Growing seedlings: warming seeds, soaking seeds, hardening seeds, how to distinguish good seeds? Secrets to Selecting the Best Seeds Before Planting Good seeds float or sink

- Many people buy seeds from autumn - almost a year before sowing. How and where should they be stored?

- Agronomists have such a thing as the biological durability 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 germination meets the standard.

Let's start with the fact that each culture has its own expiration date. 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, while pumpkins and squash can last up to 10 years. As for the storage conditions themselves, the worst enemy of seeds is warm, moist air. After all, when ripe, the seed gives off water and dries up. All vital processes in it die out and are revived again only in the presence of moisture. Where it is hot and humid, the seeds lose their germination in a matter of months, and with free access to air - in a few weeks. Sharp changes in temperature are also unfavorable. Therefore, you should not leave seeds for the winter in unheated rooms for garden plots. For damp seeds, sub-zero temperatures are detrimental, especially if the temperature has fallen 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 sprout. But one, even if very high, viability is not enough. Seeds must still have high germination and good vigor (i.e. 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, in order to have time to replace one seed with another if necessary. Put wet sawdust scalded with boiling water on a porcelain or ceramic plate and cover with a damp cloth. On top - seeds, which are covered with matter. Seeds should not lie in water. There should be enough moisture for the grains to swell. Celery and lettuce seeds germinate in the light, so place the saucer in a plastic bag.

Write down the number of seeds and the date they were laid 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 is 80. Germinate the seeds at a temperature of plus 25 - 30 degrees. Remove germinated grains daily and record their number and date.

- Sometimes on bags of seeds you can read: class "elite" or "super-elite". What does it mean? What classes are there? What is their difference?

- Elite is not a class, it is a category showing the number of generations of seeds. The first generation that breeders receive are the original seeds. The second and third refer to the categories "super-elite" and "elite". Subsequent generations are reproductive seeds (1st and 2nd reproductions). 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 trade. So if you read “elite” or “super-elite” on the seeds, consider this just a publicity stunt, behind which, alas, nothing more is worth.

Particular attention should be paid to the expiration date, that is, the period of use of seeds. It must 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 are re-tested for germination.

Pre-sowing treatment

What does pre-sowing seed treatment include?

- The main task of pre-sowing treatment is 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, manual size calibration or on special sieves; chemical etching, thermal (or thermal) disinfection hot water or hot air, treatment with microelements and biologically active substances, heating in the sun, bubbling, panning, soaking, sprouting, hardening.

- Where do we start?

— From selection the best seeds. For sowing seedlings, we use only large and full-weight grains, and discard empty and feeble ones. They are a serious threat to seedlings. Immerse the seeds in a solution of table salt (50 g per 1 liter of water) and mix vigorously to remove air bubbles from their surface. We throw out the floating grains without regret, and thoroughly wash the settled ones under running water and dry.

The next step is disinfection. There is no guarantee that clean and healthy-looking seeds are free of pathogens. If there are dark dots and spots on light grains, discard such seeds immediately - they are already sick with something. For disinfection, the seeds are treated with chemicals. But before taking 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 guises: both as nutrition (magnesium and potassium), and as a disinfectant. It is enough to prepare a 1% 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 for 5 - 10 minutes and 2 - 3% hydrogen peroxide solution (2 - 3 ml per 100 g of water), heated to plus 38 - 45 degrees. Against vascular bacteriosis, the seeds of cabbage, black radish, swede, mustard, radish are treated with garlic solution. 25 g of garlic gruel is mixed with 100 ml of water. Seeds are spread in 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 hold the seeds in the sun for 2 to 3 days. You can also irradiate them under an ultraviolet lamp.

Soak

Do seeds need to be soaked first?

- After disinfection, the seeds can be slightly dried and sown in the ground, but it is better to pre-soak. This will noticeably accelerate the emergence of seedlings of hard-to-sprout seeds (leeks, onions, parsnips, carrots, parsley, peppers, etc.). During soaking, the seeds will swell and be ready for germination.

The volume of water during soaking should be 50-100 times the volume of seeds. When swelling, the seeds do not need oxygen, so they will not suffocate under its large layer. If the water turns brown, then it is better to replace it. After the seeds swell, they must immediately be removed from the water. You can’t delay: now oxygen is needed for growth.

