Spring is the beginning of the season when gardeners and gardeners think about the future harvest. Planting plans are created, seeds and fertilizers are purchased in stores. Some crops, such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, begin to be cultivated by growing seedlings. Other plants do not require a similar preparation period. They are planted immediately in the ground when the ground warms up enough. But in both cases, gardeners may be interested in the question of whether it is necessary to soak the seeds in potassium permanganate and, if so, how.
Biochemical functions of manganese in plants
- Manganese is absorbed by plants and distributed to their organs through metabolic processes. Passive adsorption also takes place, especially at high and toxic levels of its content in solution. Manganese is different high degree absorption activity and rapid transfer in plants.
- In plant liquids and extracts, it is present in the form of free cationic forms and is transported in plants in the form of Mn2 +, but complex compounds of manganese with organic molecules are found in phloem exudates. The lower concentration of manganese in the phloem exudate in comparison with the leaf tissue and the weak movement of the element in the phloem vessels cause the low content of manganese in seeds, fruits, and root crops.
- Manganese is transported mainly in meristematic tissues, and its significant concentrations are found in young plant organs.
- Manganese is needed by all plants, without exception. One of its most important functions is participation in redox reactions. Mn2 + is a component of two enzymes: phosphotransferase and arginase. In addition, it can replace magnesium in other enzymes and increases the activity of some oxidases. The latter is probably due to a change in the valence of manganese.
- Manganese is actively involved in the process of photosynthesis, namely, in its oxygen-forming system, and plays a major role in the transfer of electrons. The weakly bound form of manganese in chloroplasts is directly involved in the release of oxygen, and bound form- in the transfer of electrons.
- The role of manganese in NO2 reduction is not fully understood. However, there is an indirect relationship between the activity of the described element and the assimilation of nitrogen by plants.
- The number of true manganese-containing enzymes is limited. To date, more than 35 enzymes are known to be activated by manganese. Most of them are catalysts for oxidation - reduction, decarboxylation, hydrolysis reactions.
- Manganese activates some enzymes that catalyze the conversion of shikimic acid, the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids (tyrosine) and other secondary products (lignin, flavonoids).
- Manganese-dependent enzymes are involved in the biosynthesis of carotenoids and sterols. Manganese ions actively influence the structure and function of chromatin. Manganese affects the increase in the content of non-histone proteins and RNA in the diffuse chromatin fraction. Manganese is essential for the replication and functioning of DNA and RNA polymerases.
Potassium permanganate processing rules
Of course, seed dressing with potassium permanganate cannot guarantee complete disinfection, since the solution is not capable of influencing the infection that is located inside the seed. But, despite this, the liquid quite effectively copes with other types of problems associated with garden seedlings.
- Seed dressing is necessary only when room temperature.
- it is very important after processing to rinse them thoroughly under running cold water
- Generally, there are two kinds of processing modes. In the first case, a 1% solution of potassium permanganate is used. This mode is most suitable for such seeds: - celery; - tomato; - corn; - lettuce; - onion. In addition, it can also be used for legumes. In the second mode, a 2% solution is used, which is most suitable for the following types of seeds: - carrots; - cabbage; - pepper; - eggplant; - dill. Also, such a solution can be used for pumpkin seeds.
- It is worth noting that in order to achieve positive result you need to properly prepare a solution of potassium permanganate. Today there are two cooking methods, namely with and without weighing. Of course, the most commonly used method is no weighing. To prepare a 2% solution of potassium permanganate, you need to dilute a teaspoon of potassium permanganate in two incomplete glasses of warm water. As for the 1% solution, in this case, you need to pour the same amount of the mixture into a container that contains three glasses of water.
- After preparation, the solution should have a dark color and a rather thick consistency. This is due to the fact that it is such a remedy that can most effectively protect seeds from possible infection... Note, however, that an overly thick solution can burn the seed, which will become sterile.
- It is convenient to place the seeds in a solution in a gauze bag, and you can also rinse them in it. The exposure period should be no more than 20 minutes, and the rule applies: the less the change of the seed, the less time is needed. After washing, the seeds must be spread on a canvas cloth, otherwise there is a risk that they will mate.
