Lotus seeds germination

Lotus is an interesting addition to your collection! This post covers only pre-treated lotus seeds. (Seeds that has been cracked open at one end to promote germination rate.) 

Here are the steps for direct germination :

Preparation:

1. A bowl that is 20-25cm in diameter and 15-25 cm deep.
2. Lotus seeds 
3. Tap water

Steps:

1.Soak the Ginkgo in the bowl with room temperature tap water. Ideal room temperature is 20-30 Degree Celsius. The water should at least cover the seeds by 1 inch.
2. Change water twice a day to ensure the water is fresh.
3.Germination should occurs in 7-10 days.
4.Once germinated,move the seedlings to place where it can receive plenty of sunlight.
5.The first leaf and roots should starts to grow in 2-3 weeks.

Ginkgo Seeds Germination

If your Ginkgo seeds are fresh ,cold stratification can be skipped - you can soak the seeds in water first and germinate them directly in compost.

Here are the steps for direct germination :

Preparation:

1. Potting mix (detailed in the product listing information and on the seed package).Basically,ask the nursery for a general purpose compost should fits well. Preferably,add about 20% of coarse sand (or any sandy soil) to achieve better drainage).The compost should be neutral and a bit sandy. To minimize possible molding problem, make sure the compost you bought is sterile (most commercial compost are). Preferably, buy a new pack instead of using an already opened one.

2. Seed Tray.

3. A bucket filled with cold tap water enough to cover the seeds by at least 2 inches.

Steps:

1.Soak the Ginkgo seeds in the water bucket filled with cold tap water for 48 hours. (The water should cover the seeds by at least 2 inches.)Do not change the water during this period even if the water gets a bit muddy.

2. After 48 hours,rinse the Ginkgo seeds gently.

3. Sow your seeds on to the top layers of your growing medium in your pot or in seed trays. Cover the seeds with a layer of soil - 3-4 cm.

4. Light can enhance germination. Try putting the seed tray or pot under sunlight as much as possible. 

5. Maintain a medium level of humidity for the germination by regular watering. 

6. Germination of this type of seed should naturally occurs in 4-8 weeks.

Notes:

1. Do not plant the seeds or seedlings under extremely temperature. Temperature below 15 degree Celcius or above 30 degree Celcius normally guarantee a poor result. 

Midget Crabapple (Kaido Crabapple) Seeds Germination

A prior treatment of a brief Stratification is recommended for most Midget Crabapple seeds to achieve high germination rate.

Here are the steps for stratification:

Preparation for Stratification:

1. Zip loc bag

2. Some moist kitchen paper

3. Plant labels

4. 10% Hydrogen peroxide solution(common bleach) *optional but recommended

5. Sieve

6. A pair of gardening gloves 

7. A pair of Tweezers

Steps for Stratification:

1. Rinse the Midget Crabapple seeds gently in a sieve.

2. Use a gardening gloves and soak the Midget Crabapple seeds into the 10% hydrogen peroxide solution for about 10 minutes.* This step is optional but it helps prevent possible molding drastically.

3. Pick up the seeds with a pair of tweezers and put them into a moist kitchen paper, then put them into a zip loc bag. Finish by labeling  them and then refrigerate them. (Do not put into a freezer. Let them stay in the lower part of a refrigerator - the part where you usually store vegetables or fruit will be fine.)

4.Store them for 7-10 days.

*If you prefer not to use stratification,starts here:

Here are the steps for direct germination or seeds after stratification treatment:

Preparation:

1. Potting mix (detailed in the product listing information and on the seed package).Basically,ask the nursery for a general purpose compost should fits well. Preferably,add about 30% of coarse sand (or any sandy soil) to achieve better drainage).The compost should be neutral and a bit sandy. To minimize possible molding problem, make sure the compost you bought is sterile (most commercial compost are). Preferably, buy a new pack instead of using an already opened one.

2. Seed Tray.

3. 10% Hydrogen peroxide solution(common bleach) *optional but recommended

4. Gardening glove

5. A pair of Tweezers

6. General purpose fungicide (optional but recommended)
7. Sieve

Steps:

1. Rinse the Midget Crabapple seeds gently in a sieve.
2. Use a gardening glove and soak the Midget Crabapple seeds into the 10% hydrogen peroxide solution for about 10 minutes.* This step is optional but it helps prevent possible molding drastically.

