Why It Is Important to Pre-Soak Some Seeds?
Impatient gardeners may wonder if this step is really necessary, or if it's one of those nice-to-haves that won't make much of a difference in the long run, because soaking must be done at least a few hours before planting, preferably overnight.
Before planting, some seeds are traditionally soaked. Soaking can hasten germination and increase the percentage of seeds that germinate successfully.
To help it survive being distributed by some means, the embryo in seeds has developed a protective layer. The coating protects the seeds until they find a suitable location to grow into new plants. The seed coat that protects the embryo within remains intact until the temperature, light, and moisture conditions are favourable for germination.
To begin the germination of dried seeds, water is required. Water has the potential to dissolve germination inhibitors while also softening and breaking down the seed coat.
The water is usually in the soil where the seed falls, and when the seed coat has absorbed enough, germination begins. However, soaking the seeds before planting will help initiate germination, especially in very sandy soils where water drains quickly or heavy clay soils where water does not easily penetrate dry soil.
Is it absolutely necessary to soak seeds?
Actually, NO.
We are all aware that seeds in the wild can germinate without our assistance. Over millions of years, they have developed to be able to reproduce without the care that domestic gardeners give them.
That implies that you can sow seeds successfully without taking this additional step. Simply plant seeds in trays or the ground, hydrate them, and watch for the first signs of growth.
However, soaking offers a variety of fantastic advantages that make the effort worthwhile.
While you can germinate some seeds without soaking, doing so can considerably improve your chances of success and speed up the germination process. When done correctly, it can be the difference between only one or two seeds germinating or virtually the entire batch.
How to soak your seeds?
Grab a clean bowl or sterilised jar to start. It should be filled with the seeds of your choice and covered with warm water, preferably as hot as you can get it while still touching the water. Avoid using boiling water because these temperatures are too high for the majority of seedlings and may even prevent germination.
Preferably overnight, leave the seeds in the dish in a warm location for at least 8 hours. Although seeds can be soaked for longer, most should only be submerged in water for a maximum of 24 hours. For the ideal amount of time to soak, aim for 8–12 hours.
Your chosen seeds may benefit from the procedure known as scarification if their outer shell is very tough.
In order for the water to permeate the outer shell, this necessitates wearing down the outer shell in some way before soaking.
Scarification can be carried out using a sharp knife, fine sandpaper, or even a hammer. But be delicate and watch out for overdoing it to prevent permanently harming the seeds.
Your seeds should be planted right away into damp soil after soaking. After soaking, the seeds cannot be allowed to dry out once more because they won't likely germinate. To prevent wasting the work of soaking, make sure to maintain the soil moist until the seeds have fully germinated.
So here are some important points to remember when soaking your seeds before sowing.....
- Start germination
We already know that moisture is necessary for seeds to germinate.
Depending on the amount of rain that falls in their natural regions, different seeds are stimulated by different degrees of moisture. The plant understands it is safe to start germination once the rainfall has elevated the moisture around the seed to an adequate level.
You can activate the moisture gauge in any seed to aid germination by soaking the seeds beforehand. They can reach that stage without you having to wait for your seed starting mixture, which could take more time.
As opposed to this, they will be prepared to grow as soon as you plant them.
- Accelerate germination
Reduce the amount of time it takes for your seeds to get ready for transplantation by starting germination before you plant them in the ground (or in trays). Your seeds should germinate as soon as possible because there is no moisture barrier to overcome. Using warm water accelerates this process as well.
Seeds have temperature sensors in addition to moisture sensors that must be satisfied for them to germinate. These keep the seeds from sprouting while it's still too cold out, protecting the young, delicate growth.
The optimal conditions for the quickest germination are created by the warm water, which is the right temperature to commence germination. This will produce seedlings much more quickly than you anticipated when paired with a heating mat to keep the soil warm (particularly when starting seeds early).
This is also ideal for planting in the late season since it provides you that extra push when time is running out so you can plant your seedlings before it's too late.
- Remove any inhibitors of germination
Some seeds are actually surrounded with germination inhibitors, which may seem counterintuitive. This is intended to stop them from growing at the incorrect period inside the fruit.
Normally, wind or rain will wash these inhibitors away naturally, but this process can take some time. Your chances of success will increase by washing any substances that can prevent germination from your seeds after soaking them.
- Disrupt natural defences
Before finding their permanent resting place, seeds are accustomed to being pummelling and wounded. They experience some maltreatment before germination, whether it's being carried by the wind, getting pummelling by the rain, or surviving stomach acid from the different creatures that might ingest them.
Many seeds have sturdy exterior coverings that enable them to resist these forces of nature. Instead of waiting days or weeks for Mother Nature to overcome these barriers, you can soak your seeds and do it in a couple of hours. After soaking, they will be free from any obstacles and ready to plant.
- Increasing the Chances
Each year, plants produce trillions of seeds. But because of the several challenges we previously outlined, not all of them will germinate. They scatter so many seeds with the hope that only a few would germinate, thus not every seed needs to grow in order for the plant to effectively reproduce.
Relying on luck to cause your rare, costly, or even regular seeds to sprout won't work if you've spent money on them.
Even though seeds can sprout without soaking, doing so significantly boosts germination rates (depending on the plant). This extra step is definitely worth the effort if you want findings that are more trustworthy.