Concern for obtaining a good harvest should be taken even before sowing vegetable crops. Not all seed material has 100% germination. In addition, in some cases, vegetables take quite a long time to germinate. Pre-treatment of seeds will help to cope with these problems.
Crops with slow-germinating seeds
Each culture has its own biological characteristics. For example, there are vegetables whose seeds are covered with a film of essential oils or have a dense shell. If you sow such crops without preliminary preparation, germination will be low. Some seeds simply will not be able to germinate due to a shell that repels water.
To begin with, the seed material is calibrated, getting rid of dried and defective specimens. The seeds are placed in a salt solution (1 teaspoon per glass of water) and wait 5–7 minutes. During this time, high-quality seeds will settle to the bottom. What floats on top can be thrown away without regret.
Carrot
In appearance, carrot seeds are small, brown in color, covered with white hairs. In order to rid them of the shell consisting of essential oils, you can soak them in hot water for 20 minutes. It is convenient to carry out the procedure in a thermos, where the water does not cool down. After this, the seeds are washed and dried. Now they can be sown, shoots will appear very quickly. Hybrids and imported seeds, as well as seeds enclosed in a shell of chemicals (red or green), are not processed.
Parsley
Without pre-treatment of planting material, parsley can sprout for a month. Sometimes the seeds do not hatch at all. If you use soaking, shoots will appear within 3-4 days. You can soak the seeds in vodka. The duration of soaking is no more than 15 minutes. Alcohol effectively dissolves essential oils. You cannot keep the seeds in vodka, otherwise they will die. Without treatment, planting material is sown only if it is possible to maintain the soil in a consistently moist state until germination.
Celery
Traditionally, celery is sown in late February. After 70–75 days, the seedlings will be ready for transplanting into open ground. The volatile oils that cover the seeds inhibit the swelling process and delay the appearance of sprouts. Bubbling is best suited for processing the seed material of this crop. This is the name of the method in which the seed is placed in a container with the aquarium compressor turned on. Oxygen bubbles cleanse the seeds from the oil film. Exposure time is 8–10 hours.
Dill
Dill, like other umbrella crops, has hard-germinating seeds. You can dissolve the film of essential oils by soaking in water, vodka, or stimulating compounds. Water should be melted, spring or bottled. Germination in a wet cloth will help to immediately identify defective specimens. If after 2-3 days individual seeds have not hatched, they can be thrown away.
Leek
The leek seed material is covered on top with a thick and durable shell.Because of this, the germination process takes a long time. Pre-treatment of seeds helps speed things up. To do this, use contrast baths, when the seeds are soaked in hot water every 3-4 hours, then wait for them to cool and repeat the procedure. After a day, you can start sowing. Friendly shoots will not take long to come.
Fennel
The crop resembles dill in appearance. To speed up the germination of fennel seeds, you can prepare the seeds for planting in the old-fashioned way, digging them into the snow on a bayonet shovel. In 2 weeks, the planting material will be saturated with moisture and will be ready for sowing. It is permissible to sow the crop before winter. In this case, friendly shoots will also appear in the spring 2 weeks earlier than with spring sowing. Parsnip
Parsnip seeds have a low germination rate. For germination, seeds need ideal conditions - warmth, moist soil. Without pre-treatment, the germination rate will be at 50%. If the planting material was old, there may be no shoots at all. To be sure of the quality of the seeds, it is better to collect them yourself and plant them in the next season. Before planting, the seeds are soaked for 2 days in melt water or in an ash solution.
Caraway
Caraway can be grown by direct sowing in open ground. In cold regions, it is better to use the seedling method. When preparing the seed material, experienced summer residents advise using woolen fabric. It is moistened with water, and the seeds are scattered on top. Then the material is rolled into a roll. The water should be melted or filtered. The duration of the procedure is 5-6 hours.Because of this, the germination process takes a long time. Pre-treatment of seeds helps speed things up. To do this, contrast baths are used, when the seeds are soaked in hot water every 3-4 hours, and then wait until they cool down and repeat the procedure. In a day you can start sowing. Friendly shoots will not take long to arrive.
7 methods for checking seed germination that will help you not be left without seedlings
Fennel
The appearance of the crop resembles dill. To speed up the germination of fennel seeds, you can prepare the seeds for planting in the old fashioned way, by digging them into the snow on the bayonet of a shovel. In 2 weeks, the planting material will be saturated with moisture and will be ready for sowing. It is permissible to sow the crop before winter. In this case, in the spring, friendly shoots will also appear 2 weeks earlier than with spring sowing.
Parsnip seed material has low germination rate. For germination, seeds need ideal conditions - warm, moist soil. Without pre-treatment, germination will be at 50%. If the planting material was old, there may be no seedlings at all. To be sure of the quality of the seeds, it is better to collect them yourself and plant them in the coming season. Before planting, the seeds are soaked for 2 days in melt water or in an ash solution.
Caraway
Cumin can be grown by direct sowing in open ground. In cold regions it is better to use the seedling method. When preparing seed, experienced summer residents advise using woolen fabric. It is moistened with water and seeds are scattered on top. Then the material is rolled up. The water must be melted or filtered. The duration of the procedure is 5–6 hours.After this, the seeds are shaken off onto newspaper, dried and immediately sown.