3. Pick up the seeds with a pair of Tweezers. Sow your seeds on to the top layers of your growing medium in your pot or in seed trays. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil - not more than 2 cm.

*If you have already treat the seeds with stratification,starts here: transfer the seedlings with a pair of tweezers and plant them into the soil.

4. Light can enhance germination. Try putting the seed tray or pot under sunlight as much as possible. 

5. Maintain a medium level of humidity for the germination by regular watering. 

6. Germination of this type of seed should naturally occurs in 2-8 weeks.

7. (Optional but recommended)Once germinate, or after transferring seedlings from stratification,use a general purpose fungicide to prevent molding problems. Follow instruction on the fungicide label for amount and frequency of application.

Notes:

1. Do not plant the seeds or seedlings under extremely temperature. Temperature below 15 degree Celcius or above 30 degree Celcius normally guarantee a poor result. 

Formosa Acacia (Taiwan Acacia) Seeds Germination

Formosa Acacia is a type of seed which can still germinate after decades of preservation. However,some steps are important to guaranteed a high success rate.

First of all,soaking is essential to crack the hard shell of Formosa Acacia.

Preperation:

1.Small or medium size bucket

2. Hot water (70-80 degree celcius)

3.Lukewarm water

4.Sieve

Steps of soaking treatment:

1.Place the seeds in the bucket, pour in the hot water.

2.Wait till the water cools off eventually. Throw away seeds that floats (these seeds usually do not germinate).

3.Change the water into lukewarm water and soak the seeds for 12 hours.

4. After 12 hours, check if the seed shell has crack,if yes pick it out to start planting. If not,continue the soaking to up to 24 hours.

Planting Preparation:

1. Potting mix (detailed in the product listing information and on the seed package).Basically,ask the nursery for a general purpose compost should fits well. The compost should be neutral and sandy. To minimize possible molding problem, make sure the compost you bought is sterile (most commercial compost are). Preferably, buy a new pack instead of using an already opened one.

2. Seed Tray.

3. 10% Hydrogen peroxide solution(common bleach) *optional but recommended

4. Gardening glove

5. A pair of Tweezers

6. General purpose fungicide (optional but recommended)
7. Sieve

Planting Steps:

1. Transfer the seedlings with a pair of tweezers and plant them into the soil. 

2. After transferring seedlings from stratification,use fungicide to prevent molding problems. Follow instruction on the fungicide label for amount and frequency of application. (This step is optional but recommended)
3. Provide sufficient light for the seedlings. Try putting the seed tray or pot under moderate sunlight - 4-8 hours a day is enough. *Avoid prolonged strong light for seedlings to prevent drying the seedlings up or burning them. 

Notes:

1. Do not plant the seeds or seedlings under extremely temperature. Temperature below 15 degree Celcius or above 30 degree Celcius normally guarantee a poor result. 

Sakura (Cherry Blossom) Seeds Germination

A prior treatment with Stratification (mimicking winter to encourage germination for certain types of seeds)  is recommended for most Sakura (Cherry Blossom) seeds to achieve high germination rate.

Here are the steps for stratification:

Preparation for Stratification:

1. Zip loc bag

2. Some moist kitchen paper

3. Plant labels

4. 10% Hydrogen peroxide solution(common bleach) *optional but recommended

5. Sieve

6. A pair of gardening gloves 

7. A pair of Tweezers

Steps for Stratification:

1. Rinse the Sakura (Cherry Blossom) seeds gently in a sieve.

2. Use a gardening gloves and soak the Sakura (Cherry Blossom) seeds into the 10% hydrogen peroxide solution for about 10 minutes.* This step is optional but it helps prevent possible molding drastically.

3. Pick up the seeds with a pair of tweezers and put them into a moist kitchen paper, then put them into a zip loc bag. Finish by labeling  them and then refrigerate them. (Do not put into a freezer. Let them stay in the lower part of a refrigerator - the part where you usually store vegetables or fruit will be fine.)

4. Sprouting should start in 2-8 weeks, depending on the variety. Some variety takes up to months to start germination. Check for germination once a week and if necessary ,moisturize the kitchen paper to maintain humidity.   

