There are many plants that do not germinate immediately after they have fallen to the ground or have been sown. This is because they are in latency period whose duration varies according to the species; in fact Thanks to the fact that they have remained unchanged, we can now enjoy plants that we thought were extinct.
But of course, when we acquire seeds we are interested in them germinating as soon as possible, so we will proceed to do it pregerminative treatments.
In gardening the following are used:
- Thermal shock: It consists of introducing the seed 1 second in boiling water and 24 hours in a glass of water at room temperature in order to produce micro-cuts in the shell and thus be able to awaken the embryo. The seeds that can be subjected to this treatment are those with a round or oval and hard shape, such as Albizia or Acacia.
- Scarification: consists of sanding the wall of the seed. It is the perfect treatment for the Delonix, for example.
- Stratification: this treatment consists of putting the seeds in the fridge for a short period of time (generally 2 months) so that they are cold and can germinate without problems when the time comes. All those species from temperate or cold climates that want to be cultivated in slightly warmer climates will have to be stratified.
- Glass of water: Introducing the seeds in a glass with water not only helps us to discard those that are not viable (that is, those that remain floating), but it is also very useful to wake them up and thus shorten the germination time. It is undoubtedly highly recommended for garden plants, flowers, and aromatic plants.
As we can see, there are different types of pregerminative treatments. Depending on the plant species in question, it is convenient to choose one or the other in order to achieve a higher germination percentage, which will mean a greater number of plants .
