Open Source Permaculture 1: Super Fast Germination

Fast germination of your seed mix insures that it can out compete local weeds. The following procedure will help your seed mix grow quickly and get off to a fast start. I used this same procedure last week on a Tuesday and my plants were poking through my mulch on Friday, less than 3 days!

Step 1: Plant on the day of the full moon as this greatly speeds germination

Step 2: Soak your seeds 24 hours before use in a mixture of water and lactobacillus culture ( you can learn how to make this on youtube, super simple)

Step 3: Sow your seeds amongst standing plants and in a deep mulch

Its that simple. Plant by the lunar calendar, soak your seeds before planting in a microbial inoculation and provide your seedlings with lots of little nooks and niches for different species in your seed mix.

Final thought -- include Daikon or other radishes to your seed mix. they germinate and grow quickly and act as nurse plants for the rest of the species in your polyculture.

This information was garnered from personal experience and the experience of my fellow Permies as always our knowledge is evolving, if you have something to add please chime in, this is a living document and a living method.

I have a homebrewed lactobacillus (plus other friends) culture in a spray bottle which we use for a variety of purposes. We use the leftover rice rinsing water, plus a little salt and molasses to get it going. The pH usually measures around 3.5

Is there a ratio for water to lactobacillus starter?

I'm intrigued by this whole moon sign planting thing. I sowed some seeds just prior to the full moon and they took off like mad. The ones I sowed a few days ago have yet to do anything. I'm chocking this one up to coincidence this time. But now I'm going to start paying attention.

More open source permaculture!!

yukkuri kame wrote:I have a homebrewed lactobacillus (plus other friends) culture in a spray bottle which we use for a variety of purposes. We use the leftover rice rinsing water, plus a little salt and molasses to get it going. The pH usually measures around 3.5

Is there a ratio for water to lactobacillus starter?

I will add about an ounce to a half gallon of water. I never measure though, you can't really use too much. I also ingest the lactobacillius daily as a probiotic. It has so many uses and is a great Permaculture tool.

Landon Sunrich wrote:I'm intrigued by this whole moon sign planting thing. I sowed some seeds just prior to the full moon and they took off like mad. The ones I sowed a few days ago have yet to do anything. I'm chocking this one up to coincidence this time. But now I'm going to start paying attention.

More open source permaculture!!

It's not always practical to plant by moon signs but when you can it shows. The effect the moon has on ocean waves is similar to the effect it has on soil moisture levels, the moon actually pulls moisture up through the soil. There are probably other reasons as well but that is the most credible I have come across to explain the faster germination rates.

Thanks for the tip James! This year I did most of my starts in potting soil mixed with vermicompost. On average approximately 80% of seeds germinated within 3 days, 10% within 5-8 days max and another 10% or so didn't germinate at all. Strange eh? Sometimes for example corn in one row germinated, and corn from the same seed packet did not. Same peas, tomatoes and others. No idea what causes some to germinate sooner than others when the mix is the same. I will add your method to the vermi mix to see what happens.

Thanks for the info Ari. Make sure to update us on your results!

I have a bunch of trees/shrub seeds stratifying, should I pull them out of the fridge on the full moon also? Sometimes it takes them weeks to germinate.