Depending on the type of seed we want to sow, it requires some care or another. Let's see a small classification by type:
- Bone
Stone seeds can be found in cherries, peaches, nectarines, almonds...
The seeds are inside a more or less hard bone depending on the variety in question.
This shell serves to protect the seed in winter, keeping it perfect until the ideal time of germination. Depending on the shell and the right weather conditions it is in, it can take up to 2-3 years to germinate.
To speed up the stratification process that allows them to germinate, there are two techniques:
- We clean the shell, wrap it in a slightly damp napkin and store it in the refrigerator/fridge in an airtight container, checking its condition every few days to see if it has germinated, the napkin is still damp or mold is growing due to excess moisture.
- Break the shell or stone to plant the seed directly without protection.
Whether or not we decide to speed up the stratification process. A hole must be made 2.5 - 3 cm and insert the seed.
Those seeds that are larger, such as mango, avocado or similar, require somewhat different care. What should be studied almost by case
- Pip
The pip seeds are those belonging to citrus fruits such as lemons, oranges and tangerines and many other varieties of fruit trees such as apple or pear trees, etc.
We must be careful when opening the fruit to extract them as they can easily break. In the image of the example that we are showing, it can be seen how one of the seeds was cut with a knife when cutting the lemon.
They are very easy to germinate, but they require a warm climate, with a constant temperature. Our advice is to create a mini-greenhouse by putting a bit of plastic covering the top of the pot or a cut bottle (in both cases with small holes to prevent moisture accumulation) and place the pot in the sun.
To plant seeds, it is advisable to make a hole of approximately 1.5 cm and insert the seed.
- Pine seed
They are typical of pines. They are covered in a hard shell. They can be found inside (pine) cones.
There are many species of pines with their own particularities. However, most of them have these little pinions inside.
The cones should be left on the tree until they drop naturally when they are ripe enough. If we remove them earlier, the pine nuts probably won't mature enough. In addition, pineapples secrete a sticky substance that is very difficult to remove.
They are planted approximately 1.5 cm deep.
We already know the depth at which our seed should be planted depending on the type. To decide the position, regardless of the type seen so far, the best advice is to lie down, the seed will turn and place itself in the position it prefers if the soil is not excessively compacted.
Then we will cover the hole, trying not to leave air pockets or excessively compact the earth.
Finally, we will water and put the pot in the sun. We will try to keep the soil moist without flooding all the time. When the seed notices that the temperature is propitious, it will germinate.
In the case of wanting to increase our chances of success, we can plant several seeds in the same pot, trying to keep a distance between them. When they have germinated we can separate them or select the one we want to keep by tearing off the rest.
There are some special cases, especially in exotic and tropical plants. Although we cannot treat all cases one by one, we will try to generalize.
Some fruits like kiwi have small black pimples inside; others like forest fruits and strawberries, white specks on the outside; the pomegranate white granites inside each grain, etc.
As a general rule, these types of seeds are not removed from the fruit to eat it, so you should collect some seeds from it before enjoying it.
Except for the pomegranate that can be planted a little deeper, the seeds we are talking about will be distributed on moist soil and then sprinkled with soil on top of which we can water with a spray to moisten and avoid dragging the seeds.
In the case of mangoes, the ideal is to sow it around 10 cm deep and not keep the soil excessively humid to avoid rotting. However, after different tests, we have verified that a mango planted almost superficially is also capable of germinating. and develop, but it is not the most appropriate. We used to carefully extract it from the shell or protective bone to speed up its germination (being careful not to damage the seed)..
For the avocado the story varies a bit, the most advisable thing is to prick the bone with 3 toothpicks without going too deep and put it over a glass of water where the bottom part of the seed is practically touching the water without reaching it or touching it minimally. Other people advise introducing water up to almost half. In your case we do not know which is better, we advise you to try both looking for the one that gives you the best result. After about 3-4 weeks it should germinate.
We will keep the avocado seed changing the water frequently and refilling the glass if necessary until the root reaches about 10 cm. When we go to transplant it, we will introduce the lower half of the seed next to the root in the soil, taking care not to damage it and the other half of the seed will remain outside.