Disinfection of seeds in potassium permanganate
Highly useful procedure... 1% solution is 1 gram per 100 ml of water and immerse the seeds for 20 minutes at room temperature. If soaking for germination follows, then you can not rinse, if after sowing, it is better to rinse from potassium permanganate. Pathogens on the surface of the seeds will die. There can also be diseases inside the seeds, so it doesn’t interfere with them being grafted with something like a foundation before sowing. 
Disinfection will not occur and etching as a whole will not have the desired effect if the seeds adhered to each other are subjected to treatment. Such planting material must either be rubbed with your hands until uniformity is achieved, or pre-soaked in plain water before disconnecting. Tomato seeds are especially prone to such sticking, and for them grinding has a much greater effect on seed germination than even dressing with potassium permanganate itself.
Protecting potatoes from late blight with manganese
Often potatoes are planted cut into lobes, each of which has a peephole. To protect the plant from pathogens, the tubers should be cut with a knife soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate, and the areas of the tubers that are not protected by the skin should be sprinkled with a small amount of ash. Before planting, potato tubers can be sprayed with a solution of a mixture of copper sulfate (2 g) and potassium permanganate (10 g) per 10 liters of water. This measure is also effective protection against late blight. To process 10 kg of potatoes, you will need to prepare 200 ml of such a solution.
If late blight nevertheless appeared, to help you, dear gardeners, folk remedy fight against this scourge. Prepare a solution: 1 g of potassium permanganate per 10 liters of warm water, pass 1 cup of garlic cloves through a meat grinder and mix thoroughly with this solution. With the resulting composition, we spray each plant in the garden with an interval of 10 days.
Protecting cucumbers from powdery mildew with manganese
One of the most common diseases in cucumber is powdery mildew. To cope with it in the early stages of development, a solution of 3 g of potassium permanganate in 10 liters of water is very effective. They need to spray not only plants, but also the soil, as well as the walls of the greenhouse and greenhouse. This operation is carried out 3 times with an interval of 2-3 days. The result will appear very quickly.
How to process seeds before sowing? This question is often asked by people who have already "processed" the seeds and did not wait for germination. V full version the question goes something like this: “I froze the seeds for a month in the freezer, then scalded them with boiling water and buried them in the snow for three days, then soaked them in thick potassium permanganate for 24 hours, washed them with fresh urine, warmed them up on a battery and in a thermos, followed a few more tips from my neighbor and a popular TV presenter ... but the seeds did not sprout! What else do they want? "
Unfortunately, an attempt to answer that “you probably overdid it” is suppressed by the categorical statement that “I am a gardener with a hundred years of experience, I regularly watch all TV shows, I read everything that is written on the topic, I implement everything I see and hear, so I don’t teach me, but confirm what I already know - the seeds are bad! " There is nothing to argue with such people. But for those who, asking this question, really wanted to hear the answer to it, we will try to briefly tell you what you can do with the seeds, and what it is better to refrain from.
Presowing seed treatment - necessary and effective reception if it is carried out by a competent and experienced specialist. For example, a good agronomist in the agricultural sector. enterprise: hardening, pickling, treatment with microelements, stimulants, bubbling ... At home, only a few methods can be recommended, provided they are carefully used. It is, of course, impossible to give universal recommendations for seed treatment for the whole variety of crops cultivated by man and for all occasions. We do not set ourselves such a task. We will try to make short review the most frequently recommended techniques, and you will draw your own conclusions.
All the variety of ways pre-sowing treatment seeds can be divided (conditionally) into the following groups:
- Seed disinfection methods (disinfection).
- Methods for removing seeds from dormancy (acceleration of germination).
- Ways to increase plant immunity (biostimulants, hardening, etc.)
- Others; including those without a reasonable basis - useless and harmful.
Seed disinfection methods.
Etching (treatment with chemicals). The most common method of seed disinfection is treatment with a solution of "potassium permanganate". This drug is generally available, "always at hand" and is recommended by many authors of special literature as an effective disinfectant. It is usually recommended to soak for 15-20 minutes in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate (1 g of the drug per 100 ml of water). After soaking, the seeds need to be washed in running water and dry. It is important not to be mistaken in the concentration of the solution and not to keep the seeds in it for longer than the prescribed time, they can die or significantly reduce the viability. This technique will help heal the seeds from a fungal infection if they are sick. And if they are healthy, such treatment is completely useless and even harmful.
