Biruk Baye

@birukbaye · 10 Dec 2021

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What happens to seeds when soaked in water?

Soaking seeds in water is a common process when it comes to gardening. When the seed goes from dry to wet, it starts to germinate or turn into a plant.

For most seeds, the best time for soaking in water is when they're going dormant in wintertime. That time frame is anywhere from November up until March or April of the following year.

Some gardeners also soak their seeds right before planting them into prepared soil during this dormancy period as well. The big benefit of soaking seeds in water is that it helps to sprout them or wake them up from sleep.

For seeds that only have the kernel attached and no other parts, soaking the seed in water is not recommended. It's mainly used for seeds with a parent plant, such as tomato seed or squash seed.

A good rule of thumb for soaking tomato seeds is to make sure the seed has a circle around the middle of its stem with nothing inside except for the plant part that goes into the soil.

If there are any other parts inside that go into the soil, then you should do a different type of water from what I just described here. It's best to do this when the seedlings are just sprouting out.

Some people take the stem off the seed and soak it in water overnight to get it a little more hydrated.

Soaking can help speed up germination as well, especially for seeds that are going dormant or going dormant for a second year after having germinated earlier on in their life. Many seeds will go dormant if they were planted too early, or if there were no other growing seasons after they sprouted from seeds.

After a certain point in the autumn, their stems will turn brown and start to fall off, signaling that they're no longer growing anymore for that season.

A good rule of thumb with seeds is to play it safe and try not to put seeds in water too early. If you do decide to do this, then make sure that the seed has been properly fertilized in the year before it goes dormant.

That way when it does start to spin down for winter, it will have all the energy needed for a rain dance around springtime to wake up from dormancy and get ready for a new season of growth!

Soaking also has another benefit that is contrary to what most people think. It can save some seeds from being lost due to spoilage or insect damage. Most seeds lose some moisture to different types of damage, and this can even happen to the plant itself.

Most people will tend to throw out seeds that are damaged by insects or rot because they feel that it's a waste of money and effort. But in reality, some fruit and vegetable seeds can still germinate from soaking in water instead of discarding them.

The reason for soaking seeds in water is not quite understood yet, but there are several theories about it:

- The idea here is that the soaking in water helps make room for the plant to sprout without suffocating the seed with too much moisture. This also prevents dry soil around the seedling's core from potentially damaging them further as well.

- Another interesting theory is that soaking seeds in water allows the seed to absorb moisture more easily, and this is the reason why they have a better chance of sprouting than if they are not soaked.

- Soaking in water can also help kill some of the dry seed germination inhibitors that many seeds have, or things like parasitic fungi that eat away at other stages of a seed's life cycle.

Soaking can also be used as a simple way to give winter squash seeds a jump on their life cycle by breaking dormancy, and then they can start producing. Some people even just throw the seeds into a jar with water and cover them with their fingers when doing this.