Soil Journal - Entry #2

The life of a plant is a very interesting feat, which the majority of people don't ever seem to stop and think about. As most people know, plants come from a tiny seed that begins to make roots, and which later sprout leaves and eventually it’s fruit, which we get to enjoy. I believe we must start appreciating this miraculous process more, but to really appreciate it, we must understand how it works. Today, we’ll be looking at the seed stage of its life.

Whenever you open up a sunflower seed, you may notice how the inside of the part you eat is white. And while many of us enjoy eating that part as a snack, it’s not only food for us, but it’s also the food that a new, barely budding plant eats! If given enough water and warmth, the inside of the seed springs to life, the nutritional meat of the seed surrounding the bud will expand and split. And after the seed splits, the seed will break the seed covering around it. And after that, the tiny green bud will slowly creep into the soil, sending out roots which will gather strength and energy from the ground, if let alone from pests like ants.  After it has enough roots and energy, it will break out of the ground to reveal the first green stem, which is usually the first outward appearance people will get to see of a plant beginning to grow.

In the future, I will be talking about the rest of the plant's life cycle, as well as the effect it and it‘s roots have on the soil surrounding it, so stay tuned!

- Arian F.

Student Soil Consultant

8/25/25