Seeds! How to check the viability of your seeds

By Sarah Dobec

It’s spring and the warmer days will make us dream of our gardens. If you have found some seeds in your garden shed and you want to make sure they are still viable, there is a simple way to check.

You will need your seeds, paper towel, a sealable plasticbag and water!

1. Lay your seeds out on the paper towel. Dependingon how many different seeds you are checking, you might want to use separatebags and label them. In this image I am checking cucumber and tomato seeds.

2. Wet the paper towel thoroughly.

3. Fold the paper towel over to keep the seeds in place.

4. Place the wet paper towel in the plastic bag and label it. Place the plastic bag(s) in a warm place and leave them for 2-3 days.

5. Check the seeds after a few days and look for signs of sprouting. You can plant the seeds that sprout and compost the ones that don’t.

sprouting cucumber

sprouting tomato

6. Prep your seedling trays and plant your viable seeds.

One sprouted seed per cell! Cover them with 3x the depth of the seed.

Stay tuned for more!