Proper Soaking of Pepper Seeds Before Planting
Growing pepper varieties, many summer residents initially soak pepper seeds before planting, seeing their advantages in this preparatory stage. At the same time, they can soak pepper seeds in different solutions, thereby pursuing different goals of this process.
Proper Soaking of Pepper Seeds Before Planting
Why Soak Seeds
For inexperienced gardeners, such a preparatory stage always leads to the question of whether to soak pepper seeds or plant them in the form in which they were purchased. Those summer residents who have long had no doubt whether or not to soak pepper seeds before planting them in soil see a number of advantages in this:
- soaking the seed material makes it possible to select from the entire quantity those units that are suitable for sowing in terms of their quality characteristics, since only strong seeds suitable for sowing sprout,
- preliminary preparation of the seed by such processing in different solutions provides future seedlings with resistance to diseases and resistance against pests, giving them health not at the very start of cultivation,
- when soaking, you can check the material for germination,
- You can also soak for the reason that through this procedure it is possible to shorten the appearance of the first pepper shoots that appear from the germinated seed for 5-7 days, and without germination from dry - only 2 weeks after planting.
Soaking technology
It is necessary to properly soak dry pepper seeds before planting them in the soil in several stages.
Disinfection
At this initial preparatory stage, the seed is disinfected before sowing, preventing it from further damage by bacterial and fungal infections that cause significant damage to plants and reduce the yield of vegetable crops.
Without disinfection, you can plant seed that was purchased from reliable manufacturers and when the package has a mark about the disinfection that has already been carried out.
Stimulating treatment
Before soaking dry pepper seeds before planting in soil, it is recommended to treat them with drugs that stimulate the growth of seedlings. This procedure is done only after the disinfection of the seed material has been carried out.
Germination
At the main stage of germination, the raw materials are directly soaked, which makes it possible for it to be saturated with liquid and swell before planting in the ground.
Germination analysis
At the final stage, the quality of germination of the seed is analyzed, which sprouts after a few days after soaking and becomes suitable for planting. Only those that have given green sprouts are selected for planting on seedlings.
Disinfection
Preparing the seeds
At the preparatory stage of disinfection, you can soak dry pepper seeds in different solutions.
Potassium permanganate
For pre-sowing disinfection, a highly concentrated 1% solution of potassium permanganate is suitable, in which seeds folded into gauze are placed for 15 minutes, then they are thoroughly washed from potassium permanganate under running water and put to dry. To increase the efficiency of disinfection with potassium permanganate allows preliminary soaking for 2-4 hours in warm water.
Hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide for disinfection is used at a concentration of 2-3%. Hydrogen peroxide is preheated to a temperature of 38-40 ° C. It is required to soak the raw materials for 5-7 minutes, no longer, after which it must also be thoroughly washed and dried.
Boron
Boric acid is another agent suitable for the decontamination of inoculum. It is diluted in the proportion of half a small spoon in 200 ml of water, heats up to a temperature of 25-30 ° C. Duration of soaking in boric acid is 60-90 minutes.
Soda
Baking soda can be a useful folk remedy for disinfecting crops. The working solution will require a large spoonful of baking soda and a liter volume of water. The processing time is 15 minutes.
Fitosporin
Treatment with phytosporin, which contains natural bacterial particles, is carried out with its dilution in the amount of 4 drops per 200 ml of water. The duration of treatment is indicated in the instructions for the preparation.
Stimulating treatment
The use of treatment with growth stimulants has a beneficial effect on the quality of seed material, increases its germination and increases the resistance of future plants to the environment, positively affecting the yield as a result.
When treating with stimulating fluids, the following basic rules are followed:
- dissolve stimulating complexes only in hot water with a temperature of at least 40 ° C -45 ° C, and soak the seeds in a cooled solution,
- processing is carried out with only one selected drug and this is done once,
- to increase the efficiency of the penetration of active stimulating substances and the effect on the seeds, they can be pre-soaked in warm water for 60-90 minutes.
Ash
Wood ash is a good way to stimulate growth, because it contains about 30 useful elements. Ash powder is prepared in the fall for its subsequent use in the spring. For soaking, ash in the amount of 2 large spoons is diluted with a liter of water heated to the above temperature, mixed thoroughly and kept for 1 day. Soak the pepper seeds, folded in a gauze cloth, in an ash solution for 90 minutes.
Aloe
Aloe juice has established itself among summer residents as an effective stimulant of natural origin, because the treatment of aloe can improve germination and at the same time disinfect the seed. Leaves are cut from the aloe plant, which is more than 3 years old. Leaves cut from the lower tier are placed in the refrigerator for 7 days, after which they are crushed until juice appears from them. Aloe juice is diluted in equal parts with water, and seeds are placed in the gauze tissue in this water solution for 6-18 hours.
Ready-made preparations
Along with folk remedies, summer residents use ready-made complexes. Among the drugs with a stimulating effect that the agricultural market offers today, Epin and Zircon are most often used for processing seed.
Germination
February is considered a good time to germinate seeds. The best numbers according to the lunar calendar are from February 1st to 5th. By this time, the seed should already be disinfected and treated with stimulants. Failure to meet these deadlines for some pepper varieties results in a delay in their further development.
Technology
The prepared seed is folded on a substrate, poured on top with a small amount of water so that the liquid only covers them. The container is placed in a warm season, where the temperature is kept at 25-30 ° C, for about 2 days, through which the seeds usually germinate. During this period, the water in the container changes at least 2-3 times.
The container with germinated seeds for seedlings can be covered with foil or glass on top. This retains heat and prevents water from rapidly evaporating.
For pre-sowing soaking of pepper seeds, experienced summer residents use only thawed or spring water, considering it alive, containing useful components that are not in filtered tap water. Sprouted seeds are selected and planted in the soil.