Nicking Seeds?

So perhaps this is a silly question, but does anyone have suggestions on how best to nick seeds? I have some for Lupine, which I think are really pretty, but the seeds are smallish (think bird seed size) and when i have tried to nick them, they have split in two. They are very small, so keeping one solidly held in between your fingers while you try to gently nick them is difficult. Does anyone have a hint or suggestion?

Thanks,

Joe

 

And here I was thinking you meant nick in an entirely different manner... Plenty of easy ways to nick seeds (or seedlings) from anywhere you find them, but that's apparently not the way you meant. ;-)

For something that small, id's say a pair of tweezers so you can't hold it too tightly, and a fresh x-acto blade. Just pass it lightly over the same spot a few times, and you should be OK with it. Barring that, you can ususally circumvent having to nick seeds by soaking them for a bit...

 

Or rub the seeds across the blade of a flat file with your fingers, or across sand paper.

 

I have nicked a few extraordinarily large and unusual seeds, but I can't imagine having to nick any of the seeds that you can buy in a regular store. I grow a few dozen lupines each year and have never nicked the seeds; they definitely do not need it.

 

Just make sure the park keeper can't see you when you do!

For small seeds, rub them between two sheets of sandpaper. For large seeds, try clipping with a pair of nail clippers.

 

And now I know how to nick seeds (both those bought and those nicked!). Many thanks.

Joe