Seeds

A man sooner or later discovers that he is the master-gardener of his soul, the director of his life.
James Allen

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Today, let's look at awakening a seed!

Seeds are amazing. These little packages contain everything needed to make a plant, and many also contain tiny sensors (phytochrome) to tell them if the time is ripe for germination.

Who cares?

You will, if you sow these seeds and cover them with soil. Seeds that need light, and often they are smaller seeds, will not germinate if they are buried too deeply. When a seed is struck by sunlight (or light from a regular incandescent bulb), the phytochrome changes. If the seed has warmth, moisture, and oxygen, the change in the phytochrome breaks the seed's dormancy and allows germination.

If the environment is not to the seed's liking, the phytochrome slowly changes back and the seed waits for another blast of light when the conditions are better.

Among seeds that need light to germinate are:

ageratum
California poppy
gaillardia
coleus
columbine
love-in-mist
snapdragon
Shasta daisy
strawflower
sweet alyssum
sweet rocket

You can't tell by looking, so follow seed package instructions--- that's always the best idea!



Victor K. Pryles
"The Weekend Gardener"

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