It is not necessary to soak the seeds in saline solutions, in extracts from fertilizers or ash: the presence of any salts inhibits germination.

The soaking time depends on the rate of swelling that the seeds have. different cultures different. Large floury seeds, such as peas, beans, beans, are soaked with 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. Things are worse with celery crops and onions, the seeds of which contain a large amount of essential oils. Soaking for 2-3 days in clean water will help speed up germination, which must be changed 3-4 times a day. Untreated parsley or carrot seeds sprout in 14-20 days, and wet ones in 5-7 days.

After soaking, the seeds are either sown in seedlings, slightly dried before sowing, or laid for germination.

- What about warming up?

- A lot 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 with 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. The temperature during heating is increased gradually, and the seeds are stirred. You can warm the grains on the stove 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 fall asleep in a tightly closed jar and for 30 minutes. immersed in water at a temperature of plus 50 degrees. Dry beet seeds for heating are scattered on paper and left for 2-4 days near the central heating battery, stirring occasionally.

- Some housewives soak the seeds in solutions of biologically active substances and even in aloe juice. Is it justified?

- This, of course, accelerates the germination of seeds and stimulates the growth of seedlings. But something else is more important: such a procedure reduces the sensitivity of seedlings to adverse weather conditions, increases their resistance to diseases. Attention! Seed treatment 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 is sharply reduced.

Aloe juice should also be used carefully: it is not shown to all cultures. But it is known that it has a beneficial effect on the seeds of tomatoes, eggplant, cabbage crops and lettuce. But for the treatment of seeds of pepper, onion, celery and pumpkin crops, this tool is not suitable.

For soaking the seeds, undiluted aloe juice is used, obtained from three-year-old or even older leaves with an intense green color. Lightened or yellowed, and even with dry tips, 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 heating or dressing the seeds. Juice insures seeds against possible future bacterial (all bacterioses among them) diseases. Seeds are kept in aloe for 24 hours, and then (without washing in water!) They are laid out in sowing grooves or sent for germination.

Is it worth bubbling seeds?

- Bubbling is nothing more than soaking 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 seeds of slowly germinating crops - celery, onion, leek, dill, carrots, parsley, spinach. This operation requires a microcompressor, which is commonly used in aquariums.

Pepper seeds bubble for 24-36 hours, carrots, onions, spinach - 18-24 hours, parsley, dill, beets - 18 hours, tomato, radish, lettuce - 12-16 hours, peas - 6-10 hours. But if the grains start to hatch earlier, bubbling is stopped, and the seeds are well dried.

Germination

- Do all crops show germination?

- No. Cold-resistant crops 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 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 heat-loving (pepper, tomato, melon, cucumber, eggplant, squash) should be germinated at a temperature of plus 20 - 25 degrees. Do not forget that germinated seeds should only be sown (!) In moist soil.

- Some housewives “roll” the seeds in a starch paste.

“This procedure ensures uniform sowing and is great for carrots and other crops that have very small seeds. Dilute 30 g of starch in 100 ml cold water and cook 1 liter of paste. Refrigerate it and remove all lumps and film. Then gently mix the sprouted seeds with the starch. Fill a narrow-nosed glass or a large syringe with it and sow it into water-stained grooves, filling with loose soil on top.

Vernalization

What does vernalization include?

- Its essence lies in the fact that hard seeds are first soaked in clean water until swelling, 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 that?

- Vernalization will also be useful for heat-loving crops - cucumber, tomato, eggplant, pepper, zucchini, pumpkin, melon, watermelon. In addition, seedlings from hardened seeds appear 8-10 days earlier than from untreated ones. Swollen seeds can withstand 2 - 3 days at a temperature of 0 to plus 1 degree. And you can alternate temperatures: at first it is warm - plus 18 - 20 degrees, and then cold - 0 - 1. The main thing when hardening is to prevent the seedlings from overgrowing.

- Some cultures (katran, for example) have a very dense shell. How to wake them up faster?

- Conduct stratification. First, 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 subject the seeds to all these operations without exception: in this way, even their highest potential can be ruined. Failure to follow the order or a combination of incompatible training methods will also bring harm instead of benefit. Thus, irradiated tomato seeds cannot be treated with acid, and with a broken shell, it is dangerous to pickle.

