Best ways to grow plants from seed
By
Ramzan Rafique
The
best way to grow plants from seed varies depending on the
type of plant being grown.
Most plants are best
started indoors with as little root disturbance as possible.
Additional requirements,
such as seed treatment prior to planting, varies depending
on the seeds.
In order to grow from
seed, a good planting medium is needed. The best materials
to use are light, have good drainage, and are sterile.
For example, garden soil,
compost, and manure will often cause a seed to rot before it
has time to germinate.
In addition, most garden soil
is heavy and not suitable for starting seeds in containers.
Peat, sand, perlite, vermiculite, and coconut husk can be
combined to make a good mix for starting seeds in a
container.
Using peat pots is one of the
easiest ways to grow from seed. Peat pots are made out of
biodegradable materials that will break down in the garden.
The peat pots are filled with
the desired seed starter medium, and the seeds are planted.
When the seedlings are ready to be planted out in the
garden, the entire peat pot is planted into the hole.
As the pot breaks down, the
roots grow into the garden soil, which helps avoid root
disturbance when transplanting.
Most seeds germinate reliably in a temperature range between
70°F and 85°F (about 21°C to 28°C).
Cooler temperatures slow
germination rates and often prevent germination of many
tropical plants. Higher temperatures can damage seeds and
also slow germination rates. Seed packages usually indicate
the ideal temperature for the specific seeds.
Growing from seed often
requires stratification, or the artificial breaking of the
seeds' dormancy. This involves a period of chilling, usually
lasting two weeks to several months, followed by planting in
warm soil.
Many plants from temperate
climates will not germinate until chilled for a period of
time to imitate seasonal chilling. The best way to stratify
seeds is between two layers of damp peat moss in a zip-top
bag placed in the refrigerator.
Seeds with hard seed coats must be damaged before they will
germinate. The best way to break the seed coat in order to
grow from seed is to roll the seed between two pieces of
sand paper.
The sand paper roughs up the
seed surface, allowing water to penetrate and stimulate
germination.
Many seeds purchased from seed distributors are already
stratified or have broken coats when such treatments are
required. When collecting seeds from plants in the
landscape, it is best to consider the natural environment.
If the climate is tropical,
direct seeding should work to grow from seed, while in cold
climates, where seeds usually spend a winter on the ground
before sprouting in the spring, stratification likely will
be necessary.
How do i choose a best
seeder:
There are several garden seeder designs available, from
small handheld models to larger wheeled units, and choosing
the best one involves knowing what will be planted with the
seeder and where.
A large, wheeled seeder is
appropriate for long rows of plants, such as corn, and can
be used to disperse wildflower seeds over a broad area. A
medium-size model, which often consists of a single wheel
attached to a handle, is effective in a medium-size garden
where there are open areas but not enough space to warrant a
larger unit.
Small garden seeders are
handheld and can be used to space just a few seeds in a
small row, pots or raised bed. Some larger units have
optional attachments, such as fertilizer spreaders, although
the overall usefulness of the attachments depends on how the
garden is being planted.
A very common type of garden seeder is a standing variety
that usually has a hopper for the seeds connected to one or
more wheels and a long handle that allows the gardener to
push the device so seeds are dispersed as it moves.
These are most effective for
a garden where a good amount of seeds of the same type need
to be spaced evenly in a large area.
They are not as effective at
distributing small amounts of seeds, because the hopper
sometimes will not be full enough to allow the seeds to drop
and disperse evenly.
A wheeled, standing seeder usually depends on metal discs or
plates that are placed in the bottom of the seed hopper to
control the rate or pattern of seed dispersal.
Some models only come with
one plate, while others can include quite a few. Additional
attachments, such as a watering attachment or a fertilizer
distributor, can immediately water and fertilize the seeds
as they are set down.
Some seeders have multiple
hoppers so more than one type of seed can be planted without
having to worry about creating a homogenous mixture first.
A medium-size garden seeder tends to be made from a
wheel-like plastic disc that is hollow on the inside.
The seeds are placed in the
disk and a perforated screen or other physical barrier spins
along the edge of the wheel as the seeder is pushed forward,
releasing seeds at regular intervals.
These are a good choice for
medium-size gardens, because they cannot hold a large amount
of seeds. They also are excellent for areas that are hard to
get to or are very narrow.
A handheld seeder is designed to allow a gardener to drop
single seeds where they are needed.
They can be similar to
syringes or shaped like spades with dividers in the center
or even small bladders that release seeds based on pressure.
A handheld seeder is good for a very small garden, indoor
gardening or container gardening.
Handheld seeders also can be
a convenient choice for handling and tracking seeds that are
small and easily lost.
May, 2014
Source:
Agri Hunt