- What is seed germination?
Inside the seed there will be an embryo and as long as the seed is distributed into the type of conditions it requires to germinate, it will do so fairly quickly.
- Distribution of seeds
When seeds are distributed naturally they may travel in the wind, on leaves or on flowers that will eventually fall from plants and drop to the ground. They may be distributed by animals who are attracted to the plant for various reasons. They could attach themselves to bugs such as bees that land on flowers when they abstract the nectar to make honey. The seeds could also be inside fruits such as berries that animals will discard.
- Conditions for germination
Many seeds will need different types of conditions to germinate successfully but the majority will need soil that has some nutrients, some oxygen and some water. Some seeds need it to be extremely warm to germinate while others do not mind the cold.
Soil that is extremely rich in nutrients may encourage the growth of some seeds, but other seeds may do better in less nutritious soil. Some seeds prefer to germinate in the dark whereas others need direct sunlight for a few hours every day in order to successfully germinate.
Once the seed has been successfully distributed to an area that is suitable, germination will begin. This is a complex topic and an excellent website to visit is seedbiology.de/germination.asp. Here you will find detailed diagrams of each stage of the germination process along with the biological names for each stage.