Growing seedlings is a laborious process that requires a serious approach. Knowing the most common mistakes and observing the rules for germinating seeds will help you get a healthy and strong plant that will delight you with its yield.
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The main mistakes when germinating seedlings
Regardless of which container the seeds will be planted in, there are general rules for germination healthy seedlings, neglecting them can result in wasted time and lack of harvest. Let's take a look at the main mistakes to avoid.
Ignorance of storage rules
Warm and humid air is considered the main enemy of seeds. Until sowing, they must be stored at temperatures up to 10 ° C, and the moisture level should not exceed 55-60%. In addition, it should be borne in mind that plastic bags are not suitable for storage, the seeds in them can become moldy or dry out, so you should choose paper bags or glass containers.
Over-treatment and seed dressing
Seeds must be hardened before sowing, they are heated, disinfected, hardened, etc. The main thing is not to overdo it, excessive soaking of the material in a variety of dressing agents and stimulants leads to a lack of seedlings. In addition, you need to carefully read the manufacturer's instructions on the package, if it indicates that the seeds have already been treated with protective agents, then you should not repeat the same procedure.
Incorrect hardening
When growing seedlings in a cool place, hardening of seeds is not carried out. Seedlings that will grow in places with temperatures above 23 ° C will not retain the acquired immunity. To harden the seeds, it is enough to take them out to the balcony and soak them in clean water for 12 hours. Then they are dried at a temperature of 15 to 20 ° C and kept in a refrigerator for 12 hours. This procedure will be useful for crops that grow outdoors, in particular beets, celery, carrots, cabbage, onions, parsnips, parsley.
Sowing deadline was missed
This is another common mistake, especially among novice gardeners. Sowing seeds too early will cause them to develop unevenly and lack of light can affect their health. Such plants are more prone to root rotting than others.
To avoid this, the recommended distance between seedlings must be observed. Please note that it will be different for each crop, so before planting it is worth studying the standards for the plant you are going to grow.
Improper watering
When watering the soil immediately after sowing, the water will go deep into the soil, which will slow down the growth of the plant. Watering with warm clean water is carried out before sowing seeds. Further, you just need to make sure that the soil does not dry out or, on the contrary, is not too wet. Drying out of the earth leads to the death of the seeds that have turned up and the death of the roots. Wet soil causes root rot.
Planting seedlings that are too large
The overgrown seedlings, although they look healthy, are actually fragile and weak. After planting in open ground, such a seedling will not take root well, and pests will more often attack it. It is also worth considering that each culture has its own landing dates:
- Tomatoes - up to 60 days.
- Cabbage - up to 35 days.
- Cucumber, pumpkin, watermelon melon - up to 35 days.
As a result, we can say that getting a good harvest is quite easy, for this it is enough to avoid the above mistakes.
Do you know what mistakes you should not make when growing seedlings?
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