Gardening Experts Answer 21 of Your Seed Starting Questions
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Date: 2025-01-27
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Comments and reviews: 20
epic_gardening
Honestly i would say a dragon fruit is a bit of a hard one from seed as while it does germinate pretty fast you do have to baby it for a bit before it sprouts as 1-4 weeks and can take up to 8 weeks. A interesting thing about that is the radicle will pop out about 1 week the rest is it taking forever to sprout as it's a small seed so you have to keep it moist as the seeds should be sowed in 1/4-1/2 inch deep. Again getting it to germinate is the easy part which for people that don't know once the radicle or the main or first root is coming out of the seed it is considered germinated with the hard part being making sure you don't over water it but it has enough water to actually sprout as they are not sowed that deep so they are in the part that dries out fast and even more so if you actually surface sow these. Funny thing about Dragon fruit is they need heat water AND light to germinate just like any pepper seeds, but dragon fruit can germinate at room temperature of 70 degrees
Now you can even just leave them in water on a sunny window sill or under a grow light for about a week and they will just sprout like cotyledon stage and all as long as the water is room temperature or warm and they will sprout, so at the same time they are easy and not easy to grow from seed which is interestingly weird. I can not stress it enough that Dragon Fruit seeds are one of the seeds that loves light to germinate and since they love light they sprout the fastest with this soaking in water in a well lit area method which is also why they can just be surface sowed no problem just like a lot of flower seeds such as Marigolds or Dandelions or actually most small seeds, as fun fact just about all small seeds germinate the best when surface sowed as they need light to germinate and they can't really push through the soil if it's too deep
There are some small seeds that prefers darkness to germinate such as calendula, centaurea, delphinium, gazania, nemesia, primula sinensis, and schizanthus. This also includes dust like seeds which benefit with being covered with a thin layer of soil so no direct sunlight is hitting it during germination such as mushroom seeds funny enough or spores which are pretty much the same thing but there are dust like seeds with the only example i can think of is orchids as the seeds are so small they look like dust particles
Honestly i kinda wish that all seeds sprouted easily just soaking in water for a week, but anyways that really is a lesson on know what seed you are growing as sometimes what normally would not make for a good method to sprout or geminate seeds they will sprout or germinate easily in with no risk. but also don't assume your seeds that germinated but not sprout have died as you might accidently end up with 500 dragon fruit plants since other methods of sprouting are actually slower than just letting them sit in the water for a week as for some reason they don't drown they love it kinda like regrowing celery from the base honestly as they love water
Though the annoying part about celery is getting it acclimated to soil after regrowing a good bit from the scraps since the new roots are so shallow and small, granted it could also depend on the type of celery i do not know but fun fact I know from experience that it's actually hard to drown your celery roots even if your plant starts limping. Like it's so hard i have to salute people that actually manage to overwater their celery and cause rot, I only ever managed to over water it and cause a stunted or slow growth not actually rot or kill the plant. But a annoying and interesting thing about celery is it can also limp if it is underwatered due to heat or too much light from a grow lamp or sunlight, so once it starts limping it's hard to tell the cause as it can be any number of problems. For me it is probably a mixture of accidently turning my bedroom into a green house and too much light as i have to leave my grow light on for 16 hours for some other plants such as germinating the damn carolina reaper seeds that rotted on me so i have to start a new batch and these are the most stubborn seeds i have ever seen
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Honestly i would say a dragon fruit is a bit of a hard one from seed as while it does germinate pretty fast you do have to baby it for a bit before it sprouts as 1-4 weeks and can take up to 8 weeks. A interesting thing about that is the radicle will pop out about 1 week the rest is it taking forever to sprout as it's a small seed so you have to keep it moist as the seeds should be sowed in 1/4-1/2 inch deep. Again getting it to germinate is the easy part which for people that don't know once the radicle or the main or first root is coming out of the seed it is considered germinated with the hard part being making sure you don't over water it but it has enough water to actually sprout as they are not sowed that deep so they are in the part that dries out fast and even more so if you actually surface sow these. Funny thing about Dragon fruit is they need heat water AND light to germinate just like any pepper seeds, but dragon fruit can germinate at room temperature of 70 degrees
