How to Germinate Sensitive Plant Seeds

Place sensitive plant seeds in a bowl. Pour hot, 190 degree F water over them. Soak the seeds in the hot water for 15 minutes. Pour off the hot water and fill the bowl with cold water. Soak the sensitive plant seeds in the cold water overnight.

Drain the sensitive plant seeds between two sheets of paper towel for 20 minutes before sowing them. Prepare the planting containers while the seeds drain.

Fill small, 3- to 4-inch-wide plastic pots with potting soil to within 1/2 inch of the top. Rough-up the surface of the soil by raking your fingertips across it.

Sprinkle four or five sensitive plant seeds onto the roughened surface of the potting soil. Press them onto the soil with your fingertips. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of medium-grit sand.

Mist the soil liberally to moisten the top 1/2 inch. Maintain moisture in the top 1/2 inch of soil while the sensitive plant seeds germinate. Use a spray bottle to water the seeds since it is less likely to dislodge them from the soil than traditional watering methods.

Place the pots on a warm, bright windowsill where temperatures stay around 70 degrees F during the day. Apply heat to the bottom of the pots with a warming mat if a stable 70-degree environment is not available.

Watch for signs sprouting in two to three weeks. Thin out the sensitive plant seedlings to one per pot if more than one seed germinates. Remove all but the strongest seedling.

Keep the seedlings in their original pots for as long as possible since early transplantation sometimes shocks them. Move them into permanent pots filled with potting soil once they grow too large for their original pots.