1. Plant Needs & Seeds


In this session we will investigate the basic needs of plants, what seeds are, where they come from, how they spread and how we can propagate them in our own garden.

Look out for focus questions and activity ideas throughout this session that may help you explore, discover and learn more on your own.

There is also an additional companion session programme that you may view and download by clicking the button below.
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Click the button on the left to access the PDF for a session outline and activity set that accompanies this section.
Objectives
  • Students will identify and describe five basic needs of plants​
 
  • Students will use critical thinking, creative language, science concepts and mathematics to describe and relate to basic plant anatomy, seed dispersal, seed sowing and seed care through germination​
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  • Students will demonstrate how to effectively sow seeds into the soil
Key Words
Plant Needs
  • organism
  • minerals
  • organic matter
  • pores
  • transpiration
  • ​foliage
  • oxygen
  • carbon dioxide
  • photosynthesis
  • evaporation
  • precipitation​​
Plants & Flowers
  • gymnosperm
  • angiosperm
  • reproductive
  • stamen
  • pistil
  • perianth
  • ​pollinator
  • pollen
  • nectar​​
  • ​fertilise
Pollinators
  • native
  • exotic
  • bee
  • fly
  • butterfly
  • moth
  • bird
  • beetle
  • ​bat
Seed Dispersal
  • stationary
  • dispersal
  • autochory
  • allochory
  • barochory
  • ballochory
  • anemochory
  • hydrochory
  • zoochory
  • epizoochory
  • ​endozoochory
  • anthropochory
Seed Sowing & Care​​
  • sow
  • depth
  • width
  • ​germinate
  • ​intensive​
I. What do plants need to be successful?


Before we dive into learning about the ins and outs of plants, seeds and working with our environment to manage a garden, let's first take a moment to think about some of the basic things that all plants need to be successful.

What do you know about plants and their needs? Have a look around your yard or neighbourhood to see if you can notice any common aspects of where and how plants are growing. Can any of the trees, flowers or other plants give you any hints? What's more, do we have any needs in common with our plants? What are some important differences? 

However obvious some of these may seem, it's always useful to remember the following five main components that all seeds and plants need to grow and thrive.
​A) Soil

Plants grow in soil. Just like we need ground to stand on, plants need soil to grow in, stretch their roots into and draw nutrients from. A good, healthy soil is made up of four main ingredients:

a) minerals, tiny ground up particles of rock like sand and clay,
b) organic matter, tiny micro-organisms and nutrients from past living things, 
c) air, that flows through tiny spaces in the soil called pores, and
d) water, that soaks through to keep the soil hydrated.

Every plant needs some kind of soil in order to establish its home and get all of the food it needs.

Take a look a living things around your home or neighbourhood. What kind of soil are they living in? With your parents' permission, try digging out a small handful of soil and taking a closer look. What can you see in the soil? Do you think it's healthy?
B) Sun

Plants get their energy from the sun, using their foliage, or leaves, to soak in as much sunlight as they can manage. Then, they combine the energy from the sun's light with water from the soil and carbon dioxide gas from the air around them.

This mixture allows the plants to create food for themselves and to burp out oxygen back into the air for us humans to breathe. This amazing process is called photosynthesis.

Ever wondered why plants have so many leaves? Or why leaves, flowers and even tree branches will twist and turn to face the sun? Take a look at the plants around your home or neighbourhood and see if you can find evidence that the plants are reaching for the sunlight they need to survive!

On the flip side, what do you think would happen if you shut a plant away, in a closet, without any sunlight? With your parents' permission, try this with a small, spare plant. Keep a record of the results you observe. How did the plant react?
C) Water

Plants need water to stay hydrated. Just like we need to drink water to keep our bodies healthy, plants also drink water from the soil and the rain to keep themselves happy and hydrated.

Like all living creatures - including us humans - plants are made up of water and need to stay topped up in order to live, grow and be successful. Although plants don't perspire, or sweat, like we do, they lose water through a similar kind of sweating process called transpiration as their bodies work to keep a balance with the environment around them.

The next time you bite into a fruit or vegetable, think about how wet and juicy it is inside. Where do you think all of that water came from?

