The Best Time of Day to Plant Seeds

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Planting in the morning may be best.

"In the morning sow thy seed," according to Ecclesiastes, and it is not bad advice for gardeners. Morning planting offers a seed more of what it needs to germinate and fewer dangers.

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Considerations

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Seeds need warmth to germinate--temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees--and sunlight works best. Seeds thrive on about 12 to 16 hours of sun each day. Only morning planting will allow seeds immediate substantial sunlight exposure.

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Benefits

If you plant seeds in the morning, you can give them moisture throughout their first 12 hours in the garden bed. A constant level of humidity is important to seeds; they are very sensitive to lack of water. Morning planting also will delay exposure to rodents.

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Fun Fact

Seeds and plants grow in spurts at night, not during the day. Charles Darwin was the first to report this finding, over a century ago. Plants use their daylight hours to focus on other matters, such as the photosynthesis that produces its energy.

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