By the way

With normal germination per 10 sq. m requires the following number of seeds:

white cabbage, red cabbage, Brussels sprouts and Savoy cabbage - 2 g,
color - 1.5,
kohlrabi - 3,
onion (nigella) for sets - 80 - 100,
on the pen - 20 - 30,
on a turnip - 8 - 10,
carrots - 5 - 6,
cucumbers - 6 - 8,
parsnips - 5 - 6,
pepper - 2 - 3,
parsley - 8 - 10,
tomatoes - 2 - 3,
rhubarb - 4 - 5,
radish - 4 - 6,
turnips - 2,
radish - 20 - 25,
leaf lettuce - 3 - 6,
head - 1 - 2,
table beets - 10 - 12,
celery - 0.8 - 1,
pumpkins - 3 - 4,
dill - 40 - 70,
beans - 100 - 140,
spinach - 40 - 60,
sorrel - 6 - 8,
garlic - 500 - 800 g.

Reference

80 percent of plant diseases are transmitted through seeds and plant debris, and only 20 percent through soil.

"Finally! Otherwise, we already thought that we would lose the whole month with these preparations! ”- everyone wants to see the first result as soon as possible: seedlings. We will see them soon. It is understood that we have finally waited ahead of the sunshine and it's time to start.

Why soak seeds? 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 the inhibitory substances out of their shells and make them hatch. “Won’t the same thing happen, we just plant the seeds in damp soil?” The thing is that the seeds can wake up quickly and amicably, or for a long time, one at a time, for a month. There is a difference, and it depends on the volume of water. Seeds somehow know how to distinguish small amounts of water from large ones. If they feel that a lot of water has "leaked", then this is already reminiscent of their native 40-70 cm of the 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, soaking seeds 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 secrets. Spring melt, or draft, or rain water is “flowing”, that is, saturated with oxygen. It is this 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). In the second case, a thin layer of water breathes well and is all saturated with a high percentage of oxygen, here the seeds will germinate much faster, sometimes even when soaking in the evening, 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 for indoor flowers. The seeds can be completely sunk, or you can just let them float on the surface (I experimented what would happen if the seeds were soaked floating on the surface, would they swell if they only touched the water on one side - yes, they were soaked and then germinated perfectly, probably because guaranteed to breathe while soaking in a warm place).

So that the water does not inadvertently evaporate during the daily soaking (say, near the battery), cover the container with glass on top or place it in a bag.

It is customary to soak seeds of different crops for different times depending on the "tightness" of germination, some - 12 hours, some - 24 hours. However, for our convenience, in order not to break up the process and deal with all cultures at the same time, it is more convenient to soak everything together " from evening to evening”, i.e. for 24 hours (It is unlikely that everyone will enjoy warming up the seeds or sowing in the morning before work!) With a layer of water, there can be no harm to any type of crop.

I propose to conduct such an experiment during the spring on some insignificant seeds: place them for soaking in a tray that stands slightly inclined (a book is placed at one end), pour enough water so that it forms a “shallow water” of 1-2 mm in the raised part ; 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 germinated in shallow water, and the seeds at a depth will remain unsprouted until they rot. This experience clearly shows how much more vitality water highly saturated with oxygen has. Only a few centimeters of depth - there is still oxygen there - but not that, it is no longer 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 rots in the heat ?!

Soaking helps speed up seed germination before planting. Usually, soak the seeds eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, carrots - in a word, many cultures. Proper soaking will help the seeds germinate, and the wrong one can do harm. Therefore, today we will understand what's what. We enjoy watching the Garden World channel on Youtube. In him plain language talk about complex things, including touched on topics how to soak pepper seeds before planting. Let's review the information. I'm sure it will be useful not only for us 😉

What to soak pepper seeds in?

Main mistake:

It is wrong to soak seeds by simply dropping them into a glass of water. In this case, the seeds sink or float in water. But they are living organisms, and for life, for germination, they also need air.

Simple and effective soaking in water. The right way soak seeds:

Fold the gauze in 2 or 4 times.
Wet the cheesecloth so that it becomes damp, even wet, because pepper seeds are very dry.
Pour the seeds onto cheesecloth and smooth out.
Close the seeds with gauze and place on a saucer.
There should be no water in the saucer. And so that the gauze does not dry out, it is placed in a plastic bag and an air cap is made.
A saucer with seeds is placed in a warm place, but not to the battery and not on the battery.
Each variety should have its own rag, so they must be signed.
How much to soak? As a rule, after 3-5 days, the first seedlings appear, which produce the strongest seeds.
The hatched seeds are planted in a container, best of all with separated cells.

