Cotton seeds will not germinate

uno · May 6, 2013

For the last two years I have been trying to grow cotton.

Just about everything I wear I look for it to be 100% cotton.

I bought a blanket a few years ago that was made in another country and it stunk so bad of chemicals that I threw it out. I bought a 100% organic cotton made in the USA blanket and I love it.

In my life I have never actually seen a cotton plant other than in pictures.

All I'm looking to do is just grow maybe 2 or 3 plants just to see how they look and what cotton looks like while on a living plant.

I bought seeds from two different seed sources and nothing comes up at all.

I have no trouble with other seeds just cotton.

I am trying to sprout some indoors right now at a room temperature of about 70* in some compost. I keep the soil moist but not soaked...
I water about every other day. Nothing comes up. I tried last year and same thing out of 20 or 30 seeds not one germinated.

Maybe I just got some bad seed I have had that happen before but this is from two different sources and the same result.

Just wondering if anyone knows a good source of seed (in a very small quantity) or knows what mistake I might be making?

Thanks

Jim

greentiger87 · May 6, 2013

I grew some two years ago as a curiosity, but I can't remember where I bought them. Soaked seeds in distilled water for two days, changing out the water. Used a squirt of hydrogen peroxide the first night.

Then I just directly sowed about half the imbibed seeds into the ground. I think I started with around 25, I think all of them came up with no problem.. I had to thin to 3 plants.

As insurance, I put the other half of the imbibed seeds in a ziploc bag with a moist paper towel and stuck it in the dark underneath the sink. This method is pretty much foolproof - they all germinated, but I threw them away because I didn't need them.

Scarification is standard practice on hibiscus family seeds, I'm sure cotton seeds are no exception. It's possible my seeds were pre-scarified, but I don't think so. Certainly they were very hard seeds.

Tormato · May 9, 2013

I trialed Egyptian Green cotton (seed from Sand Hill Preservation) a few years ago. The weather that year was just about perfect for cotton plants, dry and hot. I had zero germination problems.

I think the plants averaged about 15 bolls each. The plants are very ornamental with large light yellow flowers. I suppose I should check on what seed I have left, and see if I can start a few plants this year.

Gary

uno · May 17, 2013

Thanks Greentiger87 and Gary.

I think it's my seeds. I got to get some from somewhere else and try them. Hearing the germination rates both of you are getting vs. my ZERO rate it's got to be the seeds.

I might try Sand Hill. I ordered seeds from them a few years ago and most were pretty good.

Thanks again

Jim

Fusion_power · May 21, 2013

I grow some of the cotton seed for Sandhill. Fresh seed germinates much better than older seed. If you order, may I suggest getting the Butternut Brown. It is a very fine textured cotton though the staple length is short as is typical of most heirloom varieties.

DarJones

salix · May 22, 2013

I also tried the Egyptian Green cotton from Sand Hill Preservation a few years ago. No trouble at all with the germination (did nothing special to them), but they did not survive a very early frost. I too was just curious about them, the seeds were beautiful - like little boiled wool buttons.

uno · June 3, 2013

Thanks Fusion and Salix and everyone else who replied.

I might try some of those ones from Sandhill next year.

I was not ready to put an order through for just cotton seeds for this year with a big seed company so rather than wait until next season I gave some seeds a try that were listed on ebay.

Out of 12 seeds that I planted 9 germinated!

So it was the seeds that were my problem.

I'm looking forward to see what cotton plants look like for the first time in my life.

I was about ready to just forget growing cotton after not getting anything to germinate in the last couple of years. But after reading the responses in this thread I thought I would give it another shot because it might have just been bad seeds...and it was.

Thanks for the responses everyone!