If healthy person will unnecessarily use potent drugs, it is clear that this will only harm him. So for seeds, treatment with such a far from harmless substance as potassium permanganate is severe stress. In addition, it should be borne in mind that not only pathogens can be found on the surface of seeds, but also a variety of useful microflora. After processing, such "sterile" seeds will fall completely defenseless into the soil, which is not at all sterile.
In the literature, you can find recommendations for the treatment of seeds and other pesticides, even more aggressive than "potassium permanganate", but, fortunately, they are rarely found in home first-aid kits.
In case of a real need to disinfect seeds, it is better to use special preparations, for example, "Maxim", strictly following the instructions.
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Thermal methods disinfection of seeds at home are not applicable. The seeds can be boiled or roasted, after such treatment they will be unsuitable for sowing.
In seed farms, as a rule, all necessary measures for seed treatment, including disinfection. Therefore, at home, only seeds of dubious origin or with obvious signs of disease should be processed. But it's better to just refuse to sow them.
Methods for removing seeds from dormancy.
There are quite a few ways to remove seeds from dormancy (scarification, stratification, washing, soaking in water or in special solutions, heating, cooling, etc.). The choice of the processing method depends on the morphological and biological characteristics of the seeds, on their physiological state associated with the conditions of growing, processing, storage.
Seeds are a complex living organism. During storage, they continue to develop invisible to the eye. Within 3-6 months after harvest, the seeds are in the stage of "deep dormancy" and at this time their germination is difficult or impossible without the use of specific processing methods for each culture. These methods were developed for laboratories dealing with the determination of the sowing quality of seeds, including freshly harvested ones, before storing or selling. For summer residents there is no such problem - by the time of sowing for seedlings and, especially, in the ground, it takes more than 6 months even for seeds last year harvest.
Stratification. There are crops that require mandatory stratification of seeds before sowing, regardless of the timing of collection. Stratification is a long-term cooling from 15 days to 3 months, depending on the culture, at a temperature from 0 to 5 ° C. These are some medicinal, decorative and many tree crops. Usually, there is a warning on the need for stratification on the seed packages of such plants. For such crops, it is recommended to sow under winter in the ground, so that the stratification process takes place in the natural environment. At spring sowing the germination period can stretch for long time... Sometimes the seeds can sprout the next spring after overwintering in the soil, or not at all, if their viability is short - one year after harvest, as, for example, in the perennial delphinium. Among the familiar to us vegetable crops and there are no such finicky flowers, but some methods of "awakening" seeds can be useful to them too.
Pre-cooling. This technique differs from stratification in that the cooling is less deep and less prolonged. The seeds are cooled at a temperature of 5-10 ° C for 3-15 days. For this, the seeds are placed in a damp cloth, paper or sand and placed in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator or in some cool place. This technique is applicable only to those cold-resistant crops, the seeds of which germinate at low positive temperatures and are usually sown in early spring terms, in cases where it is not possible to sow them on time. Many go to their dachas only in May, when optimal terms sowing parsley, caraway seeds, carrots, lettuce, watercress, celery, hyssop, spinach, sorrel, onions, radishes, cosmos, gypsophilla, sea alyssum, lavater, phlox drummond, mignonette, forget-me-nots, mustard, sweet clover, clover, lupine , rapeseed and other plants have already passed. If the seeds of these crops are sown on warm days in May without preliminary cooling, the seedlings may be uncooperative, stretching for 3-4 weeks; and in radishes, lettuce, onions, increased shooting is possible.
Pre-heating and heating + cooling. Warming up the seeds in hot water 50-60 ° C or "dry" heating at a temperature of 40-60 ° C, sometimes in combination with subsequent cooling, is used to remove certain types of seeds from dormancy. Methods of exposure of seeds to high and variable temperatures were developed for laboratories for determining the germination of seeds and are used in necessary cases... At home, it is better to refrain from such experiments.
On farms, before sowing, they sometimes warm up (dry) insufficiently ripe seeds of watermelons and other pumpkin crops for “ripening”. Heating is not necessary for normally formed seeds.
