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Scarification

By , About.com Guide

Definition:

Seeds with hard coats may need to be scarified - the process where the seed coat is modified in some way so that moisture can enter and germination occurs.

There are several methods of scarification:

  • Soaking the seeds in hot water

  • Using a file or sandpaper (one must be careful to not go too deep and damage the embryo inside)

  • Acid (this can be quite dangerous and you must follow directions carefully!)

The type of scarification will depend on which seeds you are germinating.

Pronunciation: skar-uh-fi-key-shuhn

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