How to Germinate Seeds Guaranteed Without Soil or Medium for Garden or Hydroponics

Last Updated: November 6, 2022

Starting plants from seed is hard. Right soil or medium? The right amount of water? Right nutrients? Right PH balance? Right seeds even? No way! What's more, seeds won't sprout until they think the temperature is right. This trick can be done indoors no matter what season it is outside! This method is short, easy and can be done anywhere there is even minor heat. Once you get a sprout, just place it any growing medium!

Steps

1
Select a seed, any seed. The only consideration here will be temperature. Many seeds, especially smaller ones, will need higher temperatures. So if you can't provide the heat necessary for that seed, you might not be successful in the germination.
2
Get a cloth/towel wet and place the seeds on it. Make sure to get the seeds to stick to the sponge so they get moist. Paper towels work best because you can see through them to monitor growth.^{[1]
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3
Fold or roll the cloth up so the seeds are inside. It's best to make it possible to see the seeds inside without opening it so you don't have to spend extra time each day opening this up.^{[2]
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4
Insert the seed pack into a plastic bag or container of any size. A smaller bag/container is better really, so the moisture stays on the seeds and seed retrieval will be less difficult.^{[3]
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5
Label the container so as not to forget what you are growing. Consider labeling with the exact type of the plant and not just "tomato". If you end up with fruit you don't like the taste of, you will want to know which type it was.^{[4]
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6
Place where there will be some heat. Direct sun can be used, but only if the seeds are covered. Sun will cause the seed to act like it's not in the ground and stop it from growing. Left too long like this and the seeds could die. You can wrap them inside the towel to simulate being in the ground. You can use indirect sunlight or some other heat source. Best to place them indoors as this will keep them at a moderate temperature (not too hot or cold) at all times. Note: seeds don't need sun, just heat, and water. Their plants need sun. So, placing them on a heater or some warm source is okay too, but creating a fire hazard should be avoided at all cost.^{[5]
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7
Monitor daily. The best thing to do is put them somewhere you will see them regularly. You must take them out of the bag/container soon after they sprout or they may die off.
8
Plant in whatever medium you'd like. Since these seeds are just babies they will adapt to just about anything as long as it's not too harsh. Don't forget to do research if you plan to do hydroponics. Wicking gardens are about the same as regular dirt gardening, but there is some caution as these may contain too much water for the plant.^{[6]
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Community Q&A

Question

Do seeds germinate without soil?

Ruthanee

Community Answer

Yes, seeds can germinate without soil. You can germinate them on many different things -- sponges, coffee filters, paper towels, and so on.
Question

Should I add some more water if the paper towel becomes dry?

Community Answer

Yes, but make sure paper towel is moist, not soaking wet. You may have to try to germinate them again if they dried out.
Question

How long should it take before I see some growth?

Ruthanee

Community Answer

It depends on the seeds you planted, different seeds have different germination times. You can figure it out by googling "germination time of (name of the seeds you planted)."