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Seed structure, water damage, etc.
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Posted by vivek.m 11 - Bangalore, Indi (gw:vivek.m) on Sat, Sep 23, 06 at 14:38
| I opened up a Ridge Gourd seed very carefully by first soaking the seed for a few days by slowly chipping off the woody seed cover at the Micropyle end off the seed. I could then see the green seed embryo with a tiny tip that was the radicle.
1. I'm not sure, but the whole seed seemed to be enclosed in a thin and translucent cover - what is the cover called.
I also pressed down pretty hard on the horizontal axis and popped the seed cover on the vertical axis of some Bottle-Gourd seeds. The hard casing of the seed on the inner side had a translucent membrane - i'm not sure if that belonged to the embryo or the seed case?
2. When i tried to remove some more off the woody seed cover, i think a bit of this membrane came off with the cover. Assuming the seed has a membrane-covering - what function does it serve?
3. Can i remove the whole woody cover and plant the embryo in the ground? Why not?
4. Should i push the seed into the ground radicle end downwards?
5. I had soaked and sprouted some French-Bean seeds and the first set of leaves came out badly deformed - 1/4 or 1/2 a full leaf..I assumed this was because i over soaked the seeds..? I immersed them in a cup, put them in bright sunlight and waited for them to sprout. They started smelling after a bit, so i cleaned them and repeated till a radicle emerged.. it took for-ever! However, i don't understand why the first set of leaves should be damaged..surely the cotyledons should get damaged..I can see the cotyledons mid-way down the stem and they look wrinkled but normal.
I'm new to gardening - just started a few months back. Hope you can clarify. I posted on the "Growing from seed" forum and got redirected here - Hope the questions are on-topic - I'm fairly new to gardening and gardenweb. I'm in the process off checking out: "http://www.seedbiology.de/"
Oh! And i'm not a bio-student or anything like that..just like to get a better understanding of the mechanics involved. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Seed structure, water damage, etc.
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I'm no expert! But I can make some reasonable guesses about some of your questions.
1/2. don't know the name, but the membraneous cover probably serves as protection for the embryo as it develops within the seedcase. Babies are such tender things!
3. you probably can remove the seedcase and plant the embryo; however, think of how chicks come out of their shells. They come out when they're strong enough to work their way out. Your embryo may be a little too young for the "shock" of being placed in the ground. If you have several seeds, experiment. Leave some in their cases, and take some off others. See which come out first, which are the healthiest = good strong stems, nice foliage and color, etc.
4. Yes, plant the end down.
5. Bean seeds rot when you try to germinate them by soaking; the inner structure is destroyed. Just start again. Put the seeds in moistened soil and they'll germinate astonishingly fast. Your young plants will need some kind of diluted fertilizer once they're up. And as far as transplanting them, you might, for safety's sake, wait until you have 6 leaves on your plants (the cotyledons and 4 "true" leaves. You asked good questions! Maureen |
RE: Seed structure, water damage, etc.
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Vivek:-
I have answered your questions on "Growing from Seed Forum" in response to your posting.
For convenience I am posting them here also.
1.Mucilage.
2.Helps water intake while seed is trying to germinate.
3.Yes.
4.You can.(but it is not necssary)
5.Seeds were over soaked. |
RE: Seed structure, water damage, etc.
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| Hello Maureen and Chaman, many thanks :) I seem to be babying these darn things and spoiling them |
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