rolled cylinder into a plastic bag.

If you label the rolls, you can put more than one variety in the bag. Put the bag full of damp, rolled, seed-filled towels in a warm place. I use the warm top of a fluorescent plant the light fixture or the top of my insulated hot water heater. Check the seeds each day. Nothing will happen for several days, but germinating seeds do need a certain amount of oxygen, and the small amount of air that wafts in when you peek at the seeds will do them good. Signs of Life. The first sign of germination in cucurbit seeds will be the development of the root. Be sure to remove your sprouted seeds from their incubator before the root hairs grow together and tangle. If one should grow through the towel - and this often happens - just tear the towel and plant the damp shred of paper right along with the seed. Planting Presprouted Seeds. Plant the presprouted seeds in a good rich potting mix that youve scooped into individual containers and premoistened. Cucurbits dont take kindly to transplanting, not with those fleshy, sappy, easily bruised roots, so your plants will stay right in these containers until they go into the garden. Individual half-pint milk cartons work well, since the bottom may be easily removed and the whole plant clump set in the hill. I plant my sprouted cucurbits in small plastic pots, which are easily overturned to free the seedlings when it is time to set the pots under lights immediately, or put them on your sunniest windowsill.

6 Germination
If youve ever lost track of a flat of germinated seeds, as I have, and discovered them too late - when the thready white stems had grown an inch before putting on pale little leaves - then no doubt youve also muttered ruefully, out of sight, out of mind. It is easy, in the busy spring rush, to overlook flats of planted seedlings tucked in out-of-the-way comers. For that reason, I like to keep my flats together in a place where Ill see them every day and remember to check on them.

The Process of Germination

Whats going on in those flats while we wait? We commonly think of germination as being equivalent to sprouting, and its true that the final test of complete germination is the emergence of a growing root or leaf sprout from the seed, yet the process by which a dry, dormant embryo quickens into tender, new green growth begins well before we have visible evidence of the new root or leaf. The first step in the process of germination is the absorption of water by the seed. This is necessary preliminary to the internal changes in the seed that trigger growth. The uptake of water by the seed (called imbibition by botanists) depends in turn on the content of the seed, the permeability of its outer layer, and the availability of the necessary amount of liquid. Seed that

contain a high percentage of protein imbibe more water than those that are high in starch. (Only under very acid or hot conditions, which dont exist in nature, will seed starch swell with water intake.) Seeds with hard coats, like morning-glories, will absorb water more readily if their hard outer shell is nicked with a file. Furthermore, the seed depends not only on the presence of moisture in the soil, but also on close contact with soil particles, to permit sufficient water uptake. The fact that a seed has absorbed water is not, by the way, proof of its viability. Even dead seeds can imbibe water. As the seed swells with water, it develops considerable pressure, pressure that eventually ruptures the seed coat (which has already been softened by the surrounding moisture) and eases the eruption of the root. These are the physical effects of the seeds absorption of water. At the same time, internal metabolic changes are revving up life in the seed, changing its chemistry from neutral to first year, you might say. As into soluble form, ready to be used as a component of new tissue. In order, though, for the starches and proteins in the endosperm to dissolve, they must often be changed into simpler forms - the starched into simple sugars like glucose and maltose and the proteins into free amino acids and amides. The enzymes, necessary to split complex forms of stored food into simpler forms of usable food, are activated in response to the stepped-up metabolism of the seed. You will remember that even dormant seeds carry on respiration. They take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide. The rate of respiration is markedly increased in the germinating seed and both generates and supports the many interacting internal changes in the embryo. Enzymes, then, direct the breakdown of certain useful stored foods. Hormones, also present in the seed, control both the transportation of newly soluble foods to different parts of the seed and the building up of new compounds from the components of those that have been broken down into simpler forms. Pea seeds, for example, synthesize new compounds during the first 24 hours of the germination process. The product of all this stepped-up activity within the seed is new tissue, originating at growing points in the root tip, the stem, the bud, and the cotyledons. This new tissue is formed in two ways: cells already present in the seed grow longer, and cells divide to produce new cells, which then elongate. Studies done on lettuce seeds, for example, show that cell division begins about 12 hours after germination has begun; the root cells show some elongation at about the same time. In corn, the first change to be observed is the enlargement of the cells, followed by cell division in the root as it merged from the seed coat. Both kinds of tissue changes are necessary to the normal development of the seedling.

Factors that Influence Germination

Many internal and environmental conditions influence the course of germination in seeds. The Condition of the Seed. A shriveled seed that has been stored too long or under poor conditions will have a scant supply of food stored in its endosperm. The seedling that grows from such a seed, if it germinates at all, is likely to be weak and stunted. Mechanical injury to the seed during harvesting or drying can injure the cotyledons, stem, or root tip, or produce breaks in the seed coat that admit microorganisms, which in turn deteriorate

