The Effects of Distilled White Vinegar on Seeds

Seed Casing

• All seeds have an outer seed case. This case is generally invisible to the naked eye but is important in wild propagation. It both protects the seed and helps it to remain dormant, so that the seed does not germinate prematurely into an environment in which it cannot survive.

White Vinegar

• White vinegar can be used to remove the thin casing from seeds. When put into contact with the seed casing, vinegar slowly dissolves the casing, preparing the seed to germinate. This is very useful for the greenhouse or indoor gardener who wants to grow his seedlings outside of their traditional growing season.

How To

• To encourage germination with white vinegar, it is best to first gently rub the seed with fine sandpaper. If seeds are too small to do this, it's alright, the vinegar will work either way, it will just take less time and be more effective if sandpaper is used first. Mix 1/4 cup of vinegar with a cup of water, or an equivalent ratio as needed. Place your seeds in the mixture overnight and plant your seeds the following day.