My neighbor told me to soak my morning glory seeds overnight before planting

She said it would help them sprout faster, so I tried it with a packet of 'Heavenly Blue' last spring. I soaked half the seeds for about 12 hours and planted the other half dry as a test. The soaked ones came up in just 5 days, while the dry ones took over two weeks. Has anyone else found a different trick that works for stubborn seeds?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_derek1mo ago

Yeah I gotta disagree with the "soaked them like everyone says" approach being the problem. I did the same test with my Heavenly Blues and the soaked batch crushed it while the dry ones just sat there doing nothing for weeks. I think the issue is people soak them for too long or don't drain them properly. 12 hours max then straight into the soil, never let them sit in a puddle or they'll rot for sure. Maybe your moonflowers just needed a shorter soak or something, but I've had way better luck with a quick overnight bath than just throwing dry seeds in the ground.

karenw233mo ago

Actually had the opposite happen with my moonflowers last year. Soaked them like everyone says and most just rotted in the dirt. Planted the leftover dry seeds a week later and those are the ones that came up. Maybe it depends on the seed batch or how old they are. I'm sticking with just planting them straight in the ground from now on.

irisw733mo ago

Yeah, the "soaked them like everyone says" part is what got me too. I followed that advice to the letter and ended up with a pot of expensive, swollen mush. My success rate was so bad it felt personal, like the seeds were mad at me. Now I just poke them in the dirt and ignore them, which seems to work better. Maybe we're just better at neglecting plants than actively helping them.