Count newly observed seeds once
Incremental records make the cumulative total auditable.
Write down the denominator first
A trial starts with a fixed number of seeds. In this notebook the recorded percentage is the cumulative number meeting your counting rule divided by that starting number. A 20-seed trial with 15 recorded successes is 75%. The remaining five are simply not recorded as meeting the rule by the last visit; the app does not label them dead.
Choose a rule you can repeat
Write what you count in the trial's counting-rule field. “First visible root” and “Seedling above the surface” describe different observations. Do not switch between them mid-trial and then treat the numbers as equivalent. The notebook records your rule; it does not classify seedlings or prescribe a laboratory method.
New counts, not running totals
If you first record four seeds and later see seven additional seeds meeting the rule, enter 4 and then 7. The cumulative count becomes 11. Entering 11 on the second visit would count the first four twice. The app rejects a sum greater than the starting sample, but a smaller accidental double count can still fit within the limit. Review your notes and identify each seed consistently.
A count of zero means you made an observation and recorded no new seeds meeting the rule. It is useful information. No entry on a date means no visit is recorded; it is not automatically converted into a zero.
Keep the context beside the counts
Use condition notes for sample labels, dates, setup changes and other details you actually observed. The app does not collect weather or infer temperature, moisture or treatment effects. For general home-testing context, see Iowa State University Extension's seed storage and germination discussion. Its guidance is independent of this notebook.