Mochi IsleHow does a seed sprout?
In short: A seed holds a tiny baby plant and enough stored food to get it started. With water, air and the right warmth, it soaks up water, swells, splits its coat, sends a root down first, then pushes a shoot up.
How it works
Open a bean that has been soaked in water and you will find a seed coat, two thick seed leaves called cotyledons full of stored food, and a tiny shoot and root: the baby plant.
A seed needs water, air and the right temperature to sprout. First it drinks up water and swells until the seed coat splits. The little root comes out first and grows down to find water; then the shoot grows up and breaks through the soil.
Once the shoot reaches the light, its leaves turn green and it starts making its own food from sunlight. Until then, it lives on the packed lunch stored inside the seed.
Where to see it in New Zealand
Many New Zealand children grow beans and sunflowers at school or at home. The seeds of many native trees are spread by birds; the kererū (New Zealand pigeon) swallows large fruit and carries the seeds to new places.
Try it together
Put a few dry beans on a damp paper towel inside a clear cup and keep it somewhere warm. Add a little water each day and watch which part grows first. Keep the towel damp, not soggy, and don't eat the beans.
Kids also ask
Do seeds need sunlight to sprout?
Most seeds do not need light to sprout and can start growing in dark soil, because they use their stored food. Once the shoot appears, though, it needs sunlight to keep growing. A few tiny seeds, like lettuce, do need some light to sprout.
Why do roots grow down and shoots grow up?
Plants can sense gravity. However a seed is lying, its root bends downwards and its shoot bends upwards. This response to gravity is called gravitropism.
In the game, “Sprouting seeds” is a nature card from the Living things set, and it can turn up on any island.
Your child finds this card by reaching the right place or meeting the right weather on the island, and lights it up by answering the question on the back. Tap the button below and the game shows your child which island it is on and how to find it. Mochi Isle is a browser learning game for ages 5 to 18; the main island and the daily lesson are free.
Find “Sprouting seeds” on the island ↗ All cards in the Living things set