sowing guides Archives - Botany-World

Flower Seeds That Need Light to Germinate

Which flower seeds need light to germinate?

Growing at the wrong time of year could be fatal to sensitive seedlings, so mother nature ensures they don’t grow until the right conditions are met. Some seeds need a period of darkness before they emerge, while other seedlings need light to germinate. Seeds contain enough food in order to feed the embryonic plant during germination. Once the newly emerged seedling reaches the light, photosynthesis takes over.

As a rule, small seeds need light to germinate as the seed doesn’t contain enough nutrients to sustain the emerging seedling long. Therefore, it is critical that the seedling reaches a light source as soon as it emerges from the shell.

When sowing seeds on the surface, ensure the soil is already moist and press lightly to prevent the seeds from being blown away.

Scarification, Stratification and Soaking Seeds

by Julia Wilson

Many seeds require pre-treatment before they are sowed. The three most common treatments are scarification, stratification and soaking. These treatments mimic the type of exposure seeds would experience in the wild.

Flower Seed Sowing Guide

by Julia Wilson

The guide below compliments our flower seed sowing guide, with additional information on height, sun exposure, bloom time and toxicity to cats, dogs and people.

Herb and Vegetable Seed Sowing Guide

by Julia Wilson

Seeds require the right conditions or they will fail to germinate or germinate at a greatly reduced rate. Several factors trigger germination including soil temperature, moisture, soaking, stratification or scarification.

Flower Seed Sowing Guide

by Julia Wilson

Seeds require the right conditions or they will fail to germinate. Germination is triggered by soil temperature, soil depth, moisture and some seeds require stratification which is a period of chilling prior to sowing. This table is a quick and easy guide to sowing flower seeds.

Some seeds require sunlight to germinate, which has been listed as ‘surface’. Sprinkle the seeds on the surface, but gently push them down so that they don’t disperse in the wind. When sowing seeds that require a light covering of soil, add some soil or potting mix to an old kitchen sieve and gently sprinkle over the seeds.

I haven’t included sowing time in this article because this will vary depending on your location. Some seedlings are frost-tender, and should only be planted once the risk of frost has passed. For those of us in warmer climates such as Australia, we can sow seeds much earlier.

Which Seeds Need Light to Germinate?

by Julia Wilson

There are a number of factors that trigger seeds to germinate just at the right time to enhance their survival. All seeds need moisture and oxygen to germinate, and the preferred soil temperature varies from plant to plant. In addition, some seeds need cold stratification, scarification, darkness or light. If these factors are not in place, germination will not occur, or if it does, it will be lower than expected.

Optimal Soil Temperature For Flower Seed Germination

by Julia Wilson

Seeds are in a dormant state until the right conditions occur which triggers the end of dormancy. There are a number of critical factors that determine when a seed will germinate including moisture, oxygen and the right soil temperature. Some seeds also require a period of cold, known as cold stratification. This mimics the normal … Read more

Soil Temperature For Vegetable & Herb Seed Germination

by Julia Wilson

Optimal temperature for seed germination

Soil temperature is one of the most important factors in seed germination. Too cold or too hot and the seeds may not germinate. Seeds are dormant, and germination occurs when outside factors are optimal for the plant’s survival. When the time is right, the seed germinates. Knowing the preferred soil temperature for common vegetables and herbs will increase the germination rate.