This series shows me "operating" on some sugar pine seeds as directed by an article in the American Journal of Botany. The idea is that the outer seed coats inhibit germination--after removal, the seeds should germinate quickly, without a long soak in the refrigerator to simulate winter. Here I'm making a cut in the outer coat, to create a space I can use to pry the seed apart.
After making the cut, you can see the partially hollow inside of the seed. I'll use this space to pry the seed open.
Open! Note that the seed has an inner coating, as well. The article claims that this must also be removed for easy germination.
The finished product on coffee filters, ready for incubation in our warm bathroom. Now for the disappointing part: this didn't work! The article showed 90% germination in four days, while I've seen nothing after five days. Not sure if I did something wrong, if the seeds are no good, or what. I will keep the seeds in there for a while, though, just in case.
