Totally Excellent Seed Germination


Growing plants from seed can be a lot of fun.  With a little knowledge, you can improve the germination rate of vegetable seed you purchase.  Excellent seed germination depends on a few factors: oxygen, water and temperature.   In general, seed germination is closely linked to the ecological conditions of a plant’s natural habitat. 

All seeds need oxygen in order to germinate.  Oxygen is needed for respiration.  Respiration allows the seed to convert starch or oil into energy so the seed can open up and grow.  Do not  bury your seed too deep because you may reduce the amount of oxygen that is able to reach the seed.  Good soil structure - plenty of pore spaces between soil aggregates - aids in the transfer of oxygen to germinating seeds.  Adding compost increases soil organic matter.  More organic matter improves soil structure and increases pore spaces.  


A basic rule of thumb is: Small seeds are planted shallow and bigger seeds are planted deeper (about 1.5-2.5 times as deep as the seed is large).  Larger seeds have more food reserves as starch or oil and helps the seedling pop out of the soil.  Always look on the seed packet to determine how deep to plant your seed.  For very small seed, you will just spread the seed onto the soil surface. 


The uptake of water by a seed leads to swelling and breaking the seed coat.  Soon after the seedling emerges from the seed coat, the seedling’s food reserves are typically exhausted.  Next, photosynthesis provides the energy needed for continued growth.  At this point, the seedling requires a continuous supply of water, nutrients and light.  


If you soak some seeds in water overnight before you plant them, the germination rate increases, and the seeds sprout faster.  Most medium-to-large vegetable seeds with thick coats benefit from soaking.  When you soak seeds, remember to cover the seeds with only about one half inch of water.  You don’t want the water to be too deep because you want oxygen to easily reach the seeds.  If the seeds suck up the water quickly, you will need to add more water.   Once you have soaked your seeds in water overnight, you should plant them the next day, making sure the seeds do not dry out before planting.  In other words, don’t soak your seeds, let them dry out for a few days and then plant them.


SOAK THESE SEEDS DON’T SOAK

Peas Basil

Beans Tomatoes

Pumpkin         Lettuce

Winter squash Carrots

Chard Radish

Beets Spinach

Sunflower Celery

Cucumbers Turnips

Lupine

Corn


When you have small, expensive seeds that you value, you may not want to sow these seeds directly in soil.  You can germinate valuable seeds by placing them between a damp folded paper towel, or wet sphagnum moss, or fine-textured vermiculite.  Keep the medium evenly moist by spraying with a mister.  When the seeds have germinated, you can gently pick them up individually with a tweezers and plant them in a pot with soil.  


By Oksana Lastochkina - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45169094


Seeds will not germinate until the soil has warmed up enough.  The right soil temperature signals that it is time for seed to germinate.  The ideal temperature for seeds to germinate varies for different fruits and vegetables.  When sowing seeds outdoors, it is helpful to have a soil thermometer to know the the soil temperature.  Most people just estimate the soil temperature.  If you are starting seedlings indoors, you can regulate the temperature to warm the soil and promote a high rate of germination.  My seed starting room is in my basement laundry.  The clothes drier supplies extra heat to warm up the soil for seed germination.  Alternatively, you can buy heat mats to place under the seedling trays.  The percentage of seed germination will increase when you reach the ideal soil temperature   This is definitely a variable to keep in mind.


CROP IDEAL SOIL TEMPERATURE (Fahrenheit)

Arugula         50-70

Bean 70-85

Beet         60-85

Broccoli         60-85

Brussel Sprouts 60-85

Cabbage         60-85

Carrots         60-85

Celery 60-70

Collards         60-85

Corn 65-90

Cucumber 70-90

Eggplant         75-85

Kale         60-85

Lettuce         60-70

Melon 70-90

Okra 80-90

Onion 60-85

Parsnip         50-70

Peas 60-80

Pepper 70-90

Pumpkin         70-90

Radish 65-85

Spinach         50-75

Squash         70-85

Swiss Chard 75-90

Tomato         70-90

Watermelon 70-90  




For a few species, the seeds will remain dormant until they are subjected to specific environmental conditions. Then they will germinate.  Some seeds need to be exposed to a period of cold conditions in order to break their dormancy.  You need to simulate winter weather.  A process called “Stratification” is used to stimulate these seeds to germinate.  Basically what you do is store the seeds in a refrigerator at 34 to 37 degrees Fahrenheit (not freezing) for one to three months (depending on the species).  Seeds are place in a sealed plastic bag with slightly moistened vermiculite, sand or paper towel.  You don’t want excessive moisture because the seeds will mold.  After stratification, the seeds are ready to sow in sterile potting soil.  



SPECIES REQUIRING COLD STRATIFICATION

Milkweed

Lupine

Prairie Coneflower

Rudbeckia

Primrose

Larkspur

Lavender

Perennial Sunflower


Another method needed to break dormancy for certain seeds is a process called Scarification.  In nature, some seeds require that a portion of their seed coats are worn away by natural abrasion (scarified) before the seed will germinate.  In horticulture, seeds can be scarified by three different methods: mechanically, thermally or chemically.  The most common type of scarification is mechanical scarification.  Seed coats may be filed with a metal file, rubbed with sandpaper, nicked with a knife, cracked gently with a hammer or carefully weakened in any other way.  The idea is to wear away part of the seed coat so water and oxygen can enter the seed and stimulate the seed to germinate.  You need to plant the seeds immediately after scarification.


SPECIES REQUIRING SCARIFICATION

Okra

Nasturtium

Black walnut

Redbud

Crabapple

Lupine

Milkweed


When starting plants from seed it is always a good idea to sow fresh seeds.  Seeds do not remain alive forever.  Seed viability decreases with age.    To lengthen the life of seeds, they should be stored in a cool, dry environment.  You can still sow older seeds.  The percentage of seeds that will germinate decreases with the age of the seeds.  Here is a chart to give you an idea of how long seeds will last when they are stored properly:


CROP SEED YEARS OF VIABILITY

Bean 3

Beet 4

Broccoli 5

Cabbage 5

Carrot 3

Celery 3

Chard, Swiss 4

Corn 2

Cucumber 5

Eggplant 4

Kale 5

Lettuce 5

Melon 5

Onion 1

Pea 3

Pepper 2

Pumpkin 4

Radish 5

Spinach 3

Squash 5

Sunflower 3

Tomato 4

Watermelon 4


At the end of a long, cold winter, germinating seeds can be really exciting and encouraging.  For some seeds, you need to exhibit patience.  Seeds like peppers, eggplant, celery and parsley can take a long time to germinate.  Some of the fastest germinating seeds are: radishes, cabbage family, lettuce, cucumbers and beans.  These fast germinating seeds are a joy to see pop up.  With a knowledge of seed germination requirements, you can be exceedingly successful in fully utilizing the seeds that you buy.  Then you will be off to a great start for the growing season. 



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