Now you can even just leave them in water on a sunny window sill or under a grow light for about a week and they will just sprout like cotyledon stage and all as long as the water is room temperature or warm and they will sprout, so at the same time they are easy and not easy to grow from seed which is interestingly weird. I can not stress it enough that Dragon Fruit seeds are one of the seeds that loves light to germinate and since they love light they sprout the fastest with this soaking in water in a well lit area method which is also why they can just be surface sowed no problem just like a lot of flower seeds such as Marigolds or Dandelions or actually most small seeds, as fun fact just about all small seeds germinate the best when surface sowed as they need light to germinate and they can't really push through the soil if it's too deep
There are some small seeds that prefers darkness to germinate such as calendula, centaurea, delphinium, gazania, nemesia, primula sinensis, and schizanthus. This also includes dust like seeds which benefit with being covered with a thin layer of soil so no direct sunlight is hitting it during germination such as mushroom seeds funny enough or spores which are pretty much the same thing but there are dust like seeds with the only example i can think of is orchids as the seeds are so small they look like dust particles
Honestly i kinda wish that all seeds sprouted easily just soaking in water for a week, but anyways that really is a lesson on know what seed you are growing as sometimes what normally would not make for a good method to sprout or geminate seeds they will sprout or germinate easily in with no risk. but also don't assume your seeds that germinated but not sprout have died as you might accidently end up with 500 dragon fruit plants since other methods of sprouting are actually slower than just letting them sit in the water for a week as for some reason they don't drown they love it kinda like regrowing celery from the base honestly as they love water
Though the annoying part about celery is getting it acclimated to soil after regrowing a good bit from the scraps since the new roots are so shallow and small, granted it could also depend on the type of celery i do not know but fun fact I know from experience that it's actually hard to drown your celery roots even if your plant starts limping. Like it's so hard i have to salute people that actually manage to overwater their celery and cause rot, I only ever managed to over water it and cause a stunted or slow growth not actually rot or kill the plant. But a annoying and interesting thing about celery is it can also limp if it is underwatered due to heat or too much light from a grow lamp or sunlight, so once it starts limping it's hard to tell the cause as it can be any number of problems. For me it is probably a mixture of accidently turning my bedroom into a green house and too much light as i have to leave my grow light on for 16 hours for some other plants such as germinating the damn carolina reaper seeds that rotted on me so i have to start a new batch and these are the most stubborn seeds i have ever seen
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epic_gardening
I'm down to a cocktail or two a year also.
It's basically ones that can replace dessert.
What would you do with sweet potatoes that you've laid in soil for slips later in the season but they already sprouted and are trying to get leggy. in January Last year they took months to sprout.
I have a favorite seed starting product that's apparently not available in the US anymore. Jiffy QSM pucks. like those netted peat/coir pellets, but without that annoying net.
The jiffy customer service folks say they're available at big box stores but they're wrong. only netted pellets.
For me, they held together beautifully, and are small enough to see when the roots re ready for more growing medium.
So far, they've been the only way I get successful transplants. put the ones that are good in 32 ounce yogurt cups, with holes, until they're ready to go to their growing spot.
Are there any shade trees you'd suggest starting from seed
When a seed packet says how long it is to harvest. how do you know if that's from seed to harvest or transplant to harvest
I don't do germination tests. I put all the seeds I want on a wet paper towel in a container. if they sprout, they win a spot in a seedling starting line up.
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I'm down to a cocktail or two a year also.
It's basically ones that can replace dessert.
What would you do with sweet potatoes that you've laid in soil for slips later in the season but they already sprouted and are trying to get leggy. in January Last year they took months to sprout.
I have a favorite seed starting product that's apparently not available in the US anymore. Jiffy QSM pucks. like those netted peat/coir pellets, but without that annoying net.
The jiffy customer service folks say they're available at big box stores but they're wrong. only netted pellets.
For me, they held together beautifully, and are small enough to see when the roots re ready for more growing medium.
