Love your little set up there. Looks like you'll have lots of babies to take care of.

Kristi, I used a large (2 doz) egg carton the same way, once. It worked great other than you could only get 2 or 3 seeds in each indent. WOW, look at your babies growing...beautiful!

Timely post, Kaboehm. I just got some seeds (thanks Frank!) and was wondering exactly how to plant them and here is your post to help. I have just one question: how deep should they be planted?

Great set-up, Kristi! And a wonderful use for a product that almost has no use any longer, due to the ice dispensers on newer refrigerators! Looking good!

I've tried the flotation method in water for seed starting, and I prefer to simply plant them directly into soil, though both methods work equally well. I make little slits in the soil and plop in a seed on its side... I'd say they get covered with a 1/4 inch of soil, or less. In other words, I barely cover them, but I make sure there's good soil to seed contact.

For me, the trick is bottom heating with a pad made for the purpose of seed starting and cutting rooting. My flats of seeds are on a heat pad and under lights.

Last spring, I started a flat of Hippeastrum seeds outdoors, and I placed in on the concrete pad in front of the garage. The flat got morning sun, and I had great germination and growth... by autumn, I was able to transplant the little seedlings into larger pots and bring them indoors.

Thanks for sharing those photos, Kristi! Very helpful!

I prefer to plant them directly too! The only reason I floated some was to check viability before I sent them out to all who had requested!!

To plant directly, I just use a knife and make a "slot" in the soil, and then put the seed in so that it is like a "sail" vertically in the soil. I cover with a minute layer of fine soil. I alway water the soil prior to sowing the seed, and then dampen the top layer...and that's it. I sewed 6-9 seeds per pot and as you can see, they've done well. The only seed that hasn't germinated yet (although the seeds felt like there were seedlings inside) was the Misty x Pink Diamond.
K

Some seeds seem to take forever to germinate, too, so don't pitch the empty pots until at least a couple of months have gone by! I noticed that certain varieties, though I never wrote down which, take quite a bit longer to actually sprout and grow. I was amazed by the length of time!

I, too, check some by floating... it's the transition from water to soil that I have problems with, so it's just easier for me to start directly in the soil.

My way of planting is very similar to Kristi's. I water after the seeds are planted, but the soil is usually semi-moist before I begin. We both get the same results, though! :-)

I just sewed President Johnson x Limona and President Johnson x Minerva tonight. Fresh out of the pod. These seeds in particular were very heavy and I hope that means very sturdy seedlings!

Like Jodi...I water the soil before I plant, and when I top off the seeds, I water again. And that's all they water until they sprout (unless they take a long time, then I water again). I use the spray nozzle from the kitchen sink, so it's more than just a dampening...it's a good spray! (not a fine mist!).

K