What germinates a seed?

A seed in its most basic sense is sugar—a combination of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen (otherwise known as a carbohydrate). When germinating your seeds in a paper towel, you added two elements: oxygen and water. Unseen by the naked eye are thousands of microorganisms consuming sugar (carbohydrates), hydrogen, and oxygen. Through this process, your seeds begin to germinate. 

Unlike in your fields, you never added nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium to the seed. What we’ve learned through further studying, is that the proper balance of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen is what optimizes seed germination.

A unique starter that we’ve found in our research is CarbonWorks Restore. This product does not contain any nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium. Instead, it relies on providing carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen to the seed sphere—the area directly surrounding the seed—to improve germination, speed emergence, and establish a more uniform stand.