seed quality. The hormones that promote cell elongation are produced by the endosperm and cotyledons. Any injury, therefore, that interferes with the soundness of these hormone-producing tissue is likely to result in stunted seedlings. The Presence of Water. Water must be available to the seed in amounts sufficient to start the quickening of respiration that leads to germination. However, few seeds will sprout if submerged in water. Some air must also reach the seed for it to absorb the oxygen it needs. Water serves several purposes in the germinating seed. Initially, it softens the seed coat so the root can emerge more easily. Then it combines with stored foods to form soluble form of nourishment of the seed. As growth proceeds, it helps to enlarge new cells, as directed by the hormones, and serves as a medium of transportation to take soluble foods and hormones to parts of the seedling where theyre needed. Sufficient Air. Even quiescent seeds in storage need a certain minimum supply of air. The requirements of a germinating seed are more critical. Our atmosphere contains a mixture of gases, with the oxygen portion fairly constant at 20 percent. (Some seeds - certain cereals and carrots have been shown to germinate more completely in an even richer oxygen concentration.) the oxygen taken in by the seed in respiration combines chemically with the seeds fast and sugars - a process called oxidation. Seeds also need a certain amount of carbon dioxide in order to germinate, but they dont do well if surrounded by a considerable concentration of carbon dioxide. Cucurbits (squash, melons, pumpkins and cucumbers) have seed membranes that admit carbon dioxide more readily than oxygen, so they are acutely sensitive to low-oxygen conditions. As gardeners, we cant manipulate the composition of the air that surrounds us, but we can make sure our germinating seeds are supplied with enough air by planting them shallowly, in a loose, friable medium, and by keeping the soil moist but not waterlogged, so some air spaces remain. Temperature. In general, seeds need warmer soil temperatures during germination than they will need later when theyre grown into plants. There are differences in heat and cold sensitivity, though, among the different species. Some seeds, like lettuce, celery and peas, germinate best at low temperatures, while peppers, eggplant, melons, and others prefer more warmth. Extremes of heat and cold inhibit germination of most kinds of seed. There are, for most seeds, optimum temperatures at which they do best. This doesnt mean your seeds wont germinate at higher or lower temperatures; the drop in germination with less-than-ideal temperatures is gradual, not abrupt. Seeds that germinate best at a soil temperature of 750F (240C) will put for some growth at 650F (180C), although it might occur later and might be less. Some seeds, like dock, tobacco, and evening primrose, need alternating warm and cool temperatures in order to germinate. According to studies done with these plants, its not the rate or duration of the temperature change but simply the fact of the change itself that affects them. The most favorable germinating temperature for most garden seeds started indoors is between 750F and 900F (240C and 320C). Thats soil temperature. Remember that whereas the air temperature in a room may be 700F (210C), a moist flat of soil set on the floor may be cooler unless kept near a source of heat. (See table 2 for temperature ranges at which different seeds will germinate.) A soil heating cable may be used to speed germination of some seeds that are more difficult to start. Applying bottom heat directly to the flat uses less power than heating the whole room or greenhouse. In most households, though, there is usually at least one pot - over the furnace or water heater, on top of the television set, near a wood stove or heat register, or on a pilot light where seed flats can be kept warm during germination.

Light. A fair number of flower seeds and some tree seeds either require light for germination or germinate more completely in the presence of light. Most vegetable seed are indifferent to the amount of light they receive during germination. We used to think that darkness was essential to germination, but recent studies dont seem to support that conclusion as a generality. Some flower seeds, like those of the pansy, germinate best in darkness, and germination of an onions and chives appears to be retarded by exposure to light. A few vegetable seeds germinate more completely under some conditions when they receive some light. In the case of lettuce and celery, for example, light promotes more complete germination only when the temperature is higher than that at which these seeds usually germinate best. At the lower temperatures they prefer, exposure to light doesnt seem to make much difference. The lesson from this is clear: when putting in a late planting of lettuce or celery when the weather is warm, press the seeds into moist soil, covering them lightly, if at all, with fine soil - although you could also spread a few dry grass clippings over the row to prevent crusting. Vegetable seedling flats can be covered with wet newspapers, damp burlap, or used aluminum foil. Flats of seeds that need light to germinate should usually be covered with clear plastic sheets, bags, or food wrap, expert for seeds that are known to germinate within a week, which may be left uncovered. Soil conditions. Apart from the physical conditions of friability, aeration, moisture, and freedom from waterlogging, all of which promote germination, there are other conditions in the soil that may be affect the outcome of seed planting. Organic Matter. Soil containing a high percentage of organic matter along with many microorganisms may have a higher concentration of carbon dioxide than the surrounding air. This can retard germination, depending on the permeability of the seed coat to carbon dioxide. Seed dont need a rich mixture to start germinating. Table 2 Soil Temperature Conditions for Vegetable Seed Germination Optimum Minimum Range Optimum 0 0 Crops ( F) ( F) (0F) Asparagus 50 60-85 75 Beans,Lima 60 65-85 85 Beans, Snap 60 65-85 80 Beets 40 50-85 85 Cabbage 40 45-95 85 Carrots 40 45-85 80 Cauliflower 40 45-85 80 Celery 40 60-70 70 Corn 50 60-95 95 Cucumbers 60 65-95 95 Eggplant 60 75-90 85 Lettuce 35 40-80 75 Muskmelons 60 75-95 90 Okra 60 70-95 95 Onions 35 50-95 75

Maximum (0F) 95 85 95 95 100 95 100 85 105 105 95 85 100 105 95