"Finally! Otherwise we thought that we would be so lost with these preparations for the whole month! ”- everyone wants to see the first result as soon as possible: the sprouts. We will see them soon. It is understood that we have finally waited ahead of the sun's clearance and it's time to start.
What is seed soaking for? In nature, seeds are dormant for a long time under the influence of drought or cold, as well as under the influence of special inhibitory substances (inhibitors) in the seed coat. Consequently, warm water will wash out inhibitory substances from their shells and make them hatch. "Wouldn't the same thing happen, we just sow the seeds in the damp earth?" The thing is that the seeds can wake up quickly and amicably, or they can take a long time, one at a time, within a month. There is a difference, and it depends on the volume of water. The seeds somehow know how to distinguish a small amount of water from a large one. If they feel that a lot of water has "leaked", then this already reminds their relatives of 40-70 cm of water column of annual precipitation - such soil moisture can not only be trusted, but necessary: the seeds give themselves the command to germinate immediately! And if it's just wet land - who knows, maybe an occasional rain, after which drought will come again ...
So, seed soaking is not just a ritual; it speeds up germination. Although the seeds of many crops germinate easily without soaking.
The soaking technique also has its own secrets. Spring melt, or draft, or rain water - "flowing", that is, saturated with oxygen. It is this kind of water that awakens the seeds. Therefore, there is a noticeable difference whether you soak the seeds under a thick layer of water in a jar or saucepan, or in a plate with a layer of water no more than 3-5 mm (I pour the layer even thinner so that the seeds lying on the bottom even protrude a little out of the way]. in the second case, a thin layer of water breathes perfectly and everything is saturated high percentage oxygen, here the seeds will germinate much faster, sometimes even with evening soaking, if the room is warm, the next morning some of the seeds have already hatched.
For soaking, we use snow water or settled tap water. If there are a lot of seeds, a flat container is desirable, like a tray or pot holder for indoor flowers. The seeds can be completely submerged, or you can simply let them float on the surface (I experimented what would happen if the seeds are soaked floating on the surface, will they swell if they touch water only with one side - yes, they are soaked and then germinate perfectly, probably because guaranteed to breathe while soaking in a warm place).
So that the water does not inadvertently evaporate during daily soaking (say, near a battery), cover the container with glass on top or place it in a bag.
It is customary to soak seeds of different crops. different time depending on the "tightness" of germination, some - 12 hours, some - 24 hours. .e. for 24 hours (It is unlikely that everyone will be pleased to warm up the seeds or sow in the morning before work!) With a layer of water, there can be no harm to any kind of crop.
I propose to carry out such an experiment during the spring on some insignificant seeds: place them on soaking in a tray, which stands slightly obliquely (a book is placed on one edge), pour in enough water so that in the raised part it forms a "shallow water" of 1-2mm ; now distribute the seeds evenly at the bottom throughout the tray - and then let them lie for 1-2 days: you will make sure that during this time the seeds have sprouted in shallow water, and the seeds will not sprout at depth until they rot. This experience clearly shows how much more vitality water, strongly saturated with oxygen, has. Only a few centimeters of depth - there is still oxygen there - but it’s not that, it’s not enough for the life of the seeds. And then what will happen to the seeds when soaked in a deep jar, and even if the water goes bad in the heat ?!
Seed treatment before planting is the key to healthy and strong plants. Most diseases are transmitted with the seed, so it is necessary to properly prepare the seeds for sowing.
Let's take a closer look at how to prepare seeds before sowing.
Before sowing, the seeds must be disinfected, except for encrusted and pelleted seeds.
F1 Hybrid Seeds- are processed before entering the store counter. The treatment is carried out against pests and diseases. Hybrid seeds are completely ready for sowing. They are sown dry directly into the ground or, if desired, are treated with growth stimulants.
The collected seeds in your garden must be sorted out before sowing, leaving large and healthy ones. To select empty seeds, we need a solution of sodium chloride (dissolve 2 grams in 100 ml of water).
