Plants & Human Affairs (BIOL106)  -  Stephen G. Saupe, Ph.D.; Biology Department, College of St. Benedict/St. John's University, Collegeville, MN 56321; ssaupe@csbsju.edu; http://www.employees.csbsju.edu/ssaupe

Seed Questions

1. How can you tell whether a seed is dormant, quiescent (viable) or dead?
    
2. How should a gardener store his/her seeds from year to year?
    
3. Can a gardener use seeds from the previous season in the garden?  What do you recommend?
    
4. Imagine that one of your gardener friends wants to grow a lot of produce in a small space.  She decides to plant her seeds twice as thickly as the package recommends so that she�ll have twice as many plants, and hence, twice as high yields.  Is this a good idea?
    
5. Is seed dormancy a characteristic valued by gardeners?
    
6. John decides to plant lettuce and corn in his garden.  After preparing the soil he digs two trenches, each two inches deep, and the length of each row.  In one row he places corn seeds and covers them with soil.  In the other row he plants lettuce.  Will his garden be successful?
    
7. Fred and Sue can�t wait to plant their garden.  As soon as the snow melts and the grass greens up they dig up their garden and plant their three favorite foods � radishes, tomatoes and melons.  Will their garden be successful?
    
8. Describe the process for planting and transplanting seeds.
    
9. Identity the criteria required for seed germination.  What is the function of each and how does it affect germination?
    
10. Identify some mechanisms by which seeds are able to maintain a dormant state.
     
11. Why don�t seeds germinate inside an orange or grapefruit?
     
12. How is beer-making related to seed germination?
     
13. Matilda removed some seeds from an apple and planted them.  They never germinated.  Why not? Could she have done anything to induce germination?
    
     

Last updated:  11/04/2008 / � Copyright  by SG Saupe