Hello Professor,
I have a bunch of seeds. Most are black or tan, some are striped or spotted, and a good number are green. I want to say that the green seeds are worthless, but my friend told me there was a way to make them sprout. Is this true or is he full of it?
Seedy,
Ontario.
Dear Seedy,
Green seeds are simply immature. If it doesn’t squash under a little finger pressure you might actually be able to sprout it. It’s a bit of a chore to do (so most people don’t bother) but if you want to try it out, here’s what to do:
Place the green seed in a damp paper towel, set it out someplace warm and check on it often. If the seed ripens it will get darker and then sprout but these sprouts will be weaker than those from mature seeds because the seed won’t provide as much stored nutrients to get them started. To counter this simply plant them shallower than you usually would and once the sprout gets going it has the potential to develop into a healthy plant. Long story short: your friend isn’t totally full of it.
Good Luck,
Professor Lee.
