SEED PROPAGATION

Learn to Grow Plants from Seed

Seed propagation is a cost-effective and sustainable way of producing new plants. It also gives you greater control over growing conditions. 

All sorts of plants can be successfully grown from seed, but many require different treatments and growing conditions. This course teaches you all you need to know to grow a range of plants from seed.

Study this course to:

• Learn about different types of seed, dormancy, and germination requirements.
• Types of seed raising mixes and optimal growing conditions.
• Determine pros and cons of under cover seed sowing, direct sowing, and the broadcast method.
• Manage growing needs and seedling problems.
• Manipulate environmental factors.
• Understand hardening off and transplanting techniques.

Use what you learn for your own business or to increase your employment opportunities.

Lesson Structure

There are 9 lessons in this course:

1. Introduction
   • Scope of Commercial Seed Propagation
   • Seed Growing Methods
   • General Soil Preparation
   • Open Ground Growing
   • Open ground propagation
   • Controlled Environment Propagation
   • The Greenhouse System
2. Seed Botany
   • Introduction
   • Seed Structure
   • Storage Tissues in Seeds
   • Hypogeal & Epigeal Germination
   • Flower Function and Structure
   • Pollination
   • Phases of Plant Reproduction
   • Fruits and Fruit Classification/Types
   • Methods to Breed Self Pollinating Crops
   • Importance of Genetic purity
   • Preventing Cross Pollination
   • Hand Pollination
   • Hybrid Seed Production
   • Hybridising Techniques
3. Seed Sources
   • Collecting in the Wild, Seed Banks
   • Commercial Seed Suppliers
   • Why do Plants Produce Seed
   • What Seed is Best
   • Selecting a Parent Plant
   • Collecting Wild Seed
   • Selecting Plants to Collect from
   • Timing
   • Methods of Collecting
   • Removing Seeds
   • Choosing Seed Plants for Vegetable Crops
   • Collecting Vegetable Seeds
4. Seed Storage
   • Seed Storage Behaviour Orthodox species, Recalcitrant Species, Intermediate Species.
   • Factors Affecting Seed Storage
   • Types of Seed Storage
   • Disease Control in Seeds
   • Germination Testing
   • Warm Germination
   • Cold Germination
   • Seed Testing
5. Dormancy
   • Difficult Seeds to Germinate
   • Dormancy Factors
   • Breaking dormancy
   • Germinating Seeds -Seed Treatments
   • Germination Treatments
   • Physical, Chemical and Biological Properties
6. Germinating Annuals, Perennials and Vegetables
   • Sowing Guidelines
   • Propagating Mixes/Media
   • Determining Air Space
   • Seed Mixes
   • How to Sow Seed in Containers
   • Hygiene
   • Light
   • Environmental Factors after Photosynthesis
   • Lighting Equipment
   • Heated Propagators
   • Sowing Seed Outdoors
   • Preparing an Area for Seed Propagation
   • Vegetable Sowing and Transplanting Guide
7. Propagating Selected Woody Species
   • Growing Seedling Rootstock
   • Reasons for Budding & Grafting
   • Disease Resistance
   • How to Propagate Selected Ornamental Trees
   • Case Studies - Acacia, Acer, Betula, Conifers, Eucalyptus, Magnolia, Lagerstroemia, Fraxinus, Quercus, Protea, Prunus.
8. Direct Seeding
   • Revegetation- Direct Seeding Woody Species
   • Other Planting Methods
   • Plant Establishment Considerations
   • What to Plant Where
   • Climate
   • Microclimates
   • When to Plant
   • Preparing Land for Planting
   • Weed Control
9. Seedling Management
   • Growing Transplants
   • Pricking Out/Tubing Seedlings
   • How to Maintain Young Seedlings in Pots
   • Feeding Seedlings
   • Watering
   • Ventilation, Light, Temperature
   • Hardening Off
   • Environmental Influences
   • Transplanting Seedlings into Open Ground
   • Healthy Seedling Growth
   • Culture of Selected Species
   • Case Studies - Vegetables and Flowers

