Seedling Update

My little seeds have now past the imbibition stage when water wakes them up. Then that first root - the radicle - pushes down into the soil to find water, nutrients, stability. Germination is a miracle, one that keeps all of us alive. I am protective of these tiny beginnings of life. They are so fragile - a single day of dryness, and all the potential will be shriveled up. Crazy to think that by the end of the year these little babies will be giant brussel sprout plants that tower over the garden and can withstand a light coating of snow!

The first leaves that come out of the seeds are called cotyledons (which is hard to pronounce just from looking at the word - or was for me). They aren't true leaves, but basically the saved up energy within the seed, but these leaves start photosynthesising giving the plant the energy to grow its first real leaves. Most plants are split into two groups monocots and dicots - which is based on whether they have one or two cotyledons. Most of the plants we grow in our gardens are dicots, meaning they have two little starter leaves. If you grow grasses and flowering grasses then you are also growing monocots. Ferns that reproduce with spores and conifers do not have cotyledons.

I love the way the pepper seeds curl their little heads up out of the soil. Sometimes you can see the seed cap still on and the little leaves trying to work their way out. I've helped them a few times by removing the cap, but they also seem to get out of it on their own if you just leave it and if you do remove it you have to do it very delicately.

It has been 11 days since I planted the seeds and over half of the peppers have sprouted. I only have about three of the brussel sprouts coming up and only 2 lettuce! I wonder if the heat mat was too warm for the lettuce seeds. I've turned it off now since the peppers are doing so well. I think next time I'll only do a tray of peppers and a tray of lettuce. I think the smaller trays are actually better so I can sow everything in groups.

These little babies are so fragile and incredible, like all babies. In nature seeds are sent out into the world like scattershot, hoping they can find a place to land and grow and thrive and then create their own seeds. I wonder about my little piece in this puzzle. Here I am creating an environment for them to grow, putting them under lights, watering them carefully, keeping the temperature steady. Out in the world they would have none of that, other than what mother nature so impetuously offers. Without me none of these plants would exist in the world.

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