*If you prefer not to use stratification,starts here:

Here are the steps for direct germination or transferring of seedlings after stratification:


Preparation:

1. Potting mix (detailed in the product listing information and on the seed package).Basically,ask the nursery for a compost for compost designed for Rose should fits well. Preferably,add about 30% of coarse sand (or any sandy soil) to achieve better drainage).The compost should be slightly acidic and a bit sandy. To minimize possible molding problem, make sure the compost you bought is sterile (most commercial compost are). Preferably, buy a new pack instead of using an already opened one.

2. Seed Tray.

3. 10% Hydrogen peroxide solution(common bleach) *optional but recommended

4. Gardening glove

5. A pair of Tweezers

6. Copper based fungicide
7. Sieve

Steps:

1. Rinse the Sakura (Cherry Blossom) seeds gently in a sieve.
2. Use a gardening glove and soak the Sakura (Cherry Blossom) seeds into the 10% hydrogen peroxide solution for about 10 minutes.* This step is optional but it helps prevent possible molding drastically.

3. Pick up the seeds with a pair of Tweezers. Sow your seeds on to the top layers of your growing medium in your pot or in seed trays. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil - not more than 2 cm.
*If you have already treat the seeds with stratification,starts here:  transfer the seedlings with a pair of tweezers and plant them into the soil.

4. Light can enhance germination. Try putting the seed tray or pot under sunlight as much as possible. 

5. Maintain a medium level of humidity for the germination by regular watering. 

6. Germination of this type of seed should naturally occurs in 2-8 weeks.

7. (Optional but recommended)Once germinate, or after transferring seedlings from stratification,use a Copper based fungicide to prevent molding problems. Follow instruction on the fungicide label for amount and frequency of application.

Notes:

1. Do not plant the seeds or seedlings under extremely temperature. Temperature below 15 degree Celcius or above 30 degree Celcius normally guarantee a poor result. 

2. Stratification is not necessary if the seeds are very fresh (e.g. just harvested in season). Germination rate decreases longer the seeds is stored. Thus, if you are unsure how long your seeds has been stored, treatment of stratification is highly recommended.

Gwai Hua / Sweet Olive seeds germination

Stratification (mimicking winter to encourage germination for certain types of seeds)  is necessary for Sweet Olive seeds.

Here are the steps for stratification:

Preparation for Stratification:

1. Zip loc bag

2. Some moist kitchen paper

3. Plant labels

4. 10% Hydrogen peroxide solution(common bleach) *optional but recommended

5. Sieve

6. A pair of gardening gloves 

7. A pair of Tweezers

Steps for Stratification:

1. Soak the Sweet Olive seeds in water for 36-48  hours. Rinse the Sweet Olive seeds gently in a sieve.

2. Use a gardening gloves and soak the Sweet Olive seeds into the 10% hydrogen peroxide solution for about 10 minutes.* This step is optional but it helps prevent possible molding drastically.

3. Pick up the seeds with a pair of tweezers and put them into a moist kitchen paper, then put them into a zip loc bag. Finish by labeling  them and then refrigerate them. (Do not put into a freezer. Let them stay in the lower part of a refrigerator - the part where you usually store vegetables or fruit will be fine.)

4. Sprouting should start in 2-12 weeks, depending on the variety. Some variety takes up to months to start germination. Check for germination once a week and if necessary ,moisturize the kitchen paper to maintain humidity.   

Here are the steps for transferring of seedlings after stratification:


Preparation:

1. Potting mix (detailed in the product listing information and on the seed package).Basically,ask the nursery for a compost for Rose should fits well. The compost should be acidic and sandy. To minimize possible molding problem, make sure the compost you bought is sterile (most commercial compost are). Preferably, buy a new pack instead of using an already opened one.

2. Seed Tray.

3. 10% Hydrogen peroxide solution(common bleach) *optional but recommended

4. Gardening glove

5. A pair of Tweezers

6. Copper based fungicide
7. Sieve

Steps:

1. Transfer the seedlings with a pair of tweezers and plant them into the soil. 

2. After transferring seedlings from stratification,use a Copper based fungicide to prevent molding problems. Follow instruction on the fungicide label for amount and frequency of application.
3. Provide sufficient light for the seedlings. Try putting the seed tray or pot under moderate sunlight - 4-8 hours a day is enough. *Avoid prolonged strong light for seedlings. 

