Oxygen and seed germination
Jane McGary (Fri, 06 Dec 2019 14:35:28 PST)

Available oxygen is necessary for successful seed germination, which is
one reason why most seeds in saturated, dense media don't germinate as
well as those in a loose medium. I was just reading an essay that
referred to the observation that precipitation from storms contains a
higher proportion of 18O (sorry, the 18 should be superscript) than the
more common 16O isotope. This reminded me of hearing that some growers
assert that exposing seed pots to rain and, especially, snowmelt, would
encourage germination. Does the isotope of oxygen matter here? Or is the
oxygen in water not available to the seeds?

When I lived in the foothills where snow was more frequent, I would
cover my seed flats with snow and let it melt, just in case what I'd
heard was true. Have you heard these theories, and do you know if
there's any value in them? Should I again start covering my seed flats
with snow, in the event that any falls here near Portland this winter?

Jane McGary, Portland, Oregon, USA

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