Plant Basics

Lobelia siphilitica, also known as Great Blue Lobelia, is a flowering perennial that produces impressive blue blooms that attract hummingbirds. This plant also has a rich tradition among Native...

Seeds, however large or small, contain all the parts of an adult plant and enough food to nourish it through the beginning stages of development. The germination process varies depending upon...

Seed packets can be saved for future planting; however, germination rates drop significantly each year of storage. Most seed packets provide a packaging date and the anticipated germination rate...

Pre-sprouting, also called chitting, seeds is done with older seeds, seeds that have a poor germination rate and to speed up the germination process. Pre-sprouting takes two to four days, whereas...

Seeds are often kept in the freezer for long-term storage. Many seeds can germinate for several years when stored this way. It's important to keep seeds dry so that they remain viable. Once you...

If you're eating the yield from your garden, it takes little extra effort to prepare and store the seeds. Seeds from your ornamental plants can be harvested quite simply as well. As long as you...

Mimosa plants, sometimes called sensitive plants because their leaves fold up when touched, are a tropical variety of legume native to Brazil. When germinating mimosa seeds, you'll need to...

Castor seeds are grown as an annual plant and are known as the castor oil plant. The seeds have a slow germination process, a long growing season and very specific soil and temperature...

Tobacco seeds require a balanced amount of potassium nitrate for strong germination. Most regular soils may be deficient in the necessary potash requirements for a vigorous germination, which will...

Jatropha (or Jatropha curcus) is a drought-resistant perennial plant that has the ability to grow well in poor soil. The jatropha seed's oil content is 37 percent, meaning that it can be combusted...

Seeds are made by flowers as a means of plant reproduction. When a flower blooms and is fertilized by pollination, the flower dies and the flower seeds develop. The shape and size of flower seeds...

Plant roots and seeds are the two most basic structures of plant life and growth---with one responsible for the origin of plants and the other responsible for structure, stability, and absorption...

A seed is a baby plant waiting dormant for the right mixture of nutrients to sprout and grow into a new plant. The construction of a seed might seem very simple from the outside, but a number of...

The gerbera daisy scientific name gerbera jamesonii is a member of the aster family. It is a popular household and landscape plant as it is excellent for cut flower arrangements and produces...

Germination is the process of a seed sprouting and growing. Planting seeds is a fascinating way to observe the entire germination process from start to finish. Start the process by planting a...

Gibberellic acid is a hormone found in some plants. It is essential for germination of seeds and growth of plants as well as for flower and fruiting.

Plant hormones time and control many aspects of a plant's life cycle, including vegetative growth, flowering and reproduction. By definition, hormones are produced in one part of an organism but...

The bamboo plant seldom flowers, making bamboo seeds extremely difficult to find. Since the seeds are so rare, information on the germination process is also difficult to find. Here's how to do it:

Scientists are working daily to understand plants better---the hope is that scientists can figure out what properties the chemicals in plants have so that they might be used to improve...

Did you find a package of seeds that you purchased last year? Here's an easy to find out if they are still good.