Half the success of seed starting comes from the quality of seeds, and the other half from what you do with them. Seeds are really important when it comes to planting your own plants. We have prepared some seed starting secrets that you must have a knowledge of before you start your own.
1. Seed selection
The quality of the seeds sets the quality of your seedlings and the final result from your crops. Collecting seeds from homegrown plants will provide high quality as you can harvest them from a few selected plants that produced good results. Most of your plants may produce viable seeds, however, all of them may not give you good results. For this reason, it pays to know whether they are heirloom varieties or hybrids.
Now, let’s clarify the the difference between an F1 and F2.. An F1 hybrid is the first generation that comes as a result from a cross between two parental strains with desirable characteristics. F1 seeds are more or less guaranteed to produce plants matching their description in the catalog. When you grow plants from F1 seeds, they cross pollinate and produce the next generation of seeds called F2. Some of the plants grown from F2 generation may come true to the F1 generation characteristics, but more of them display the traits of the original ancestors of F1 generation.
Heirloom varieties are open pollinated plants that generally come true from their seeds generation after generation. Their characteristics include good seed viability, natural resistance to common diseases, with some having certain distinct features like unusual color and shape, extra flavor, and high nutritional value that are unique to them.
2. Sourcing tips
If you are not collecting your own seeds, how, or from where, you source them becomes important. Gardeners often exchange heirloom seeds. If you are looking for hybrid seeds, source them from reputed plant breeders or established mail order companies.
It is hard to ignore the great bargains when you come across them on seed stands in the store. You can get lucky sometimes (although rarely) and get excellent varieties at cheap rates, but generally, you get what you pay for.
Another trick is to try newly developed varieties. They may be pricey, but you have a better chance of getting excellent seeds.
3. Seed storage
Seed storage after you have collected them is really important. Seeds collected from the garden should be dried in the shade and cleaned of chaff and all other debris by winnowing. You should wash and remove the pulp from Seeds from fleshy fruits.
The two main factors affecting seed viability are temperature and moisture. Seeds with higher moisture content are prone to microbial spoilage. Too much drying can desiccate the seeds and make them useless too.
You should know which seeds remain viable for a short period and which naturally have longer shelf life. For instance, White Rock cauliflower seeds have only a 1-year shelf life compared to other cauliflower varieties that stay good for 3-4 years.
4. Pretreating
There are some seeds which germinate as soon as they are mature. You may see seedlings popping up on some seed heads a few days after a rain. Seeds of most annuals will be ready to grow in the following season.
The idea of pretreating comes from natural processes seeds undergo in the wild before they germinate. Pretreating the seeds simulate these natural conditions.
- Soaking
Direct sowing in wet soil may work for many plants, but others may appreciate a warm water soak to soften their seed coats.
- Boiling water treatment
Seeds with tougher seed coats such as Canna seeds may need boiling water treatment.
- Mechanical stratification
Some seeds need to be put in a tin can lined with sandpaper and shaken well. Soak the stratified seeds as before. The seeds that do not swell up even after a few hours of soaking should be towel dried and then stratified again.
- Cold stratification
Plenty of seeds from temperate and cold regions need a pre-chill period in order to simulate winter.
- Acid treatment
Commercial seed starting often uses sulfuric acid treatment instead of boiling water, but you can try adding coffee or vinegar to warm water while soaking seeds.
- Gibberellic acid-3
This natural plant growth regulator can be used for soaking to ensure quick germination of seeds.
5. Pretesting for germination rate
If you have lots of seeds of one variety, sow a couple in a tray with wet sand in order to check the germination rate. If most of them germinate, the rate is high. 55% and above is acceptable, but if it’s below it might result in poor seedling quality because it indicates seed deterioration.
6. Sowing without overcrowding
At any rate, overcrowding should be avoided since the seedlings as well as their roots need space to spread. You need plenty of air circulation to avoid fungal infections and damping off of young seedlings. Seed trays divided into compartments are ideal for starting seeds, especially larger ones.
7. Light or darkness?
Generally, seeds are sown in small pockets in the soil and covered with soil. Smaller seeds are broadcast over the soil and covered with more soil.
Most seeds like the cover of darkness until their shoots come up, however, may have trouble pushing through the soil on sprouting, a black plastic sheet may be stretched across the seed tray until you see the green shoots.
Some seeds do not germinate if they are not exposed to light. Begonia, Petunia, Impatiens and Ageratum are some of the ornamentals that need light. Spread these seeds on a wet soil and cover with plastic.
8. Ensuring soil contact
The moisture seeds need to germinate is obtained from the medium in which they are sown. Tamp them down with your hands or a block of wood, to ensure medium contact.
9. Moisture retention
Another very important point is to leave soil moist, but not soaking wet. The tender shoots of the sprouts should not be allowed to dry out. You cover the trays with a glass lid or plastic sheet, as mentioned above, to retain the moisture..
10. Bottom heat
Warmth accelerates growth, especially bottom heat. Keep the seedlings in a warm place, or better still, provide bottom heating using a heating pad.
11. Bright light
If you give the sprouts sufficient light, the cotyledons that remain attached to the shoots often turn green in an attempt to make food.
12. Daily rotation
Plants tend to stretch and bend towards the light and seedlings are no exception. This is achieved by elongation of the cells on the shaded side. To ensure even growth and sturdy plants, rotate them a quarter-turn each day.
13. Feeding
The baby plants that come from the seeds have some amount of food supply in their cotyledons or endosperm. You can give additional help by providing some nutrients. A weekly spray of liquid fertilizers diluted to half strength should be okay.
14. Hardening off
The seedlings started indoors need to be moved to the outer environment as soon as possible. Move them to a sheltered place outside when the danger of frost has past. Give them a good exposure to sun, at least for 2 weeks.
15. Sowing in situ
For seeds that didn’t transplant well, it is better to sow them in situ or in their intended locations. Root veggies like carrots, radishes, parsnips are beets are typical examples. Beans, peas, melons, watermelons, squash and a few other plants from the melon family hate to be transplanted.