There are seeds that are treated with fungicides (growth stimulants), this information is usually indicated on the packaging. They are sown dry, without soaking, directly into the cells for growing seedlings. Treated seeds have good germination without soaking.

But in potassium permanganate, it is no longer recommended to disinfect seeds. Seeds can be germinated perfectly in ordinary water. And those seeds that the seedlings give first are considered the best, the strongest. Not germinated, feeble ones are rejected or planted. It happens, and they can get out of the way.

By the way. It will not work to reject low-quality pepper seeds with salted water, because all are equally light.

What else can you soak pepper seeds in? But in the manual "Encyclopedia of country life" such ways are given to soak the seeds before planting. It is indicated that for eggplant and peppers they are the same:

Disinfection in potassium permanganate. Prepare a 1% solution of potassium permanganate, dip the seeds into it and soak for 20 minutes.

Disinfection in hydrogen peroxide. Seeds are dipped in a 2% hydrogen peroxide solution for 5 minutes.

After the disinfection procedure, the seeds are thoroughly washed in running water.

Soaking in fertilizer solution. Dissolve 2 tbsp in 1 liter of warm water. spoons of ash. Seeds are placed in cloth bags and placed in the prepared solution for 24 hours. Then the bags are removed from the solution, slightly moistened with clean water and placed 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, the seeds are also heated in an oven and hardened. Pre-sowing treatment seeds allows you to get the first shoots the very next day after sowing, and the maximum number of seeds germinates on the 5-6th day.

Should you soak pepper seeds?

Soaking pepper seeds, germinating them in a humid environment helps to identify strong specimens and discard feeble ones. After all, we need high-quality seedlings and a rich harvest. Therefore, do not be lazy, soak. It is quite simple, and most importantly - it is useful for seeds. After all, it is not in vain that they say: What you sow, you will reap 😉 A rich harvest for you!

The yield of pepper depends on several factors: the quality and biological capabilities of the variety, the correct preparation of seeds for germination and adherence to agricultural technology for growing crops. In this article, we will consider only one aspect - the effect on germination and yield of soaking.

Is soaking necessary?

Opinions differ among growers. Some say that you can safely do without soaking, while others insist on carrying out this preparatory operation. Which of them is right? Oddly enough, both sides are right, but only under certain conditions.

If you live in warm regions of our country, then the date of planting pepper in open ground is not critical, there is plenty of time for the fruit to ripen. Soaking the seeds speeds up the emergence of seedlings, this is important only for regions with cold climatic conditions.

Experienced summer residents advise not to be lazy and soak the seeds in all cases. It takes a little time, and the effect is very positive. It is recommended to soak the seeds of both sweet and hot peppers.

When and Why to Soak Seeds

The process can be done without preparation, but in this case the effect of such actions is significantly reduced. The quantitative and qualitative indicator of the pepper yield depends on the careful observance of the recommended technology. Despite the fact that the process consists of several operations, preparation cannot be called troublesome.

Practical advice. Seeds of hot and sweet pepper quickly reduce germination, after a year this figure can be reduced by about half. Conclusion - never take them "in reserve" and use the services of only trusted stores.

Responsible distributors carry out pre-sale preparation, treat seeds with antifungal drugs, give microelements, growth stimulants, etc. There should be information about this on the package, such seeds do not require additional preparation before soaking. But this does not apply to seeds collected independently from ripened fruits. Such material can be infected with spores of pathogenic fungi and various bacteria; their germination rates are not clear. As a result, the pepper harvest received at the end of the season will bring disappointment instead of joy.

This question interests many vegetable growers. It seems that even so it will be seen which seeds have sprouted and which have not. But not everything is so simple, with the help of soaking it is possible:

In addition, as a result of soaking for seeds, the most favorable conditions for germination are created - the process of growing seedlings is accelerated.

Checking seed germination before soaking

First, you should check the germination of seeds, this is done in the old proven way. In a liter of water you need to dissolve 30-40 gr. salt. Throw all the pepper seeds into this solution and wait about 5-7 minutes. Those seeds that have sunk to the bottom of the container have a normal embryo and can be used for further sowing. Everything that floats on the surface should be thrown away without regret. quality seeds should be washed in warm running water. This method does not check imported seeds and hybrid varieties.