Dip the seeds into the solution, stir and after 10 minutes the empty seeds will float to the surface, discard them, they are not suitable. Rinse the remaining seeds in running water and dry.
How to process seeds?
Varietal seeds, purchased and collected in the garden - must be treated against diseases and pests. Flower seeds are also processed before sowing.
The seeds are placed in a bag and dipped in a thermos with hot water for 20-30 minutes. After that, immediately washed cold water within 1 minute. Observe the heat treatment regime, otherwise most of the seeds will become unusable.
Temperature and processing time are shown in the table.
Attention: during heat treatment of seeds, about 30% may lose germination. Everything is in order, non-viable seeds are dying.
To combat viral diseases, soak the seeds in a weak solution of Imunocytofit (1 tablet per 100 ml of water) for 3 to 12 hours. You can also hold Fitosporin in solution according to the instructions.
A solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) works well. To do this, preheat the seeds in hot water(45-50 degrees) within 2 hours. Better to use a thermos for this procedure. After warming up, place the seeds for 30 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate (1-2% solution).
For processing crops such as onions, radishes, tomatoes, physalis, lettuce, legumes, corn- Etch in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate for 45 minutes.
Carrots, eggplant, peppers, dill, cabbage and pumpkin seeds- use a 2% solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes.
Also use special preparations for dressing seeds - Bunker, Commander, Winner, Baytan, Fundazol and others.
Attention- after treatment with chemicals, be sure to rinse the seeds with water at room temperature.
An effective way of treating seeds before sowing, disinfecting and preparing the seeds. You will need 10% hydrogen peroxide. Seeds spread on gauze are soaked in a bowl, or you can put the seeds in a bag and dipped in peroxide. Soak for 12 hours, no more.
For rapid growth seeds, they are soaked in any growth stimulant or warm water (it is better to soak in melt or rain water).
Freeze the water first, then put the ice in a bowl and let it melt completely, then lower the seeds, they should be completely in the water. Cucumbers and tomatoes are soaked for 19 hours, legumes for 7 hours, celery and onions for 35 hours.
Biological products stimulate seed germination more strongly.
At home, you can prepare growth stimulants as follows:
Dilute 1 spoon of wood ash in 100 ml of water, leave for a day (solution temperature 17-20 degrees), in this way the seeds are enriched with microelements;
- Dilute 20-25 drops of liquid peat potassium humate in 100 ml of water, soak for 12 hours;
- With Epin (2 drops per 100 ml of water), soak for 18 hours;
- Fertilizer New Ideal or Signor Tomato (20 grams per 1 liter of water), soak for 30 minutes.
There is also a proven old way: soak the seeds in Aloe juice for a day. Then dry the seeds on paper.
Attention: when soaking seeds for more than 10 hours, change the water every 3-4 hours to enrich it with oxygen and so that the water does not deteriorate.
After the soaking procedure, dry the seeds a little and immediately sow into the ground.
To increase the cold resistance of crops, it is necessary to pre-harden them. Place the seeds in bags and soak in water for 12 hours. After soaking, keep at a temperature of 15-20 degrees for 12 hours, then place in a refrigerator with a temperature of 3 degrees for 12 hours.
Cooling down or vernalization of seeds accelerates the germination of cold-resistant crops. This method is used for parsley, carrots, parsnips. Pre-soak the seeds at room temperature until they swell completely, germinate in wet gauze until 10-15% of the seeds hatch. Then place the seeds for two weeks in a room with a temperature of 0 to 1 degrees.
Attention: seeds of beets, spinach, lettuce are not recommended to be prepared in this way.
For rapid germination of seeds, they are saturated with oxygen. You will need a regular aquarium compressor or a dedicated bubbler.
Seeds of perennial crops with a pronounced dormant period need stratification. These seeds need cold to germinate. The container is filled with sand and the seeds are placed in it.