Also, with your parents' permission, pick a couple of leaves or flowers and bring them home with you. Keep some with the stems in water, like flowers in a vase, and keep some separate with no water source. What happens to each leaf or flower? How do they react differently when that have water or not?
D) Air

Plants need air to breathe. Like we've mentioned above, air is an important to healthy soil as well as for the process of photosynthesis.

Air also helps to manage temperature and water. Wind moves air around which can shift the temperature. When moisture is pulled into the air it is called evaporation, and that moisture can be returned as precipitation​, or events like rainfall.

Structures like shade houses or glass houses can control the movement of air, trapping just the right amount of heat, moisture and certain gasses to support growing plants.

​Plants use certain parts of air, like carbon dioxide, and return other parts, like oxygen, back into the air. In this way, plants and animals (including humans!) complement, or support, each other because animals do the opposite: they use oxygen and return carbon dioxide to the air.

This is an example of how something that is unwanted waste for one organism, or living thing, is at the same time an essential treasure for another!

Take a deep breath...feels good, doesn't it! What do you think would happen if you covered a plant preventing it from breathing in fresh air?

​With your parents' permission, try covering a small, spare plant with a plastic bag and see what happens. Keep a record of the results you observe. How did the plant react? What happened to the temperature and moisture inside the bag and around the plant?
E) Care

This last one is particularly important for gardens. Of course, plants can get along just fine without our help. But, if you are taking the initiative to grow plants in a particular place with particular goals and expectations, then it becomes your responsibility to care for those plants in a way that will make them most effective.

This can mean keeping an eye on your plants to make sure that they have all of the necessary components that we have talked about above.

-Are they living in healthy soil?
-Are they getting the right amount of sunlight?
-Are they getting enough water?
-Are they growing in fresh air?

One important element of caring for plants in a garden is keeping your plants and your space safe from weeds and pests. This type of care means pulling unwanted plants out of the garden and keeping harmful animals or insects away from your plants.

In many ways it is important to help the garden care for itself. This is a main focus of organic gardening - enlisting nature as your ally rather than your enemy. In organic gardening, we try to lessen our work load by mimicking the natural processes and letting them look after themselves in as many ways as we can manage.

Think about your garden at home or a garden you've seen before. What do you think would happen to the garden if no one cared for it? With no care, what would happen after a couple of days? How about after a few of weeks? Or a whole year?

What are some ways that organic gardeners encourage the garden to look after itself?
II. Where do seeds come from?
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​We know that in order to grow new plants we first have to plant seeds in the ground, but have you ever wondered where those seeds come from? Every plant is a little different and seeds can come in all shapes and sizes. But where do they come from and how does a plant make new ones?

To start, there are two main groups of plants: gymnosperms and angiosperms. These fancy name comes from Greek words that describe the types of seeds that they make.

Gymnosperm comes from a combination of gymnos, which means 'naked', and sperma, which means 'seed'. So plants that make these 'naked seeds' includes trees with cones which have no casing over their seeds.

We won't talk too much about these gymnosperm group of plants.

Angiosperm comes from a combination of angion, which means 'case', and sperma which means 'seed'. So plants that make these 'cased seeds' have a more complicated process for growing seeds in a protective casing.

Almost every plant that we deal with in the garden are part of angiosperm group, and these plants all have one thing in common: they have flowers.

We're going to take a look at and think about why these plants have flowers, how they operate, who is involved and what it has to do with seeds!​​
A) Why do plants have flowers?
It's probably safe to say that we all know what a flower is and have seen all kinds of different shapes, colours and sizes of flowers. But have you ever wondered why plants make flowers?

You may know, either from school or just from looking around outside, that insects like bees and butterflies often visit flowers. They spread an important dust, called pollen​, from flower to flower as they go, which is why we call them pollinators.

So your first reaction might be to say:

Plants make flowers to attract bees and other pollinators!

Of course, you would be right! But this can't be the whole story, can it?

​Let's take a closer look at answering this questions by asking another question...
B) What happens after flowers are pollinated?​ 
​To help answer this question, we need to know that flowers are in fact reproductive parts of a plant. This means that their job is to help make the next generation of plants. 

Within each flower, the stamen is where pollen is produced and the pistil is where pollen joins to create new seeds.

