So of course plants are living things, but how exactly do seeds “work” per se. I dont garden at all, but I don’t remember ever seeing an expiration date on a seed packet. Are they able to remain alive for a long period of time, just dormant until they germinate, or is there something about the fertilizer and the water that causes them to “become” alive (which every instinct screams at me that that’s not the answer, but I’m not a botanist either)?
I hope this question makes sense to you all.
In: Biology
Yes. Seeds are a cluster of cells that will eventually become the plant, combined with a package of nutrients which it feeds off before it grows leaves, and usually a hard outer shell to protect it from things like stomach acids and mechanical stress. The cells lay dormant until they detect what they think is a favourable environment. They do this by paying close attention to stimuli like light, moisture and temperature. If there’s too much light, it means they’re probably too close to the surface. If there’s not enough, it means they’re probably too deep. If there’s not enough moisture, they’re probably not in an environment where they’ll be able to get enough water. If there’s too much, they’re probably in an environment where they’ll “drown”, such as the bottom of a lake. And so on.
Yes! They’re dormant, but definitely alive and just waiting for the right stimuli. For most seeds it’s just water, because they (either through natural or artificial means) are dried to stop them from growing right away. Storage moisture varies by species, as does the lifespan of a seed.
Tree seeds, such as those used to grow forestry tree seedlings for reforestation after logging operations, are frequently stored for decades. Partly because they just can be and also because it’s a big operation to have to helicopter and/or hike into the bush to get more. These are stored well below zero degrees Celsius – more like -18C. The ability of seeds to survive that long is based on a number of factors with one major one being the structure and integrity of the seed coat that surrounds it. Something with little protection like an avocado (referred to as Recalcitrant) will not survive long vs something with a heavy seed coat like date palm (referred to as Orthodox). The date palm is the one referenced in the story of the 2,000 year old seed.
Lotus seeds come to mind and are very Orthodox. Fun project – If you get a decorative lotus pod from a florist or an dry flower arrangement, those little seeds in the pod will readily germinate with a bit of mechanical help.
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