A container with seeds is placed in a refrigerator, you can bury it in the snow for a period of 2 weeks to six months, it all depends on the type of crops.
Seeds of perennials with a dense shell are scarified. The dense shell prevents the appearance of sprouts, so the seeds are rubbed with sand or between sheets of sandpaper.
Stratification and scarification It is not carried out for all crops, so it is not necessary to process all seeds in this way.
Appears to be red, yellow and blue. Such seeds are processed with polymers, which provides germination to the seeds and reliable protection from pests.
There is no need to additionally process these seeds. They are sown dry into moist, prepared soil.
The seeds are covered with a peat-mineral mixture. The mixture creates a nutritious and protective shell, the treated seeds are larger and round in shape.
Sowing pelleted seeds is economically profitable, the consumption of seeds during sowing is small, thinning is not necessary.
Seeds are sown dry and laid out in prepared holes or furrows. Water the soil well before sowing.
You have learned all the ways to prepare seeds before sowing in the ground. The main types of processing are sorting, dressing and soaking, without them you will not be able to get healthy and strong plants and, accordingly, a good harvest.
- one of the first vegetable crops, which gardeners are planted to obtain seedlings. This is due to the long vegetative period and the ripening period of the fruits of this southern plant.
One of the constant questions that worry summer residents is whether to soak pepper seeds before planting or sow them directly into the ground? The final result - yield depends on proper preparation before germination.
Soak- the process itself is optional, the seed will germinate without it, and may even give an excellent harvest. This allows sowing advocates to argue without preparation that soaking is a hassle.
Living in warm climatic conditions makes it possible to sow pepper even immediately in open ground, it will still have enough time to mature. Inhabitants of temperate zones value every day, and if there is an opportunity to speed up the process and gain time before the finish, they readily use it, because peppers ripened on a bush are much healthier and tastier than those that came later. In moderate conditions, pepper seeds must be soaked; without this procedure, the fruits will not have time to ripen before the onset of frost.
However, summer residents - residents of warm regions will also benefit from such a handicap: firstly, the harvest is more abundant, and secondly, it is pleasant when the pepper ripens earlier than expected. This also applies to spicy varieties.
Benefits of soaking seed before planting:
Important! It is imperative to soak the pepper seeds before planting when there is no certainty about the quality of the seed. This will help you to see at a glance what you are dealing with, and not to harbor illusions.
Seed preparation begins with the acquisition stage. You need to carefully consider the manufacturer and carefully study the information indicated on the package, choosing the characteristics of the variety you need. A self-respecting manufacturer indicates what treatments his product has undergone. The seeds treated by the producer and pelleted should not be exposed to any additional impact, they only need to be sown in the ground. It should be borne in mind that, although they will ascend a couple of weeks later, they will subsequently catch up with their "relatives", and then overtake them, while they will suffer less from pests and diseases.
Did you know? At the end of the 16th century, pepper came to Russia, or rather-to the territory of the modern Astrakhan region. According to various sources, Turkey and Iran are considered the source of penetration.
It is better to prefer the material of those manufacturers whose packaging indicates compliance with GOST - it is more reliable.
The packaging should not contain any mechanical damage... It is imperative to pay attention to the year of collection of raw materials and the deadline for sowing - this information must be present without fail.
Pepper seeds, planted in the second year after harvest, lose their germination and yield by half. 
Calibration is a test of seed germination. When soaked in a saline solution, hollow specimens float, and those capable of germination sink to the bottom.
Did you know? There is one caveat:material from large producers is almost always dried, so immersion in a saline solution of such seeds will show that they are all unusable, but this is not true.
Before immersion in the solution, you should visually evaluate the material laid out on paper, and immediately discard specimens that seem unusable, as well as too small or too large. After that, in a glass of water, you need to dilute a teaspoon of salt (or in a liter of water - 40 g of salt) and lower the seeds there for 3-4 hours. Some gardeners limit themselves to a few minutes. Floating seeds should be thrown away, and drowned ones should be dried for further use or sown immediately.