Soaking and germination. This is the most common way to prepare seeds for sowing. It was also used by our grandmothers to accelerate seed germination. The seeds are wrapped in a soft (moisture-absorbing) cloth, moistened and placed in a warm place (but not on hot battery). At optimal temperature At 25-28 ° C, the seeds begin to "peck". They are carefully dried to give flowability. It is important not to miss the moment so that the seedlings do not overgrow and do not "entwine into a ball."
But even this simple technique can be harmful. In the days of our grandmothers and our youth, seed producers did not treat them with pesticides. And now the seeds of domestic production intended for sale to the population, as a rule, are not processed. But our seeds are getting smaller every year, thank you for “helping us abroad”. A significant part of the seeds on Russian market Are import supplies. Varieties and hybrids of tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers and other crops, including those with beautiful Russian names or names that are well-known from childhood, are often grown abroad and treated with thiram (a highly toxic broad-spectrum toxic chemical) or another similar drug. Moreover, outwardly they may not differ from untreated ones (some manufacturers paint the treated seeds in bright colours, but not all and not always).
When such seeds are soaked, a microscopic seedling that has just appeared will be under the influence of a concentrated solution of a pesticide, which will destroy it before you can examine it. Soaking can speed up seed germination by just a few days, but it can kill them completely. Is it worth the risk?
In addition, it should be borne in mind that germinated seeds sown in open ground, are more vulnerable in case of getting into unfavorable conditions (lowering the temperature below the optimum, lack of moisture in the soil), they do not have the opportunity to "pause" and wait out these troubles.
Rinsing with water. This technique is rarely used. The seeds of some crops contain high amounts of essential oils that inhibit the germination process. These are some vegetable, aromatic, medicinal and ornamental plants(carrots, coriander, dill, fennel, tansy, etc.). The seeds are placed in a loose tissue bag and washed for 20-30 minutes under running warm (20-25 ° C) water. Too much rinsing is undesirable, since. essential oils- this is part of the reserve nutrients necessary for seeds. After washing, the seeds are dried.
Soaking in water. They are used for difficult-to-germinate seeds (beets, carrots, fragrant ranks, onions, peas, beans, etc.). The seeds are placed in a cloth bag and immersed in warm water (20-25 ° C) for several hours to a day. The water is changed several times. The seeds are dried by sprinkling them in a thin layer on a cloth. Soaking is also used to saturate seeds that have been stored for a long time in very dry conditions. But not all seeds endure such a "immersion", for example, cucumber seeds can "suffocate" from lack of oxygen and die. Soaking cucumber seeds, if they are very dry and really need it, is carried out very carefully: a moisture-absorbing cloth folded in several layers, spilled with water, is placed on the bottom of a shallow container and the seeds are scattered in one layer, so that the top side of the seeds remains dry, in any case, not pouring them with the "head". Soaked seeds can only be sown in well-warmed, moist soil; when the soil temperature drops or there is a lack of moisture, they will quickly rot.
Soaking in solutions. The seeds are soaked not just in water, but in nutrient solutions: fertilizers, organic and mineral, containing basic nutrients and a complex of microelements; in solutions of salts of humic acids; v wood ash; infusions medicinal plants and so on. Sometimes complex recipes for the preparation of "super-solutions" are offered, allegedly increasing the germination of seeds and the productivity of plants at times. The effectiveness of such "feeding" of seeds in the dormant stage, ie, with very low activity of metabolic processes, is exaggerated. For germination, seeds use their own supply of nutrients. And when they sprout, they begin to grow and develop - then use all of the above.
Barbating. Soaking seeds in oxygenated water. This technique is used on farms to increase the viability of seeds with low germination energy. At home, you can saturate the water with oxygen using an aquarium compressor and soak the seeds in it. Such a need rarely happens: for example, if seeds, which are very valuable for you, have significantly lost their germination and you should try to revive them.
Scarification. The seeds of some crops have a very dense shell (marshmallow, large plantain, castor oil plant) It is damaged mechanically (cuts are made with a sharp instrument, rubbed with sandpaper, etc.) or treated with weak salt solutions nitric acid to facilitate swelling and germination.
Ways to increase plant immunity
Treatment with growth stimulants. Seed treatment with growth stimulants is used to activate immunity and increase seedling resistance to unfavorable factors. The seeds are soaked for 0.5-1.0 hours in a chemical solution. the drug "Epin-Extra", "Zircon" or drugs of natural origin ("Germination", "Amulet", "NV-101", etc.) These drugs are safe for seeds and for humans, but you should follow the instructions. Such treatment is effective for weakened seeds with low germination energy (the shelf life has long passed, and the variety is valuable or rare). There is no need to process fresh seeds.