Jim

May 6, 2013	#1
uno Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: SW Pennsylvania, zone 6a Posts: 147	Cotton seeds will not germinate For the last two years I have been trying to grow cotton. Just about everything I wear I look for it to be 100% cotton. I bought a blanket a few years ago that was made in another country and it stunk so bad of chemicals that I threw it out. I bought a 100% organic cotton made in the USA blanket and I love it. In my life I have never actually seen a cotton plant other than in pictures. All I'm looking to do is just grow maybe 2 or 3 plants just to see how they look and what cotton looks like while on a living plant. I bought seeds from two different seed sources and nothing comes up at all. I have no trouble with other seeds just cotton. I am trying to sprout some indoors right now at a room temperature of about 70* in some compost. I keep the soil moist but not soaked... I water about every other day. Nothing comes up. I tried last year and same thing out of 20 or 30 seeds not one germinated. Maybe I just got some bad seed I have had that happen before but this is from two different sources and the same result. Just wondering if anyone knows a good source of seed (in a very small quantity) or knows what mistake I might be making? Thanks Jim

May 6, 2013	#2
greentiger87 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Houston, TX - 9a Posts: 211	I grew some two years ago as a curiosity, but I can't remember where I bought them. Soaked seeds in distilled water for two days, changing out the water. Used a squirt of hydrogen peroxide the first night. Then I just directly sowed about half the imbibed seeds into the ground. I think I started with around 25, I think all of them came up with no problem.. I had to thin to 3 plants. As insurance, I put the other half of the imbibed seeds in a ziploc bag with a moist paper towel and stuck it in the dark underneath the sink. This method is pretty much foolproof - they all germinated, but I threw them away because I didn't need them. Scarification is standard practice on hibiscus family seeds, I'm sure cotton seeds are no exception. It's possible my seeds were pre-scarified, but I don't think so. Certainly they were very hard seeds. Last edited by greentiger87; May 6, 2013 at 11:06 AM.

May 22, 2013	#6
salix Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: north central B.C. Posts: 2,310	I also tried the Egyptian Green cotton from Sand Hill Preservation a few years ago. No trouble at all with the germination (did nothing special to them), but they did not survive a very early frost. I too was just curious about them, the seeds were beautiful - like little boiled wool buttons. __________________ "He who has a library and a garden wants for nothing." -Cicero

May 9, 2013	#3
Tormato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MA Posts: 4,966	I trialed Egyptian Green cotton (seed from Sand Hill Preservation) a few years ago. The weather that year was just about perfect for cotton plants, dry and hot. I had zero germination problems. I think the plants averaged about 15 bolls each. The plants are very ornamental with large light yellow flowers. I suppose I should check on what seed I have left, and see if I can start a few plants this year. Gary

May 17, 2013	#4
uno Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: SW Pennsylvania, zone 6a Posts: 147	Thanks Greentiger87 and Gary. I think it's my seeds. I got to get some from somewhere else and try them. Hearing the germination rates both of you are getting vs. my ZERO rate it's got to be the seeds. I might try Sand Hill. I ordered seeds from them a few years ago and most were pretty good. Thanks again Jim

May 21, 2013	#5
Fusion_power Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,250	I grow some of the cotton seed for Sandhill. Fresh seed germinates much better than older seed. If you order, may I suggest getting the Butternut Brown. It is a very fine textured cotton though the staple length is short as is typical of most heirloom varieties. DarJones

June 3, 2013	#7
uno Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: SW Pennsylvania, zone 6a Posts: 147	Thanks Fusion and Salix and everyone else who replied. I might try some of those ones from Sandhill next year. I was not ready to put an order through for just cotton seeds for this year with a big seed company so rather than wait until next season I gave some seeds a try that were listed on ebay. Out of 12 seeds that I planted 9 germinated! So it was the seeds that were my problem. I'm looking forward to see what cotton plants look like for the first time in my life. I was about ready to just forget growing cotton after not getting anything to germinate in the last couple of years. But after reading the responses in this thread I thought I would give it another shot because it might have just been bad seeds...and it was. Thanks for the responses everyone! Jim