Seed Sowing Rules

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

"Cheat sheet" for seeds. Part 2

Read the first part of the "Cheat Sheet": What you need to know when buying seeds of vegetables, flowers and preparing them for sowing

• In what form is it better to sow seeds
• Basic rules for sowing seeds
• How to sow seeds of nightshade (eggplant, pepper and tomato) and melons (cucumbers, pumpkins, zucchini)
• The number of days from sowing to emergence of vegetable crops
• How to sow small and dusty seeds
• Why seeds may not sprout

In what form is it better to sow seeds

Any seed can be sown in three ways: dry, wet, or germinated. Dry seeds are sown very quickly, but they sprout for a long time. Wet and, moreover, germinated seeds germinate much faster than dry ones, but sowing them is more difficult. And the process of soaking or sprouting should be treated carefully so as not to destroy the seeds.

To choose the best option correctly, you should be guided by the following rules:

• plants (turnip, radish, radish), the seeds of which sprout very quickly, it makes no sense to soak;
• it is absolutely impossible to soak very small dusty seeds;
• it is better not to soak the seeds of plants (basil) that form mucus when soaked;
• it is better to soak and even germinate slowly moving seeds (carrots, parsley), seeds that require a lot of moisture (onions, legumes) or have some special specific properties (beets);
• do not soak carrot seeds if, for some reason, you cannot thin it out later - in this case, it is better to choose sowing with granular seeds or seeds on paper strips (granulated seeds and seeds cannot be soaked on paper strips);
• it is better to soak the seeds if you are not sure of their good germination - then when soaked and treated with a growth stimulator (Epin, huminates, etc.), the seeds will sprout more amicably;
• it is better to soak the seeds and treat them with stimulants, if you are late with sowing, then you have a chance to get a good harvest from early maturing varieties, despite the delay in sowing.

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Basic rules for sowing seeds

1. Timely sowing. Sowing carrots, parsley, dill, lettuce and many other green crops should be done very early (late April - early May), as soon as the topsoil thaws slightly. At this time, the soil is moist, and the seeds will not die from drying out, which in the overwhelming majority of cases happens with later sowing. But beets cannot be sown in cold soil - therefore, they can be sown in a greenhouse or wait for the soil at a depth of 10-12 cm to warm up by 7 … 10 ° C (late May-early June). Black onions can be sown at home for seedlings (if you want to get bulbs in the same year), and in a greenhouse (it is easier to provide sufficient moisture there), and right in the garden.
2. Not the slightest drying out, which in most cases is the reason that the seeds of difficult germinating (carrots, parsley) or requiring special conditions (beets, nigella) crops do not germinate.
3. Protection against frost, which can kill germinated seeds and even seedlings. Covering the beds with foil or covering material immediately after sowing can help.
4. Seeding depth. Deeper embedding than is required for a given culture can prevent the friendly germination of seeds, and even lead to the appearance of only single seedlings. For many crops, the optimal planting depth is considered to be a depth of 0.3-0.6 cm. Small seeds, which are found in many flowers and in a number of spicy crops, are simply scattered over the surface.

How to sow seeds of nightshade (eggplant, pepper and tomato) and melons (cucumbers, pumpkins, zucchini)

There are two technologies for sowing seeds: directly into the soil or into very loose soil (for example, in sawdust). In the first case, everything is very simple. A sufficiently deep container is taken, filled with moistened soil, and seeds are sown in it at some distance from each other, then they are sprinkled with soil, and the soil is rolled slightly. The distance between the seeds should be at least 2 cm, because the plants will be together for a long time.

In the second case, a flat, shallow container filled with wet sawdust is taken. Seeds are sown in them in exactly the same way and are covered with sawdust again.

In both cases, the containers are placed in slightly opened plastic bags in a warm place (for example, on a radiator, if it is not too hot there). During the period of seed germination, it is desirable to maintain a temperature of about 25 … 30 ° C. With the emergence of seedlings, the temperature is reduced: in the daytime to 18 … 26 ° C, and at night to 14 … 16 ° C.

After the emergence of shoots, the packages are removed, the sawdust is sprinkled with a layer of vermicompost of about 0.5 cm, and the containers are moved under fluorescent lamps. Seedlings are grown at 12-14 hour daylight hours. When the first true leaf appears, it dives.

It should be noted that the plants in the first case will develop much slower than in the second, and at the time of the pick, the seedlings from sawdust will have an unusually large root system, while the plants themselves will absolutely painlessly transfer migration to separate pots and immediately start growing. Seedlings from the soil will have a slight root system, which in addition will be damaged as a result of transplanting, then it will come to life for two weeks, and only then will it begin to grow.

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The number of days from sowing to emergence of vegetable crops

Culture At t 12 ° С At t 20-22 ° С White cabbage, cauliflower, etc. 9-10 5-6 Leek 20-22 10-12 Carrot 15-16 6-7 Cucumber - 6-7 Pepper - 12-14 Parsley - 14-15 Radish ten 5-6 Salad 8 3-4 Beet 12 6-7 Celery - 14-15 Tomato 25-27 7-8 Beans - 9-10 Spinach 20 10-12 Eggplant - 6-7 Peas 9-10 five Zucchini - 6-7

How to sow small and dusty seeds

Such seeds are found in remontant strawberries and in many annual flower crops. Many of them, moreover, do not have good germination and often get sick with black leg. Such seeds are always sown in not very high containers (for example, in jars from under the Rama spread) in very loose, moist, but specially compacted soil before sowing with the obligatory addition of trichodermine from fungal diseases. The seeds are scattered directly over the soil surface and do not fall as in this case, they may not ascend.

Then the entire surface is wetted from the spray, but in no case watered, and the container is placed in an open plastic bag in a warm place. If necessary, the soil is periodically moistened again with a sprayer. When shoots appear, the package is removed, and the container is placed in a lighted place. Watering is still done by spraying moisture, but not with ordinary water, but with a solution of rhizoplan and black yeast to protect the plants from the black leg. Then, in mid to late April, the plants are planted for growing in a greenhouse on biofuel, and in mid-May they are transferred to open ground.

Why seeds may not sprout

1. Temperature too low. The seeds of most heat-loving crops (pepper, eggplant, melon, watermelon) germinate well at temperatures of 25 … 30 ° C, and at temperatures below 15 ° C they may not sprout at all. And the seeds of carrots or parsley begin to germinate even at temperatures of 3 … 4 ° C. But still, the best for germination of most seeds should be considered a temperature of 21 ° C.
2. Insufficiently moist soil - after sowing, the top layer of the soil must not be overdried, since sprouted seedlings can easily dry out, and there will be no seedlings. The optimum soil moisture content is 80-90%.
3. Too wet soil - seeds can rot. This happens when containers with sown seeds are placed in tightly closed plastic bags, where the seeds simply suffocate and rot. To avoid this, the bags should be kept slightly covered and periodically ventilated.
4. Seeding depth is too deep - in some crops this can lead to the appearance of only single seedlings. For many crops, the optimal planting depth is considered to be a depth of 0.3-0.6 cm. Small seeds are generally simply scattered over the surface.
5. Pre-treatment of seeds. Purchased seeds have already passed all the necessary treatments. Additional keeping them in potassium permanganate, trace elements, ash solution, etc. can lead to the most unpredictable results up to the death of seeds.

Also read:

Sprouting and preparing seeds for spring sowing and sowing. When, how and what to sow?