One of our recent comments noted how “quick” our recent germinations were. So, let’s explore what contributes to fast germination and what can slow it down.
The biggest key to fast germination lies in temperature. The best way to explain it is that most seeds tolerate a fairly large temperature range where the seed will actually germinate. But, there’s also a concept of “ideal” (or fastest) germination temperature.
Rarely do these temperatures ranges lie too far away from typical room temperature. In our experience, the “ideal” germination temperature typically lies somewhere around 70 to 75 degrees fahrenheit across the overwhelming majority of garden seeds. Just slightly above typical room temperature.
Where you run into slower germination are when those temperatures are at the extremes, either too cool or too hot. The further away you get from that ideal temperature range of a given seed, the slower the germination process will be.
There are exceptions, of course. A few plants (like Larkspur or Columbine) prefer cooler germination temperatures. A few prefer warmer temperatures, like peppers. But, we aim our “standardized” practice at the ideal temperature across the majority of seeds we grow.
There’s other contributing factors as well. Newer seeds tend to have more “oomph” than older seeds. The amount of moisture around the seed also creates an impact. Some seeds require light to germinate. Soil depth can be an influence. Lastly, some genetics simply germinate faster than others.
Growing from seed is often about trying to hit “averages.” It’s impossible to hit all the optimal values, perfectly. But, when you choose good averages, it increases your success across the practice.
