Should You Soak Seeds to Speed Up Germination? Yes, You Should!

Patience is a virtue in gardening, but sometimes you just can’t wait for those first sprouts to emerge. If you’re the impatient type, soaking seeds before planting is your trick for getting a head start on the growing season. 

But are soak seeds a good idea? Certainly! Soaking seeds helps them sprout faster! It softens their tough outer shells, letting water in easier. This gives the baby plant inside a head start on growing strong.

Let’s go ahead and see what’s in the article. I really hope you’ll find all the details you need to know about soaking seeds in this article. 

What Is Seed Soaking?

Seed soaking is exactly what it sounds like – giving seeds a nice warm bath before putting them in the ground. By soaking porous seed coverings in water, you’re kickstarting the rehydration process that must happen before a seed can germinate and sprout.

In nature, this rehydration occurs slowly through exposure to moisture in the soil after winter thaws or spring rains arrive. By soaking the seeds first, you’re fast-forwarding to that crucial first step so the seed’s embryo can plump up and get ready to grow.

Are All Seeds Benefit from Soaking?

No, not all seeds need a soak, but some can really use it! 

Big seeds often have tough shells to keep the tiny plant inside safe and dry. Beans, peas, corn, pumpkins, squash, and even some nuts like almonds and peanuts all wear tough coats. Soaking these seeds in water helps soften that coat, making it easier for the little plant inside to drink up the water it needs to wake up and grow!

Other candidates for soaking include,

• Sweet pea
• Morning glory
• Nasturtium
• Moonflower
• Sunflower
• Lupine

Small, thin-coated seeds like lettuce, carrots, and radishes usually don’t need a big head start, so soaking isn’t as crucial. But it certainly won’t hurt them either.

How Do You Properly Soak Seeds?

The soaking process itself is refreshingly simple. All you need is some seeds, a container, and water. Here are the basic steps:

1. Step 1: Pour hot tap water into a bowl or jar. The water should be very warm, around 115°F to 120°F, but not boiling. Using cooler water will still work but may slow down the process.
2. Step 2: Add your seeds to the hot water bath. Make sure they’re fully submerged with at least an inch or two of extra water on top.
3. Step 3: Allow the seeds to soak for 12-24 hours. Many gardeners do this overnight for convenience.
4. Step 4: After soaking, the seeds should appear plumper as they’ve absorbed moisture. Drain off any remaining soak water.
5. Step 5: Plant the seeds as you normally would, taking care not to break or nick the now-softened seed coats.

For an extra boost, some gardeners use a weak fertilizer solution or compost tea instead of plain water. They do it to soak seeds and give them a nutrient head start too.

Will Over-Soaking Damage Seeds?

Yes! Most vegetable and flower seeds shouldn’t be soaked more than 24 hours before planting. The outer shell becomes too tender and splits open if soaked for too long. And the inner embryo starts sprouting – not what you want before getting the seed in the soil.

An exception is for larger seeds like beans and peas, which can sometimes handle extended soaks of up to 48 hours. But in general, the 12-24 hour window is safest across different seed varieties.

Alternative Method?..

Luckily yes! As the weather cools in the fall, you can use an alternate cold soaking method to prep hardy seeds for late-season planting or wintertime sowing. The process mimics natural winter conditions. 

1. Fill a jar or container with cool water from the tap.
2. Add seeds and let them soak at room temperature for 24 hours.
3. Drain and replace with fresh cool water.
4. Repeat this process daily for up to 2 weeks, refreshing the soak water each day.
5. Plant the seeds while still damp after their long winter’s soak.

Should You Pre-Treat Seeds Before Soaking?

While not strictly necessary, some gardeners get better results by first scarifying overly tough seeds before the soaking stage. Scarification refers to lightly scratching, nicking, or cracking the outer seed coat so water can more easily penetrate the shell during soaking. 

In fact, researchers have proven that plant germination is impacted by scarification. So, yeah, if you do it right, pre-treat is good!

You can scarify seeds using:

• A nail file or piece of sandpaper
• Rubbing the seeds against concrete
• Carefully nicking with a knife
• Cracking gently with a hammer

Just take care not to accidentally crush or slice all the way through the seeds. The goal is to weaken the shell slightly, not destroy the inner embryo.

Pre-treating can speed up germination, but it does take some practice to lightly abrade seeds without going overboard. Skip this extra step if you’re unsure, and let the hot soaking water do its work.

5 Extended Hacks You Should Know for Seed-Soaking Success

Once you’ve tried seed soaking, you’ll quickly get a feel for what works. But keep these tips in mind. 

1. Soak seeds at night, then plant first thing in the morning so soaked seeds aren’t sitting out too long before hitting the soil.
2. Check the weather forecast. Ideally, you’ll want to get soaked seeds right into the warm ground on a sunny day so they can ride that initial moisture wave.
3. Use mesh bags, old pantyhose, or other porous containers for soaking to easily retrieve and plant your slippery soaked seeds.
4. Along with soaking, you can gently scratch or chip larger seeds like morning glories. This helps the tough outer shell absorb more water.
5. In a pinch, use well water or bottled spring water for soaking instead of treated tap water with chlorine or chloramine additives.

FAQs

Let’s go over some common questions. Hopefully, these help give you more details.

Q: Will soaking seeds help with older or expired seed packets? 

Soaking can help rejuvenate and improve germination rates for older, less viable seeds and reactivate the seed’s growth mechanisms. However, soaking very old or improperly stored seeds isn’t much work.

Q: Can you soak coated or pelleted seeds? 

It’s best to avoid soaking seeds that have been professionally coated or pelleted, as this can cause the coating to dissolve or come off prematurely. The coating helps feed the seedling and protects it during germination, so soaking could rinse that benefit away. Stick to soaking uncoated, raw seeds.

Q: Do organic seeds need different soaking methods? 

No, there is no difference in how you should soak organic seeds. The seed itself doesn’t change. However, some organic gardeners prefer using non-chlorinated water like rainwater or distilled water when soaking to avoid any potential chemical exposure.

Q: Can you soak coated or pelleted seeds? 

It’s best to avoid soaking seeds that have been professionally coated or pelleted, as this can cause the coating to dissolve or come off prematurely. The coating helps feed the seedling and protects it during germination, so soaking could rinse that benefit away. Stick to soaking uncoated, raw seeds.

Conclusion

In the end, soaking seeds before planting is an easy way to get a jumpstart on the growing season. It can shave days or weeks off germination time for seeds with tough coatings like beans, peas, and pumpkins. The soaking process helps soften the seed coat so the inner seed can plump up and sprout faster once planted.

Just be careful not to soak small, thin seeds like lettuce and radishes too long. And keep soaking times in the 12-24 hour range unless packaging says otherwise. With just some seeds, water, and patience, you’ll have your garden blooming in no time! Give seed soaking a try this year for an early crop.