For the most part, why do seeds need soil on top in order to grow?
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Because trying to sprout when you’re not in dirt is a recipe to die so there’s strong evolutionary pressure to not sprout until you’re reasonably confident that you’re actually in dirt.
Being buried so the light is blocked, and being surrounded by something moist, is a pretty good way to be “sure” that you’re in something you can grow in. Keeping mind that all this stuff evolved long before non-natural surfaces like pavement came along.
They dont have to be covered in dirt but a seed just sitting there under an open sky got way bigger chance of beeing eaten by a bird or blown away by the wind. Thus when we humans plant a seed we just burry them for some protection. There is an issue however in arid, dry or very hot climates where putting seeds deep into the ground will keep it from beeing cooked under the sun before it can sprout.
They do not. You can grow virtually any type of seed with nothing more than light, water, and the necessary nutrients. This is called hydroponics.
However, this situation does not occur in nature. Seeds tend to grow in soil in nature because soil contains all of the nutrients that the plant needs, and is also great at retaining water.
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