Have you ever wondered why a seed germinates? What does a seed need to germinate? You may say water and sun, but there is actually much more to this “magic”.
Therefore, today we are going to stop for a moment to tell you about seeds and everything you need to know about them so that you know perfectly what they need to germinate. Go for it?
Various seeds and various ways to germinate
As you know, many seeds have a peculiar way of germinating. Some need to be in water. Others directly to the ground, others just need you to throw them around and they grow on their own...
Really the seeds are unique, but the truth is that almost all of them follow the same process when it comes to germinating: absorb water.
When you have a seed and you put it in water, in that time that you have it there, its only function is to absorb water (for that reason they tend to swell). If it is not in water and you plant it, the reason why it is said that you should water immediately afterwards is because it needs a moist medium to germinate because it does the same thing as if you put it in water: it absorbs water from the soil to the seed cuticle to open.
Once we have the seed open, you will see that the first thing that comes out is the root. This is responsible for anchoring it to the ground, that is, fixing itself to the ground in order to start the process of water absorption through the root again.
Only when it is operational does the seed let the stem grow. And that is why you see how it emerges from the earth.
What does a seed need to germinate?
For all that has been said before, it is most likely that right now you think that a seed only needs water to germinate. but it is certainly not like that. There is much more that comes into play and that you need. Specifically, the following:
Temperature
As you know, seeds have a time to germinate. You can't always find plants whose seeds can be planted at any time of the year (unless you have a greenhouse).
The reason is that they need a suitable temperature to germinate. For example, you will not be able to achieve it in the middle of winter if what you want is for a typical summer plant to be born. The heat, the environmental temperature affects it and since the soil or the water where you put it is not at the right temperature, the seed does not come out. Or yes, but it is so weak that, when taking out the seedling and receiving that inadequate time, it ends up dying irremediably.
Humidity
Humidity is the first thing you think of when we ask you what you need to germinate a seed. Water is important, both the one in which we submerge the plant so that it germinates, and the one we pour into the pot when we plant it. But really, It is not that they need a liquid medium, but the humidity that makes the seed fatten from the water that it absorbs, break the cuticle and the growth process begins, first with the root, and then with the stem.
In fact, when you water too much, what you can cause is that the seed "drowns", that is, it does not have enough space to go little by little and, as you know, excesses are bad.
Oxygen
Have you ever considered it? We recognize that it is not something you usually think about when you are going to plant a seed. How will you need oxygen? And yet, we are becoming more and more aware of it.
You'll see, by oxygen we mean that you need the seed to have room to develop. When you plant it in a soil that is too compact, when the root comes out it cannot adhere, let alone grow, because it does not have space to do so. Keep in mind that the first root is very fragile and hardly has the hardness or strength to make its way through hard ground.
Therefore, when planting it is recommended to use a very light soil and accompanied by good drainage. This, when put in the pot, creates small oxygen holes, like pockets of space. And when the root of the seed is born, it has somewhere to grow and look for those water reserves from which it is nourished.
Otherwise, it could not grow.
Luz
As you know, the seeds cannot be in full sun at the beginning (except for some specific plants) because this is too intense and would kill the little plant (or seedling) in a matter of hours.
However, they do need light. That is why it is said that when the plant comes out, you should leave it in an area that has lighting, but that is not direct. The goal is for the plant to be nourished by the light and, at the same time, become stronger to withstand it.
After a few days, when it is seen that the plant reacts well and that it even asks for more light (leaning towards the area where there is more light), it can be moved to leave it in that area. But it is something that each seed and plant do individually. Not all need direct light as not all want to be in the sun.
What must be taken into account is that all of them will need the sun because it is what makes them grow (along with other factors such as soil, water, oxygen, or temperature).
Not all seeds germinate
Although you can cover all those needs, the truth is that you will find seeds that do not finish germinating. And it is not really because you have failed and they do not get everything they need, but because there are more factors that influence:
- The seed has dried out too much.
- That it was in bad shape.
- Too much time has passed for it to germinate.
That is why it is always recommended to plant several, since some may not come out.
Has it become clear to you now what a seed needs to germinate? Some lovers of "green" also add one more element: the love that you can give it. There are studies in which it is said that when you speak to the plant or put music on it, it reacts positively. So whether or not you're skeptical about this, you can always try.