Notes:

1. Do not plant the seeds or seedlings under extremely temperature. Temperature below 15 degree Celcius or above 30 degree Celcius normally guarantee a poor result. 

Peony/ Garden Peony Germination

A prior treatment with Stratification (mimicking winter to encourage germination for certain types of seeds)  is necessary for most Peony / Garden Peony seeds to achieve high germination rate.

Here are the steps for stratification:

Preparation for Stratification:

1. Zip loc bag

2. Some moist kitchen paper

3. Plant labels

4. 10% Hydrogen peroxide solution(common bleach) *optional but recommended

5. Sieve

6. A pair of gardening gloves 

7. A pair of Tweezers

Steps for Stratification:

1. Rinse the Peony/Garden Peony seeds gently in a sieve.

2. Use a gardening gloves and soak the Peony/Garden Peony seeds into the 10% hydrogen peroxide solution for about 10 minutes.* This step is optional but it helps prevent possible molding drastically.

3. Pick up the seeds with a pair of tweezers and put them into a moist kitchen paper, then put them into a zip loc bag. Finish by labeling  them and then refrigerate them. (Do not put into a freezer. Let them stay in the lower part of a refrigerator - the part where you usually store vegetables or fruit will be fine.)

4. Sprouting should start in 4-8 weeks, depending on the variety. Some variety takes up to months to start germination. Check for germination once a week and if necessary ,moisturize the kitchen paper to maintain humidity.   

*If you prefer not to use stratification,starts here:

Here are the steps for direct germination or transferring of seedlings after stratification:


Preparation:

1. Potting mix (detailed in the product listing information and on the seed package).Basically,ask the nursery for a compost for Peony/Garden Peony should fits well. The compost should be neutral and a bit sandy. To minimize possible molding problem, make sure the compost you bought is sterile (most commercial compost are). Preferably, buy a new pack instead of using an already opened one.

2. Seed Tray.

3. 10% Hydrogen peroxide solution(common bleach) *optional but recommended

4. Gardening glove

5. A pair of Tweezers

6. Copper based fungicide
7. Sieve

Steps:

1. Rinse the Peony/Garden Peony seeds gently in a sieve.
2. Use a gardening glove and soak the rose seeds into the 10% hydrogen peroxide solution for about 10 minutes.* This step is optional but it helps prevent possible molding drastically.

3. Pick up the seeds with a pair of Tweezers. Sow your seeds on to the top layers of your growing medium in your pot or in seed trays. Cover the seeds with a very thin layer of soil - not more than 1 cm.
*If you have already treat the seeds with stratification,starts here:  transfer the seedlings with a pair of tweezers and plant them into the soil.

4. Light can enhance germination. Try putting the seed tray or pot under sunlight as much as possible. 

5. Maintain a medium level of humidity for the germination by regular watering. 

6. Germination of this type of seed should naturally occurs in 4-8 weeks.

7. (Optional but recommended)Once germinate, or after transferring seedlings from stratification,use a Copper based fungicide to prevent molding problems. Follow instruction on the fungicide label for amount and frequency of application.

Notes:

1. Do not plant the seeds or seedlings under extremely temperature. Temperature below 15 degree Celcius or above 30 degree Celcius normally guarantee a poor result. 

Rose /China Rose seeds germination

A prior treatment with Stratification (mimicking winter to encourage germination for certain types of seeds)  is necessary for most rose seeds to achieve high germination rate.

Here are the steps for stratification:

Preparation for Stratification:

1. Zip loc bag

2. Some moist kitchen paper

3. Plant labels

4. 10% Hydrogen peroxide solution(common bleach) *optional but recommended

5. Sieve

6. A pair of gardening gloves 

7. A pair of Tweezers

Steps for Stratification:

1. Rinse the rose seeds gently in a sieve.

2. Use a gardening gloves and soak the rose seeds into the 10% hydrogen peroxide solution for about 10 minutes.* This step is optional but it helps prevent possible molding drastically.

3. Pick up the seeds with a pair of tweezers and put them into a moist kitchen paper, then put them into a zip loc bag. Finish by labeling  them and then refrigerate them. (Do not put into a freezer. Let them stay in the lower part of a refrigerator - the part where you usually store vegetables or fruit will be fine.)