If you bought a bag with ten seeds of a rare variety of pepper, perhaps you should not subject them to calibration - germination will show everything clearly. But your own collected seed, which you have in a decent amount, should be checked in a similar way in order to immediately get rid of unusable ballast. 
Etching, or disinfection, is carried out in order to rid the prepared raw materials from possible infection pathogens that can harm the future. At its core, it is disinfection.
Important! The pickling technique is one of the main ones in preparation for sowing, all other manipulations are carried out after it.
Such processing is all the more relevant, the less reliable the source of raw materials. The material of a large company with a reputation may not be etched, especially if the package contains information that it has already been etched. But the seeds collected personally, received from friends in exchange, and even more so the seeds bought on the market, should certainly be pickled.
For this, different drugs are used: potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate), hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, boric acid and even formalin; there are also specials that you can buy at the store. Each of these methods has both advantages and disadvantages, and the gardener himself chooses which one to give preference to. 
Despite the fact that potassium permanganate is not so easy to find on sale, this technique remains the most popular: it has an unlimited shelf life, and one bought many years ago or on the occasion of a bubble lasts for a very long time.
Some seed dressing techniques:
Important! Seeds can be chemically burned if they are not soaked before and after the procedure.
Important! When treating the seed with any acid, keep in mind that if the seed has the slightest crack, the acid will causehis harm.
Disinfected raw materials cannot be stored for longer than a day, it is advisable to plant it immediately or start germinating it.
Treatment with microelements and growth regulators is needed in order to have a positive effect on the quality of seedlings and germination, to increase resistance to negative impact and resistance to sudden changes in temperature, and increase yields.
For the enrichment of the seed, an infusion of ash, juice, as well as purchased preparations "Ivin" and others are used. 
Several options for solutions for enriching seeds with microelements:
Important! Be careful: aloe juice is very bitter, moreover, it leaves stains, so it is advisable to cover it when handling it. workplace cellophane.
How to soak pepper seeds in order to give the embryos the best at the start for future lush growth and active fruiting? To increase the likelihood of germination, they should swell after being saturated with moisture.
The pre-treated seeds are placed on a substrate and filled with water so that it barely covers them. The raw material of the pepper should be kept in a warm place for two days, during which time the water should be changed 2-3 times. After swelling, germinate or sow. 
Important! In the warmth, a thin layer of water evaporates quickly, so you need to carefully monitor so that its level does not drop, but you cannot pour more water so that the seeds do not suffocate. You can cover the container with the material with foil to prevent evaporation.
Many gardeners know how to soak pepper seeds and germinate them at the same time before planting. For this, the seeds are placed in an envelope made of a square of shabby natural fabric, moistened with water and placed in some kind of container. Excess water from the container is drained or soaked and, covered with a film, is placed in a warm place.
It is better to use thawed or spring water for this purpose. If there is no access to the spring, the snow has not fallen, and all you have is tap water, you will have to turn it into thawed one. To do this, the settled water is placed in a freezer for a couple of hours, the middle, which is not frozen, is poured out, and the ice formed on the walls is allowed to melt. After that, the water is carefully drained, leaving a sediment in the container. The drained melted water is used for germination.
There should not be excess water in the container where the moistened cloth envelopes with seeds are located, but if the container is large, you can put a "reservoir" there in the form of a moistened piece of foam rubber or several cotton pads. 
There is no definite answer as to how long it takes to soak pepper seeds before planting. Every day you need to look under the film, sprinkle the envelopes with melt water and check if they have begun to hatch.
Important! For the germination process, you should carefully monitor the temperature, it should be around 25–30 ° C. If it is lower, germination will be delayed, and at temperatures below 18 ° C the seeds will completely rot.
After waiting for pecking, each living seed is placed in a seedling box with tweezers. A day later, another revision is carried out, the revived ones are selected and planted. Seeds that have not sprouted are not used - they will be a little confusing.
