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    Home

    How To Start Seeds In 3 Days ~ Simple Gardening Tip

    by Jessica 60 Comments

    How to start seeds in 3 days

    This post was originally published in the Spring of 2013...I'd like to share it with you again since Spring is almost here and it's time to get those seeds started! The photos aren't great, my nails look awful, but it works, so I'm going to share it again anyway ;)

    I love flowers! There is nothing better than having coffee on my patio in the mornings, surrounded by all of the vibrant colors in my garden.  I especially love flowers that climb trellises and fences.   This year, I decided to add some new climbers to my garden, and I wanted them to grow quickly.  To be honest, I just forgot to do my usual indoor seed planting weeks ago like I was supposed to.  So, when I saw a tip in Southern Living Magazine last week, I decided to try it.  Now I am going to show you how to start seeds in 3 days!  No kidding...

    how to start seeds the fastest wayPick out your seeds.  I chose morning glories, moonflowers, and cypress.

    How to starts seeds the quickest wayPour your seeds out.

    clip the end of a seed off with nail clippers to grow fasterClip the end off of each one...this can take a while, so get comfortable.

    And...please excuse my hideous nails.

    Clip seeds then soak in water overnight for fast germinationOnce you have clipped them, put them in a glass of water and let them soak overnight.

    This softens the seed coating and allows it to germinate quickly.

    How to start seeds super fastPlant your seeds in a pot or straight in the ground like me, and within 3 days, you will have sprouts!!!

    I cannot wait to watch these babies grow and start to vine up the trellis!

    Do you have any easy gardening tips?  I would love to hear them!

    Happy gardening!

    Find all of my gardening and outdoor tips and tricks HERE on my Gardening Page!

     You can find hundreds of my Home Tips and Cleaning Tricks HERE on my Home Tips Page!

    « How To Clean Stainless Steel - Streak Free
    Make A Book Donation Station - Encourage Giving In Tweens! »

    Comments

    1. Katie says

      May 20, 2013 at 11:01 am

      How awesome! I was wondering if I should just bypass all the seeds I just bought because I was late too but I think I'll try em!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

      Reply
    2. Andrea at Opulent Cottage says

      May 20, 2013 at 1:40 pm

      I'm so glad you showed this! I nearly severed a digit trying to "nick" my seed with a paring knife :) Duh. I planted those same seeds too, and the soaking really does help! Will love seeing your garden when it grows.
      xo, Andrea

      Reply
    3. Rose says

      May 20, 2013 at 4:05 pm

      what a great idea! I will definitely try this.

      Reply
      • Jeni says

        February 28, 2023 at 11:05 am

        This method might work for larger seeds, but sometimes seeds are way too small to do this!

        Reply
    4. Paula Parrish says

      May 21, 2013 at 6:35 am

      Great tip for starting seedling, I am definitely going to give it a try. ;o)

      Reply
    5. Debra says

      May 21, 2013 at 10:53 am

      This is awesome!

      Reply
    6. Chelsea @ Making Home Base says

      May 21, 2013 at 11:20 pm

      Great tip Jess! My husband is the green thumb between the two of us and he had me start his veggies seeds a few weeks ago and I totally failed lol! Definitely trying this out!

      Reply
    7. Janet says

      May 22, 2013 at 10:07 am

      My zucchini seeds didn't germinate in the ground for some reason so I decided to try them using a method I used with my third graders to let them see seed germination. I soaked a paper towel. Inserted it in a ziplock bag. Then I laid 8 seeds on the wet towel and taped the bag to a sunny window. Two days later the seeds are all germinating! Now to get them into the ground before they grow long spindly stems.

      Reply
    8. Stacy Risenmay says

      May 22, 2013 at 11:36 pm

      I always soak mine too but I have never tried clipping them. I am going to have to do that this year :)

      Reply
    9. Ricky D says

      May 23, 2013 at 9:07 am

      Fold a couple of paper towels in half.
      Lay them in a cookie sheet.
      Spread your seeds inside the paper towels.
      Pour cup of water on the towels to dampen.
      Place in oven, on low, over night,
      Keep moist
      Seeds should be sprouting after 10 hours.

