What You Need To Know
About Growing Seeds

* Easy ways of growing seeds,
* Save time and have fun,
* Discover how and why your seed grows.

Children love growing seeds. The wonder and learning are a pleasure to watch. Amid the turmoil of life germinating seeds are a cause for hope. And caring for seedlings gives us all a sense of motherhood.

Sow Organic Seed Today

>  Flower Seeds >  Vegetable Seeds >  Pots & Propagators >  Seed Mats/Tapes

More seriously, success in growing from seed makes a big difference to household budgets. So it's definitely worth learning how to get results.

This page outlines the basic needs of seeds - and if you are still growing it may help with your homework. Practical methods for growing seeds in your garden and at home can be found from this link. And there are more links to easy to grow seeds below.

Know Your Seeds

Seeds contain a new plant embryo that's in a dry dormant state. This enables seeds to survive harsher conditions of drought or cold. Some seeds also contain a food reserve. Large seeds e.g. beans, sweet corn, and sunflower... also contain a big food reserve of starch or oil. But tiny seeds may contain no food reserve at all.

Basic Needs Of Growing Seeds

Seeds germinate when the plant embryo begins to grow. But for germination to happen the seeds require sufficient  moisture,   warmth,  and  air. 

EXTRA NEEDS

Some small seeds also need  light  and should be either covered thinly or not at all. With little or no food reserve, tiny seeds need to germinate close to the soil surface to use the light for energy. Light may be a stimulus for some seeds to germinate and the tiniest of seeds just can't push through a covering layer. When grown in trays they benefit from a perspex cover.

Some seeds require a cold period or heat before they germinate. This response ensures that the seeds don't germinate in nature before the harsh conditions of the dormant season have passed.

Some seeds therefore require more work, and will either have been pre-treated by seedsmen or will require pre-treatment before germinating. There are no problems of pre-germination with easy to grow seeds.

An Experiment To Test Seed Germination

Here's one simple method that you can use to test the viability of your old seeds before expending effort on growing them. Simply place damp absorbent kitchen paper onto a saucer, sow a few seeds, and place in a polythene bag with plenty of air. Leave in sufficient warmth.

You'll be able to see your seeds germinating. Then you might grow these on by placing tissue paper on the surface of your potting soil and carefully covering with some compost. But this method is merely a classroom demonstration.

So how can you provide seeds with the right conditions of moisture, warmth, and air?

How To Provide The Basic Needs For
Seed Germination In Pots, Trays and Soil

Providing the correct conditions of Moisture, Warmth and Air is critical for success with seeds. And it largely depends on consistency of the compost or soil that you are sowing on.

Your soil consists of particles of matter with spaces in between. The tiniest of spaces fill up with water because of capillary attraction. Medium sized spaces may be only half-filled with water, while large spaces contain air. Getting the right mix is key to success both in pots and garden soil.

Soil for seed sowing should have a fine crumb consistency. When a pot is placed in a tray of water the soil should take up the water. Water should drain away freely leaving a mix of air spaces and water spaces. Use a fine textured, free draining, moisture holding compost. In the garden you need to work the soil to achieve this consistency. Previously added organic matter helps.

Make Contact With Growing Seeds

Before sowing seed gently firm down soil or compost to create an even texture. This provides for a more even and consistent germination. You may also finish off with gently firming the surface. Your seeds should be in intimate contact the soil.

Note that compressing the soil draws water in. That's because the large air holding spaces become squeezed while the smaller spaces fill up with water. Water filled spaces conduct more heat and wet soils are colder. While the water in fully saturated soils slows movement of oxygen to growing roots. Your seed compost should hold both sufficient air and water.

Seasonal Conditions Affect Growing Seeds

The significant change in conditions between late summer and late fall, and between winter and early spring will affect your method of growing seeds.

For the colder end of the range I sow onto moist free draining compost and cover seeds with either compost or vermiculite. A once over with a watering can is then sufficient moisture.

A combination of cold and wet is the main problem to be avoided. It causes the 'damping off' fungus that kills seedlings. So resist the temptation to water the compost.

Drying out of the compost is a more significant problem at the warmer end of the range. Lack of moisture may reduce germination.

So I thoroughly soak trays or pots of compost by placing them in a water bath. Leave to drain a few minutes then sow and cover seed. Top watering with a fine spray is allowed when the surface gets dry.

Take a look at my page on Starting Seeds. You'll find methods with propagators, trays and modules that help you better control conditions. These include self-watering trays, perspex covers and heat mats.

Seed Mats and Seed Tapes provide a nice innovation for seed sowers. You can get themed gardens and grow seeds more easily on slopes. Check seed mats here.

Easy To Grow Seeds And Organic Seeds Are Here.
Click flag to jump to your country selection: >>   >> 

•  

• Easy Seeds For Kids are here.



• Seed Mats and Tapes are here.



• Grow The World In Your Garden with Eden Project Seeds on this link.

•  

• On this link I found a beautiful selection of organic and heirloom vegetable, flower and herb seeds.



• Pre-seeded mats and seed tapes are available here.

 

Get More Help For Growing Organic Vegetables & Flowers From Seeds
Find Out About Propagators, Crop Rotation And How To Plan Seed Sowing

>>  Check Them All Out From This Link...

ALSO on The Organic Gardener:-
Continuous productivity and crop rotation for organic gardeners

Find organic gardening suppliers in your country here .

My Neighbour's Flower Gardens

Do you run a gardening website - with information to interest my visitors? To set up exchange links from/to suitable pages - click here.

Home Of The Organic Gardener - growing naturally, pure and beautiful.

^ First up with Growing Seeds