4. Sprouting should start in 1-2 weeks, depending on the variety. Some variety takes up to months to start germination. Check for germination once a week and if necessary ,moisturize the kitchen paper to maintain humidity.   

*If you prefer not to use stratification,starts here:

Here are the steps for direct germination or transferring of seedlings after stratification:


Preparation:

1. Potting mix (detailed in the product listing information and on the seed package).Basically,ask the nursery for a compost for Rose should fits well. The compost should be slightly acidic. To minimize possible molding problem, make sure the compost you bought is sterile (most commercial compost are). Preferably, buy a new pack instead of using an already opened one.

2. Seed Tray.

3. 10% Hydrogen peroxide solution(common bleach) *optional but recommended

4. Gardening glove

5. A pair of Tweezers

6. Copper based fungicide
7. Sieve

Steps:

1. Rinse the rose seeds gently in a sieve.
2. Use a gardening glove and soak the rose seeds into the 10% hydrogen peroxide solution for about 10 minutes.* This step is optional but it helps prevent possible molding drastically.

3. Pick up the seeds with a pair of Tweezers. Sow your seeds on to the top layers of your growing medium in your pot or in seed trays. Cover the seeds with a very thin layer of soil - not more than 5mm.*If you have already germinate the seeds with stratification, transfer the seedlings with a pair of tweezers and plant them into the soil.

4. Light can enhance germination. Try putting the seed tray or pot under sunlight as much as possible. 

5. Maintain a medium level of humidity for the germination by regular watering. 

6. Germination of this type of seed should naturally occur in 2-8 weeks.

7. (Optional but recommended)Once germinate, or after transferring seedlings from stratification,use a Copper based fungicide to prevent molding problems. Follow instruction on the fungicide label for amount and frequency of application.

Notes:

1. Do not plant the seeds or seedlings under extremely temperature. Temperature below 15 degree Celcius or above 30 degree Celcius normally guarantee a poor result. 

Succulent seeds germination

Succulent seeds germination

Preparation:

1. Potting mix (detailed in the product listing information and on the seed package).Basically, any 'cactus mix' from nursery should fit well. To minimize possible molding problem, make sure the compost you bought is sterile (most commercial compost are). Preferably, buy a new pack instead of using an already opened one.

2. Seed Tray.

Steps:

1. Sow your seeds on to the top layers or on the surface of your growing medium in your pot or in seed trays. Cover the seeds with a very thin layer of soil - not more than 2mm.

2. Strong light can enhance germination. Try putting the seed tray or pot under full light as much as possible. Use artificial light to stimulate germination if necessary.

3. Maintain a low humidity for the germination by regular watering. Do not over water as this is a succulent species - they generally do not tolerate over watering.

4. Germination of this type of seed should naturally occur in 2-4 weeks.

Notes:

1. Do not bury the seed too deep as succulent cactus cannot germination in such condition.

2. Most succulent seeds has higher germination rate at 15-25 degree Celsius. Germination attempt made during high temperature season (32 degree or above) normally guarantee a poor result. 

Cactus seeds germination

Cactus seeds germination guideline

Preparation:

1. Potting mix (detailed in the product listing information and on the seed package).Basically, any 'cactus mix' from nursery should fit well. To minimize possible molding problem, make sure the compost you bought is sterile (most commercial compost are). Preferably, buy a new pack instead of using an already opened one.

2. Seed Tray with or without bottom heating.

Steps:

1. Sow your seeds on to the top layers or on the surface of your growing medium in your pot or in seed trays. Cover the seeds with a very thin layer of soil - not more than 2 mm. (Seed tray or propagator with bottom heating is preferable but not a must. Bottom heating help improve optimum humidity for higher germination rate.)

2. Strong light can enhance germination. Try putting the seed tray or pot under full light as much as possible. Use artificial light to stimulate germination if necessary.

3. Maintain a low humidity for the germination by regular watering. Do not over water as this is a cacti species - they generally do not tolerate over watering.

4. Germination of this type of seed should naturally occur in 2-4 weeks.

Notes:

1. Do not bury the seed too deep as cactus cannot germination in such condition.

3. Most cacti seeds has higher germination rate at 25-35 degree Celsius. Germination attempt made during winter (15 degree or below) normally guarantee a poor result.