YOU CAN SOAK YOUR SEEDS TO SPEED UP GERMINATION

When you are ready to start your Seeds, you can soak your Seeds to get them to germinate quicker. Soaking your Seeds first will allow water to fully penetrate the hull of the seed, nourishing the germ that will bloom into a plant. Seeds get food from the nutrients in the soil once they are planted, but for a good start they need plenty of water. It can be difficult for seeds to take on enough water once they are planted, because soil can wick moisture away from the seeds before the water fully penetrates the seed. Soaking seeds will take care of the problem, by giving your seeds as much water as they can use and store.

Soaking seeds makes your seeds sprout faster, as it fools them into thinking they've been planted longer. When you soak seeds, they take on the same amount of water in just a single day of soaking that would take the seeds up to a week to absorb if they were planted. Soaking seeds speeds up seed germination by making sure that your seeds get their thirst fully quenched before they are submerged in the ground. When they are fully soaked, the seeds behave as thought they've already been planted for days, or even weeks, before you have even put them in your garden. This radically shortens the overall time for seed germination.

To soak your seeds, submerge them in warm water. The water should not be so hot that it is uncomfortable to the touch, as this can shock the seeds, but gentle warmth will help soften the hard outer hull so that water can penetrate the seed more easily. Put your seeds in at least three inches of water for 12 hours, then check to see if they are ready to plant. Note--some of your smaller softer Seeds, like Tomato and Pepper Seeds, can be soaked for just 4 - 6 hours. Be careful, though, because smaller Seeds can clump together and make a mess. We mostly just soak the medium to larger size Seeds, and not the small ones. Some Families will start soaking at bedtime, and then plant in the morning upon waking.

The appearance of the seed is the best way to tell when the seed is ready to plant in the ground. After you've left your seeds in water for 12 hours, check on your soaking seeds and see what they look like.. When a seed has fully absorbed as much water as it needs, it will swell and lighten in color as the hull softens and the inner kernel of the seed absorbs water. When your seeds have swelled to a larger size, feel soft in texture, and appear a few shades lighter in color, it means that the water has fully penetrated the seed. Now, you are ready to plant your seeds, and enjoy fast germination in your garden!