So far, they've been the only way I get successful transplants. put the ones that are good in 32 ounce yogurt cups, with holes, until they're ready to go to their growing spot.
Are there any shade trees you'd suggest starting from seed
When a seed packet says how long it is to harvest. how do you know if that's from seed to harvest or transplant to harvest
I don't do germination tests. I put all the seeds I want on a wet paper towel in a container. if they sprout, they win a spot in a seedling starting line up.
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AllyGFresh
26: 00 to expand on this: some of how long a seed lasts can depend on how it's stored. Some seeds are very sensitive to how they are stored. From what I've learned, flower seeds typically have a shorter shelf life than vegetable seeds. It depends completely on the type, but just a normal rule of thumb to consider. I've planted several year old Zuchinni, beans, and pea seeds with no issue. I've done the same for things like Marigolds. A lot of stuff like that will come naturally as you gain experience and mess around with it too. Just remember there's never any harm in trying to start the seeds even if you think they might not grow. For sure test things and see if they grow, and if you want to save seeds from year to year you can look into what certain seeds/seeds in general need to keep the best if you're really worried about it.
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26: 00 to expand on this: some of how long a seed lasts can depend on how it's stored. Some seeds are very sensitive to how they are stored. From what I've learned, flower seeds typically have a shorter shelf life than vegetable seeds. It depends completely on the type, but just a normal rule of thumb to consider. I've planted several year old Zuchinni, beans, and pea seeds with no issue. I've done the same for things like Marigolds. A lot of stuff like that will come naturally as you gain experience and mess around with it too. Just remember there's never any harm in trying to start the seeds even if you think they might not grow. For sure test things and see if they grow, and if you want to save seeds from year to year you can look into what certain seeds/seeds in general need to keep the best if you're really worried about it.
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uma7894
I’ve grown Bunyas from seed. (Sometimes called Bunya Pines, but they’re Aracauria like the Monkey Puzzle not Pinus)
They take months or even a year to sprout because first they send a root down to grow a tuber from which they eventually send a shoot up to the surface. Both the nuts and the tubers were eaten by indigenous Australians in parts of SE Queensland.
Like Jacques I have grown these because they’re cool even though I can’t realistically plant them in my yard. They look much like the South American Monkey Puzzle but have larger seeds and drop intact cones up to 20kg from 40 metres up when mature. So a bit of a hazard.
The nuts are quite nice to eat. Somewhat like a giant pine nut but with potato vibes.
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I’ve grown Bunyas from seed. (Sometimes called Bunya Pines, but they’re Aracauria like the Monkey Puzzle not Pinus)
They take months or even a year to sprout because first they send a root down to grow a tuber from which they eventually send a shoot up to the surface. Both the nuts and the tubers were eaten by indigenous Australians in parts of SE Queensland.
Like Jacques I have grown these because they’re cool even though I can’t realistically plant them in my yard. They look much like the South American Monkey Puzzle but have larger seeds and drop intact cones up to 20kg from 40 metres up when mature. So a bit of a hazard.
The nuts are quite nice to eat. Somewhat like a giant pine nut but with potato vibes.
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j. reneewhite915
for example Peppers zone 8b Aurora, Oregon.
Timing and formulas for seed start date:
Germination time= 7 to 21 days
Grow indoors time= 90 days
Harden off time= 7 days
Days to Maturity after transplanting= 75 days
(If planted in part shade add 14 days) 14 days
From the time you planted the seed to the time you harvest your first fruit if planted in full sun and you experience ideal weather conditions will be 182 days. If planted in part shade you can look for the first fruit 196 days. The date given on the pkt is how many days after you transplant the seedling into the garden. Epic gardener put out a seed starting formula video that was awesome.
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for example Peppers zone 8b Aurora, Oregon.
