Jarmination - Milkweed Seed Germination in a Jar
From Seed to Soil in Seven Days!
You can download Jarmination so you have the steps with you when you need them. Jarmination steps began from success using this method in 2021 and has been revised with sustainable materials and clarification of the process each year. Now you have the best method to take your milkweed seed from seed to soil in seven days.
Jarmination works well with all the milkweed seeds you want to grow.
MATERIALS:
Container
METHODS / PROCESS
Clip the milkweed seeds if appropriate.
Add water to a container and soak seeds 24 hours.
Remove the jar’s lid and sprinkle milkweed seeds on the surface of the soil.
Add four tablespoons of water over the seeds.
Sprinkle the included Coconut Coir (dust/sand) evenly over the wet seeds and soil.
Place one 6x6 Cellophane Sheet over the jar with the butterfly hole centered. Put the ring of the jar lid back on.
Place the jar on a sunny window sill and watch your milkweed grow.
Jarmination Video by Lumberjill Garden. Great for visual learners!
TUTORIAL WITH PICTUERS
1. Clip the milkweed seeds if appropriate.
See the document on clipping for details about the clipping process and which seeds are recommended to be clipped or unclipped. Generally, small seeds do not benefit from clipping. Large seeds can benefit a great deal from clipping. If you are familiar with cold moist stratification (CMS) and have already stratified the seeds, clipping can be skipped with stratified seeds. I like to take seeds from dry storage to planting without stratification. Clipping bypasses the need for CMS which is wonderful.
2. Add water to a container and soak seeds 24 hours.
Grab a glass from your kitchen cabinet. Add either tap water or distilled water. Place the milkweed seeds in the glass for the next day. You do not need to replenish or freshen the water during this period. Just let the seed soak up the water for a full 24 hours. If you clipped the seed in step 1 there is a very slim chance the root begins to grow before sowing. If you read about Water Germination this process should be familiar to you. Rather than do multiple water changes. We will plant the seeds in step 3 and let the jar do the work. Jarmination lets you plant the seeds next and not have to handle the seeds again till it is time to plant the rooted seedlings.
3. Remove the jar’s lid and sprinkle Milkweed Seeds on the surface of the soil.
Leave the soil dry for this step. You are taking the seeds that have been soaking in water for 24 hours and planting them in this step. Do not overthink this step. Dry the seeds if it helps. Drop the seeds onto the surface of the dry soil. If you can, distribute the seeds evenly around the soil inside the jar. I like to plant about twenty five seeds in each jar. I will discourage you from planting more than fifty seeds or fewer than five seeds in each jar. Twenty to twenty five seeds is a manageable amount that yields good results.
4. Add four tablespoons of water over the seeds.
Now it is time to add a measured amount of water to the jarmination container. Gently pour one tablespoon of water per two ounces of container size. Directions are written based on the assumption you are using the Ball Regular Mouth Canning Jar 8 oz. Adjust watering based on your container size by using the chart below.
4 oz. jar = 2 tablespoons water
8 oz. jar = 4 tablespoons water (recommended container size)
12 oz. jar = 6 tablespoons water
16 oz jar = 8 tablespoons water
After the initail watering. Do not water for three days.
5. Sprinkle the included Coconut Coir (dust/sand) evenly over the wet seeds and soil.
In step 3 we sprinkled the seeds on the surface of the soil. In this step we thinly cover the seed with Coconut Coir. Not more than one tablespoon of Coconut Coir. The seeds do not need to be fully covered. Enough Coconut Coir to hug up against the seed is good. Do not water until three days has passed.
6. Place one 6x6 Cellophane Sheet over the jar with the butterfly hole centered. Put the ring of the jar lid back on.
Try not to drop or shake the jar from here on out. Grab one Cellophane Sheets with Butterfly Holes. Place the cellophane sheet over the jar with the butterfly holes centered over the opening. Hold the cellophane in place with one hand. With your other hand grab the aluminum lid ring. Twist the lid onto the jar while pressing the cellophane down against the jar using even pressure. The cellophane sheet is now secured in place between the lid ring and the jar. Setup is complete!
7. Place the jar on a sunny window sill and watch your milkweed grow.
This is a Spring and Sumer activity. If it is getting warm outside then it is also warm inside your home. Jarmination works best during warm weather. Place the jarmination container on a window sill. If you want to do jarmination during the fall or winter then you will benefit greatly from placing your jar on a Seedling Heat Mat. The most common failure point in jarmination is temps not being warm enough.
JAR SELECTION TIPS
Selecting the correct jar is important.
Don't select a jar with a top narrower than the bottom. The opening at the top of the jar is called the mouth. The mouth of the jar must be as wide or wider than the rest of the jar. If the mouth of the jar narrows, even slightly. Don't use that jar. Removing the plants can become impossible when the mouth narrows. Use the examples below as a guide to select the correct jar shape.
Can you see the YES jars (below) have mouths as wide or wider than the jar's bottom?
Can you see the NO jars (below) have wider bottoms than the mouth? The narrowing at the mouth of the jar is a NO. Do not use a jar with this shape.
The honey jar below is an example of the wrong jar shape. The jar bottom is wider then the jar mouth. Although the milkweed grows well. Removing the plants from the jar is nearly impossible. In order to remove the plants from the jar I had to shatter the glass. Not only is breaking the glass unsafe. It made the glass unsafe to recycle or reuse. The goal of jarmination is to reuse the materials indefinitely.
The Ball Regular Mouth Canning Jar 8 oz. is the recommended jar for jarmination. These jars are in most grocery stores. The jars mouth is slightly wider than the jars base. Removing the plants for transplant is easy. Water the soil to add weigh. Tilt the jar on it's side and with a light shake the roots and soil come right out of the jar.