The influence of the kind of moorsh and the state of its transformation, as expressed in numerical values of the water absorption index W₁, on the germination conditions of Lolium perenne seeds and further growth of young plants have been studied. It was found out that the main factor differentiating these conditions was grain structure of the moorsh mass that determined water conductive properties of the studied soil. The highest number of germinated seeds (40-85%) and the best plant growth was observed on peaty moorshes (Z₁) of fine fibrous character with fresh humus admixture. Considerably worse conditions for darnel germination and growth (25-50% of germinated seeds) were found on proper fine-grained moorsh (Z₃). It was confirmed by a relatively low dry mass yield of plants collected on these soils after completion of the experiment. The highest differentiation of seedlings, and at the same time the poorest germination were found on the proper degraded moorsh with crumble-grained structure with poor conductivity, and on peaty fibrous moorsh that formed a macro-porous layer on the soil surface in the conditions of intensive insolation and high air temperatures. This macro-porous layer efficiently limited capillary rise and evaporation. It was observed that the state of transformation of moorsh formations expressed with numerical values of the W₁ index did not exert any visible influence on the conditions of plant vegetation. The above observation proved that the W₁ index is only vaguely connected with the soil conductive properties.