The seed could be considered the element from which the future plant is born. In short, it is the most primitive form of life that exists in nature. But for all species, no matter which plant they come from, there are three minimum requirements to grow properly: sunlight, water and suitable soil. If you want to obtain and grow your seeds properly, in we teach you How to sow seeds.
Types of seeds
We can find different cultivable seeds. Each one has specific characteristics that make it different from the others. The main types of seeds are:
- Creole seeds: they are seeds that adapt perfectly to the conditions of the ground, thus reducing its wear. In addition, seeds can be obtained from the resulting plant for the next sowing.
- Acriollated seeds: seeds that, although not autochthonous, have been adapted to the conditions of the ground over time.
- Improved seeds: they are artificially selected by controlled pollination. Its main characteristics are a high resistance to pests and diseases, high production and easy adaptation to the ground.
- Baby seeds: in this case, the seeds have been treated to limit their growth. As a result, the grains obtained have a touch of sweetness, and a bright texture and coloration.
- Hybrid seeds: as their name suggests, they are the product of crossing two plants of different species, in order to optimize the yield of the harvest. They usually bring with them greater and faster growth and stronger and more resistant plants. On the other hand, the seeds resulting from these plants are sterile.
- Organic seeds: descend from plants that have not been supplied with pesticides or other chemicals. Likewise, they have not been treated for better conservation.
How to get the seeds
Not to mention that you can also buy them in almost any supermarket, the way in which you can obtain the seeds you are going to grow varies depending on the plant from which they come. The most basic ways to do this are:
Tomatoes and other fruits
In the case of seeds that are inside a fruit, you will have to follow the following steps:
- First, extract the seeds. You will have to wait for the right moment for it. The most advisable thing is that, once it has matured, let it soften a little before extracting the seeds.
- Place the seeds in a bucket or pool with water. After about two days, you will notice that a part of the seeds has fallen to the bottom while the others have remained on the surface. The ones you can grow are the ones at the bottom.
- Finally, you should remove the good seeds from the water and let them dry on a cloth for about a week. After that time, it is best to keep them in an airtight container.
Legumes
In this type of plants, the seeds are inside a pod. Examples of this are chickpeas, peas or lentils.
- As a first step you will have to leave the most vigorous bushes without catching.
- The moment you see that the bushes have dried, you pluck them and leave them in the sun so that the seeds dry out.
- Finally, you must keep them in a suitable container.
Vegetables or herbaceous
In the latter case the seeds are not found inside any fruit or pod. After being pollinated, the flowers give way directly to the new seeds.
- The first step you will take to obtain the seeds will be to let the plant glean and flower.
- When it is dry, cut it and let it ventilate for a couple of days.
- In a place with good lighting, spread the plant on a flat surface and crumble the flowers.
- Finally, select the seeds and store them in a suitable container.
What do you need to sow seeds – What steps should you follow?
Once you have chosen and obtained the ones you are going to grow, you will need the following elements to sow seeds:
- Suitable terrain.
- Enough water.
- Daily ration of sunlight.
Instructions for sowing seeds – What steps you should follow
When you go to sow your seeds, you must choose the best way to do it. Apart from planting them, you will have to know how to make them germinate.
Direct seeding
It is commonly used to grow plants whose seeds have a large size. In addition to a well-prepared soil, they need it to have a sufficient depth and be at an adequate distance between them. It is the ideal type of planting for leguminous plants, garlic, potatoes, carrots and many others. Its main advantage is that your plants will grow free and will not require transplanting.
Seedling
It is given as a provisional method when the environmental conditions are not the most suitable for the plant to germinate correctly. When the seedlings have developed enough, you should transplant them to the final place where you will grow them. Although you can select the best specimens before transplanting them, there is a risk that they do not adapt correctly to the final place.