If you have not treated the seeds with biostimulants before sowing, there is no reason for disappointment. It is possible and necessary to treat plants with them at the stage of seedling, during budding, setting and forming the crop. Treatment of vegetative plants gives a more obvious positive effect.
Hardening. In the popular literature for gardeners, you can find recommendations for hardening heat-loving crops by treating their seeds with cold. The positive effect of such treatments is rather controversial, serious Scientific research we are not aware of this topic. Practice shows that no matter how much frost the seeds are, cucumber, pepper or watermelon will not become a frost-resistant plant. Better methods hardening apply to seedlings.
Other methods of pre-sowing seed treatment
Selection of seeds for sowing by weight. This trick - seed calibration - different methods it is used on farms for a better leveling of crops. For a summer resident, he is of little importance and there would be no need to talk about him. But, unfortunately, the method of dividing seeds into fractions by weight, which is mistakenly presented as a method for determining seed germination, has been widely advertised and "introduced" into consciousness and practice. The seeds are soaked in water or in a salt solution and wait for them to separate into drowned (they are considered viable) and floating (they are considered non-germinating).
Such division can only separate small (less complete) seeds from large (more complete) seeds. This division has nothing to do with germination. Seed germination in both fractions is the same or differs within the statistical error. Seeds cannot be completely homogeneous, their mass (fulfillment) depends on the conditions of formation, weather and agrotechnical, on the location in the fruit or in the inflorescence. If not favorable conditions(roast dry summer) all the seeds obtained, for example, tomato or cucumber, can be small and float on the surface, while having 100% germination. In addition, the "weakness" of the seeds can be a characteristic varietal trait, for example, it is characteristic of the seeds of the Malysh cucumber, and the "lightness" of the seeds does not in any way affect their germination. Small seeds have less supply of nutrients, but in favorable conditions their seedlings will quickly catch up with their comrades and you will not see the difference.
At the same time, a complete lack of germination will not prevent large seeds from drowning if their mass is sufficient for this. The ability to "swim" does not depend in any way on germination, but only on the mass of seeds and their morphological characteristics. The seeds of many crops will not drown at all (gazania, dimorphotes, etc.), even more crops, the seeds of which will drown in any case, even very poorly formed ones (peas, beans, radishes, etc.). Please, do not "drown the seeds in glasses", dividing them into fractions, sow them all. If you have a lot of seeds, and you decide to use only the largest ones for sowing, you can simply sort them out and reject damaged and small ones.
Do not rush to do everything " useful tips»That you hear from acquaintances and young people or from the TV screen. Do not forget that the goal of any TV star, even in the image of a "knowledgeable avid summer resident", is to entertain you with an entertaining spectacle, and not boring to teach something just useful. What kind of "methods of increasing germination and yield" you will not hear from our customers, enlightened by such stars. There are also funny ones, for example: "before sowing, carry seeds behind your cheek so that smart seeds will absorb information about the owner's diseases and the fruits that have grown from them heal his diseases." Before putting seeds on the cheeks, make sure that they are not treated with thiram or other pesticide.
In the literature for gardeners, the topic of seed treatment is literally given a lot of place. Sometimes several pages are devoted to listing different recipes... If conscientious little experienced gardener in a good desire to "do what is best" decides to do all of them, then the seeds are likely to come down from the middle of the race. The authors of such books, probably, not only did not do what they write about in such detail, but they never grew anything themselves.
An experienced gardener-practitioner, Ushakov Yuri Nikolaevich, the author of many articles in the magazine "Household economy" and popular books: "For a beginner farmer", "All about tomatoes", "All about cucumbers", etc., writes on this issue: "With seeds I don’t shaman, I don’t freeze and I don’t defrost, I don’t sorcery and I don’t barbate, but I sow dry and a little more than it is planned for planting in the ground, so that after germination the strongest will be left. "
We ask our buyers for the seeds of our company:
- do not soak
- do not pickle
- do not freeze
- do not warm up
- do nothing
Just sow them dry in well-damp soil.
Right choice sowing dates and good care- more important than all pre-sowing treatments.