The structural parts of the flower make up the perianth. This includes the petals, whose creative colours and shapes are designed to attract pollinators who visit to feed on sweet nectar and then spread pollen, often by accident, as they come and go. When the pollen makes its way from the stamen to the pistil, it fertilises the flower, which means it has all the materials to start making the new seeds!

So the whole process of flowering and spreading pollen is for a very important reason:

After flowers are pollinated, they are fertilised and can make seeds!​​​
Diagram by Mariana Ruiz - Wikimedia Commons
Quick Look Activity Ideas - Flowers
Investigate: Parts of a Flower
With permission, pick a couple of flowers from your yard or neighbourhood.

Then bring them home and examine them closely to see if you can identify each of the different anatomical structures.

Takes notes and draw pictures as you examine to record your work.
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Materials
  • picked flowers
  • notebook or paper
  • pen or pencil
  • magnifying glass (optional)
Create: Origami Flower
With permission, search Google for instructions for how to fold an origami flower. There are many different styles of origami and different levels of difficulty to choose from.

Do your best to follow the instructions and fold a beautiful flower! Make a few of them or try your hand at a few different styles and you can put together a bouquet for your family!

Materials
  • origami instructions
  • coloured paper
  • scissors (optional)
Create: Colourful Canvas
With permission, get out your notebook or a piece of paper and your favourite colouring materials for drawing.

Have a go at drawing flowers you can see outside, flowers you have at home in a vase or maybe even try to invent your very own new variety of flower! - - What colours will you use?
- What shapes can you draw?

Materials
  • notebook or paper
  • coloured pencils, crayons, markers or paint
  • paint brush (optional)
C) Who pollinates the flowers? Is it only a job for bees?
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We all know that bees are busy pollinators. We're probably especially familiar with honeybees because they make such sweet and wonderful honey as part of their process.

Can you think of any other animals or insects that also work hard to gather nectar and spread pollen?

​
​We came up with eight critter categories of insects and animals that we know help pollinate our flowers here in New Zealand.
​
Exotic Bees
​Native Bees
Native Flies
Butterflies
Native Birds
Native Moths
Native Beetles
Native Bats
For more information and activities on these pollinators, other animals and insects and on what categories like 'exotic' and 'native' mean, check out our session on Pals & Pests in the Garden!
Quick Look Activity Ideas - Animals & Insects
Investigate: Backyard Bioblitz
With permission, 

Out & About: Go for a walk and see how many and what different kinds of animals and insects you can find as you go along.

In One Spot: Pick a spot, maybe a flower or a tree or a cool corner of your yard. Now keep an eye on this spot at different times of day and in the days to come, and keep a record of how many and what different kinds of animals and insects visit.
​- How popular is your spot? Who likes to visit?
- When is most crowded?
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Materials
  • pen or pencil
  • notebook or paper​
  • magnifying glass (optional)
Analyse: Insects & Statistics
With permission, click on the picture above to visit the NZMaths website for this activity.

Look at the insects and think about:
- How many different insects are there?
- How would you sort the insects?
​
Print them out or draw them on your own so you can cut them out and try arranging them in different ways. Make a graph of your results and talk about your process.

Materials
  • pen, pencil or printer (optional)
  • notebook or paper
  • scissors
  • glue or tape (optional)
Investigate: New Zealand's Native Bees
With permission, click on the picture above to visit the For the Love of Bees website about NZ native bees, or ngaro huruhuru.

Have a good read of the information there and learn all you can about native bees.
- Did you know NZ has native bees?
- What have you learned about them?
Takes notes as you read and keep a look out for native bees in your area!

More Links:
- NZ Native Bees (Informational Slides)
- How To Monitor Native Bees (Slides)
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Materials
  • notebook or paper
  • pen or pencil
III. How do seeds spread?

​In this section, we'll take a look at the different clever and maybe even surprising ways that seeds move around.​ 

It's pretty obvious that once a plant is rooted into the ground, it can't do much to move around on its own. They certainly can't get up, walk around, or pick things up and move them around like we humans can. 

So how do parent-plants go about planting the seeds for their next generation?

​It turns out that even though they are stationary, or stuck in place, plants have come up with all sorts of amazingly clever ways of spreading their seeds around!

When talking about these different method of dispersal, or spreading, we can group the ways into two main categories: autochory and allochory. Like we've seen before, these flash terms also come from Greek words that give a hint as to what they mean.

