25 Vegetable Seeds That Do Not Need Light to Germinate
Most vegetable seeds sprout in the dark when sown at the right depth. 25 common crops with sowing depth and germination days, plus seeds that need light.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Updated
- 2026-11-04
Most vegetable seeds do not need light to germinate. What they need is moisture, air and a suitable temperature, so they sprout perfectly well when covered with soil at the right depth - roughly two to three times the seed's own thickness. Only a small group of seeds, with lettuce and celery the best-known vegetables among them, germinate better when they are exposed to light. But every seedling needs light the moment it emerges, or it turns pale, long and weak within a day or two.
What a seed actually needs to germinate
A seed is a resting plant with its own packed lunch. To wake up, it needs:
- Water. The seed absorbs water and swells (imbibition), which restarts its metabolism.
- Oxygen. Germinating seeds breathe. Waterlogged, airless mix makes them rot.
- The right temperature. Most tropical and warm-season vegetables germinate fastest in warm conditions, which lowland Malaysia has all year.
Light is not on this list for most vegetables. Seeds below the surface are in the dark, and that is where nature normally germinates them. For these seeds, "does not need light" means they germinate in darkness and in light alike - covering them is mainly about keeping them moist and in good contact with the mix.
Some seeds have a light-sensing pigment system that keeps them dormant unless they detect light. This makes sense for very small seeds: a tiny seed buried deep would run out of food before reaching the surface, so it waits until it is near the top. These are the seeds you sow on the surface or barely cover.
25 vegetable seeds that germinate fine when covered
Depths are a practical guide for home sowing in pots, trays and beds. Days are typical times to emergence in warm conditions (about 25–32 °C) with fresh seed and moist mix; older seed, cooler spots or uneven watering make them slower.
| # | Crop | Sowing depth | Typical days to emerge |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kangkung (water spinach) | about 1 cm | 3–7 |
| 2 | Bayam (amaranth) | 0.3–0.5 cm (just cover) | 3–7 |
| 3 | Choy sum | about 0.5 cm | 3–5 |
| 4 | Pak choy | about 0.5 cm | 3–5 |
| 5 | Kailan (Chinese kale) | 0.5–1 cm | 3–6 |
| 6 | Mustard greens (sawi pahit) | 0.5–1 cm | 3–6 |
| 7 | Malabar spinach (gendola / remayong) | about 1 cm | 7–14 |
| 8 | Radish (lobak putih) | 1–1.5 cm | 3–6 |
| 9 | Carrot | about 0.5 cm | 7–14 |
| 10 | Spring onion (daun bawang) | about 0.5 cm | 7–12 |
| 11 | Coriander (ketumbar) | 0.5–1 cm | 7–14 |
| 12 | Tomato | about 0.5 cm | 5–10 |
| 13 | Brinjal (terung) | 0.5–1 cm | 6–14 |
| 14 | Cili padi and other chillies | about 0.5 cm | 7–21 |
| 15 | Capsicum (bell pepper) | 0.5–1 cm | 7–14 |
| 16 | Okra (bendi) | 1.5–2 cm | 4–8 |
| 17 | Long bean (kacang panjang) | 2–3 cm | 3–6 |
| 18 | French bean (kacang buncis) | 2–3 cm | 5–8 |
| 19 | Winged bean (kacang botol) | 2–3 cm | 5–10 |
| 20 | Mung bean (kacang hijau) | about 2 cm | 3–5 |
| 21 | Cucumber (timun) | 1.5–2 cm | 3–7 |
| 22 | Bitter gourd (peria) | 1.5–2 cm | 5–10 |
| 23 | Luffa (petola) | 1.5–2 cm | 5–10 |
| 24 | Pumpkin (labu) | 2–3 cm | 4–8 |
| 25 | Sweet corn (jagung manis) | 3–4 cm | 4–7 |
Notes by crop group
Leafy greens (kangkung, bayam, choy sum, pak choy, kailan, mustard): fast and easy. Bayam seeds are very small, so scatter them and cover with only a light dusting of mix; buried too deep, they struggle to come up. Kangkung seeds are larger and can be soaked for a few hours before sowing.
