Gardener’s Guide to Starting Seeds
A seed is kind of an amazing thing. Everything needed to grow a plant is packed into such a small package. The type of plant, how big it will grow, what kind of leaves it will have, and its flower color.
Literally the entire blueprint of the plant is contained within that tiny little package we call a seed.
All flowering plants grow from seeds, and that includes just about everything found in the flower and vegetable garden, excluding ferns, fungi, and mosses. The tiny seed produces everything from the diminutive moss roses to the massive sequoia tree. Seed size has virtually no impact upon the size of plant which grows from it. Some of the largest plants may grow from seeds the size of dust, and smaller plants may sometimes be produced from large seeds.
Seeds in the wild depend upon several different mechanisms to allow them to reach the proper locations and conditions for them to germinate. Some have fluffy wings to allow the wind to disperse over a wide area. Others have Velcro-like spurs to stick to animal’s fur. Others clothe themselves in fleshy fruit which in turn is eaten by birds and animals and thus dispersed. Many of these need the harsh enzymes produced by the digestive systems of these animals to dissolve the seed coat sufficiently to allow germination.
Commercial Value
Seeds are of immense commercial value to us. Corn supplies both food for us and the livestock we depend upon for meat and protein. Corn is now also being explored as a heat source, too. Soybeans supply plastics, cooking oils and other important products. Other grain crops are used to make bread, beer, and other items we use in our everyday life.
The amazing seed packs everything needed to grow a plant into a compact package. Seeds are produced by all flowering plants and supply both man and animal with food. Seeds are an indispensable part of our world.
Mossy Feet Books - Author Paul R. Wonning 