The Easiest Way to Start Hundreds of Seeds in a Tiny Space

There's a faster, easier way to germinate seeds, and it doesn't involve pots, trays, or even soil or seed starting mix.

The trick? Using the baggie method to sprout your seeds more efficiently so you can save space at home, test their germination rate, and find out which seeds are still viable and worth planting.

Here's how to germinate seeds in paper towels (or coffee filters or newsprint—any of these common household items will work).

01.

Count out 10 random seeds from the packet you want to test.

02.

Follow the instructions below to germinate the seeds in a paper towel or coffee filter, and label the baggie with the date you started them.

03.

Look on the seed packet or in any seed catalog for the expected number of days to germination for the seeds you’re testing. Wait that number of days, then count how many seeds have sprouted in that time.

If 8 out of 10 seeds germinated, that gives an 80 percent germination rate, which is pretty good for most vegetables.

If only 4 out of 10 seeds germinated, then you have a 40 percent germination rate and the seed is, for all intents and purposes, useless.

Swipe up to learn more.

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