5 Reasons to Soak Seeds Before Planting (and How to Do It)

2023-04-27 14:02:33

Germination is an important step to promote young shoots and obtain vigorous plants. To make your seeds germinate easily, here is a tip used by gardening pros.

Wondering how this technique works? Soaking seeds in water before sowing them is a technique that allows successful sowing in the vegetable patch or in the garden. You will certainly succeed in lifting seeds, and obtaining new plants. Here are 5 reasons why you should adopt this tip from experienced gardeners that few people know!

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Seeds. Source: spm

1 – Soak the seeds to break their dormancy and trigger germination

Seeds germinate when they are no longer dormant. Soaking seeds in water helps your seeds come out of dormancy and therefore germinate faster. Seeds need moisture to germinate. Their moisture needs vary from seed to seed. When rainfall provides enough moisture around the seeds, they begin to germinate.

Seed germination. Source: spm

2 – Why soak the seeds in water? Accelerate germination…

This speeds up their germination before planting them in the ground, especially by using hot water. Indeed, for the germination process to succeed, they not only need humidity, but also heat. For what ? Because seeds have the ability to sense temperature which prevents them from germinating when it is still cold. Low temperatures can damage new shoots that are still fragile. That said, by using hot water, you are providing plants with the perfect environment to speed up germination.

Seed germination. Source: spm

3 – Increase the chance of germination

Not all seeds can germinate and while some can do so without soaking, soaking increases the germination rate. To have a result, the water stage may be necessary.

Soak seeds. Source: spm

4 – Soak seeds to remove germination inhibitors

The seeds are surrounded by germination inhibitors. These chemical or natural substances serve to prevent or delay the germination of seeds, especially when they are still inside the fruit or vegetable, or when they are stored.

These inhibitors can be washed away naturally by wind or rain, but it can take time. Soaking the seeds in water helps get rid of any substances that inhibit germination.

5 – Soak the seeds to break their natural defenses

Seeds are used to being roughed up before planting. They are subject to external shocks such as wind, rain or even animals that can ingest them. This is why many seeds have a hard outer shell. This provides them with good resistance to these external factors. So you want to eliminate their natural defenses and speed up germination? Dip them in water.

To successfully soak the seeds, here is how you can do it:

1. Open your seed packet and soak the seeds in a clean, shallow bowl that contains warm or hot water. A word of advice: avoid boiling water. Very high temperature is also not tolerated by most seeds and can inhibit germination. The seeds must be completely covered with water;
2. Place your bowl near a window. According Kevin Spirit The founder of Epic Gardening a site that helps gardening enthusiasts learn how to grow plants, if soaking the seeds helps them germinate, it’s because you’re replicating the natural conditions the seeds might be exposed to, namely the rainy weather and sunlight.
3. Let your seeds soak for 8 to 24 hours. The soaking time depends on your seeds. For what ? Because when they are large with thick skin, they will need to be soaked in water longer than small seeds with thin skin. However, the seeds should not be kept in water for more than 24 hours.
4. After soaking, plant your seeds without delay, in the moist soil. Be sure to keep the potting soil moistened until the seeds have fully germinated. Indeed, if you let them dry out following removing them from the water, they may not complete the germination process.

Bonus tip: If your seeds are wrapped in a very hard layer, you can use a technique called seed scarification. This breaks the seed coat, which is a protective envelope surrounding the seed. It is this external envelope that allows the seed to be stored for a long time and to remain intact, especially when the climatic conditions are not favorable to germination. Gardeners in a hurry resort to scarification to speed up the germination of their seeds. This operation consists in weakening the thick integument of the seed, before soaking it in water. You can use sandpaper for this. Be gentle when breaking through this hard layer to avoid damaging your seeds.

Seeds in water. Source: spm

Want to know if your seed packet is still valid? Just perform an easy test to find out if they are still good to sow. Seeds have a shelf life. This tip from experienced gardeners will allow you to test the germination power of your seeds before sowing. This way you will avoid having unsuccessful sowings. Here are the steps to follow.

1. Fill a glass with water;
2. Add your seeds to it;
3. Let them soak for a few minutes. Floating seeds should be discarded. Keep only those that sink.

Note that this test does not work for all seeds. Light seeds naturally float, so small seeds are the exception to this rule. So don’t confuse the big ones with the small ones… That’s it!

Squash, zucchini, peas or carrots… Which seeds should be soaked before sowing?

Seed soaking is an effective technique for large seeds, wrinkled seeds, and those with a thick protective husk. Soaking them in water facilitates this essential step for growing new plants.

That said, here are the seeds you can soak in water.

1. The beets
2. The peas
3. cucumbers
4. gourds
5. Beans
6. pumpkins

Small seeds are less good to use, and then they are difficult to handle when wet. Here are examples of small seeds that should not be soaked in water.

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1. Radish
2. Carrots
3. Basil
4. Lettuce
5. Chia

How long should different types of seeds be soaked?

Seed type	Soaking time
Sun-flower seeds	6-8 hours
pumpkin seeds	6-8 hours
Almonds	8-12 hours
Cashew nut	2-4 hours
Sesame seeds	6-8 hours
Linseed	2-4 hours
Chia seeds	15-30 minutes
Fenugreek seeds	8-12 hours
Mustard seeds	6-8 hours
Radish seeds	8-12 hours
mung beans	8-12 hours
Green lentils	8-12 hours
Coral lentils	2-4 hours
Chickpeas	12-24 hours
Quinoa seeds	2-4 hours

Thanks to this simple method, you will facilitate the germination of your seeds and make your first sowing a success. Seeds take time to germinate. They no longer need ideal conditions for this, namely humidity and heat. If you soak them in hot water, you will provide them with an environment conducive to their germination. What are you waiting for to try this gardening trick?

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