Fruiting crops (tomato, brinjal, chillies, capsicum): small seeds, shallow sowing, and patience. Chillies are the slowest of the group; don't give up on a tray of cili padi after one week. Keep the mix warm and evenly damp.
Beans (long bean, French bean, winged bean, mung bean): large seeds with plenty of stored food, so they push up through 2–3 cm of soil easily. They rot if kept waterlogged, so water once after sowing and then only when the surface starts to dry. Winged bean has a hard coat; soaking for a few hours, or nicking the coat, speeds it up.
Long Bean Seeds
Heavy-cropping climbing bean for a sunny fence or trellis — well suited to Malaysian weather.
Okra: hard-coated; soak overnight in room-temperature water before sowing for quicker, more even germination.
Gourds (cucumber, bitter gourd, luffa, pumpkin): big, flat seeds. Many gardeners sow them on their edge. They dislike root disturbance, so sow directly or into individual pots. Bitter gourd and luffa have tough coats and benefit from soaking.
Roots and herbs (radish, carrot, spring onion, coriander): radish and carrot should be sown directly where they will grow. Carrot seed is slow and must not dry out during the first two weeks. Coriander "seeds" are actually small fruits containing two seeds; crushing them lightly before sowing is common practice.
Sweet corn: the deepest sowing of the list. Sow directly; corn seedlings transplant poorly.
Seeds that need or prefer light
For these, sow on the surface and press them in, or cover them only with the thinnest sprinkle of fine mix or vermiculite, and keep them moist with a fine mist or bottom watering.
- Lettuce - the classic vegetable example: many varieties germinate better with light. Lettuce also germinates poorly when it is too warm, which is often the bigger problem in lowland Malaysia. Sow in the coolest, shaded spot you have, and keep the surface moist.
- Celery and celeriac - tiny seeds that need light and are slow to sprout, often taking two to three weeks.
- German chamomile - surface-sow.
- Flowers: petunia, snapdragon, begonia and coleus are well-known light-requiring seeds.
Many other very small seeds - several herbs among them - do best when barely covered, even if they don't strictly require light. When a seed is dust-like, surface sowing with a light press is the safe approach.
The rule that matters most: light right after emergence
Whether a seed germinates in the dark or the light, the seedling needs light as soon as it breaks the surface. In darkness, seedlings grow long, thin, pale yellow stems with tiny leaves as they search for light - this is called etiolation. A day or two in a dark cupboard is enough to ruin a tray.
- Check covered or shaded trays every morning and evening once the expected germination time is close.
- Remove covers and lids as soon as the first seedlings appear.
- Move the tray to bright light straight away - bright shade or gentle morning sun for the first days in Malaysia, then more sun gradually.
- Indoors, keep seedlings right at a bright window or close under a grow light.
For the full process from sowing to transplanting, read our seed-starting guide. Want to watch the hidden stages yourself? Try filming a germination time-lapse.
How to tell if seeds were sown too deep
- Large seeds come up late and weak, or rot.
- Small seeds simply never appear.
- When you gently dig, you find seeds with short, curled shoots that ran out of energy.
Use the "two to three times the thickness of the seed" rule, and for very fine seeds, just cover them.
FAQ
Should I put my seed trays in a dark cupboard? Not necessary, and risky: you may miss the moment they emerge. A warm, shaded spot outside direct sun is enough for seeds that don't need light, and you can see them come up.
Does covering seeds with a lid block the light they need? A clear lid lets light through and keeps moisture in, which suits both groups. An opaque cover is fine for dark-tolerant seeds, as long as you remove it as soon as seedlings appear.
My lettuce seeds failed. Was it light or heat? Often heat. Many lettuce varieties germinate poorly in warm conditions. Sow in the coolest spot available, surface-sow with only a very thin covering, and keep the mix evenly moist.
Do seeds need sunlight or will room light do? For germination of the light-requiring group, ordinary daylight in a bright room is usually enough. For seedlings after they emerge, room light is not enough - they need a bright window, sun or a grow light.