 When you leave for a trip, do you pack a lunchbox or a cooler? The amount of food that you will pack depends on what type of trip you're taking. How long will you be gone? Will you be able to stock up along the way? Seeds must also do this on their journey through dormancy and germination. Unlike us, they are not able to stock up along the way with food. Seeds come in all shapes and sizes. Their shape and size are adaptations to dispersal and how much energy it will take to feed the seed through dormancy and until it can germinate and start producing food through photosynthesis. Large seeds have packed a whole cooler full of food. That way they can be planted deep and take their time getting to the surface. Small seeds have only packed a small lunchbox so have to be planted near the surface or they'll run out of food before producing green shoots. Why wouldn't large seeds survive best when also planted near the surface? Seeds can pack food but not water for their trip. Before seeds germinate, they must soak in half their weight in water. If the big seed is deeper, it is more likely the seed will get soaked and stay wet throughout germination. Seed size or shape will give you a long history about a seed's adaptations to its surroundings if you take the time to listen. From the University of Wyoming Extension, I'm Brian Sebade, Exploring the Nature in Wyoming.