Growing vegetables from seeds
6 Tips for Successful Germination Of Seeds
Germination Of Seeds
If starting with quality vegetable seeds is like winning half the battle, then following good seed germination practices is like winning the rest of it!
Start the seed germination process when the temperature is ideal:
- All seeds require a certain temperature to germinate and each seed has a specific range within which germination will occur.
- The closer the temperature is to optimum the quicker germination will occur.
- The optimum germination temperatures for all our seeds have been listed on our website on their respective pages.
Pre soak the seeds before sowing for better germination of seeds:
- Soak the seeds in water for 8 to 24 hours depending upon their size and the hardness of their outer shells.
- This helps in breaking down the seeds’ natural defenses, which then allows them to germinate faster.
- You can also add a few drops of our All-In-One Tonic to the water being used for soaking to give the seeds an extra boost during this process.
Choose the right growing medium for germination of seeds::
We should always use a disease-free growing medium to give our plants the right start. Here is a list of possible growing mediums suitable for vegetable and fruit plants:
- Old Garden soil ( if using this, first keep the soil in sunlight for a few days to make it disease-free. )
- A mixture of equal parts Vermicompost, Cocopeat, and Gardening Soil.
Netted Cocopeat Coins. - Any Readymade Seed Germination Starter Mediums available in the market.
Most Seeds can either be sown in seedling trays/small paper cups/net pots first or can be sown directly in the ground or in a pot/container/grow bag of your choice.
But a few of them, like Beetroot, Ladyfinger, Parsley, etc. can only be directly sown in the ground or pot.
Sow the seed at the right depth:
Seeds are sown at the wrong depth usually fail to germinate or get off to a weak start.
So, always sow the seed at a depth that is at least two to three times its width to give it the best chance for success.
Once properly sown, most seeds take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to germinate.
Keep ideal conditions constant for 100% germination of seeds::
During the germination process, the seed requires optimum temperature, constant suitable moisture levels and a continuous oxygen supply for successful germination.
Even a few hours of less than ideal conditions can stop the germination process permanently.
So, it is really important to keep the growing medium continuously moist while also making sure to not flood it with too much water as that will cut off its air supply.
Care after the seed has germinated successfully.
When green shoots can be seen coming out of the growing medium, it is important to make sure that the sapling starts getting an adequate amount of mild/gentle sunlight.
Also, now that the germination process has been completed, there’s no need to maintain a constant level of moisture in the soil.
Let the growing medium dry out in between regular watering to keep the young sapling from rotting.