Autochory comes from the words auto, which means 'self', and chore, which means 'to move or spread'. So we can see that this category refers to seeds that 'spread by themselves'. We can call this group self-spreading seeds.

Allochory comes from the words allo, which mean 'other', and chore, which again means 'to move or spread'. So this second group describes seeds that 'spread with help from others'. We can call these assisted-spreading seeds.
But you might still be wondering, how exactly do they manage all of this?! How do seeds have the ability to spread by themselves? How do plants get help from others? Let's take a closer look below at some of the cool ways that plants actually manage quite well.​
A) Self-Spreading Seeds

It's probably safe to say that we all know what a flower is and have seen all kinds of different shapes, colours and sizes of flowers. But have you ever wondered why plants make flowers?
1) Gravity

The name for this method is barochory, which means to spread by falling from the force of gravity. Have you ever heard the old phrase, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree"?

Seeds that spread using this method separate from their parent and simply fall to ground under its own weight. They are usually designed to be sturdy enough to survive the impact and then set up shop wherever they land. 

Take a look at the ground the next time you go for a walk. How many seeds can you see lying around? Look up! Can you find where they fell from?
2) Bursting

The name for this method is ballochory, which means to spread by explosion! Have you ever pressed on a pea pod only to have the peas pop out all over the place? 

Seeds that spread using this method are usually packed into some kind of pod or husk that is designed to burst open when the seeds are ready to spread. The explosive force from this bursting open has the power to send seeds flying in all directions to then find their new home in the soil.

The next time you come across a seed pod while exploring your yard or neighbourhood, give it a gentle squeeze and see what happens. Did it burst? Also, with your parents' permisiion, you can try this activity to test how far seeds fly when they eject themselves!
B) Assisted-Spreading Seeds

It's probably safe to say that we all know what a flower is and have seen all kinds of different shapes, colours and sizes of flowers. But have you ever wondered why plants make flowers?
1) Wind

The name for this method is anemochory, which means to spread in the wind! Have you ever plucked a fluffy, white dandelion and given it a big puff to blow the feathery bits up into the air? 

Seeds that spread using this method are usually lightweight and feature some kind of structure that is designed to catch a breeze and take a ride on the wind. The amazing engineering of these structures gives seeds the ability to fly over incredible distances all on the power of the wind and without having to use any energy of its own.

Do you have a swan plant in your neighbourhood? The next time you see one and if the seed pods are ready, take a look inside and check out the feathery tails on each seed. Toss a few in the air and see how far they can drift. Try it on a windy day and watch them soar!
2) Water

The name for this method is hydrochory, which means to spread by explosion! Have you ever pressed on a pea pod only to have the peas pop out all over the place? 

Seeds that spread using this method are usually packed into some kind of pod or husk that is designed to burst open when the seeds are ready to spread. The explosive force from this bursting open has the power to send seeds flying in all directions to then find their new home in the soil.

The next time you are near water, like a river, lake or the ocean, take a look and see if you can find any seeds floating around. How far do you think they have floated to get there and how much farther do you think they'll go until they reach their next home?
3) Animals

The name for this method is zoochory, which means to spread with the help of an animal or insect. There are two main types of this method.

One type is epizoochory, which is where the seeds latch on to the outside of an animal (epi- means 'on'). Seeds that spread using this method usually have miniature hooks that are designed to latch on to the fur, feather, skin or shell of different animals and insects. When the seeds finally fall off, they have often traveled a fair distance. Have you ever gone for a tramp and gotten burs stuck all over your clothes?

Bonus: Did you know that epizoochorous seeds were the inspiration for Velcro?

The other type is endozoochory, which is when seeds count on being eaten, digested and pooed out (endo- means 'inside'), often by birds. Seeds that spread this way are usually small and have a tasty layer of nutty or fruity flesh to appeal to the appetite of different animals and insects. By the time the host is ready to poo out the seed, it is likely to be a fair distance from where it was first gobbled up. Have you ever noticed that bird poo often has lots of little seeds in amongst the goo? 

Take note the next time you get burs stuck on your clothes. Can you recognise them as seeds? Where did they come from and how far did you help them travel?