Simultaneously with the germination test, the seeds must be calibrated. The smallest and largest must be removed, medium-sized seeds are left for sowing. It does not hurt during calibration to pay attention once again to their fullness, hollow ones are unsuitable for sowing.

Preparing seeds for soaking

During preparation, several operations must be performed.

Etching

Seeds should be treated with any disinfectant solution. It is best to use a 1% solution of potassium permanganate, but at present it is quite problematic to find this drug.

First, it is sold only by prescription.
Secondly, not all pharmacies have it in their implementation.

No potassium permanganate is not a problem, you can use hydrogen peroxide or boric acid. In a 2–3% hydrogen peroxide solution, the seeds are kept for no more than seven minutes, removed and washed. Solution boric acid should have a teaspoon of concentrate per 200 ml of water, the duration of pickling should not exceed three hours.

Another way is to seed the seeds with phytosporin. It is sold in specialized stores without restrictions, you need to prepare a solution at the rate of four drops per 200 ml of water. Phytosporin - effective drug from natural bacteria Bacillus subtilis, destroys pathogenic fungi and pathogens. It is completely harmless to humans. Pepper seeds with this preparation before soaking give healthy seedlings, large crops are harvested from them. It must be borne in mind that after disinfection, the seeds should be soaked no later than a day later.

Processing with trace elements

Due to this, the germination of seeds increases, the sprouts have important elements for development, which allows them to grow in favorable conditions. It is best to sprinkle pepper with ordinary wood ash, it contains more than 30 essential trace elements.

Treatment with growth stimulants

It is advisable to treat the seeds with growth stimulants. There is a sufficient choice of them in stores, you can buy any, they all do their job perfectly. Seed treatment should be done according to the instructions recommended by the manufacturer.

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Biopreparation "Phytospectrum"

Practical advice. Most decontaminants or growth promoters need to be diluted in water to achieve the desired concentration. As a rule, the number of drops per 100 ml of water is indicated. It is better to measure with a pipette. If not, then you can use a syringe without a needle.

After the seeds are fully prepared, you can start soaking them.

seed soaking

For soaking, you need to prepare water. City water supply should be defended for at least a day, during which time chlorine will be removed from it. But to increase the effect of soaking the seeds, it is better to use melt water. You can cook it in two ways.

It is believed that such water has a beneficial effect on the seeds. It is from melt water that they begin to awaken in nature.

Step 1. Pour water into a shallow dish or other container. The size of the plate should correspond to the number of seeds. If you have several varieties of pepper, you will need to prepare a separate plate for each.

Step 2 Wet a small piece of cloth in water, it is better that it be a natural material. If the rag could not absorb all the water, then the excess should be drained. The plate must be empty.

Step 3 Sprinkle pepper seeds on a damp cloth, use a match or toothpick to correct their position. Seeds should only lie separately, and not in "two floors". If you have several varieties of pepper, then for each you need to prepare a separate soaking place. It is not necessary to place different varieties on the same plate, your marks may get lost over time and it will become impossible to understand where which variety is.

Step 4. Cover the seeds with the edges of a cloth, put it in a plate, stretch the film. If there is no film, then the plate can be put in a plastic bag of a suitable size.

The container with seeds is covered with a film

Step 5. Remove the plate of seeds in a warm place.

Important. To accelerate germination, the temperature should not be lower than + 25 ° C. Maximum +30°С. At low temperatures, the germination time increases significantly, and if the temperature is below + 18 ° C, the seeds may rot and not germinate at all.

Practical advice. Instead of plates, you can use plastic glasses. Glue paper construction tape to them, it is easy to write the name of pepper varieties on it.

About a day later, you need to check the seeds. As soon as sprouts appear, peppers are transplanted into the ground for growing seedlings or immediately transferred to the garden.

Before transferring to the garden, seedlings must be hardened. To do this, place them in the refrigerator, the temperature in the chamber should be within + 5 ° C.

Transplant the sprouts into a nutrient mixture, do not forget to feed once a week. It is better to use sapropel, biohumus and other natural nutrients for these purposes.

Very important. The first sprouts do not like drafts very much. It is necessary to control the soaking process indoors with the windows closed, exclude the possibility of drafts.