Nature is designed so that the seed is not exposed to external influences and does not deteriorate for a long time. This is due to the protective layer located on their surface. But the same layer interferes with rapid germination. 
One of the technologies that reduce the germination time is bubbling. This is the effect of oxygen for a specific time on the seeds of a certain type. Using this method allows you to get seedlings a week earlier.
To carry out the bubbling procedure at home, you need to have a container with a volume of about a liter and an aquarium compressor.
The jar is filled with water at a temperature of 20 ° C a little more than half, a compressor and seeds are placed there, no more than ¼ of the volume of water.
The compressor turns on, the material is processed. Pepper seeds will take a day for this.
After the procedure, the seeds are dried to a free-flowing state and, if it is not possible to plant them immediately, they are finally dried, laid out in one layer on paper in a ventilated room away from sunlight. 
It makes sense to harden the seeds if there is an intention to sow them under the film a week earlier than the due date. If hardening is used for seeds for seedlings, then subsequently the seedlings themselves will need to be hardened for a fairly long time.
Did you know? There is a method of hardening, in which the seeds, wrapped in a bag, are placed in a snowdrift for three days, but this is possible only if the air temperature outside is kept around zero degrees.
The heated and treated seeds are hardened. They are soaked in warm water until they swell, mixed with sand or wet sawdust.
154
times already
helped
Soaking helps to speed up seed germination before planting. Usually, soak the seeds eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, - in a word, many cultures. Proper soaking will help the seeds germinate, and the wrong one can also harm. Therefore, today we will figure out what's what. We are pleased to watch the Sadovy Mir channel on Youtube. In it, they talk in simple language about difficult things, including, they touched on the topic, how to soak pepper seeds before planting... Let's outline the information. I'm sure it will be useful not only for us 😉
Main mistake:
Simple and effective soaking in water. The right way soak the seeds:
There are seeds that are treated with fungicides (growth stimulants), this information is usually indicated on the package. They are sown dry, without soaking, directly into seedling cells. Treated seeds germinate well without soaking.
But in potassium permanganate, it is no longer recommended to disinfect seeds. You can perfectly germinate seeds in plain water... And those seeds that sprout first are considered the best, the strongest. Not germinated, frail are discarded or planted. It happens, and a sense can come out of them.
By the way. It will not work to discard low-quality pepper seeds using salted water, because all are equally light.
What else can you soak pepper seeds with? But in the manual "Encyclopedia of Country Life, there are such ways to soak seeds before planting. It is indicated that they are the same for eggplants and peppers:
Disinfection in potassium permanganate. A 1% solution of potassium permanganate is prepared, the seeds are dipped into it and soaked for 20 minutes.
Disinfection in hydrogen peroxide. The seeds are immersed in 2% hydrogen peroxide solution for 5 minutes.
After the disinfection procedure, the seeds are thoroughly washed in running water.
Soaking in a fertilizer solution. In 1 liter of warm water, dissolve 2 tbsp. tablespoons of ash. The seeds are placed in cloth bags and placed in the prepared solution for 24 hours. Then the bags are taken out of the solution, slightly moistened clean water and put on a saucer. It is placed in a warm place (temperature about 25 degrees) for 1-2 days until the seeds hatch.
At the stage of pre-sowing treatment, seeds are also heated in a drying cabinet and hardened. Presowing seed treatment allows you to get the first shoots the next day after sowing, and the maximum number of seeds germinates in 5-6 days.
Soaking pepper seeds, germinating them in a humid environment helps to identify strong specimens and reject puny ones. After all, we need high-quality seedlings and a rich harvest. So do not be lazy, soak it. It is quite simple, and most importantly, it is good for the seeds. After all, it is not in vain that they say: What you sow, so you reap 😉 A rich harvest for you!
- Many people buy seeds from autumn - almost a year before sowing. How and where should they be stored?
