Germination Temperature for Ivy Tornado Geraniums

Preparation

• Tornado ivy geranium seeds require a somewhat acidic soil for germination. They also require a soil that drains quickly yet holds on to enough moisture so the seed doesn't dry out. A quality, sphagnum peat moss-based germination mix fulfills all of the seed's requirements. Sphagnum peat moss is coarse so it allows for good drainage, yet it's also absorbent and hangs on to some moisture. Pour the germination mix into a bucket, tub or other container to pre-moisten it before placing it in the germination container. Dry peat moss is a bit of a challenge to moisten, so you may need to continually stir the mix to ensure it is evenly moist.

Planting

• Sow the Tornado ivy geranium seeds on the surface of the germination medium. They require light to germinate, so cover them with a scant one-sixteenth-inch layer of vermiculite or sand. Spray the covering layer with water from a bottle and keep it moist at all times. If the Tornado seeds dry out they won't germinate. Place the germinating container in an area that does not receive full, direct sun, but lots of indirect light. Near a south-facing window with a light curtain is ideal.

Germination Temperature

• Heat mats help keep the germination medium at a constant temperature and are indispensable to gardeners that like to sow seeds indoors. Set the heat mat to 73 degrees F, allow it to warm to that temperature and set the germination container on top of it. When the Tornado ivy geranium seeds germinate, which should occur withing a week to three weeks, begin reducing the temperature gradually, a few degrees each day for a week, until the mat is turned off. Keep the germination medium moist during this period.

Care After Germination

• Wait until the Tornado ivy geranium seedlings have their third set of leaves to transplant into individual containers. Use equal parts of a well-drained potting soil and moist peat moss, well combined, and plant the Tornado seedlings at the same depth they are currently growing. Although Tornado ivy plants enjoy more sunshine than other types of geraniums, keep an eye on the seedlings' foliage. Provide more shade if it appears to be turning a lighter shade of green or yellow.