This simple procedure exposes the seed embryo to moisture, which is the primary impetus for making it grow. Presoaking is my number one secret for success in starting seeds. Avoid soakings longer than 24 hours to prevent rotting the seeds. An overnight soak speeds the germination of all kinds of seeds. Here are three easy techniques that will fool just about any reluctant seed. When seeds are harvested commercially, they don’t get to experience the natural cycle of the seasons-the cold, the heat, the rain-and they may need to be tricked into growth. Planting dates, time until bloom, instructions, special needs-it’s all there, even if you do need a magnifying glass to read it. The information that is crammed onto the back of a seed packet is like having a plant encyclopedia at your fingertips. How do you know which seed needs what? Read the package, for starters. Naturally, every last one sprouted into a vigorous, healthy plant. That’s the end of them, I thought, tossing the charred seeds out on the bank. I had a lot of trouble getting Texas bluebonnets ( Lupinus texensis) to sprout with abandon until one year when a kitchen fire scorched an envelope of seeds. In the Southwest, it can be fire that turns the key. On the other hand, more extreme treatment may be necessary to get the most out of wildflowers from hot places. the garden hose or a good overnight soak) may be all that is necessary to burst that seed coat wide open. During the seeds’ deep sleep, their seed coats soften, until the warmth and moisture of spring make them explode into growth.įor other seeds, especially many desert dwellers, a period of rain (or synthesized rain, a.k.a. Instead, they wait out the inhospitable winter. It’d be wasted energy-and very anti-Darwinian-if the seeds sprouted in late summer or fall only to be laid low by winter cold. In the wild, that’s what winter provides them. The seeds of many plants that are native to regions with cold winters, for example, germinate most readily after a period of moist chilling in a dark place. But other seeds will do best under more controlled conditions, or with special treatment that mimics the conditions of their native habitats. #Purple coneflower sprouts PatchScratch up a patch of open soil, scatter the seeds, and there you go. Learn more: 8 Ways to Save Money at the Garden Center For the best results, consider the plant’s natural habitat I’ve also gained a greener thumb and a fatter wallet-a packet of seeds provides 20 or more plants for the price of a single potted plant. Guess which ones give me the most satisfaction? Maternal pride isn’t the only reward that I get from starting seeds. The little congregation on one side came as plants from a catalog, while those on the other were nurtured, by me, from a palmful of shiny, black seeds to a drift of long-spurred flowers. Columbines brighten both sides of my shady, front-yard path.
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