You may have heard that nicking plant seeds before attempting to germinate them is a good idea. In fact, some seeds do need to be nicked in order to germinate. Other seeds don’t absolutely require it, but nicking will encourage the seeds to germinate more reliably. It’s important to know how to nick flower seeds as well as other plant seeds before starting your garden.
Nicking Seeds Before Planting
So, why should you nick seed coats? Nicking seeds before planting helps the seeds absorb water, which signals the plant embryo inside to begin the germination process. Nicking plant seeds and then soaking them in water will jump-start germination and get your garden growing faster. This technique is also known as scarification.
Which seeds need to be nicked? Seeds with an impermeable (waterproof) seed coat can benefit the most from nicking. Large or hard seeds like those of beans, okra, and nasturtium often require scarification for optimal germination. Most plants in the tomato and morning glory families also have impermeable seed coats and will germinate better after scarification.
Seeds that have a low germination rate or that are scarce should also be carefully nicked to increase the chances that you’ll get them to sprout.
Make as shallow a cut as possible on the seed, just deep enough to allow water to penetrate the seed coat. Be careful to avoid damaging the plant embryo inside the seed – you want to cut just through the seed coat while leaving the plant embryo and other structures within the seed unharmed.
Many seeds have a hilum, a scar left where the seed was attached to the ovary inside the fruit. The hilum is easy to find on beans and peas. For example, the “eye” of a black-eyed pea is the hilum. Since the bean embryo is attached just under the hilum, it is best to nick the seed opposite this point to avoid causing damage.
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After nicking, it is a good idea to soak the seeds for a few hours or overnight. Then, get them planted right away. Scarified seeds shouldn’t be stored because they can quickly lose the ability to germinate.
You may have heard that nicking plant seeds before attempting to germinate them is a good idea. In fact, some seeds do need to be nicked in order to germinate. Other seeds don't absolutely require it, but nicking will encourage the seeds to germinate more reliably.
Seed Scarification: nicking, breaking, softening, or otherwise weakening of the seed coating meant to speed up germination. You can see the hard, almost walnut-like seed coating on these Nasturtium seeds. For best germination, you can nick the outer coating and soak the seeds overnight before planting.
Seed coats help protect the embryo from injury and also from drying out. Seed coats can be thin and soft as in beans or thick and hard as in locust or coconut seeds. Endosperm, a temporary food supply, is packed around the embryo in the form of special leaves called cotyledons or seed leaves.
Before storing your seeds make sure they are dry, otherwise they will rot. But don't desiccate the seed (it is alive)—you merely want to get rid of excess moisture and hold it in a dormant state until you are ready to grow it.
You can nick seeds with the edge of a nail clipper, a nail file, or a knife, or you can sand through the seed coat with a bit of sandpaper. Make as shallow a cut as possible on the seed, just deep enough to allow water to penetrate the seed coat.
Depending on the number of seeds you've received and the number of plants you desire, you may want to consider scarifying, or nicking, each seed before planting. Scarification creates a small opening in the seed coat where water can be absorbed. This can be done at home with a pair of nail clippers.
In many seeds, the presence of a thick seed coat can inhibit germination through several mechanisms: (1) the embryo may not be able to break through the thick seed coat; (2) the seed coat may contain chemicals inhibitors; and (3) the seed coat prevents the embryo from accessing water and oxygen.
Among the treatments, the highest germination was noticed in the treatment with seed coat removal (78.3%), while minimum germination was in the control treatment (62.0%).
You could simply scoop seeds out of the fruit, clean them roughly with a paper towel and let them air dry overnight before sowing, but you'll get better results if you allow the gelatinous sheath surrounding the seed to decompose first.
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 ensure the best results, harvest seeds from ripe, healthy peppers. Simply cut open the pepper and remove the seeds, then rinse them in warm water to remove any pulp. Allow the seeds to dry thoroughly on a paper towel before planting.
Sow the seeds about 1/4 inch deep, spaced a few inches apart. If you are planting a row of morning glories, six-inch spacing will be fine. If you are planting a trellis, you don't need to be too particular about spacing. Water the seeds well and keep the soil moist until they sprout.
Soaking can accelerate germination and increase the proportion of seeds that successfully germinate. Seeds have evolved a protective coating around the embryo so the embryo can survive being dispersed by some means. The coating protects the seeds until they find themselves in a suitable place to grow into a new plant.
Fill a bowl(s) with hot water and add the seeds. Soak for no longer than 12-24 hours. I soak morning glories and moonflowers for approximately 24 hours, give or take. Once the soaking process is complete, plant the seeds immediately.
We use nail-clippers to nip a tiny piece off the top of each seed. Just snip off a tiny sliver of the seed coat and try not to cut too deep into the seed. Especially do NOT cut the creamy, light brown bit at the bottom of the seed. This is where the seed germ will emerge with the roots and first 2 little leaves.
Chipping is the term used by sweet pea experts and means removal of a very small part of the hard outer seed coat. This is done on the side opposite the 'eye' and some form of sharp instrument is necessary, either a knife to take off a small slice, or a file to file down a small area and rub a piece of the coating off.
Morning glory seeds will benefit from scarification prior to planting. This is a simple process that involves nicking the seeds with a knife or rubbing them with sandpaper or a file.
Seed scarification is the process of altering the seed coat to allow quicker water absorption and improve rates of germination. From: Management Strategies for Sustainable Cattle Production in Southern Pastures, 2020.
Introduction: My name is Terence Hammes MD, I am a inexpensive, energetic, jolly, faithful, cheerful, proud, rich person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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