Germination Cha Cha Cha!

Did I mention I recently became obsessed with lacto-fermentation?

I basically want to pickle ferment ALL THE THINGS. So when choosing what to grow in my garden this year, I thought about what might be tasty after being fermented. First on the list, due to my amazing boyfriend's suggestion was cucumelon AKA mouse melon AKA Mexican Sour Gherkins, AKA Melothria Scabra. A small, tart, watermelon looking fruit. It's not actually a cucumber, but really a gourd.

So, after being told about them and then reading about them, I go for it. I hope on Amazon and buy a packet of seeds. As soon as they arrive, I grabbed an old egg carton and planted them according to the seed packet directions. Every morning when I wake up, I rotate the egg carton and spritz the soil with water. Every evening, I spritz it again to ensure the soil stays moist enough to not dry out.

I have no patience. I later read that it can take up to a month for them to germinate at the temperature we keep the house.

A month. A MONTH? No, I really do not have the patience for gardening.

I have 973912873 other packets of seeds to start. I cannot handle waiting A MONTH for all my little vegetable babies to germinate to then plant. What was I thinking?

Last year I bought flats of vegetables and herbs and did quite well with my back patio garden. It was easy peasy, so I figured I'd challenge myself and start from seed. I should have thought it through.

Okay really, its CHEAPER to start from seed. I can get seed packets for between 50 cents and $2.50 whereas a flat of small plants can be $25-$50 and it's just 2-3 of each type. I can grow SO MUCH for so much cheaper if i start from seed, and if i want to later pickle and can ALL THE THINGS, this is way more cost effective.

So I decided to try a little experiment tonight and am trying the paper towel method of germination. I do not think i can do this for all the seeds i plan to plant, but maybe a few of them. Tomorrow when i have all my seed packets, i'll see what this method works best for.

I JUST WANT THE MEXICAN SOUR GHERKINS IN MY MOUTH ALREADY. WAiting for germination and then another 70 days for them to mature is just ridiculous.

Talk about a lesson in patience. Gardening might just be what my manic mind needs.

The process:

Wet a paper towel until it's saturated, but the water isn't pooling/puddled

Place in a glass dish

Put seeds on top

Put lid on - in my case I can't find the lid, so I used plastic wrap and put out of sunlight (it's a glass dish, I don't want to bake the seeds, come on now!)

         

Seems easy enough right? 

We'll see how it goes! Can't wait to see them in the morning! 

Just to note: 

The egg carton seeds were planted 3/7/2019, 

The paper towel seeds were placed in the dish 3/16/2019.