- Agronomists have such a concept as the biological longevity of seeds. This is the time during which at least one single grain germinates. But for gardeners, economic durability is much more important - as long as the germination rate meets the standard.
Let's start by saying that each culture has its own shelf life. Under normal storage conditions, it ranges from 1 - 2 to 6 - 10 years. So, for example, parsnip or celery seeds remain viable for only one year, and pumpkins and squash can last up to 10 years. As for the storage conditions themselves, the worst enemy of seeds is warm, moist air. Indeed, when ripe, the seed gives off water and dries up. All life processes in it fade out and are reborn again only in the presence of moisture. Where it is hot and humid, seeds lose their germination in a matter of months, and with free access of air - in a few weeks. Also unfavorable sharp drops temperature. Therefore, you should not leave seeds for the winter in unheated premises on garden plots... For damp seeds, subzero temperatures are destructive, especially if the temperature has dropped below zero more than once. Ideal conditions for storage, as a rule, are moderate (plus 12 - 15 degrees) temperature, air humidity not higher than 50 percent and limited air access.
- What does the term "viability" of seeds mean?
- It's the ability to just germinate. But one, albeit very high, vitality is not enough. The seeds must still have high germination and good vigor (that is, speed) of germination.
According to the rules, to determine germination, you need to count 100 small or 50 large seeds. But you can take 10 pieces, just be sure to duplicate the test in two versions. Germination and germination energy are determined simultaneously. And long before sowing, so that, if necessary, have time to replace some seeds with others. Put wet sawdust scalded with boiling water on a porcelain or ceramic plate and cover with a damp cloth. Above are the seeds, which are covered with cloth. The seeds should not lie in the water. There must be enough moisture for the grains to swell. Celery and lettuce seeds are light-germinated, so place the saucer in a plastic bag.
Record the number of seeds and the date they were set for germination. Germination energy is considered on the 3rd - 4th day, and germination - on the eighth. For some crops, the germination energy can be 60 percent, and the germination rate - 80. Germinate the seeds at a temperature of plus 25 - 30 degrees. Remove sprouted kernels daily and record the number and date.
- Sometimes on the bags with seeds you can read: "elite" or "superelite" class. What does it mean? What classes are there in general? What is the difference between them?
- Elite is not a class, it is a category showing the number of seed generations. The first generation that breeders receive are original seeds. The second and the third belong to the categories "superelite" and "elite". Subsequent generations are reproductive seeds (1st and 2nd reproductions). The superelite and elite are obtained in special farms and only for further seed production. And now the first reproduction obtained after the reproduction of the elite goes into the trade. So if you read "elite" or "super-elite" on the seed, consider it only an advertising ploy, behind which, alas, nothing is worth more.
Particular attention should be paid to the expiration date, that is, the useful life of the seeds. It should be no more than two and a half years from the date of packaging. After this time, the seeds are withdrawn from the commercial circulation and undergo a repeated germination test.
 |
|---|
- What does pre-sowing seed treatment include?
— the main task pre-sowing treatment - the release of seed from pathogens, increasing the viability of seeds and accelerating their germination. Many methods are practiced: selection of full-weight seeds in saline solutions, sizing by hand or on special sieves; chemical etching, thermal (or thermal) disinfection with hot water or hot air, treatment with microelements and biologically active substances, warming up in the sun, bubbling, pelleting, soaking, germination, hardening.
- Where do we start?
- With the selection of the best seeds. For sowing seedlings, we use only large and full-bodied grains, and reject empty and feeble grains. They are a serious threat to seedlings. We immerse the seeds in a solution of sodium chloride (50 g per 1 liter of water) and stir vigorously to remove air bubbles from their surface. We discard the floating grains without regret, and thoroughly rinse the settled grains under running water and dry them.