      Reply
      • Kim Parker says

        March 18, 2016 at 8:57 pm

        Ricky D, I have never heard of the low oven idea. I have several veggies to start in the next few weeks and I will give this a try. Thanks for sharing.

        Reply
      • Yolanda says

        May 03, 2016 at 4:16 pm

        ReallY? Can I do this with sunflower or pumpkin seeds? I try planting them outside and the squirrels dig these out to eat them.

        Reply
      • Kathy says

        April 10, 2017 at 8:55 am

        what do you consider low oven? Overnight - how do you keep them moist? Using your method what would you say the length of time you would use in the oven? THANKS - can't wait to try both of these methods!!!

        Reply
    10. Vetsy says

      May 23, 2013 at 12:50 pm

      That's a good tip to know... especially if you do not have a lot of time on your hands these days like myself. Sometimes I mean to do it, but can't get to it! This will help me in the future... Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    11. Meg Sluyter says

      May 24, 2013 at 4:35 am

      So pinning this! I was about to give up on all the seeds I bought last month, I thought it was too late, now it's not! Thanks so much for sharing this tip. :)

      Reply
    12. Terri says

      May 29, 2013 at 10:38 am

      This is Great! Thanks for sharing. Also I would love to know the name of the climbing vine with bright orange flowers in the picture, so pretty.
      Thanks, Terri

      Reply
      • Kim says

        June 03, 2013 at 5:34 pm

        @Terri,
        They look like they may be Black eyed Susan vines. Do a search and see what you think. They come in different colors. I hope this helps.
        Kim

        Reply
      • Nancy says

        February 27, 2022 at 10:22 am

        They are the Cypress. They run ALOT!!! I think I heard they can be a bit of a problem for animals so you might want to research them if you have pets that like to eat flowers.

        Reply
    13. Carla says

      June 09, 2013 at 6:30 pm

      Can I also do this with veggie seeds ????

      Reply
    14. [email protected] says

      June 10, 2013 at 12:29 pm

      Wow, great idea! Pinning!

      Reply
    15. Dee says

      June 28, 2013 at 8:31 am

      Is it too late to do this now?!? I just found some seeds I bought late January and misplaced. ;-(

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        June 28, 2013 at 8:41 am

        I don't think so! It never hurts to try :)

        Reply
        • Cheryl says

          October 08, 2017 at 12:09 pm

          Hey Jessica,

          I read your comments and started a few seeds using your suggestions; I decided to wait and do some of the seeds during the right sign of the moon and the 2017 Farmer's Almanac! My hubby has a hobby farm so I thought I would listen to his suggestions too!!

          Either way, we will see what happens and hopefully we will all be eating fresh veggies like Mustards at Thanksgiving and the Rutabagas later in the year thanks to you!!

          Enjoying your articles and all the comments!!

          Reply
    16. peggy says

      July 14, 2013 at 11:03 pm

      Im for sure going to try this with my morning glories!!!!!!!! especially since Ive been told I cant have morning glories in ARIZONA!!!!!!! they grow wild in texas, but I cant have them in arizona???????? watch me!!!!!!! My family mailed me some seeds, and Im DANG SURE GOING TO TRY IT. One more thing off my bucket list!!!!!!!!lol
      Im sure going to have fun trying. had beautiful ones in colorado!!!!!!
      thank you so much for the info.

      Reply
    17. Lynn Perez says

      September 19, 2013 at 5:25 am

      It also works well to just hold the seed and rub it a few times on a nail file, then soak.

      Reply
    18. television options says

      January 29, 2014 at 6:57 pm

      This website was... how do I say it? Relevant!!
      Finally I've found something which helped me. Thanks a lot!

