The 4 steps to germinate a croton seed to grow a croton plant are:
- Collect seeds from an existing croton plant.
- Pop the outer black layer, and gently remove the seed from inside.
- Plant the seed 1.5 cm/0.5 inches deep in soil suitable for seedlings and that has good drainage.
- Water the seeds every 3-5 days. This depends on how quickly the soil is drying out.
To start a new croton plant from seed, follow below for a full guide (with pictures) on how to germinate a croton seed and grow a croton plant from seed. If you want to grow a croton plant from a cutting, you can follow my guide here.
Steps to Germinate Croton Seed
Below are the steps on how to germinate croton seed (with pictures), and grow your own croton plant from seed.
How To Germinate Croton Seeds
From seed to germination 30 days
Collect Croton Seeds
To collect seeds from a croton plant you simply just pull them off with your hand.
Just make sure that they are black and ripe and ready to be picked. If they are picked too soon then the likelihood of successfully germinating the seeds goes down.
Prepare Croton Seeds
To prepare the croton seeds you will just need to pop the seed out of the outer layer. You can do this with your fingers, you just squeeze it until it pops.
Make sure you wash your hands afterwards if you aren’t using gloves to remove any residue from your hand.
Tip: Don’t wait too long between harvesting your croton seeds and planting them. As each day passes the likelihood of successful germination will decrease.
Plant Croton Seeds
Fill a seedling tray with a seedling/propagation type potting mix. I use Osmocote Seed & Cutting Premium Potting Mix.
Poke holes that are 1.5 cm/0.5 inches deep and insert your seeds. Then cover the seed with potting mix and press on top to firm up the potting mix.
Water Croton Seeds
When the seeds have all been planted give all of the seeds in the tray a really good water. You will need to keep watering them every 3-5 days, depending on how fast the potting mix is drying out.
Then place your seedling tray somewhere it will get partial to full sunlight. I started my seeds inside where they initially only got 3 hours of sunlight per day for the first month, then moved them outside where they got full sunlight.
The seeds need warm temperatures to germinate and won’t tolerate frost or extreme heat.
Croton Seed Germination (+30 Days from Planting)
For me, it took 30 days for the first sign of germination to appear (you can see little shoots just coming through for two of the seeds).
Croton Seed Germination (4 Months from Planting)
This is the progress of the croton seeds after 4 months. After this photo, I transferred the croton plants to a larger pot to encourage them to grow faster.
Different Methods of Germinating Croton Seeds
When I was doing my research on how to germinate croton seeds online, I found it very confusing. There were many different methods of people either popping or not popping the seed outer layer, and some people soaking the seed in water at 140 degrees Fahrenheit and other people not soaking the seed.
Because of this, I decided that it would be best if I could gather enough seeds to be able to do an experiment and determine which method worked best when germinating croton seeds.
The four methods of germinating croton seeds were:
| Comment | Seed Not Popped | Seed Popped | Soaked in warm water | Not soaked in warm water |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Method 1 | Yes | No | No | No |
| Method 2 | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Method 3 | No | Yes | No | No |
| Method 4 | No | Yes | Yes | No |
I had 16 seeds in total so I assigned 4 seeds to each method.
Results
I have concluded that method 3 of popping the seed out of its protective outer layer and placing it in some potting mix is the best way to germinate croton seeds. This method had a 100% success rate with all 4 seeds germinating.
All of the other methods had a 0% success rate at germinating croton seeds, with zero seeds germinating.
FAQs
Do Croton Plants Grow Seeds?
Yes, croton plants grow seeds. They are ready to be collected when they turn from green to black.
What Do Croton Seeds Look Like?
Croton seeds are made up of two layers. The outer protective layer, and inside that is the croton seed.
When croton seeds are ready to harvest the outer layer will turn from green to dark black.
How Long Does It Take for A Croton Seed to Germinate?
In my experience, it can take 30 days for the first sign of germination to show after planting a croton seed.
What Are Croton Seeds Used For?
Croton seeds are used to grow croton plants.
Where Can You Buy Croton Seeds?
If you google “buy croton seeds” you will find a local supplier near you or an eBay seller that can post to you.
Can You Grow Crotons from Seeds?
Yes, you can. You can use my guide here to learn how to grow croton plants from seed.
How To Collect Croton Seeds?
To collect croton seeds from a plant, you simply remove the black seeds from the plant by hand. Make sure you wash your hands afterwards.