Hi Judith: The reason you put seeds in water is to hydrate the seed which causes them to germinate. As soon as the radicle is visible you should plant the seed, as it has germinated and there is no reason to leave it in the water solution. Leaving seeds with radicle showing in water/peroxide could damage the radicle if left too long. It is optional whether you plant all seeds or wait for the remainder to germinate. I plant germinated seeds daily and leave the remainder in the water for a total of three weeks. At the end of the three week period I plant all the remaining seeds whether they have germinated or not. Keep the soil moist at all times, not wet. If the seeds are healthy they will germinate in the soil.

Thanks virgo! Another question.....when you plant the seeds 3 weeks later that didnt show the radicle.....do you plant them in the same pot with the first group or put them in another pot? I have heard of marking where the first seeds are by using a toothpick - would this work well? Or should the late ones just be potted by themselves? Thanks....
Judith

Judith, I know some members here at the forum do plant all the seeds of a cross, once they begin to germinate. I prefer to just plant those that are clearly showing the radicle. If you plant all the seeds of a cross in cups when only one or two show signs of growth, it could possibly be a waste of effort, growing medium and supplies. Others just plant the seeds directly into the ground. In the end, though, it's just a matter of what works best for you.

Nancy

Judith, I think planting the late-germinating seeds in the same cup weeks later might be a problem First, I keep the cups covered with a sandwich bag until the seedlings begin to sprout. You couldn't very well do that if you added more seeds several weeks later. That could cause the growing seedlings to damp-off. Second, you start introducing the young seedlings to sunlight once they have their second set of leaves. From what I've learned here at the forum, you wouldn't want the new sprouts in sunlight so soon.

If I were to have just two seeds of a cross germinate first, I might just plant two separate crosses in one cup to save on potting soil and time. In that case, I would draw a wavy line from top to bottom on opposite sides of the cup to indicate there are two different sets of seeds, and write the pertinent information on each side. I really don't like to do that for fear of getting them mixed up.

Nancy