Experienced growers are advised to use one of the soaking schemes listed below.

The soaking process lasts quite a long time, depending on the varieties, the emergence of seedlings will have to wait up to 25 days. A lot depends on soaking, but not everything. What needs to be done next so that the future harvest will please you?

Seeds are transplanted as soon as sprouts appear, it is better to use peat tablets, if they are not available, then use ready-made soil mixtures.

Crops should be placed where there is enough light, preference is given to scattered. To achieve this effect, you can install aluminum foil and use additional artificial illumination. Pepper does not tolerate a pick, it must be immediately planted in separate containers. After picking, development can slow down for two to three weeks.

Experienced gardeners claim that peppers grown from soaked seeds are less likely to get sick, more resistant to weather fluctuations and give maximum yields. Under each bush of seedlings, it is necessary to prepare a pot with a volume of at least one liter. It's not true that good seedlings can be obtained in small plastic cups, in such conditions the root system will be underdeveloped. And this will definitely have a negative effect on adult plants.

And the last. Soaking periods are selected individually. The main thing is that the seedlings are planted in open ground in a timely manner. Too early, as well as too late, disembarkation is not good for pepper.

Video - Soaking pepper seeds before sowing

More than half of the seeds sold are of poor quality. Neither beautiful packaging nor the presence of quality certificates serve as a guarantee. There are even bags that are filled with dust instead of seeds. And if everything is clear with them when opening the package, then low-quality seeds are more difficult to distinguish.

Salt test

Large seeds such as cucumbers, zucchini, beets and pumpkins are easy to sort with a 5% salt solution (50 g per 1 liter of water): the seeds are poured into the solution, mixed and left alone for 5 minutes. After that, the "waterfowl" seeds are thrown away. "Drowned" can be considered high-quality. They must be washed in clean water and dried, scattering in a thin layer.

However, this procedure does not guarantee that the seeds have good germination. It must be checked separately, taking a little for germination. For this purpose, feeble, floating seeds will also fit ...

It is undesirable to carry out a salt test on seeds coated with a protective coating of fungicides. They can be distinguished by their red or green color. Dyes are specially added so that the seeds are not accidentally used for other purposes. Unfortunately, the seeds and falsifiers began to dye. Visually, they are not always possible to calculate. The presence of puny seeds or uneven coloration should raise suspicion.

Comb check

You can also relieve your soul by buying small-seeded crops. To check, you only need a plastic comb and the seeds themselves. Scatter the seeds in a thin layer on paper and pass over them with an electrified comb. The feeble ones will stick to it, and the rest can be safely used for sowing. They will provide a harvest - unless, of course, they have been stored for 20 years in a store. Germination can also be tested with discarded seeds. Frail - do not sprout so amicably and give a smaller percentage. But if at least some of the seeds have sprouted, then you can sleep peacefully ... Or rather, calmly wait for the sowing season, the rest will sprout even better.

Only when checking it is necessary to maintain the height: draw a comb no closer than 1-2 cm above the surface of the seeds. Otherwise, the entire “strategic reserve” will stick to it. If the height is chosen correctly, a few seeds will stick. But to guarantee the operation, repeat the operation several times, more and more electrifying the comb against the hair. 20-30% are rejected - it's not scary, the strongest and most productive will remain.

live seeds

More difficult with medium sized seeds. They are like tin soldiers - they do not sink in water, and they do not stick to the comb. However, there is no need to sort here. If you notice signs of poor quality - take a check, seeds and demand a replacement, or better - a refund.

Tomatoes are harder to calculate. Sometimes they are polished, inlaid - what they do with them. Here you can get into a mess - by demanding the replacement of elite seeds that have gone through a full cycle of fine-tuning to standards. But there are patterns. The main thing is to know the chosen variety well. So, usually large-fruited tomatoes differ in the average size of seeds, hybrids are small, and gray seeds are either of poor quality or polished.

Even harder to guess with eggplant. Here it remains to trust the conscience of the manufacturer. Although experienced gardeners and here a low-quality seed is immediately determined by eye, noticing a suspicious shade.

But with pepper, everything is simple - straw-yellow seeds are alive and healthy. Grays and other colors of the rainbow are unusable or etched (red and yellow). If desired, they can be tested with water. Unlike large-seeded crops, salt is not necessary, otherwise potential “divers” will also emerge.