Timing and formulas for seed start date:
Germination time= 7 to 21 days
Grow indoors time= 90 days
Harden off time= 7 days
Days to Maturity after transplanting= 75 days
(If planted in part shade add 14 days) 14 days
From the time you planted the seed to the time you harvest your first fruit if planted in full sun and you experience ideal weather conditions will be 182 days. If planted in part shade you can look for the first fruit 196 days. The date given on the pkt is how many days after you transplant the seedling into the garden. Epic gardener put out a seed starting formula video that was awesome.
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pakbowl420
The plant as soon as soil is workable is confusing. At least I think it would be for beginner gardeners living in southern California because our soil is workable all year round. If the packet of tomatoes said that and we planted in January they probably wouldn't do so well because of the cold nights. I think packets need to change their wording to be more specific. Btw the way, I do have some volunteer tomatoes (Spoon Tomato) that are almost 2 feet tall right now (Jan 25, 2025. This happened last year too and they did well. By March they were already 6 feet tall and giving fruit. I might start some now instead of waiting until late March and see what happens.
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The plant as soon as soil is workable is confusing. At least I think it would be for beginner gardeners living in southern California because our soil is workable all year round. If the packet of tomatoes said that and we planted in January they probably wouldn't do so well because of the cold nights. I think packets need to change their wording to be more specific. Btw the way, I do have some volunteer tomatoes (Spoon Tomato) that are almost 2 feet tall right now (Jan 25, 2025. This happened last year too and they did well. By March they were already 6 feet tall and giving fruit. I might start some now instead of waiting until late March and see what happens.
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rhondaamrich2548
Hi! Im on the East coast of Central Florida.
I planted Cherry plum seeds about three years ago after I so routed them in the refrigerator.
Last year I transplanted four Cherry Plum trees into the ground (last spring. They struggled last year, I pruned them about a month ago and appears they’re getting new growth tips now. I gave them more compost and fertilizer today and hope they will do better this year.
I also planted Sapodilla seeds.
The Sapodilla tree is still in a pot and it looks great though only about sixteen inches tall.
I plan to up pot it and keep in a pot for one more year before I plant in ground.
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Hi! Im on the East coast of Central Florida.
I planted Cherry plum seeds about three years ago after I so routed them in the refrigerator.
Last year I transplanted four Cherry Plum trees into the ground (last spring. They struggled last year, I pruned them about a month ago and appears they’re getting new growth tips now. I gave them more compost and fertilizer today and hope they will do better this year.
I also planted Sapodilla seeds.
The Sapodilla tree is still in a pot and it looks great though only about sixteen inches tall.
I plan to up pot it and keep in a pot for one more year before I plant in ground.
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hilpri
I am trying something new this year. I love to grow from seed, but am also trying to become wildlife habitat certified, and growing natives from seed isn't as fun, sooo. I'm growing edible plant, veggie, herb starts for the neighborhood. Hubby is going to make a nice box to put the free seedlings in by our front gate, and once the veggie harvest gets going, we can put all the extra veggies out there, too. We live in the Portland metro area with lots of houseless and food insecure folks, so edible stuff is always needed. The first batch of lettuces is under the lights!
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I am trying something new this year. I love to grow from seed, but am also trying to become wildlife habitat certified, and growing natives from seed isn't as fun, sooo. I'm growing edible plant, veggie, herb starts for the neighborhood. Hubby is going to make a nice box to put the free seedlings in by our front gate, and once the veggie harvest gets going, we can put all the extra veggies out there, too. We live in the Portland metro area with lots of houseless and food insecure folks, so edible stuff is always needed. The first batch of lettuces is under the lights!