      My website television options

      Reply
    19. Stacy says

      March 11, 2014 at 3:02 pm

      What about poppy seeds? Too little to clip. I have a very hard time starting them. Anyone have an idea to share?

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        March 11, 2014 at 3:11 pm

        Have you tried soaking them in water overnight maybe, Stacy? I'm not sure it would work, but it just may :)

        Reply
    20. Barbara Lilian says

      April 17, 2014 at 2:58 pm

      Thanks Jessica for reminding me of this soaking tip, for the seeds I haven't sown yet as I've been in hospital with a back problem and my garden has been neglected. it's ok for the big seeds, so I'll just scatter the tiny ones & hope for the best. Enjoy your Easter holiday. not sure when yours is , but here in France where I live, it starts this w/e, there's Choc. eggs & easter bunnies everywhere in the chocolatieres

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        April 17, 2014 at 3:25 pm

        Hi, Barbara! It's going to be Easter this coming weekend here as well, although I'd much rather spend it in France! How amazing! Hope your back feels better soon! Hugs, Jessica

        Reply
    21. Louise Checketts says

      April 18, 2014 at 1:42 pm

      Hi my name is Louise I found your site a couple days ago and have been hooked ever since. I Love it. I would like to start growing a small plant to brighten up my bedroom but have no idea about gardening or plants. I want it to be relatively small and colourful what would you recommend? and could you recommend any books that would help someone who is a beginner with gardening? I would really appreciate your help with this. Thank you x

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        April 20, 2014 at 7:49 am

        Hi, Louise...you are so sweet! As far as an indoor plant, it may be best to buy one that has already been started and does well indoors...maybe a small fern or African Violet. They usually need a little light and to be watered only once per week. I don't really read gardening books, but if you go to google.com and type in beginner gardening, I bet a ton of information will come up! Hope this helps! XOXO Jessica

        Reply
    22. Michelle says

      May 29, 2014 at 1:18 am

      Great tip! I was wondering if I could do this with rose seeds as well? Please let me know and thank you so much for posting such informative information.

      Reply
      • sid chaudhry says

        February 29, 2016 at 3:10 pm

        Please let us know for rose seeds

        Reply
        • Jessica says

          February 29, 2016 at 3:30 pm

          Hi, Sid! I wish I had an answer for you, but I've never planted roses from seeds, I usually buy them established. It's worth a try though!

          Reply
    23. Jasmine says

      May 27, 2015 at 9:54 am

      This is awesome! Thanks for sharing this! I will definitely be trying this with the sweet pea seeds I just bought :D

      Reply
    24. Kntuckylady 717 says

      March 23, 2016 at 11:19 am

      Glad to know this, I also have Morning /Glories I want to plant outside also.....never heard of this, but now I will try it......Thanks for the tip....

      As for Roses, this worked for my daughter....when she has Roses, and when they start to droop and not perky, you clip that stem, use a root stimulant before you plant it in the ground, and cover with a glass jar and forget about it and you get a rose bush.....DO NOT TAKE THE GLASS JAR OFF the rose until you see that you have a fresh plant coming up, she did (2) last year and now has 2 Rose bushes :) it works..I tried it, but for some reason my jar got knocked down.....so you really need to watch the jar and keep it in the ground....I would suggest use a larger jar than a mason jar like I did, one that you can put part of it in the ground, so it wont get knocked down or blown over :)

      Reply
    25. danielle berthon says

      April 14, 2016 at 6:29 pm

      Hi - Just came saw this post in the nick of time... I was wondering if you discard the clipped end of the seed or do you put it in the water with the other half?

      Thanks Jessica and love your site

      Reply
      • danielle berthon says

        April 14, 2016 at 6:30 pm

        I meant to type"across this post in the nick of time"... darn fat fingers ;)

        Reply
      • Jessica says

        April 14, 2016 at 8:33 pm

        Hi, Danielle...thanks so much for the sweet words! I just discarded the end of the seed, but now I'm wondering if I should have saved it...hmmm. I'll just throw them in next time and see what happens for sure! Have a great weekend!!

