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An educational resource of the Victory Horticultural Group, LLC |
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The Importance of Good Seed Germination Planting seeds is said to be an act of faith. In Henry David Thoreau's work, "Faith In A Seed," he states, "Though I do not believe a plant will spring up where no seed has been, I have great faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders." Although some faith is required for gardening, there are also expectations. If you do your research, prepare your soil in the correct location and in the proper manner, sow at the right time of year, and all other requisite conditions are met, you expect your seeds to grow. But you must start with good seeds. If you purchased your seeds from us, you can be sure that the seeds we send you are fresh and meet or exceed seed germination standards (see below). If you are a seed saver or have a bunch of left over seeds from prior years that have been properly stored, it is generally a good idea to do a simple germination test so you know at what rate to sow or whether the seed is worth planting at all. Click here for instructions. Germination Standards from the Federal Seed Act The germination information provided below are the minimum germination rates for specific seed varieties as set by the U.S. Federal Seed Act. Sec. 201.31 Germination standards for vegetable seeds in interstate commerce. The following germination standards for vegetable seeds in interstate commerce, which shall be construed to include hard seed, are determined and established under section 403(c) of the act. Click here for interesting information about the effects of temperature on germination.
[59 FR 64491, Dec. 14, 1991] |
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