Good afternoon, my reader. When a florist or gardener acquires seeds, he always expects the crop to grow successfully. However, it happens that at best the seeds do not germinate - and sometimes it does not grow at all what you sowed. The reason for this is poor quality seed material. How to deal with this?
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What to look for?
Unfortunately, it is impossible to completely protect oneself from counterfeiting: it is possible to recognize that instead of the elite seeds of the first reproduction they sent those that went through Mendelian splitting only by looking at the plants. However, you can take some measures:
- Examine the packaging. Any damage, traces of moisture, seams from re-sticking - a reason to refuse to purchase. The same applies to the manufacture of packaging: instead of typographic printing, an obvious self-stick made on a printer is also a sign of a fake.
- Shake the bag. Healthy and dry seeds should rustle. If they are caked and stuck together, it means that the storage conditions were not what you need.
- Check the manufacturer. The Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation requires that the name of the organization, address (actual and legal) and contact information should be indicated on the package. Having even a smartphone with Internet access at hand, it is easy to "break through" the data on the company, finding out if it exists at all - and at the same time reading reviews of its products.
- Check the crop and cultivar. According to the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, breeding achievements are an object of copyright, and all varieties and hybrids are registered. Data on varieties and hybrids approved for use in Russia are available in the State Sort Service of the Russian Federation.
- Check lot number, crop year and packing date. They should be applied not by typographic method, but by hand stamp. Packages are printed in large batches, which are used for several years, but the data for a specific seed yield are always individual and applied separately.
- Check in advance for prices. They, of course, can pretty much walk, but too cheap seeds of hybrids or rare varieties should alert the buyer. It is even more worth worrying if specially treated seeds (granulated, pelleted, etc.) cost the same as ordinary seeds.
Checking before sowing
If you do buy dubious seeds, then before sowing them, do a simple check. It will allow you to reject knowingly low-quality samples:
- Check your appearance. What the seeds of each crop look like is easy to find out on the Internet. If, for example, instead of carrot seeds there is a pinch of something incomprehensible inside, just throw the bag away.
- Check the smell. In many plants, it is characteristic (especially in those where the seeds are surrounded by a film of essential oils). If you feel musty and rotten, also dispose of the seeds.
- Go through the seeds. Normal manufacturers sell them clean and calibrated, unscrupulous ones - with rubbish, insects, cracks.
Additional measures
If you buy seeds on the Internet - give preference to companies with a long-standing reputation. In any case - read the reviews on the sites where gardeners and flower growers communicate. Do not really believe the words of praise, but take note of the critical ones.
You should buy seeds on specialized sites, and not from firms that sell everything in the world. The ideal option is to purchase from the manufacturer. But buying something at fairs and other temporary sites should be done with caution: there is a risk of running into "an entrepreneur who does not undertake two times in one place."
Finally, it is not worth buying seeds overseas. Even if you ignore the risk of fraud - are you sure that the seed will be zoned and generally grow in your area?
Keep the packaging and receipt - this will make it possible to file a claim with the supervisory authorities or the court.
Do you know how to choose the right seeds?
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