Every plant on the farm starts as a seed the size of a full stop. Germination is the highest-risk moment in a plant's life — get it right and everything after is easier.
What a seed needs (and what it doesn't)
A seed needs exactly three things to wake up: moisture, warmth, and air. It does not need fertiliser (the seed carries its own lunchbox), and most vegetable seeds do not need light to germinate — they need it immediately after.
Depth: the rule of two
Sow at a depth of about twice the seed's own size. Tiny seeds like lettuce and brèdes are barely covered; beans go a knuckle deep. The most common beginner error in germination is burying small seeds too deep — they run out of stored energy before reaching light.
Temperature is the hidden factor in Mauritius
Every species has a temperature window. Our summer soil is too hot for lettuce and coriander (they germinate poorly above ~28°C), while our plateau winter is on the cool edge for chilli and aubergine (slow but fine). This is why the same seed packet behaves differently in January and July — work with the planting calendar, not against it.
Direct sowing vs trays
- Sow direct: beans, radish, carrots, coriander, lalo, pumpkin — anything that hates root disturbance.
- Start in trays: tomato, chilli, aubergine, brassicas, lettuce — anything that transplants well and benefits from a protected start.
The tissue test
Before sowing a whole bed from an old packet, test it: 10 seeds in a damp paper towel inside a plastic bag, warm spot, check after 3–7 days. Eight sprouted means 80% germination — sow normally. Three sprouted means buy fresh seed.
Saving money like a member
Good seed is the cheapest input in gardening relative to what it returns — but collective buying makes it cheaper still. Bulk seed orders shared between members is exactly the kind of thing the cooperative exists for.