Help with germinating Sea Kale (crambe maritima)

Hi folks!

I just got some seeds in the mail the other day for Sea Kale. I am super excited to move towards a more perennial garden and just discovered it! I've been doing some research and a bunch of folks say that I ned to crack the pericarp on the shell and then plant, which will help the germination rate.

Does anyone have tips as to how to do this? One site mentioned wire cutters, but I don't have any...though if that is the last resort I can find some.

Another site said also to soak the seeds in salt water. Has anyone tried this? Is this with or without the pericarp?

Any advice would be great! I don't have that many seeds and want a good germination rate!

Thanks

If the seeds have a corky shell on them, then germination is better if the shell is removed first. Things like scissors, pliers, or fingernail clippers may work.

Joseph Lofthouse wrote:
If the seeds have a corky shell on them, then germination is better if the shell is removed first. Things like scissors, pliers, or fingernail clippers may work.

Great thanks. I will do that. Has anyone removed the shell AND do a soak in salt water before planting? If so, were the germination rates better?

I'm curious to hear people's experience, as I have some seed in the fridge I'm planning to plant soon. There's a video YouTube of Jonathan Bates crushing the corky shell off a bunch of seeds at the same time by squishing them between two cutting boards.

Freshness of seed is pretty important.

I picked up some sea kale seeds from Bountiful Gardens this year. I used nail clippers to pierce the corky husk and then it stripped off pretty easily with just my fingernails. I have a small yard, so I only planted 6 seeds in small pots--that was around the first of March. I just left them on my porch and let them sit in the rain and cold, since they like a period of cold stratification (at least, that's what it said on the seed packet), and they all came up within about three weeks.

Two were devoured by slugs, but the others all have developed a few real leaves, and I've begun transplanting them into more permanent homes.

my guess is that they need autumn sowing or moist chill in the fridge.