The next step is disinfection. There is no guarantee that seeds that are clean and healthy-looking will not carry pathogens. If there are dark spots and spots on light grains, reject such seeds right away - they are already sick with something. For disinfection, seeds are treated with chemicals. But before taking on this or that drug, make sure that it is approved for use in our country, strictly monitor its concentration and be very careful with the recommended rate. It is best to use the usual potassium permanganate for disinfection. It simultaneously acts in two forms: both as nutrition (magnesium and potassium) and as disinfection. It is enough to prepare a 1 percent solution (1 g of potassium permanganate per 100 g of water) and keep the seeds in it for 12 - 24 hours.
Seeds of tomatoes, peppers and eggplants can be disinfected within 5 - 10 minutes and 2 - 3 percent hydrogen peroxide solution (2 - 3 ml per 100 g of water), heated to plus 38 - 45 degrees. Against vascular bacteriosis, seeds of cabbage, black radish, turnip, mustard, radish are treated with a garlic solution. 25 g of garlic gruel are mixed with 100 ml of water. Seeds are spread into the resulting mixture for an hour, and the container is tightly closed. Then the grains are washed and dried.
The easiest way to disinfect is to keep the seeds in the sun for 2 to 3 days. You can also irradiate them under an ultraviolet lamp.
 |
|---|
- Do all seeds need to be pre-soaked?
- After disinfection, the seeds can be slightly dried and sown in the ground, but it is better to soak them first. This will noticeably accelerate the emergence of seedlings of tightly germinating seeds (leeks, onions, parsnips, carrots, parsley, pepper, etc.). While soaking, the grains will swell and be ready to germinate.
The volume of water during soaking should be 50 to 100 times the volume of the seeds. When the seeds swell, oxygen is not required for the seeds, so they will not suffocate under its large layer. If the water turns brown, it is better to replace it. After the seeds have swollen, they must be immediately removed from the water. We cannot hesitate: now oxygen is needed for growth.
Do not soak seeds in saline solutions, in extracts from fertilizers or ash: the presence of any salts inhibits germination.
The soaking time depends on the swelling rate, which is different for the seeds of different crops. Large mealy seeds, such as peas, beans, beans, are soaked in water after 5-7 hours, increase in size and become soft. The seeds of most cabbage crops, peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, cucumbers swell in 18 hours. The situation is worse with celery crops and onions, the seeds of which contain a large amount essential oils... To speed up germination will help soaking for 2 - 3 days in clean water, which must be changed 3 - 4 times a day. Untreated grains of parsley or carrots emerge after 14 - 20 days, and wet ones - after 5 - 7 days.
After soaking, the seeds are either sown in seedling boxes, slightly drying them before sowing, or they are laid for germination.
- And what about warming up?
- Much depends on the plant. First of all, heating is shown to pumpkin crops. This increases seed germination and increases the number of female flowers. Dry seeds of pumpkin, cucumbers, zucchini and squash are scattered in a layer of no more than 2 cm and placed in the oven for 2 - 4 hours at a temperature of plus 50 - 55 degrees. When warming up, the temperature is raised gradually, and the seeds are stirred. You can heat the grains on the oven in gauze bags, turning them over every 30 minutes. Or keep them for 2 hours in hot - plus 50 degrees - water. In the same way, you can warm up the seeds of tomatoes, peppers, eggplants.
Turnip seeds are poured into a tightly closed jar and for 30 minutes. immersed in water at a temperature of plus 50 degrees. Dry beet seeds for warming are scattered on paper and left for 2 - 4 days near the central heating battery, stirring occasionally.
- Some housewives soak seeds in solutions of biologically active substances and even in aloe juice. Is this justified?
- This, of course, accelerates seed germination and stimulates seedling growth. But another thing is more important: such a procedure reduces the sensitivity of seedlings to unfavorable weather conditions, increases their resistance to disease. Attention! Treatment of seeds with biologically active substances should be carried out only at temperatures above plus 20 degrees. At a lower temperature (especially below plus 15), its effectiveness decreases sharply.
Aloe juice should also be used carefully: it is not indicated for all crops. But it is known that it has a beneficial effect on the seeds of tomatoes, eggplants, cabbage crops and lettuce. But for the treatment of seeds of peppers, onions, celery and pumpkin crops, this tool is not suitable.
