Super idea, harlgr8dane! What about using a plastic syringe? Then it would "squeegee" the sides of the cylinder and not leave any seeds in the bottle.

Shauna

Doesn't the gelatin get yucky moldy before the seeds sprout? I think I'll do a trial run with some seeds that are cheap and plentiful for a first try, and see how they do.

lov2gro - great thinking ;)
bcday - i havent ever actually tried it, just read it from a book 1000 ingenious garden ideas or something like that. but thats a good thought. I'm thinking portulacas...

That's what I was thinking, too, harlgr8dane. Portulaca and mimulus were my first thoughts. And I'm just saving coral bells, which is very dust-like. This would work for them, too. Thanks for passing on the tip.

Shauna

I have been planting seed since my grandmother put me to work about 64-65 years ago and this is the first time I noticed this.

I was planting some rare ornamental grass seed in a plastic flat. It was about 8am so the sun was up about 45° and the seed were in a white envelope. The darker seed, in the white envelope, above the dark soil in the flat, under the bright sunlight made the seed stand out very distinctly. I could crease the envelope and tap in gently and watch the tiny little seed bounce forward and see them drop onto the soil.

I recalled how, when I used to work in a laboratory we had a bright white light to examine specimens just received. I had never thought about this but if you watch crime TV the good guys always use a flash light to find tiny bits of evidence, even in the daylight.

BTW, in the OP, the reference to gelatin sounds like it would be difficult unless you are working under sterile conditions. If I still had a greenhouse with a glove box I would definitely try it.

I've always mixed the fine seeds in with corn meal or grits so that sowing would be uniform.

I've been using sand, but corn meal sounds like it would work more uniformly. I thought about using sugar, it's biological, but haven't tried that.

I may try the gelatin method, I was wondering how they get evenly distributed through the goo, but if people have tried it and it works, that's good enough for me.

I just take a pinch of seed between my forefinger and thumb, and then release the seed gradually over the seed-container (or area of ground), working my finger and thumb against each other very quickly and lightly, and holding my hand a slight distance above the container. It seems to do the trick.

i do what ornata does, but in the jerry baker book he actually recommends doing that cuz the gelatin feeds the seedlings. ( i belive that's what he said) LOL anyway's food for thought. no pun. LOL :')

Im glad I found this!
I just planted some very tiny seeds in a ready made peat greenhouse from Lowes. I put more seeds than the suggested 2-3 in each little pellet.
Their so small I cant imagine they actually grow into plants! Yes Im new to this gardening thing :)

freshmangardener, "Their so small I cant imagine they actually grow into plants!"

It never gets old :)

Here is a link that might be useful: My Blog: The Wicked Good Garden

yes!! i read the same thing!! in the jerry baker book, but i can never keep the stuff around long enough to try it!! LOL them ol kiddo's!! LOL i sooo want to try it, but you have to use the regular not the sugar free, its the sugar that feeds the seedlings.