To get a good harvest in the future, planting material should be carefully prepared. By taking care of the seeds today, tomorrow you will have fast-growing plants with good disease resistance. The article will focus on purchased or self-collected seeds that need pre-sowing preparation.
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Option one - warming up
Not suitable for all vegetable crops. Take note if you are going to plant heat-loving plants such as squash, tomatoes, zucchini, etc. Useful for seeds harvested by hand last year.
There are two types of heating: dry and hydrothermal:
Dry method can be long-term and short-term. In the first case, seed preparation begins 2 months before planting. The material is laid out at the bottom of the cardboard box and placed in a warm place, you can on the battery. The optimum temperature is 20-30 ° C. An abbreviated version is produced several weeks before the start of work. The seeds are placed in an oven and heated at a certain temperature for the required amount of time.
Hydrothermal method - immersion of seeds in water. It is convenient to use a thermos. For each culture, it is important to observe the temperature and time indicators of warming up.
Option two - calibrate the seeds
Selection of the best planting material. For large seeds it is produced by hand. Shallow - submerge in salt water for a few minutes. Remove floating seeds, the rest must be washed and dried. You can use an electrified stick to attract defective seeds.
Option three - check for germination
Suitable when planning sowing a large area with one crop. Soak the seeds in warm water, after wrapping them in cheesecloth. Maintain humidity and temperature at 25 ° C for two weeks. You can calculate the percentage of germination by germinated specimens.
Option four - disinfection
Immerse the material in potassium permanganate for 15-20 minutes, rinse, dry. Fitosporin and any purchased product designed for these purposes will also do. Before carrying out the procedure, you should carefully follow the instructions on the package.
Option five - soaking
Promotes accelerated germination of seeds, stimulates the growth of seedlings. For these purposes, both natural compounds (honey, aloe) and industrial stimulants ("Epin", "Kornevin", etc.) are suitable. You can enrich seeds with useful microelements using a solution of infused wood ash. Carried out for one day at room temperature.
Option six - hardening
Divide the seeds into cloth bags and refrigerate for 24-48 hours. Warm up then at room temperature for a similar time. It is necessary to monitor the moistening of the planting material. The method is also suitable for growing seedlings.
Preparation for sowing popular types of seeds
Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants: rub the seeds in your palms, carry out the disinfection procedure, rinse, soak in aloe juice for a day. Temper the material a week before planting: alternate cold and heat every 2 days.
Zucchini, pumpkin, cucumbers: warm the seeds, disinfect, pack in bags, place in a nutrient solution for 10-12 hours, rinse, put on a damp gauze at a temperature of +25 2 ° C for 24-48 hours. After the hardening procedure, plant it in the ground.
Beets, onions, cabbage: after calibration, warm up the seeds and place in a solution of potassium permanganate, quench in the refrigerator for 4 days. Germinate the planting material at a temperature of 25 ° C before planting.
Do you know how to prepare seeds for planting?
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