To soak the seeds, use undiluted aloe juice obtained from three-year-old or even older leaves with an intense green color. Lightened or yellowed and even with dry ends are not suitable. Break off the leaves and place in the refrigerator for a week, then squeeze the juice out of them. Soaking in aloe juice does not replace disinfection, and it must be carried out after warming up or dressing the seeds. The juice insures the seeds against possible future bacterial (all bacteriosis) diseases. The seeds are kept in aloe for 24 hours, and then (without washing in water!) They are laid out in the sowing grooves or sent for germination.
- Is it worth bubbling the seeds?
- Bubbling is nothing more than soaking the seeds in water saturated with oxygen or air. This technique accelerates seed germination and enhances seedling growth by 5 to 10 percent. It is especially useful for the seeds of slowly germinating crops - celery, onions, leeks, dill, carrots, parsley, spinach. This operation requires a micro-compressor, which is commonly used in aquariums.
Pepper seeds are bubbled for 24 - 36 hours, carrots, onions, spinach - 18 - 24, parsley, dill, beets - 18, tomato, radish, lettuce - 12 - 16, peas - 6 - 10 hours. But if the grains begin to hatch earlier, the bubbling is stopped, and the seeds are well dried.
- Are germination indicated for all crops?
- No. Cold-resistant cultures of the cruciferous family (radish, turnip, radish, cabbage) germinate at a temperature of plus 2 - 3 degrees. Therefore, it makes no sense to germinate them. Unless if you are late with sowing. Beets are also cold-resistant crops. The main thing is to sow it when the soil warms up to plus 6 degrees. But thermophilic (pepper, tomato, melon, cucumber, eggplant, squash) should be germinated at a temperature of plus 20 - 25 degrees. Do not forget that sprouted seeds should be sown only (!) In moist soil.
- Some housewives "roll up" the seeds in a paste of starch.
- This procedure ensures uniform planting and is great for carrots and other crops with very small seeds. Dissolve 30 g of starch in 100 ml of cold water and boil 1 liter of paste. Refrigerate it and remove any lumps and film. Then, gently mix the sprouted seeds with the starch. Fill a narrow-nosed glass or large syringe with it and sow into the water-spilled grooves, covering with loose soil on top.
- What does vernalization include?
- Its essence is that tugovidny seeds are first soaked in clean water until they swell, and then germinated at a low (from 0 to plus 10 degrees) temperature. And it is during germination that they vernalize. This technique not only speeds up the first harvest, but also increases the cold resistance of plants.
- What other cultures can be tempered like this?
- Vernalization will also be useful for thermophilic crops - cucumber, tomato, eggplant, pepper, zucchini, pumpkin, melon, watermelon. In addition, seedlings from hardened seeds appear 8-10 days earlier than from untreated ones. The swollen seeds are kept for 2 - 3 days at a temperature from 0 to plus 1 degree. And you can alternate temperatures: first, warm - plus 18 - 20 degrees, and then cold - 0 - 1. The main thing during hardening is to prevent the overgrowth of seedlings.
- Some cultures (katran, for example) have a very dense shell. How to wake them up quickly?
- Carry out stratification. First, we soak the seeds for 3-4 hours in water at room temperature. Then we mix them with wet sand and put them in the refrigerator for 3 months, where the temperature is plus 5 - 7 degrees.
- Alexander Ivanovich, what else would you advise readers?
- Do not expose the seeds to all these operations, without exception: this way you can ruin even their highest potential. Failure to follow the order or a combination of incompatible preparation techniques will also be harmful instead of beneficial. So, irradiated tomato seeds cannot be treated with acid, and with a damaged shell, it is dangerous to pickle.
With a normal germination rate of 10 sq. m requires the following number of seeds:
80 percent of plant diseases are transmitted through seeds and plant debris, and only 20 percent through soil.
