Gardening is a hobby that brings great satisfaction, seeing so many beautiful flowers grows plants that decorate and delight the eye, trees that little by little develop their elegant appearance or their shade. After all, they are living beings that need care, that develop, that have diseases and are attacked by pests, that display an enormous degree of color, that wither…
And the entire universe of gardens and floriculture begins with something very small, with seeds that fit in a fist. When these seeds are planted in a pot or in the same soil, they germinate and sprout. That first bud is one of the most exciting times for any gardener or botanist. It may be a few leaves, a green button, but it is the beginning of everything.
But reaching that moment when plant life unfolds before your eyes requires great care: you have to have sown the seeds in the appropriate substrate and that they have the most suitable environmental conditions of light and shade, water, nutrients and necessary temperature. If all these circumstances are exceeded by excess or by default, germination will not occur.
Therefore, for you to be successful in your efforts to get your plants to germinate and know how to germinate seeds, we give you the following instructions.
Select the best seeds
Obviously, the first requirement to achieve your goal of germinating seeds without problems and getting the plants you want to see growing in your garden or patio, or even on your balcony, from a pot of basil to some rhododendrons, to take root, is get the best quality seeds.
To do this, acquire young seeds, that is, that are no more than two years old from their collection, and that adapt well to the land where you live and are going to plant them. Do not buy them anywhere, but look for a store that is known for its professionalism or in local markets with a good agricultural reputation or directly from the producers of the seeds in your environment. If you do it in an online store, look for one that sells seeds for each region, including yours. Even better is that the seeds are from plants native to your region or geographical area, because those seeds planted in their own ecosystem will always be more successful in germinating.
Obviously, if your purpose is to germinate exotic flower or plant seeds from lands far away from your own, keep in mind that you will need to give them more care and have all the knowledge and expertise possible so that germination is not frustrated.
Each seed in its time
Another issue of importance is the moment of sowing, because each seed has its right moment. For example, there are seeds that should germinate when it is still winter, before spring begins, indoors and with a mild temperature, and others start to germinate when summer falls, or in spring, according to the time they will need later. To grow and bear fruit. And there are seeds that will take longer in a humid climate, even though they can be grown in that field, than if they were sown in a less rainy climate. It is essential to know the growth times in relation to the weather conditions and the quality of the substrate where they are going to germinate, if you want to reach a successful conclusion and not lose the plant in the process.
To find out when you should put the seeds to germinate, read the envelope or package where they come from, if you have bought them in that type of container, following the advice of the producer or seller. But you can check with the people at the nursery or store where you buy the seeds, or search the internet, knowing exactly what type of seed it is.
And if, finally, you do not have a clear idea of when the seeds you have should be sown so that they germinate successfully, when in doubt, put them in the pot or container that you are going to use a few days before the last frost occurs, if it is in winter, and in a closed place, such as a greenhouse, a closed patio or a closed terrace with windows, where the temperature is not too low or draughty. If it is with good weather, anticipate the opposite, that it is neither excessively hot, nor that direct sunlight reaches it, nor drafts, and that it has sufficient humidity. When the first shoots come out and rise a few centimeters, you could move them to a sheltered place outdoors. This process is a fairly safe way for most plants to germinate seeds.
The substrate
The seeds cannot be put to germinate in the substrate or ordinary potting soil, since its components are richer in nutrients than what the seeds need, which already have all the necessary ingredients so that their needs are covered at the time of planting. Germination, propagation and early growth. You can easily obtain the special substrate for seeds in the store or nursery or specialized store where you buy the same seeds.
You can also prepare your own germination substrate by mixing various components, such as vermiculite with perlite and sphagnum moss, all crushed and in equal parts.
The hotbed
The seedbed or container for your seeds to germinate correctly should have a depth of about 8 centimeters, approximately, and should have holes in the bottom. They are in the form of a normal tray, or with boxes, squared, so that you put a seed in each box, being able to germinate different plants. But it is important that the tray, whatever type it is, has a lot of space for the seeds to grow well.
You can buy the seedbed or you can make it yourself, using a large shoe box, a wooden box of any use, such as a fruit transport box, a cardboard box, even a typical cardboard egg cup with its shape honeycomb Think that it does not need to be pretty or very aesthetic, because as soon as the seeds germinate, you will have to transplant them to another land, either to a pot or to the soil of your garden or patio, when the sprouts are already seedlings that need other care.
Sow the seeds
Take the tray or container that will serve as a seedbed and fill it with substrate or special soil for seeds so that it is below the edge by one and a half centimeters. Sprinkle that soil with water to moisten it, but without letting it puddle at any time.
Unless you know that the seeds you are going to germinate should not be soaked, put them in a jar and fill the jar with clean, room temperature water. Leave them overnight or better a full day. To remove them, use a colander to strain out the water, and then dry the seeds lightly with kitchen paper. Plant them immediately, with whatever moisture they can hold, without letting them dry out. Otherwise, put them back in a pot of water, but you have to plant them in a few hours.
Put the seeds in an orderly manner in the seedbed substrate, with space between them. Press them into the soil a bit, with your fingers, and cover them with a light layer of soil. But keep in mind that there are seeds that do not need to be covered with soil, so find out in advance.
And while the buds are coming up, keep it moist by sprinkling water every day. So that the humidity does not go away, cover the seedbed with newspaper, or with plastic film. When the shoots appear and are a few centimeters long, it will be time to transplant them.
