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| Corytoplectus cutucuensis seedlings. Note that some are stronger than others. |
Have you never noticed that when you sow a batch of seeds, there are always some seedlings that perform better? These seedlings have more vigor than the rest and will most likely perform better for you in your conditions.
Why the different sizes you might ask? Well, this has to do with the genetic variations of the seeds in a pod. It's sort of a hedge betting strategy. In some conditions, certain ones will perform better. The ones that are best suited for the condition will grow best and survive. This is called natural selection.
The sort of pressure put on by the environment (called selection pressure) also happens in our gardens. The seedlings that germinate and grow best in our condition (such as under lights) will survive. Humans tend to also add to that selection pressure by culling the weaker ones. Some people like to call human intervention "artificial selection" but it all boils down to the same mechanism.
What's the advantage of growing and selecting seedlings over cuttings you might ask? Since cuttings are grown from a single seedling, that seedling might have been selected for under someone else's condition (e.g. greenhouse, drier soils, more air movement) and thus will not do as well under lights in a less humid situation or if your grow room is less airy and you grow on mats that keeps the medium very moist. The cutting's genetics are best suited for greenhouse living. To avoid this problem, sow seeds under your condition and select out the best ones. This way, they have the best chance of surviving for you.
This works well for the most part, but some species have genetics that are so strong that even selecting out seedlings under your conditions doesn't mean that they can survive. Some examples are cloud forest species or true tropical species that will die immediately when they get hot or too cold. But it's worth a try so pluck out the best ones and plant them on.
So there you have it. Give it a try. There is a lot of fun and pleasure growing from seeds!
