Hunt->Gather->Grow->Eat
The Horticultural Engineer (my video podcast)
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Growing Your Grub Podcast
Save Our SkillsToday we cover the art of starting seeds…but in a limited manner. I didn’t want to talk about the when. Its so subjective with when. I wanted to talk about the following things:
How a seed works…
Parts of a seed
- Embryotic plant (plant fetus) one or two seed leaves, radicle (seed root), plumule (stem)
- Seedcoat (womb)
- Food in the form of oil, starch or protein. Why not protein – worst source of fuel
Exogenous dormancy
Why scarification works – Seed needs the coat broken so it can absorb water – physical dormancy
Why soaking works – seed has chemical dormancy – chemicals need leached out.
Endogenous dormancy
Why heat and wet works – Dormin plant hormone is broken down under usually heat and wet.
What do you need.
- Seeds
- Growing medium
- Container
- Water
- Heat
- Light
Seeds – Bought but then saved. The results of a hybrid vs. OP experiment I did. OP San Marzano is on the left in the photo below. Super Marzano is on the right.
Growing medium /container. I use salvaged containers or soil blocks. For the soil blocks I use a mix of topsoil, compost, worm castings and starting mix or peat moss. For containers I fill them about half full with compost and then top off with starting mix. Its true that seeds don’t need nutrients to germinate, when they get past seed leaves they can use nutrients and you will help growth and prevent potting up.
Water – Make sure containers have a hole in them. I put cup in cup. Top one has a hole. When seed is first planted only use a mister bottle. After seed germinates, light direct water is ok. I like to water from the bottom with soil cubes. Even water is necessary.
Heat – I use ambient indoor temps. In the greenhouse this might be more tricky. Every seed has an optimal germination temp – cooler weather plants above 55, warmer – above 65-70.
Light – most plants don’t need light to germinate but once they do they need it. Some need dark. Check your individual seeds.
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