        Reply
    26. Stephanie says

      May 10, 2016 at 10:37 pm

      This would be awesome if it works. I'll have to try it out. Does this only work for flowers or could I use it with herbs? And what if the seeds are round(spherical), where would I cut them or would I just skip that step?

      Reply
    27. LAURA says

      February 03, 2017 at 9:39 am

      HI LIKE TO TRY WITH CINNAMON SEEDS WHAT DO YOU THINK

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        February 03, 2017 at 10:01 am

        I'm not sure what cinnamon seeds are, but it's worth a shot!

        Reply
    28. Jeri says

      March 23, 2017 at 11:39 am

      When cleaning the dishwasher, do you just set your pyrex cup on the top level and leave it there?

      Reply
    29. Kathy says

      April 10, 2017 at 9:08 am

      Thanks for the great tip!!! My Mom was the gardener in our family and she always said that you had to start your seeds by St. Patrick's Day of course in vermiculite covered with plastic...this is a great idea also if you find packets of seeds that are really old (my neighbor gave me some that were 5 yrs old). I can try this method and see what happens before I plan out my flower bed.

      Reply
    30. April enos says

      November 02, 2017 at 10:27 am

      While stratification (water soaking) and scarification (piercing the seed hull) work for some plants seeds, they will cause some not to germinate at all. Some plants benifit/need 1 or the other, both, none, freezing the seed, or other germination protocols. If you don't know which seed needs what protocol to speed germination you really should just let nature take its own time

      Reply
    31. Kathie says

      July 21, 2018 at 1:06 pm

      Thank you for posting this. I’m definitely going to try this. Will this work with rainbow rose seeds?

      Reply
    32. KAMSY IJEZIE says

      December 12, 2021 at 5:00 am

      THIS REALLY WORKS WELL I WILL TRY IT TODAY.
      THANKS FOR SHARING I APPRECIATE IT SO MUCH

      Reply
    33. FAVOUR says

      December 12, 2021 at 5:10 am

      MY BROTHER WAS RIGHT THIS WORKS THANKS FOR SHARING WITH US,JUST SO IF YOU ARE THINKING WHO MY BROTHER IS KAMSY IJEZIE THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN I REALLY APPRECIATE IT

      Reply
    34. Lynn says

      February 28, 2023 at 11:56 am

      I don't snip the ends of Morning Glory seeds. I put the seeds in a wet paper towel and put it in a baggie..They sprout in two or three days.
      The best Moon Flowers I’ve ever grown planted themselves in a crack in the cement patio and they were huge! Gotta love Mother Nature.

      Reply
    35. Barbara A Jones says

      February 28, 2023 at 8:42 pm

      Thank you so much for this post. I live in an in law apartment and don't have a good spot to start in doors. I am definitely going to do this.

      Reply
    36. Chris says

      June 05, 2014 at 10:37 pm

      Hi. Your picture shows Black-Eyed Susan Vine (Thunbergia). I wanted to let you know that the seeds are big enough that they will work with the soaking method but I also scratch the seeds to rough up and thin the protective outer shell. I hold the seed with a tweezers and run it over an emery board and then soak it n warm water. There are two types of what is called Black Eyed Susan vine. One is Thunbergia and the other is Rudbeckia Hirta. Either can be started with these methods to speed germination.

      Reply
    37. April enos says

      November 02, 2017 at 10:31 am

      Shaking them in a jar with some gravel works well and is much easier than tweezers and a emery board

      Reply

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    I’m Jessica, a mom on a mission to show other women that you can live well without breaking the bank. I like to share the thrifty, creative ways that I make changes in my home in the hopes that it will spark the creativity in someone else! I love to share DIY projects, crafts, simple recipes and cleaning tips too! Read More…

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