Also take note of the next time you see bird poo on the ground or a car window. Can you see any seeds in it? Imagine where those seeds came from and how far they traveled to be dumped where you found them!
4) Humans

The name for this method is anthropochory, which means to spread by the handling of humans. Yup, that means us! If you think about it, the influence that humans have on the environment is pretty massive. We make many decisions and have a lot of say in what plants we want to grow and where we want to plant them. 

Seeds might not have much of a choice when it comes to this method, but we can still think about some of the features of plants that tempt humans to choose to spread them. Most of the time we spread seeds because they will grow into plants that benefit us. This can mean they will make fruits and vegetables that we can eat, grow into trees and shrubs that we think are beautiful or fulfill any number of other situations.

Find some plants that you know were spread by humans. Why do you think people chose to spread those seeds to grow that plant? ​​What other examples can you think of?
Quick Look Activity Ideas - Seed Dispersal
Investigate: Seed Scavenger Hunt
With permission, go for an adventure around your yard or local neighbourhood.

- How many different seeds can you find?
- How can you tell their method of spreading?

Have a go at investigating the different seeds you find, but be careful of what seeds you may help spread! Takes notes and draw pictures of what you find to keep track of what you learn.
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Materials
  • notebook or paper
  • pen or pencil
  • magnifying glass (optional)
Watch & Learn: A Video About Seeds
With permission, check out this YouTube video that helps to explain how flowers are fertilised, make new seeds and then how those seeds spread.

Takes notes and draw pictures as you watch to keep track of what you learn.

If you find the video is too difficult to understand, try searching for a similar video, or check out this section of our page about Plant Needs & Seeds.
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Materials​
  • headphones (optional)
  • notebook or paper
  • pen or pencil
Experiment: STEM Challenge
With permission, check out this Pinterest page of creative ideas to use science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) to test our ideas about how seeds move and spread.

Before each experiment, think about what you think will happen (hypothesis). Then compare your ideas with the results that you see. What did you learn?

Takes notes and draw pictures as you experiment to record your work.
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Materials
  • notebook or paper
  • pen or pencil
IV. Sowing Seeds
​

Now that we have an idea of where seeds come from and how seeds travel, let's take a look at how we can sow seeds ourselves.

The act of planting a seed is called sowing. The word sow in this sense comes from Old English and Norse words that meant 'seed' or 'planting seeds'. So the next time you hear gardeners talking about all the sowing they've been doing, you'll know they're probably not talking about using a needle and thread!

In section we are going to learn a few simple yet important skills to sow our seeds and help them grow into healthy plants!
A) How far apart should we sow each seed?
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When sowing seeds, it's important to make good use of the space that you have. So we want to do our best to get as many plants growing as possible without overcrowding them.

But how do we manage this? What should we consider when deciding the proper spacing?​
1) Overcrowding

Seeds are often quite small, right? So it may be tempting to sow as many as we can and fill up every available inch of soil.

But as the seeds sprout and grow into mature plants, how do their size and appetite for food, water, sunlight and fresh air change?

The amount of resources to keep each plant happy and healthy is definitely going to grow along with their size. So if there are heaps of seeds sown in a small space or if they are crammed in quite closely to their neighbours, what do you think are some issues that might arise as they grow?

Competition for Resources (fighting amongst friends)
With too many plants crammed in together, they will eventually have to fight with each other for the limited amount of food, water, sunlight and fresh that is available in their small area of the garden.

The more and closer they are together, the less of these essential resources will be available to share amongst them all. And when competition is too fierce, this can mean plants may have to go without - that they don't get all of what they need and so they can't grow as big and healthy as we would like or that they may even have to give up altogether.

Non-Beneficials (pest paradise)
With too many plants crammed in together, this can turn into a haven for unwanted pests and diseases that thrive on the abundance of plant food packed in to a convenient one-stop shop.

The more and closer the plants are together, the more likely that pests can tuck in, multiply and spread from plant to plant. Diseases also can have an easier time with overcrowded areas by finding comfort in the cozy crowding and with less distance to travel between plants.

Imagine your classroom was the size of a closet and all of your classmates had to have class, lunch and recess in that small room. How do you think this would affect your comfort, learning and health?
2) Unused Space

So now we know that we want to avoid overcrowding our garden by sowing up every inch...but what if we are too cautious and leave too much space in between each seed?

