweling, just snip off as much of the paper as you can around the roots then plant. The paper will compost and not harm the roots. I also had some that I forgot about and the sprouts were almost 4 inches long before I got them planted and they did just fine.
Wow, thank you very much Toni. That helps a LOT! One more question, were they all on sandwhich bags? I would have thought that the seedlings would need fresh air to grow that far but if they don't the bags are so much easier that using open dishes like I have always done in the past.
I believe this thread might explain a problem I had when I first started out. I tried the paper towel in a baggie method my first year. BUt I planted them in a pot as soon as I got roots sprouting. If I am understanding ya'll, I need to let the roots grow long AND get a seedling sprout. Is that right?
Actualy no and maybe yes. I have started a lot of apples from seed with the paper towel method and I have never let them get more than a little root before planting them. I think the key here is making sure that the seedllings have a lot of moisture right when you plant them and that they DON'T (left that out, big booboo), get cold shock. The baggies are warm and ultra moist so sticking the seed in the ground can be a lot of transplant shock if the soil is cold or the moisture levels change dramatically all of the sudden.
My favorite way to plant a seed I am glad to reading that some folks let the roots get really long. I personally like to plant my seeds as soon as I see the little white tail, of course sometimes I wait a little longer than I like and they grow into the cloth as I use old cotton rags instead of paper towels. I imagine with hardy plants you will have more success with longer sprouts than with more delicate plants. I plant a lot of my seeds right in the ground or in a pot or flat and that is really the easiest. My green house is not super warm so I start all my early summer plantings above my stove in little flat dishes on old rags with a plastic bag over them. I don't close the bag so there is good air flow. Just goes to show there is more than one way to plant a seed. Farmer Dave Planting flats ( photo / image / picture from Farmer_Dave's Garden )
