tips on seed germination
These are some quick tips to keep in mind when starting your seeds. Remember that seeds germinate based on the three primary conditions of moisture, oxygen and temperature. The moisture and oxygen enable the seed to transition from the dormancy stage it has been maintaining while sitting stored away on the shelf, into an active stage of growth, that we call germination. However, temperature is the trigger that tells the seed when to start this growth cycle. The seed needs to reach a minimum temperature before the required chemical reactions within it will take place to start the germination process. So, seeds are designed to perceive that they have gone through a period of winter stasis (cool and dry), and that they have then reached spring season conditions (warmer and moist), prior to starting the germination phase of their lifecycle.
Each type of plant seed has different temperature requirements to trigger and optimize germination. For example, most types of lettuce will germinate at temperatures just above freezing, while watermelons require temperatures close to 60° F. Seeds also have an optimal temperature range for germination and a maximum temperature threshold. So, do a quick internet search or visit your local library to find information on seed germination temperatures for each type of plant you wish to grow from seed.
One last note is that certain types of seeds, such as peppers, can have a rather hard outer coating that resists allowing moisture and air to penetrate the seed. These types of seeds will benefit from a period of being saturated (such as being placed in a moist paper towel for a week or two) or carefully scratching the surface of the seed shell. This breaks down the seed's protective coating and allows the moisture and oxygen to more readily pass into the seed where it is needed.
Happy seed starting!
