03-03-2025
West Virginia Botanic Garden hosts germination workshop
MORGANTOWN, (WBOY) — The West Virginia Botanic Garden hosted a germination workshop on Sunday, where WVU Extension's Master Gardener Jim Rye walked the class through how to put the seeds in the best condition so that they will go from seed to sprout.
Rye told 12 News about the benefit of germinating the seeds indoors and then transferring them outside when it gets warmer. He said there's a satisfaction in germinating for yourself. Furthermore, germinating seeds indoors when the weather is colder, gives them a head-start when they eventually get outdoors.
The class worked with seeds of lettuce, tomatoes, and sunflowers among others. Rye said that he recommends artificial light when trying to germinate seed indoors and that it's also important to plant the seeds at the right depth.
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'Some seeds it's recommended not to start from seed,' Rye said. 'You should start from transplants, not just straight seeds in the garden. Like tomatoes and peppers, I mean, sure if you get them in the ground early enough and the weather is warm enough, you can still harvest tomatoes by the end of the year but you're not going to get many.'
If you're feeling a green thumb but missed today, the Botanic Garden will also be hosting a deer resistant gardening class on April 14.
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