Ann Reilly - Starting Seeds Indoors

Ann Reilly

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Reilly, Ann

Starting seeds indoors / by Ann Reilly

A Storey Publishing Bulletin, A-104

ISBN 978-0-88266-519-1

In todays busy world, many of us look for the easiest and quickest way to achieve a goal. Buying plants at the nursery is a fast and simple way to get a garden growing. Why bother starting your own plants from seed? There are several reasons you might want to do so.

Each year, seed companies introduce new annuals with larger or more colorful flowers and vegetables with more luscious fruit. You may want to try new perennials from faraway places or perhaps you have an old-time favorite. Its not always possible to find nursery plants of these varieties, and if you want to have them you must grow them from seed.

Growing your own plants from seed is more economical, a serious consideration if you have a large garden.

Some plants do well only when grown from seed. These include some annuals, like California poppy, sunflower, sweet pea and nasturtium, and vegetables such as beets, carrots, radishes and peas.

Children may be introduced to gardening by growing their own seedlings. Watching them witness the wonder of creation is a reward in itself.

And, finally, there is a certain satisfaction, come July, to look around a thriving garden and know that you were responsible for starting these plants from the very beginning.

Seeds are produced by flowers and are the result of the joining of the male and female flower parts. The male part of the flower is known as the stamen and is made up of the anther and the filament. The anthers contain the pollen which is transferred to the female part of the flower, where fertilization takes place. This female part is called the pistil and is made up of the stigma, the style, and the ovary.

After fertilization (also called pollination) takes place, the seeds grow in the ovary until they ripen and can be harvested. Pollination is achieved by insects, the wind or by hand.

When differences occur naturally within a species, these are known as varieties. Those that are man-made are called cultivars (which stands for cultivated varieties). Hybrids are crosses between selected parents, and improvements of them. When choosing seed, it is important to study hybrids carefully to select the exact flower color or shape and type of vegetable that best suits your preferences and growing conditions.

Hybrids are valued for their increased flowering, uniformity, flower size, productivity or disease resistance. They are more expensive than open-pollinated seeds because of the cost of research and production; many seeds, such as those of petunias and impatiens, are greenhouse produced, and pollination is done by hand.

Since hybrids are crosses between two different parents, it is important not to save seeds from hybrid plants as they will not grow into the same plant and will usually be inferior. Seeds from non-hybrids, however, can be saved and grown the following season.

The outside of the seed is called the seed coat; its purpose is to encase the other parts and offer protection. With some seeds, such as lupines, sweet peas and false indigo, the seed coat is very hard and must be softened or nicked for germination to occur.

Inside the seed is the embryo, which is a small dormant plant, and the endosperm, which is a food source the plant uses during germination and in early stages of growth. The lower part of the embryo becomes the root, the upper part the growing tip, and in the center is (are) the cotyledon(s). Cotyledons are the first signs of growth, although they are not true leaves.

In order for a seed to germinate, it must be mature and viable, and receive the proper combination of moisture, temperature, light and air. When these requirements are met in the proper amount and order, the embryo grows, the seed coat bursts, the roots anchor, and the top begins to develop.

Most annuals, vegetables and herbs germinate easily without a lot of fuss; a few, however, need special help. Perennial seeds, in general, need more attention than others. The reasons for this are varied: the seed coat may be too hard, preventing moisture from getting through; the embryo may be dormant; the seed might contain a chemical substance that inhibits germination; or it may need either complete darkness or constant light to germinate. Fortunately there are ways to deal with these various conditions. A list of seeds requiring special treatment begins on page 19.

Soaking. The soaking of seeds before sowing may be necessary for two reasons: to soften a hard seed coat, and to leach out chemicals that could inhibit germination. Place seeds in hot, but not boiling, water (190F). For maximum contact of the seeds with the water, place the seeds in a shallow dish and cover them with 23 times their depth in water. Soaking for twenty-four hours will usually be long enough, but if instructions or experience dictate that a longer time is necessary, change the water once a day. After the soaking period, sow the seeds immediately and dont let them dry out.

Soaking is also a trick to speed up the termination of slow-to-germinate seeds. The embryo absorbs moisture, which gives the seed a head start on germination.

Scarification. Hard seed coats prevent or slow down the absorption of water and therefore germination. Scarification is the breaking of the seed coat by nicking it with a file, sandpaper, or a small scissor. Be careful not to cut too deeply into the seed coat so you dont damage the embryo.

When seeds are too small to be handled, soften the hard seed coat by soaking the seeds in water as described above.

On page 20 is a list of seeds that need to be scarified.

Stratification. Some seeds, particularly perennials, have an immature or dormant embryo when they are harvested. The seeds must be subjected to a moist-cold treatment before they are sown; this process is known as stratification. Lettuce and delphinium seeds become dormant if they are stored at a temperature over 75F for more than a few weeks and must be chilled in order to germinate.