Whether you should or shouldn’t soak your seeds before planting them. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Should you soak seeds before putting them in the ground. Gardening experts say it may be a matter of preference. The idea behind soaking is to speed up the germination rate. When seeds are in nature, they’re designed to be tough because the elements can be rough on a small seed.
Plus, seeds were designed to hold off on germination until the time is right. When soaking your seeds before planting, you’re doing many things: boosting the moisture rate, removing the protective coating on the seed, and softening the seed. The shell is the hardest part of seeds because it’s meant to protect it. By soaking the seed, it enables the new growth from the inside to push through the hard shell and grow.
The seeds that could benefit from a good soaking include: corn, pumpkin, beans, chard, beets, and peas. The seeds you shouldn’t soak include: carrots, lettuce, radish, celery, turnips, and spinach.
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By soaking the seed, it enables the new growth from the inside to push through the hard shell and grow. The seeds that could benefit from a good soaking include: corn, pumpkin, beans, chard, beets, and peas. The seeds you shouldn't soak include: carrots, lettuce, radish, celery, turnips, and spinach.
Almost all seeds can be pre-soaked, but it is large seeds, seeds with thick coats and wrinkled seeds that will benefit most. Small seeds benefit less and are difficult to handle when wet. Examples of seeds that benefit from soaking include peas, beets, cucumber, corn, squash, pumpkin and beans.
As a general rule of thumb, your seeds will sprout even if you don't soak your seeds before planting, but with soaking, the germination time decreases, and the germination rate increases. Seeds that have a continual flow of moisture to uptake have much higher chances of success.
To enhance germination rates, soaking the seeds in lukewarm water for 24 hours can help speed up germination by softening the seed coat. After soaking, drain the seeds and pat them dry with a clean cloth.
Sunflower seeds don't need to be soaked before planting—after all, the seeds split easily—but soaking them for 12 to 24 hours will hasten germination and increase the number of seeds that sprout.
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