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Asizzle5597
Hello! I would just like to say that if you have raised garden beds or container gardens in general and you also do not like creepy crawlies, but want to keep the pollinators use diatomacious earth on the sides of your garden beds or pots. Just wet a paintbrush and dip it in the bag, then apply it to the sides of your pots and garden beds weekly. It is irritating enough to keep the slugs and grosser bugs off, but still allows some as well as the pollinators. As long as you keep it out of your growing soil you should be good
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Hello! I would just like to say that if you have raised garden beds or container gardens in general and you also do not like creepy crawlies, but want to keep the pollinators use diatomacious earth on the sides of your garden beds or pots. Just wet a paintbrush and dip it in the bag, then apply it to the sides of your pots and garden beds weekly. It is irritating enough to keep the slugs and grosser bugs off, but still allows some as well as the pollinators. As long as you keep it out of your growing soil you should be good
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kevinpoe8137
I’ve got some ocotillo and Nepal lily in the fridge, canna lily seeds in the cupboard, I’ve got amaryllis seed pods currently developing (should be ready by spring, and I’m also growing tower of jewels and a windmill palm seedling, among other things
Also, I tried to grow some agave, but I think I sowed too late in the year (late august/early September, because they all ended up dying when I brought them inside after it started to get cold, I’m in Mississippi zone 8b btw
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I’ve got some ocotillo and Nepal lily in the fridge, canna lily seeds in the cupboard, I’ve got amaryllis seed pods currently developing (should be ready by spring, and I’m also growing tower of jewels and a windmill palm seedling, among other things
Also, I tried to grow some agave, but I think I sowed too late in the year (late august/early September, because they all ended up dying when I brought them inside after it started to get cold, I’m in Mississippi zone 8b btw
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LK-wq3su
I love that you guys have the seed company now, it's been one of my favorites for a long time (and i love the artwork on the packets. If at all possible, maybe reach out to seed libraries with your expired seeds I work with the seed librarian in my town, and we love getting donations from awesome, ethical companies to supplement our stock. Thank you so much for your videos. I've been binge watching a lot this week, to get me inspired. I appreciate your humor and knowledge.
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I love that you guys have the seed company now, it's been one of my favorites for a long time (and i love the artwork on the packets. If at all possible, maybe reach out to seed libraries with your expired seeds I work with the seed librarian in my town, and we love getting donations from awesome, ethical companies to supplement our stock. Thank you so much for your videos. I've been binge watching a lot this week, to get me inspired. I appreciate your humor and knowledge.
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mlaiuppa
What do the temperatures mean on the seed packet Is it how warm it has to be during the day No colder than this during the night Is it the temp range from the lowest nightly temp to the hottest daily temp I can’t figure out when it is the best time to sow based on these numbers. I’m in San Diego 10b and I want to grow winter crops but don’t know when to start when we have daily temps still in the 70s. Or when to start the melons and pumpkins when it’s not hot yet.
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What do the temperatures mean on the seed packet Is it how warm it has to be during the day No colder than this during the night Is it the temp range from the lowest nightly temp to the hottest daily temp I can’t figure out when it is the best time to sow based on these numbers. I’m in San Diego 10b and I want to grow winter crops but don’t know when to start when we have daily temps still in the 70s. Or when to start the melons and pumpkins when it’s not hot yet.
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kylehardy7519
Love you guys but isn't your garden planner just that branded garden planning app that's been around for years GrowVeg and lots of gardening publications also have branded versions of it. You should disclose that before calling it your gardening app. I guarantee by the end of the season it will be a distant memory for Jacques and Kevin. Its a really mid app with predatory pricing. Would love to see you guys make a real app instead of a branded cash grab.
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Love you guys but isn't your garden planner just that branded garden planning app that's been around for years GrowVeg and lots of gardening publications also have branded versions of it. You should disclose that before calling it your gardening app. I guarantee by the end of the season it will be a distant memory for Jacques and Kevin. Its a really mid app with predatory pricing. Would love to see you guys make a real app instead of a branded cash grab.
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ellenconforti5693
I'm sitting here watching this video and I now know that when I started a whole tray of microgreens I wound up with those small root hairs all over the tray and I realize by watching this that I thought it was mold and I threw the entire tray away figuring I ruined them somehow and not knowing this was actually ok. I thought I had over watered them. Now I will know better. Thanks for the info.
Florida Gardener
Zone 9a
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I'm sitting here watching this video and I now know that when I started a whole tray of microgreens I wound up with those small root hairs all over the tray and I realize by watching this that I thought it was mold and I threw the entire tray away figuring I ruined them somehow and not knowing this was actually ok. I thought I had over watered them. Now I will know better. Thanks for the info.
