bleaching seeds

sankastaff

A friend of mine said he uses bleach for thick seeds like okra to soften the seeds and get a better percentage of germination.He soaks them for about 5 minutes before he plants them. Has anyone out there ever tried this and does it work on bald cypress seeds?

__________________
You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Isaiah 55:12

Advertisement

jhill

greetings,
Can't say that I have heard of using bleach but stranger things have happened. I use good old sand paper. Just rub the seeds on the sand paper to thin them then plant. It has worked for me. The Bleach thing I'm not sure about but it is worth a try. I think I will experiment with it and see for myself.
John

__________________
You can't see where you're going
if
You don't know where you've been

http://www.BonsaiBeginnings.org

Tony

I've never heard of bleach but have heard of using a mild acid wash for hard coat seeds. The acid breaks down the seed coat and makes it easier for water to penetrate. This would be overkill unless you are doing bunches of seeds. If you just have a few seed use the sand paper or a file as John said.

Tony

bnsaijim

Soaking seeds overnight in a 1% hydrogen peroxide solution will also work. Household is 3%, so add 2 part water to one part peroxide. Prevents damping off and other fungal infestations.

Also can be added during watering of plants to improve oxygenation of the soil. Original citation was in the Avante Gardener about 2 years ago...

__________________
Jim Stone
Seki Bonsai Studio
sekibonsai.com
Santa Fe, TX