Bare soil in between plants can lead to a number of issues in the garden, including:

Dry Soil (dehydration)
Bare soil is open surface area that is not being used, covered or protected by plants, which creates an opportunity for the sun to beat down on the soil and cause water to evaporate more quickly from the ground.

This can be solved by sowing seeds or planting seedlings more closely together or by covering any bare patches with mulch, hay or hessian, which help keep shield the intensity of the sun and retain moisture in the soil.
 
More Weeds (vacancy for unwanted guests)
Bare soil also vacant real estate that creates an opportunity for weeds and unwanted growth to move in to the garden. As gardeners we try to manage our space so that our crops benefit most, but weeds are often quick to take advantage of openings in such luxurious environments as the healthy soil of a garden bed.

This again can be solved by sowing seeds or planting seedlings more closely together or by covering any bare patches with mulch, hay or hessian, which provide a barrier to help prevent weeds from taking root in the soil.

Small Yield (inefficient effort) 
Bare soil also means that there is missed opportunity for using your space and your resources to grow more plants. As gardeners we try to manage the efficiency of our space to maximise the yield, or results, relative to the great amount of time, care, money and effort that we invest in the garden.

This can be solved by sowing seeds or planting seedlings more closely together and particularly by making sure that we cultivate crops that are appropriate to the season, that are suitable neighbours to each other and that contribute roles that match our goals.

​Imagine a car park that had lines painted far too distantly apart, so that an area that should fit 10 cars can olny serve 2 or 3. Is this the best use of the space? How do you think this would affect the nearby offices or shops?
3) Proper Spacing

If we have a good understanding of the types of plants we are plantings, how their needs are going to change as they grow and how they relate to each other, then we should be able to plan for each of our seeds to be just the right distance apart to give them the best access to our garden's resources and in the company of appropriate and respectful neighbouring plants.

The benefits of proper planning and spacing can be huge, including:

Sufficient Resources (good neighbours)
By planning and sowing with the proper spacing, you help make sure that each plant has access to enough food, water, sunlight, fresh air and good care as they grow and mature. This way the plants don't have to dispute with each other to keep healthy and produce favourable results for your garden.

Healthy Ecosystem (checks and balances)
By sowing with the proper spacing and planning for appropriate varieties, you help make sure that each plant supports the overall ecosystem by looking out for each other, attracting good critters and keeping the pesky ones away. This way you save yourself heaps of work tending to the garden by starting off with a healthy and robust garden environment.

Efficient Yield (bang for your buck)
By using all of your garden space wisely and with the proper spacing, you help make sure that every inch of your garden beds will go to good use and none of it to waste. This way you can end up with the best result in the form of healthy plants, happy critters and heaps of delicious food to eat!

​Imagine you have to clean your room at home and fit all of your books, toys and clothes in their proper places. How would you go about organising your shelves or closet space? Can you get away with just shoving it all in at once? Or perhaps is there a more thoughtful way you can make sure everything fits and is easy to access in the future?
Bonus: Companion Planting

Companion planting is s method of selecting varieties of plants to grow together based on how well they get along and work together as they grow.

Companions are like good buddies or reliable friends that support each other.

In the garden, this means they have characteristics that complement, or match and benefit, each other so that the weaknesses of one plant are covered and supported by the strengths of the other.

Here are a few basic examples of how plants can use different features to give and receive help with the right neighbour:

Sun & Shade
Some plants love the sun more than others. Of course all plants need sunlight, but some like to grow big or bushy and stretch our for full sun, while other prefer to keep cooler and stick more to the shade.

These different types of plants can help each other by the sun-lover providing shade and the shade-lover making good use of our garden space by tucking in snugly under the cover of their companion.

Climbers & Supporters
Some plants grow tall and sturdy while other like to stretch and climb on objects in their environment. 

These different types of plants can help each other by the supporter plant serving as the perfect structure for a keen climber plant to scale like a ladder as they grow. This way you can save the effort of building a trellis or other support structure and use the space to grow more hearty plants.

Social & Shy
Some plants are more outgoing than others. This can mean certain plants have bright colours or strong smells that do more to attract and entice different kinds of animals and insects, while others are more 'modest' and 'soft spoken' in their appearance and fragrance.

