Special technique for starting MG seeds?

I just had to share this story with you.

I started growing MG this past spring. I read all the packet instructions and read up on how to grow MG on this forum. I was so careful to nick and soak all my seeds and were pleased when they all came up. Well, one of the MG's that I grew was 'Star of Yelta'. These grew fast and furious and the seed pods matured very quickly. One day last week, while I was working in the garden, my 8 y.o. daughter picked some dry seeds off the vine and burried them in a pile of sand and watered them. When I found out what she had done I offered her a 4 inch pot with potting mix and told her to scratch a few more seeds on the concrete and plant them in "real" soil because they won't grow in sand. Well, it's true that only 2 days later there were some sprouting in the 4 inch pot. But, the big surprise was that, after 5 days, the seeds in the sand also came up. I was astounded but my DD said, "Mom, I knew they would grow. We did an experiment in Science on the Go at school. We planted some seeds in different things and they do grow in sand." I just had to laugh at myself for all the time that I've spent coddling MG seeds.

What a smart cookie you have for a daughter! I bet she's proud of her babies.
:) Donna

we did a test similar to that in my propagation class with radish seeds. even in high clay native soil they still germinated, just late and small. but i really think a greenhouse helps... i couldn't get radish seeds to come up in store-bought seed starting mix at home!

the only thing is permanent wilting point is way closer to wet for sand than it is for potting soil because sand drains so quickly. so once the plants get established they might not survive past very many true leaves.

what a cte story though. you learn something knew every day!