5 Proven Methods To Achieve Successful Seed Germination

Imbibition, respiration, and cell division are the three main stages of seed germination. During the imbibition phase, water absorption occurs, and metabolic activity is initiated in the second stage. Finally, cell division marks the sprout of new seedlings, and a young plant is formed. 

Regardless of your experience, knowing how to achieve ultimate success with seed germination is essential. Experts say seeds are typically inactive until they find the right conditions. The ideal conditions that favor seed germination are warmth, oxygen, and water. In addition, to achieve successful seed germination, you must employ these 5 proven strategies: 

1. Presoak The Seeds 

Most seeds typically take a long time (over two weeks) to grow because of the delayed feedback in detecting whether the available moisture is enough. You can trick the plant seeds into opening up faster by presoaking them. Water is the ideal medium for presoaking seeds because it penetrates the outer shell, and the plant will get a signal that it’s the right time to germinate. 

As you go through guides on how to germinate marijuana seeds, you will note that a soaking duration of 12 to 24 hours is recommended. Remember that after presoaking the seeds, the germination process will be initiated no matter what. So, you need to ensure the right planting time in your region before doing so. You can learn the ideal planting times for your seeds by checking the seed planting calendars. 

2. Prepare A Good Planting Medium 

A proper planting medium should be ready after prepping the seeds and triggering germination. You must ensure an appropriate soil and organic matter mixture to provide nutrients. Seeds need potassium, nitrogen, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and calcium to grow into healthy seedlings. 

Drainage is another vital thing to consider when building a planting medium for seeds. A loose planting medium that is rich in compost is recommended. Studies from the University of California show that a pot with equal amounts of perlite, vermiculite, and peat moss yields superior germination for vegetable seeds. The same contents are also responsible for speeding up the seed germination rate. 

3. Monitor the Seed Environment 

You must ensure the seed’s environment is favorable enough to help them grow into viable plants. That is why it’s a brilliant idea if you consider having soil temperature sensors. These devices will monitor the soil conditions and offer insight into maintaining the appropriate temperatures.  

Temperature monitoring is vital for seed germination. Growth is initiated and moves faster in naturally warm and well-lit areas. Notably, the early days of planting seeds might not require direct light. However, as the seedlings grow, sunlight becomes paramount. 

For optimal seed germination, temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees are preferable. Still, the ideal temperatures for practical seeds are usually labeled on the seed packets. Alternatively, check temperature charts from the seed provider’s official websites. 

4. Use of Plant Hormones 

Plant plants produce these natural compounds to regulate their growth and development. Gibberellins and abscisic acid, for example, help break seed dormancy. When used in the right dosage, successful seed germination is achieved within the shortest time possible. 

Most farmers use gibberellic acid to activate cell division and seed elongation. This is helpful for seeds that are difficult to germinate. These plant hormones can be applied to the seeds directly or added to the irrigation water. 

5. Deal With Diseases 

Seed diseases,  mostly fungal, are present on the seed before planting or could be due to pathogenic fungi found in the soil. They usually cause poor seed germination. Additionally, if the seedling manages to appear, it will have a poor stance. 

Besides the seed disease, there are also seedling diseases that you must handle. These affect plants after emergence. If they occur before coming to the top surface, the seedling will rot. This is what experts call the pre-emergence damping-off. 

You don’t have to stay reluctant after seedlings turn into young plants. Sadly, their stems can be attacked at or below soil level. The symptoms that you will notice if such happens are black or reddish brown cankers plus soft, watery rot. The seedling might fall and die if the cankers wrap the stem. Either way, the plant might grow while stunted if partial girdling happens. 

It’s important to note that fungicide seed treatments can control seed and seedling disease. Again, since seed diseases are common in cold and wet soil, you must plant your seed in a warm medium. There are many seed sellers that offer pre-treated seeds with fungicide dressing. These are the worthwhile seeds for you to plant. Of course, you should never forget about weed control to keep pests away. 

Conclusion 

Improving seed germination is easy. It would be best to start by presoaking the seeds to activate germination. Additionally, ensuring proper growing medium is vital because seeds need water, warmth, and nutrients to achieve optimal growth. Plant hormones like gibberellic acid are common these days, especially for seeds that are hard to germinate.  

When the seeds have the right growth medium, you need to monitor their environment and, preferably, temperature. Finally, disease monitoring should be done because fungi can harm seeds and seedlings.