Florida Gardener
Zone 9a
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NyssaMysteria
I'm really glad you answered my question, thank you! When I was helping to clean out my in-laws house last summer after they passed, I came upon a whole collection of seeds that my husband's grandparents had collected. I didn't have any luck with them and I wasn't sure if they were too far gone or if I was doing something wrong. I'll give them another shot this season, maybe I need to sow more at once to have a better chance.
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I'm really glad you answered my question, thank you! When I was helping to clean out my in-laws house last summer after they passed, I came upon a whole collection of seeds that my husband's grandparents had collected. I didn't have any luck with them and I wasn't sure if they were too far gone or if I was doing something wrong. I'll give them another shot this season, maybe I need to sow more at once to have a better chance.
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epic_gardening
Fascism is not a political party and it is not a religion, it's an ideology. Fascists advocate for the subjugation and extermination of people not like them, therefore I will not be playing games with fascists. I don't care if they play their own games but allowing fascism to take over your games for the sake of being tolerant is as dumb as inviting viruses into your body for the sake of inclusion.
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Fascism is not a political party and it is not a religion, it's an ideology. Fascists advocate for the subjugation and extermination of people not like them, therefore I will not be playing games with fascists. I don't care if they play their own games but allowing fascism to take over your games for the sake of being tolerant is as dumb as inviting viruses into your body for the sake of inclusion.
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emkn1479
Cool tip I’ve seen for poppies is freezing the seeds in ice cubes. Then when they’re frozen you throw them on soil and use your foot to sink them in slightly. Seems like it would take care of the cold/moist needs for sprouting and give them a little moisture to establish. Might try this next year. Thankfully we’ve had a very cold and snowy winter this year so the seeds I put down should be good.
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Cool tip I’ve seen for poppies is freezing the seeds in ice cubes. Then when they’re frozen you throw them on soil and use your foot to sink them in slightly. Seems like it would take care of the cold/moist needs for sprouting and give them a little moisture to establish. Might try this next year. Thankfully we’ve had a very cold and snowy winter this year so the seeds I put down should be good.
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margarita6700
Sluggo baits are bad for birds, especially songbirds, whether they accidentally ingest the bait pellets themselves or they eat the slugs that have eaten the bait. If you have slugs, the other tips--beer, copper tape are probably better, safer options. Or just grow enough for you and enough for the slugs. Your beautiful garden is going to attract wildlife. That's a good thing. Even the slugs!
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Sluggo baits are bad for birds, especially songbirds, whether they accidentally ingest the bait pellets themselves or they eat the slugs that have eaten the bait. If you have slugs, the other tips--beer, copper tape are probably better, safer options. Or just grow enough for you and enough for the slugs. Your beautiful garden is going to attract wildlife. That's a good thing. Even the slugs!
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realMysta
I always kinda knew what soil is workable meant, but i just experienced it for the first time. Went to plant a tree which i always start with an auger then work outward. Popped it down, it scraped a bit off then just kept spinning in place. Lifted it and realized i had some frozen clay. Couldn’t even get it up with a pick or shovel. Winter has been pretty consistently cold in the southeast
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I always kinda knew what soil is workable meant, but i just experienced it for the first time. Went to plant a tree which i always start with an auger then work outward. Popped it down, it scraped a bit off then just kept spinning in place. Lifted it and realized i had some frozen clay. Couldn’t even get it up with a pick or shovel. Winter has been pretty consistently cold in the southeast
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epic_gardening
I love this format of video, the Q&A thing. Please do a few more of these per season. They don't have to be themed! How about a random question Q&A session Hell, they hardly have to be useful (but I know you will make them useful anyway. The strangest questions, the non-sensical questions, angry questions, questions that aren't really questions. Your opportunities are endless!
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I love this format of video, the Q&A thing. Please do a few more of these per season. They don't have to be themed! How about a random question Q&A session Hell, they hardly have to be useful (but I know you will make them useful anyway. The strangest questions, the non-sensical questions, angry questions, questions that aren't really questions. Your opportunities are endless!
reply
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