Wondering whether your garden seeds will sprout? You can eliminate some of the wait time by pre-germinating seeds. Pre sprouting seeds germinates seeds before planting. This saves time, eliminates thinning, and conserves space. With pre-sprouting, there is no need to toss three or four seeds into a pot and hope at least one will germinate only to have all four seeds sprout forcing you to eliminate the extras.
Line your container with paper towels. I like several layers of paper towels, so I fold them in half and cut to fit. If you are using plastic bags, fold and cut your paper towels to fit.
Label your containers. Use a water-resistant marker to label your containers or bags.
Dampen your paper towels. Spray the paper towels with your spray bottle. You are aiming for the paper towels to be damp, not dripping. If you notice the water pooled in your container, dump out the extra.
Add your seeds. Spread your seeds out on top of the damp paper towel. If you are using containers, simply close the cover. If you are using plastic bags, fold the paper towel over the seeds and place in the bag.
Place in a warm area. Locate your seed containers in a warm area away from drafts. Also consider choosing an area where the container will not be knocked over or forgotten.
Check seeds daily. Examine your seeds each day for germination and to make sure the towel stays damp. Spray the towel if needed.
Transfer sprouted seeds to growing medium. Some seeds will sprout quicker than others. As soon as a seed shows tiny roots it is ready to plant. Carefully transfer your sprouted seed to your prepared seedling containers or soil blocks. Be very careful not to damage the root. If you do, the sprout will die. If the root has grown into the paper towel, snip around it and plant paper towel and all.
Keep your seedlings warm and moist. Use your spray bottle to keep the soil surface moist.
Pre-germinating seeds with damp paper towels is a great gardening hack that speeds up germination by providing the seeds with an ideal environment. Plus you can see the seeds sprout and not have to wonder what is happening under the soil.