Plant propagation--the seed
 (Read 100+ times)
By Steve Habib
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Though there are many types of plant propagation, none is as common as by seed. Most beginner plant owners and gardeners turn to this method, which comes primarily in five types: purchasing seed, collecting seed, germination of seed, sowing indoor seed, and sowing seed outdoors into the garden.
The first type, purchasing seed, is fairly straight forward, yet many have questions about the process. You should always purchase seed that comes with some sort of guarantee that the seeds will be fresh.
Another tip for buying seeds is to read the package carefully. The package should tell you how much of the package is expected to germinate. The package will also give you a good indication about size and colors. Many special considerations, such as the growth habitat, can also be determined by careful examination of the seed packet.
Once you have gone through at least one season of gardening, many plants can be propagated through simple seed collecting. These include lettuce, beans, peas, heirloom tomatoes, and many types of herbs.
While there are many advantages to seeding, namely that it saves a lot of money and produce cross-pollinated varieties that are not available commercially, many seeds will not fair well under this method.
If you do use this method, make sure that the seed is harvested immediately right before the fruit of the plant has been completely ripe and store in the refrigerator in airtight containers.
The third method of plant propagation using seeds is germination. The most important tool of germination is water, because it will get through the seed's thick coat and cause the endosperm to swell and eventually makes them available to the embryo so that growth can begin.
As you are germinating your seeds, you should keep the seeds moist, yet not wet. Oxygen is also necessary, and light may or may not be, depending on the plant's needs.
Planting seeds indoors have two major purposes. The first purpose is to plant the seed permanently so that it can grow indoors. Houseplants and some vegetables are grown in this manner, kept in a potted plant with plenty of light and water throughout the growing season.
The other reason to sow a seed indoors is so that it can be eventually transplanted to an outdoors garden. Many vegetables have very tiny seeds that are difficult to plant outdoors initially, and the solution is to sow them indoors before moving them outsides.
A major problem that can occur with plants that are transplanted directly in the garden after being grown indoors is transplant shock. This does not occur in plants that are grown using the fifth method, direct planting into the garden.
The biggest concern in direct planting is to make sure you have given the plant enough time to grow before frosts, pests, and other factors can ruin its potential to thrive.
Overall, when it comes to plant propagation, seed propagation is the most common method. The beginner gardener should be able to master this step before moving on to the far more complicated types of plant propagation.
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Author Bio Box: Steve Habib
Steve Habib is an active gardener, author and researcher on the subject of growing and caring for a variety of plants. To receive our FREE BOOK "How Do Plants Grow" visit Plant and Gardening blog:
Plant Propagation reveal many other methods of starting new plants.
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