Lavender is one of those sought-after herbs that many gardeners love to have blooming in their garden. The flower's rich purple color and its natural aroma are extremely pleasing to the senses.
The problem with this herb for many gardeners, however, is that lavender can be hard to grow from seed.
In a TikTok post, @sproutinggreenthumb demonstrates a hack that provides an easy way to get your lavender seeds to germinate and "make sure they grow."
The scoop
In order to pull off this hack, you will need some paper towels or cloths, a spray bottle, Ziploc or Stasher bag, and some lavender seeds.
@sproutinggreenthumb Time to start getting seeds ready for the summer garden. Here is a trick for planting lavender. #garden #plantinglavender #sproutinggreenthumb #fyp #gardening #gardentok #gardening101 #gardenproject #zone5b #zone5bgardening #lavender #growlavender #gardenhack #lavenderhack ♬ original sound - Sprouting
As the TikTok video shows, take a piece of a paper towel and place it on a table or counter. Wet the paper towel and then place the seeds on top while spacing them out a bit. Although the TikToker does not say in the video, it appears that a second wet paper towel is then placed on top.
Carefully slide the paper towels into a bag and give the inside of the bag a few sprays of water. Close the bag and then place it in the refrigerator. Within three to six weeks, you should begin to see germination.
"Once you see sprouts coming out of those seeds, you know it's time to be taken out and they can be planted," explains the TikToker.
The germination method is based on cold stratification, which tricks winter-hibernating seeds into sprouting more quickly.
How it's helping
Although the TikTok video focuses on lavender seeds, the "wet paper towel method" can be used with any type of seed. It will save you time and heartache, especially if you don't have a lot of experience with growing from seed.
Gardening in any capacity — even on your balcony — is a good way to help cool down our planet. Not only do plants and trees store carbon dioxide through photosynthesis, but growing your own also cuts down on the carbon pollution and other resources needed to ship the produce you are now growing for yourself.
In a 2019 study, scientists stated that planting trees would be a viable way to reduce the Earth's planet-warming gases with the potential to eliminate one-third of human-induced carbon dioxide presently in our atmosphere.
So whether your plan is to simply plant a bit of lavender along with some other herbs in pots or fill your entire backyard with fruit trees and vegetables, you will still be doing some part.
What everyone's saying
The germination hack has proved popular with other gardeners, garnering over 250 comments.
"I have a feeling you saved me a lot of heartache in a few months. Thank you," writes one TikToker.
"I've done this with a lot of seeds that others say are hard to do. This works perfectly!" says another.
One fan was convinced on the spot, saying, "Thank you! My daughter just gave me a pack of seeds. I'm doing this today."
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