Crops, the seeds of which require stratification, are best sown before winter; cold-resistant crops germinating at low positive temperatures - in early spring; thermophilic - not earlier than the second half of May in well-warmed, moist soil.
LLC "Agrofirm" Alena Lux "
Kuzmicheva Svetlana Vyacheslavovna
Etching with potassium permanganate is the simplest, most common and effective method disinfection of seeds, cuttings and bulbs, since of all chemical dressing agents, potassium permanganate has the widest spectrum of action.
However, pickling with potassium permanganate does not guarantee complete disinfection: reliably killing infectious agents on the surface planting material, it is powerless to affect the infection nesting inside the seed.
Modes of seed treatment with potassium permanganate:
Celery, onions, tomatoes, physalis, lettuce, radishes, corn, beans, peas, beans; 1% solution of KMn04, 45 min.
Pepper, eggplant, cabbage, parsnip, carrot, dill, pumpkin crops: 2% solution of KMn04, 20 min.
Seed treatment is carried out at room temperature, followed by washing clean water.
To prepare a 1% solution, 1 g of potassium permanganate is dissolved in 100 ml (1/2 glass) of water, for the preparation of a 2% solution - 2 g in 100 ml of water.
Peep work in such a demanding business as seed dressing can have dire consequences. How to prepare a solution of the required concentration without weighing?
This requires a standard (5 ml) teaspoon. One teaspoon without top contains 6 g of potassium permanganate. Excess material is removed with the flat side of the knife.
2% solution of KMn04: Dilute one teaspoon without top in 300 ml (in one and a half glasses) of water.
1% solution of KMn04: Pour out a part of a 2% solution of potassium permanganate and add an equal volume of water to it; or dilute one teaspoon without top in 600 ml (in three glasses) of water.
The resulting solutions have a thick, almost black color.
Treatment of seeds with less concentrated solutions (pink, dark pink or purple, when the bottom shows through the solution) does not provide complete disinfection.
Disinfection does not occur even when stuck together seeds are processed. Seeds that tend to stick together (eg tomato seeds) must be separated before immersion in potassium permanganate. It is convenient to place the seeds in a solution in a gauze bag, and you can also rinse them in it. After washing, the seeds must be dried, otherwise there is a risk that they will mate.
Due to the fact that potassium permanganate has disappeared from pharmacies, I have a question: dear gardeners, what means do you use for disinfection?
Against dry rot, false powdery mildew, vascular bacteriosis seeds are heated for 20 minutes in water at a temperature of 50 degrees. It is convenient to do this in a thermos.
Soaking seeds in aloe
Aloe juice works well against bacteria and fungi. Cut off a leaf with aloe, put in the refrigerator for 2 days at a temperature of 2 degrees. After that, squeeze the juice and keep the seeds in it for a day. Then, without washing them, they are slightly dried and sown on seedlings or immediately into open ground.
In baking soda
Plain baking soda is also useful for soaking: 10 grams per liter of water. Leave the seeds in the baking soda solution for 12-24 hours.
In heteroauxin
This is already classic way growth stimulation. Dose: 25 mg per liter of water. Leave on for 12 hours, then dry slightly and can be sown.
In ash solution
For 1 liter of water, 2 tablespoons of ash. The solution is insisted for a day, stirring occasionally. The light part is drained and a bag of gauze with seeds is placed in this liquid for 3-5 hours.
In succinic acid
A good stimulating effect is given by seed treatment before planting in a solution. succinic acid: 15 ml for 1 liter of water. Processing time is 18-24 hours.
In potassium permanganate
Seeds of cucumbers and tomatoes are disinfected for 20 minutes in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate. Immediately after such treatment, they must be rinsed with clean water and only after that they can be sown. We advise you to read how to process strawberries ammonia from diseases and pests.
In hydrogen peroxide
In a 2-3% solution of hydrogen peroxide, the seeds are disinfected for 30 minutes, after which they are washed and planted in the ground.
In mustard
The mustard solution also destroys pathogenic microbes. Add to 100 ml of water mustard powder on the tip of a knife. In the resulting solution, the seeds are disinfected in 6 hours. Then they also need to be dried without rinsing. Councilum to read why.
