Germinating Lettuce in Paper Towels

Wash and dry a food-storage container that has a clear lid. Containers found in a grocery store’ deli section work well for this. Any plastic container works, as long as light penetrates the container.

Fold a section of commercial brown paper towels into two layers fitting the dimensions of the plastic food-storage container. Regular paper towels work as well, but brown towels allow you to observe and count the germinating seeds with ease.

Place the folded paper towel into the container’s bottom. Add enough water to thoroughly wet the towels. The towels should be moist, but no standing water should remain in the container. Drain any excess water.

Place 25 lettuce seeds on the top of the paper towel. Press them down lightly ensuring contact with the damp paper towel.

Closing the container’s lid maintains the humidity level. Check the germination requirements for the type of lettuce you are germinating. Some require light for germination, but others do not. Place the seeds requiring light in an area with bright, indirect light. Place those that require darkness in a dark room.

Maintain the temperature between 70 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Lettuce germinates at temperature as low as 35 F, but with delayed germination.

Check the seeds daily for germination. Open the cover allowing air circulation and wet the paper towels if necessary. If excessive moisture builds up inside the container, leave the top open a crack, letting the moisture escape.

Count the number of germinated seeds at the end of 10 days. Some seeds may germinate with three to five days, but typical germination time ranges from five to 10 days.

Multiply the number of germinated seeds by four to determine the germination rate. For example, if 16 of the seeds germinated multiple 16 by 4 to get 64. The germination rate of your lettuce seeds is 64 percent.