Soaking Seeds

Before planting your seeds, it is helpful to soak them. Soaking your seeds overnight right before planting helps them germinate (sprout) faster.  

You can soak almost all seeds. You don’t really need to soak the teeny tiny ones.  
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The best way to soak seeds is to use a damp paper towel on a plate. Fold the paper towel in half so the seeds are sandwiched between two moist sheets. They should be damp, not soaking wet.  

Tweezers are useful for picking the seeds up and putting them on the towel. Soak only the amount of seeds you will plant this year. I recommend soaking and planting 2-3 more seeds than you want because not all your seeds will sprout. Write down which seeds you put on the paper towel and where! 

Put the leftover seeds back in your seed packets and staple or tape them shut. They should remain viable (able to grow) for a few years as long as you store them properly. Place the seeds in an airtight container and keep them in a cool, dry place.  
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It can be helpful to label the front of the seed packets for quick future reference before storing them. I use a marker to label (1) the year, and (2) the number of years the seeds will likely be viable (you can find that here). That way when you are choosing your seeds next year you can prioritize the ones with shorter lifespans.  

Let your soaking seeds sit overnight. You don’t need to cover them with plastic; just make sure the paper towel stays damp.  

After you’ve soaked your seeds, you can start them indoors or plant them outside! 

As always, if you have any questions or tips to share, please comment below!