What about Pelleted Seeds?

Pelleted Crimson Clover
seeds

When shopping for Crimson Clover seeds earlier this fall, we bought some pelleted seeds at a local garden store because it was all they had. We had seen pelleted seeds before, but didn’t know much about them.  Always a good excuse to do some research.

Pelleted seeds are coated with an inert, organic material such as Bentonite, diatomaceous earth or talc. Pelleted seeds were initially used by large scale growers because their uniform shape and size works better in mechanical seeders. However, home gardeners are discovering the advantages of pelleted seeds and they can be found in gardening centers and online seed suppliers.

Bentonite clay is a volcanic material which swells and absorbs moisture. The coating may also include Perlite or an FDA approved coloring agent. Pelleted seeds don’t usually come with a list of ingredients. For instance, our clover seed, which is a legume, may well have been coated with inert material plus rhizobium bacteria to help the plants set nitrogen.

Seed coating methods also act as efficient carriers of chemicals, which can be applied on the seed surface. The chemicals involved are mostly fungicides and insecticides.  Several reports describe testing seeds coated with allelopathic chemicals to delay seed germination until weather conditions are optimal for growth or to control time of harvest.  In studies, the delay in germination had no negative effects on seedling growth or germination percentage.

Advantages of using pelleted seeds:

Larger seeds are easier to see and handle
Less wasted seed
Seeds don’t wash or blow away
Allows for correct spacing

Better germination

More vigorous seedlings
Eliminates thinning!
Clay coating preserves moisture and improves water uptake

Better protection from environmental stresses, pests and diseases

Work better with seeding tools

Great for kids!

The main disadvantage is a shorter shelf life.  Pelleted seeds should be used within one year of purchase.  The coating process shortens seed life, and the clay coating is affected by humidity and can break down over time, reducing germination.  Pelleted seeds are more expensive and limited in variety.  You may not be able to find the seeds you want in pellet form, and treated coatings may not be organic. After planting, pelleted seeds need to be kept uniformly moist, but not waterlogged, to allow the coating to dissolve so germination can take place.

If you have difficulty seeing or handling small seeds, or if you hate thinning things like lettuce, carrots, or radishes, perhaps pelleted seeds are right for you.

IFAS info on pelleted seeds:  https://propg.ifas.ufl.edu/04-seeds/02-technology/05-seedstesting-pelleted.html 

More about what goes into seed coatings, and what they do: https://summitseedcoatings.com/blog/seed-preparation/what-goes-into-seed-coatings-seed-coating-materials-and-what-they-do/

Growing in third world countries—making your own pelleted seed:  https://worldagriculturesolutions.com/2015/05/05/pelleted-seed-primer/

More about planting and storing pelleted seeds:  https://www.johnnyseeds.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-JSSSharedLibrary/default/dwf4c9a8df/assets/information/pelleted-seed-tech-sheet.pdf