These different types of plants can help each other by the flashy plants can grab the attention of pollinators and other beneficial critters that the more shy plants might have trouble attracting on their own, and both plants can successfully produce and contribute to the garden.
 
Try conducting some research of your own by looking up specific plants that you want to grow to find out if they have any companions that should join them in the garden and why they work so well together.
B) How deep should we sow each seed?
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When sowing seeds, it's important to help them make a good home in the soil to have the best access to all of the resources they need. So we want to do our best to get them nice and snug in the soil without plunging them too deeply underground or leaving them too exposed on the surface.

Why do you think it is important that we get the depth right?

​What do you think might happen to the seed if we plant it too deep? Or too shallow?​
1. Too Deep

Seeds belong in the ground where they can feed and drink from the soil, right? But what if we stick them too deeply into the ground? What resources are we potentially taking away from our seeds?

Deep & Dark
One issue with sowing a seed too deeply is that it can become too difficult to grow to the surface to get sunlight. We know that plants need sunlight, so we want to make sure that we don't bury them away where it is impossible for them to emerge.
2. Too Shallow

So we now know to be careful of plunging our seeds too deep down. But what if we are careless or too cautious and don't push them down deeply enough? What risks might our seeds encounter then?

Safety & Security
One issue with not sowing a seed deeply enough is that it is unable to grow roots deep enough to properly anchor itself in the soil. This can mean a weak and shaky seedling that also might not be able to feed well from the soil. ​A similar issue is that the seed can be left vulnerable to washing away in the rain, blowing away in the wind or being spotted and eaten up by hungry critters.

We want to protect our seeds from these dangers, so we want to make sure that we tuck them in just enough to be safe and secure in the soil.
3. Proper Depth

By sowing our seeds at the proper depth, we help make sure that they are safe, secure and have access to everything they need to get a good, healthy start on life.

But seeds can be so different! There are so many different kinds of shapes, sizes, colours, and so on! How can we know the best depth for any given seed?

One useful tool for generally figuring out the proper depth for any seed you come across is remembering to sow it at a depth that is twice the width of the seed.

​This means that smaller seeds won't need to be sown too deeply and that larger seeds will need to be tucked in a bit more soundly.
C) Keeping track over time


Moving forward, what steps do we need to take to care for our seeds?

How do you think the seed will change over time? After 1 week, 1 month, 3 months?

Keep track of your seed, take note of your observations over time, and let us know how it goes!
​

Whoops! This is section is not 100% finished!

We apologise for the delay and are working to get this sorted as soon as possible!
Quick Look Activity Ideas - Sowing Seeds
Create: Origami Newspaper Pot
With permission, check out this YouTube video that shows you some fun and simply ways of making your own plant pot our of newspaper.

Do you have any old newspaper lying around the house? Give it another life and put it to good use by using it to create origami plant pots for your seeds. 

Once your seed grows into a sturdy seedling, you can plop it straight into the ground because the newspaper will biodegrade into the soil. Nice!
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Materials​
  • headphones (optional)
  • newspaper
  • jar or cup
  • potting mix
  • seeds
Experiment: Egg Carton Seed Tray
With permission, collect empty egg trays once you and your family have eaten up all the eggs.

These cardboard cartons make excellent seed trays! They already have perfectly sized and separated plots for each seed and they don't cost you any extra money!

Poke a hole in the bottom of each plot, fill it with soil, then just plant your seeds, give it some water and watch it grow!

​Once your seed grows too big for its plot, you can just tear it from the tray and transfer it into the ground. Easy!
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Materials​
  • empty egg carton
  • potting mix
  • seeds
Experiment: Direct Sowing
With permission, find a suitable spot in your yard or garden if you already have one! Prepare the soil and then sow the seeds directly into the ground.

Depending on your situation, you can choose seeds for a plant that will grow well in the spot you've picked. Then make sure you plant it at the correct depth, with enough space and that you give it plenty of care as it grows! Click here for some more tips for direct sowing.

Takes notes and draw pictures as you watch your plants grow to keep a record of your awesome new garden!
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Materials
  • notebook or paper
  • pen or pencil


​Get in touch by emailing our Farm Education Coordinator, Sean, at education@kelmarnagardens.nz
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