Aims

• Discuss the nature and scope of commercial seed propagation.
• Explain the botanical characteristics of seed and the processes that occur when a seed germinates.
• Determine appropriate procedures for harvesting different seeds in different situations.
• Determine appropriate treatments for different types of seeds following harvest in order to sustain viability.
• Determine appropriate treatments for breaking dormancy in order to initiate germination with a range of different seeds.
• Determine how to sow and germinate seed of commonly grown herbaceous plants including vegetables, annuals and perennials.
• Determine appropriate propagation techniques for a range of woody plants including trees, shrubs, ground covers and climbers.
• Determine propagation and plant establishment strategies for developing a variety of different types of plantings through direct seeding onto sites where germinated plants will remain permanently in the position where the seed germinates.
• Manage germinated seedlings as they develop in a way that will optimise the survival rate.

SEED PROPAGATION CAN BE COMPLICATED

Every plant species has it's own peculiar features that affects the way it's seed forms, develops, germinates and grows to produce a new plant.

It is important to understand the plant you are propagating; and what needs to be done in order to grow it both appropriately and successfully from seed.

As an example; consider Banksias.

Banksia seed is encased in a hard woody fruit that rarely opens to release seed except in extreme heat, such as a fire. This characteristic protects seeds from being eaten by insects or other animals until plant regeneration is needed. After a fire, seed tends to be released dispersed and will germinate in large quantities. Many though not all species have lignotubers that will sprout foliage and regenerate a damaged plant after a fire.
  
The seed is large and winged and released from cone like fruits, usually after application of heat. In the wild, seed will be released in large amounts after a fire (B. marginata and B. integrifolia are exceptions to this rule). Cones may not open naturally for many years, even though seed could be viable inside.

Even though the flowers spikes are large and crowded with flowers only very few flowers develop fruit (seed) – in some species the flowers spike will often not produce seed at all. Therefore the quantity of seed obtained per kilogram of fruits is much less than many other plants, and this fact makes the seed relatively expensive to acquire (in terms of cost or time). A wide range of Banksia seed may be purchased from Australian Native seed merchants.

• Collect seed cones when seed is ripe, but before seed drops (for some varieties this is easy, for others, there is a relatively short period when seed can be collected). 
  Seed remains viable longer if stored in cones (but cones can be prone to insect attack and may need to be treated with a pesticide). 
  
  
• Store seed cones in a cool place. When ready to plant, place cones in a warm place for them to open and release seed. If seed does not release easily, soak the cone in water for 2 days then place in a warm place immediately. 
  
  
• Seed should be sown into sterile propagating media (eg. 75% coarse sand and 25% peat), then covered with up to 0.5cm of the same media.
  
  
• For most Banksias, germination will occur if maximum day temperatures are around 18 to 25 degrees Celsius. Some have lower or higher optimum temperatures for germination. For example B. coccinea germinates best at 15 degrees Celsius. B. aculeata germinates best at 25 degrees Celsius.
  
  
• They are best left in a pot of seed raising mix in the open or an unheated greenhouse (do not place in a heated greenhouse). 
  
  
• Damping off diseases can be a problem during early growth, and should be closely watched. To minimize risk of damping off disease, seed is sometimes drenched with a fungicide before planting. The type of fungicide used can vary from place to place, according to what is available. Look for fungicides that are listed as being effective on damping off fungi such as Pythium and Phytopthera. 
  
  
• Germination may commonly take between 3 weeks to 3 months. This period of time may be reduced for some species by treating seed with smoke. Note: Smoke treatment involves extracting chemicals that are created when vegetation around Banksias burns; then applying those chemicals to the seed. (see below)
  
  
• For most species, growth is best following germination, at temperatures around 23 to 26 degrees Celsius.

How to Treat Banksia Seed with Smoke

This treatment was developed at Kings Park Botanic Gardens in Perth. The gardens have at times sold “smoke water” which can be applied to thew seed.  You might also create smoke water by burning plant material that is indigenous to areas which the Banksia comes from; collecting the smoke and bubbling the smoky air through water. The chemicals from the smoke are then captured in the water.

Who Is This Course For?

This course is suitable for different people including:

• Propagators
• Plant growers
• Horticulturists
• Gardeners
• Nursery workers
• Nursery hands
• Horticulture assistants
• Market gardeners
• Urban farmers
• Farmers

Enrol with us and discover how to successfully grow different plants from seed.