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When starting seeds, it is a very good idea to think about where the plant comes from. Then, you are likely to know the ideal growing conditions. If they originate from a dry climate, they are not going to benefit from lashings of water and if they are used to cool, airy conditions, a window sill is not going to be the ideal place.

Next, look at the size of the seed and think about how it might be distributed naturally. Fine seeds are designed to be scattered near the parent plant (or be dispersed by parachutes, animal coats and so on if they have a seed coat). The seeds themselves grow as soon as they fall on the surface so it is no good covering them up with lots of soil. They also have very little material to sustain the developing embryonic plant or seedling. Therefore these seeds should be scattered lightly on the surface.

Large seeds with tough coats are designed to go through the gut of a bird or animal. Their coats are thick as in sweet peas, because these go through the crop of a bird. Bird's crops hold stones to grind food up (birds cannot chew) so the seed coat needs to be tough and thick. Only when it has passed through the gut and been deposited (in fertilizer -another benefit) by the bird in droppings, has the seed coat been broken down enough to allow water in and the embryo to germinate. If the seed coat was not thick, the contents would be digested inside the bird.

So, these seeds need scarifying or scraping to allow the seed coat to be broken down,unless you want to feed them to your parrot and wait!

Other seeds come in fruit naturally and have relatively thick seed coats but not as thick as those intended to go through an animal. These need to be pushed into the soil to germinate.

Seeds from temperate plants do not germinate straight away but have to have a cold period (winter) to prevent them germinating in the worst time of year. Only when they have a cold period followed by warmth do they start to germinate. We can mimic this by putting them in the fridge for 8 weeks and then in warmth (this tricks the plant to think it has had a winter and it is now spring). This shortens the natural gap between seed fall and germination.

Understanding where seeds come from allows you to consider the best way to grow them.

For temperature and water needs, follow packet instructions but for actual conditions, look at the seed, check the origin and try to replicate them.

Learn more about this author, Sammy Stein.
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