Every summer resident wants the planted seeds to germinate as quickly as possible, as a result of which the process of obtaining fruits is noticeably accelerated. But sometimes this is impossible due to poor quality seeds, which are generally unable to germinate. Despite various obstacles, gardeners still learned several tricks that help the seeds germinate faster.
How to speed up seed germination
The most common ways to increase the rate of seed germination is considered to be soaking and germinating. Some vegetables, such as carrots and parsley, can only germinate faster by using a special technique called "rinsing" on their seeds. Quite often, gardeners prefer fertilizers or the use of chemicals that stimulate plant growth.
Seed soaking
Soaking seeds is a classic method to speed up seed germination. This method was also used by our mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers. If previously soaked seeds are sown into the ground, their germination occurs 2 or 3 days faster.
There are several ways to soak seeds: take a small deep bowl, pour the seeds into it, and pour water on top, or place the seeds in a small gauze bag and then put it in water. Features such as the temperature regime of the water and the time for soaking the seeds completely depends on what kind of culture it is, as well as on its variety.
If the plant is thermophilic, for example, tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkin, watermelon, zucchini, the water temperature should be in the range from twenty to twenty-five degrees. Plant crops that are not thermophilic are recommended to be soaked in water with a temperature of 15-20 degrees. A large number of gardeners insist that melt water is the best way to soak seeds.
As mentioned earlier, all crops are soaked for different times. For example, legumes are soaked for up to 5 hours, radishes, radishes, pumpkins, zucchini are soaked for half a day, tomatoes and beets - for a day, but asparagus beans, parsley, carrots and onions must be soaked for at least two days.
The only drawback in soaking seeds is that every 4 hours you need to change the water and mix the seeds a little. Swelling of the seeds is considered to be an indicator that the soaking can be completed.
Swollen seeds are planted in moderately moist soil. It is important to monitor the water balance, because if there is a lot of water, the seeds will not be able to take root, and if there is not enough water, they will simply dry out.
Germinating seeds
This method is considered the most popular and, in terms of its frequency of use, significantly exceeds the soaking of seeds. This method has achieved such popularity due to the fact that it makes it possible to get sprouted seeds a week earlier than expected.
The process of germinating seeds is that a piece of cloth soaked in water is laid out on a small saucer, you can use gauze or a cotton pad.On this piece of fabric, all the seeds are laid out in a thin layer and covered on top with exactly the same piece of fabric or a cotton pad. Next, the saucer is placed in a polyethylene bag (this allows the water to evaporate more slowly) and placed in a warm room. If these are crops that are not related to thermophilic, then the optimal temperature is 15-20 degrees, thermophilic crops, in turn, require a temperature regime in the range of 25-28 degrees. Do not tighten the bag too tight; it is best to leave a small crack for air to enter.
Occasionally, the seeds need to be fully opened so that they have the opportunity to "breathe", and it is also recommended to turn them over. If necessary, add water. Once a day, they are washed right on the saucer with running water. Germination of seeds ends when most of them have small sprouts of white or beige color and small roots.
The planting of such seeds is carried out in a previously loosened warm soil with moderate humidity. If the seeds have sprouted early enough and you cannot plant them right away, it is recommended to place them in a cool place (the temperature should be 3-4 degrees).
As in the previous method, the timing of seed germination is unique for each crop. For example, cabbage, peas and radishes germinate for about 3 days, tomatoes and beets - about 4 days, carrots, parsley and onions germinate in four or five days, and peppers and eggplants take five to ten days to germinate. ...
Seed treatment with stimulants
For some gardeners, the above two methods are considered too complicated, so they prefer the use of stimulants. The most common and high-quality plant growth stimulants are Zircon, Epin and Novosil.
When processing plant seeds with a stimulant, a small bag of gauze is taken, all the seeds are placed in it, and after that this bag is placed in a solution from any stimulant for one day. Typically, solutions of stimulants are made in a ratio of 4 drops of stimulant to 1 glass of slightly warm, preferably boiled water. After a day, the seeds are sown into the ground.
When the first leaf appears on the plant, it is treated with a special solution with a regulator. The solution is created in the ratio of 3 drops of the regulator per 100 grams of water, necessarily boiled. This treatment increases the growth rate of the plant, helps to get rid of various pests and improves its immune system.
"Rinsing" the seeds
This method allows certain types of plants to germinate already somewhere around the 5th day after planting (for example, carrots, parsnips, parsley).
The process of "rinsing" consists in placing the seeds in a bag of gauze and then rinsing this bag in hot water (the water temperature should be within 48-50 degrees). This "rinse" is carried out to flush out essential oils from the seeds. After that, the bag is dried, and the seeds are planted in the ground.
Of course, in addition to the above methods, there are others, but they are much more complicated, the results are given with great difficulty, especially difficult for novice gardeners. However, this does not mean that they are worse or less effective. You are free to decide which seed germination method to use.
