Planting Depth

What Does Planting Depth Mean?

When planting a seed, it is crucial to properly determine the appropriate depth in order to enhance the plant’s chances of properly developing. Setting a seed in the correct depth has also been shown to drastically increase the plant’s germination rate while helping it develop into a proper seedling. The exact planting depth normally depends on the individual plant.

Maximum Yield Explains Planting Depth

According to gardeners, it is advisable to avoid planting a seed deeper than twice the size of its diameter to improve the plant’s chances of thriving. This is why the majority of seed packets come with recommended instructions as to the planting depth. In some cases, however, the usual quarter-inch recommendation which is printed on the packet can be too deep for some smaller plants.

Botanists reckon that seedlings can emerge far sooner if the seeds are planted at a shallower depth. Because the plants can start photosynthesis at an earlier rate, this will encourage early tillering. To determine the proper planting depth, planters should make sure that the seeds are shallow enough to imbibe enough water for germination, but deep enough to avoid desiccation.