Dry heating
A good result is obtained by heating the seeds of cucumbers, peas, pumpkin in a fruit dryer at a temperature of 40-600. They are scattered in a thin layer and heated for 5 hours. Some crops have such small seeds that sowing them becomes a real challenge for the nerves.
Sowing small seeds with gelatin
- Pour a bag of gelatin with a glass of well warm water.
- Stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
- Add seeds and continue stirring.
- Pour the liquid into a large syringe without a needle or into a watering can, shake it again and "sow" into the well with a thin stream.
I would like to devote at least a book to these tiny carriers of genetic information, because it has been proven for centuries - “you reap what you sow”. However, in this work, we will restrict ourselves to brief, but informative and, undoubtedly, useful information for all gardeners.
All of them faced a paradoxical situation when from the seeds of plants collected with their own hands in the fall and sown in the spring, a crop ripened, half yielding to last year's and, moreover, only vaguely reminiscent of the parent variety of cucumbers or tomatoes. Although both the seeds and the soil were good, and as owners, they took an unreasonable care of the crops! What happens then?
It turns out that before sowing the seeds require very careful and painstaking preparation. Earlier, I mentioned some of the seed treatment methods. Now I will try to summarize and systematize this information.
Disinfection
Before sowing, the seeds are disinfected in a solution of potassium permanganate: in a gauze bag dipped in a saturated pink solution of potassium permanganate, removed after 15-20 minutes and washed under running water. The main thing is not to burn the seeds in too strong a solution.
The following procedure is - ash treatment deciduous trees. 1 tbsp. a spoonful of ash is poured into 1 liter of water, insisted and filtered for a day. In this solution, tomato seeds are soaked for 5 hours, cucumber seeds - 10.
More suitable for cabbage vitamin C ... Its solution is prepared at the rate of 1 g of vitamin per 1 liter of water. The seeds are soaked in it for 10 hours, then washed.
Treatment of seeds with potassium permanganate and ash not only disinfects them, but also feeds them with microelements necessary for growth. So, an experienced gardener soaks the incised bulbs in a solution of potassium permanganate not so much to disinfect the seedlings, but to stimulate root formation.
Soaking seeds in water
If you sow the seeds dry, there is a chance that you will not wait for the seedlings. Therefore, in order to accelerate the germination of seeds, they must be soaked in water before sowing. (If the water is warm, the germination energy will increase.)
However, in everything you need to know when to stop. So, the seeds of parsley, onions and carrots are soaked for 1 day; pumpkins, zucchini and cucumbers - 12 hours, beans and peas - 4 hours. In order for the seeds to have enough oxygen, it is important not to overexpose them in water. They should not be completely wet, it is generally better to wrap them in a damp cloth. And sow only in wet ground.
Hardening
After disinfection with potassium permanganate and ash, many gardeners harden the seeds. More than others, this applies to the seeds of cucumbers and tomatoes. In linen bags, they are placed in the refrigerator for 19 hours, then taken out, kept for 5 hours at room temperature and placed back in the refrigerator. This is repeated 5 times.
Maybe someone will find it very troublesome, but it's worth it: after all, seedlings from hardened seeds can withstand all spring frosts.
On a note
Sometimes it seems that seeds that have been lying for a long time have completely lost their ability to germinate and the best thing to do with them is to throw them away. However, don't rush ...
Beans. They can be planted even 7 years after purchase. The beans hold the record for germination longevity.
Cucumbers and tomatoes the strongest shoots are obtained from 2-3-year-old seeds (if, of course, the required storage conditions are met: the seeds are kept in paper or linen bags in a dry and warm place).
Cabbage and pumpkin seeds remain viable for 3-4 years.
Carrots, parsley, beets and sorrel the seeds gain the greatest power by 2-3 years of life.
Dill on the contrary, it loses its germination after 2 years. By the way, dill seeds contain essential oils that slow down plant growth. Therefore, before sowing, they must be soaked for 2-3 hours, often draining the water. Then you should check the seeds for full weight. By dipping them into a salt solution (1 teaspoon per 1 glass of water), it is easy to achieve the goal: full-weight seeds will drown, "empty" ones will float to the surface. Good seeds should be rinsed with water, and "empty" seeds should be thrown away.
Of course, one should not forget that none of the existing and separately taken means is universal and omnipotent. Best results are achieved in case of complex application various means and methods of plant protection.