How to Make a Sprouting Tube for Germinating Seeds

Wet a firm brown paper towel. If none is available, use a doubled absorbent paper towel, although these allow roots to penetrate into the fiber.

Sponge off a cutting board with a diluted bleach solution. Allow water to drip off the paper towel and lay it on the cutting board.

Write the date and the type of seed on a small sheet of paper. Lay this on the upper margin of the paper towel. Count out 100 seeds and place them on the left side of the paper towel so that they don’t touch. Fold the right side in half over the left.

Lay a pencil over the edge of the folded towel nearest you. Roll the towel up tightly over the pencil. Tie up the sprouting tube with twine or place it upright in a jar or plastic bag. Keep the sprouting tube in an area between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

Open the towel after three days and count any seedlings as you remove them. Refold and roll the sprouting tube. Keep the towel moist by adding drops of water at the bottom of the jar or bag.

Make a second count after another three days. The number of seedlings removed equals the germination percentage. For example, if you remove 45 sprouts on day 3 and then another 45 on day 6, you have 90 percent germination.

Remove dead seeds as you go, which become moldy during the test and flatten under the pressure of a pencil eraser. Dormant seeds, which may sprout over time, stay hard.