STARTING YOUR OWN seeds at home is not only a rewarding science project, but also a sure-fire way to save money! So how does one go about sowing seeds and just what is germination?
Germination: A sequence of events in a viable seed starter with water, that leads to growth of the embryo and development of a seedling.
We are going to study Germination 101 today, another one of the many methods available to increase our plant stock and variety. It is done mostly as a very cost effective way to produce large numbers of a plant.
It is done by others who have a desired plant at a specific time or of a specific quality, and still others just germinate seed for the joy of it. There is a certain reward in raising that stunning plant yourself by seed.
Seeds that have the ability to grow are called viable. Viability of seed translates to the number and quality of future seedlings.
Germination is not when the small plant (seedling) breaks the ground.
Under earth development
No, germination starts and ends in that short period of time that the hard little seed takes up moisture and cracks open the seed coat as its development begins.
It is almost always a combination of minimum requirements of water, warmth, light and air, all of which cause germination.
A seed, of course, must be viable, and this varies greatly in purchased seed type.
Some seeds are viable as soon as they are ripe; others need a frost to become viable; others need a dormancy period of cold, dark or dry. For some, viability last only a few months; others last a year or two; and others can be viable for a century or more — think Scotch broom.
As a whole, the seed industry talks about fresh seed and its link to percentage of germination and vitality of seedlings. If you want to retain quality control, use fresh (less than one year old) seed.
So, let’s now take this fresh seed and break down the exact process of germination. The given seed is placed in germination medium and according to its requirements (soil temperature and light or lack of it) covered or not with the exact amount of soil, then watered. As the water is supplied and the soil stays moist, the seed absorbs this moisture.
At this point, the seed coat cracks and a tiny first root (the radicle) appears.
Then, the first tiny shoot, the plumule, begins to appear and grow.
At this point, with water being taken and food in the endosperm (storage part of the seed) being drawn on as energy for the growth, germination is well underway. These stored proteins, starches and fats in the seed are converted into the soluble materials needed, because now the small entity is rapidly developing tissues.
The respiration of the seed goes from dormant to accelerated at this point, which is why air circulation is a vital component. It will not take long before a primary root is produced, with root hairs and green first leaves developing, and then germination is complete.
Next, the green part of the plant forms, and this happens in one of two ways. Cotyledons or seed leaves classify all plants.
Monocots vs. Dicots
Monocots are plants with one seed leaf. They have a parallel veins structure in their leaves.
These plants (corn, grass) do not send their cotyledon above the ground. It stays below the ground and, with enzymes, digest the stored food.
In dicots (two seed leaves with divergent veins) the leaves are the food storage areas and break through the ground. These food supplies are used up as the seedling develops first leaves and then true leaves.
This is why you sometimes cannot determine if it is a weed or a plant in the yard until the true leaves develop.
With that, they wither and drop-off. It is at this point one has a transplant seedling.
So now that your head is full of vocabulary, what do you do to germinate seed at home?
Sanitation is the name of the game and a controlled growing operation.
Nothing will cause doom as fast as unclean conditions.
So first, your soil must be a germination mix — no sand, black dirt or compost. These natural elements all contain bacteria which can, and usually does, harm or kill your seedlings.
The number one cause of failure to the homeowner is “damping off,” a disease that kills beautiful, healthy seedlings right at the soil level. Damping off is caused by a universally present fungi (Phythium ultimum and Rhizoctonia solani).
So step one is to buy a sterilized, artificial germination mix.
Next, wash your hands, the tools and, by all means, sterilize your trays in a bleach solution, then rinse well — or bleach residue will harm the seedlings.
Heat it up
Step two is to realize reliable, consistent bottom heat is the miracle ingredient in germination.
Most ornamental seeds that you will try have germination temperature requirements between 65 and 80 degrees.
For you, success can most easily be achieved by using a growing mat. This can be bought through various catalogs and vendors — or an inexpensive trick is to buy a waterbed heater. These rubber mats have a probe, thermostat and are built “homeowner tough,” with the ability to handle very wet conditions.
Step three is moisture. When germination takes place, moisture must be ever present and never cut off.
Although many people cover with plastic to keep heat and moisture in, it also creates a high probability of many non-related problems.
Step four is good air movement, and step five is to provide plenty of light after germination.
I believe the most common reason homeowners’ seedlings aren’t worth giving away is because they have poor light conditions.
Poor light cause a weak, stringy, floppy seedling. A fluorescent light more than 10 to 12 inches away is worthless. Also, remember light tends to be linked with temperature, and too high a temperature is just as bad as too low (death by temperature).
With this, we are at an optimum seed sowing time.
So go out, bring home those little packets of future joy and germinate away.
Don’t forget to buy a bag of snapshot to protect your fleshly mulched yards and inhibit the germination of weeds.
And don’t forget to stay well all!
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Andrew May is a freelance writer and ornamental horticulturist who dreams of having Clallam and Jefferson counties nationally recognized as “Flower Peninsula USA.” Send him questions c/o Peninsula Daily News, P.O. Box 1330, Port Angeles, WA 98362, or email news@peninsuladailynews.com (subject line: Andrew May).
