Spring is a hot season for gardeners. And it does not begin with digging the beds, but much earlier – with preparing the seeds for sowing. The future harvest largely depends on how high-quality and prepared the seed will be. Of course, you can buy already processed seeds, but many summer residents prefer to cook them themselves in the old-fashioned way.
There are many folk methods of pre-sowing seed treatment, proven by time and the experience of generations. These methods often do not require special expenses, they use improvised means and at the same time show good efficiency.
Awakening and Selection: the first steps
Before starting any treatments, the seeds need to be "woken up" and sorted. Old, stale seeds often have low germination. You can check them like this:
- Calibration in saline solution. Prepare a solution (about 30-50 g of salt per 1 liter of water), pour out the seeds and mix. After 5-10 minutes, the full-bodied, viable seeds will sink to the bottom, and the empty and puny ones will float up. The surfaced seeds are discarded, and the settled ones are washed with clean water and dried. This method is well suited for tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers.
Heating the seeds (for example, on a battery or by the stove for several days) also helps them to wake up and increase germination, especially in pumpkin crops.
Disinfection: protection from diseases
Seeds can carry pathogens of various diseases on their surface. To protect future seedlings, the seeds are disinfected before sowing. Folk remedies also come to the rescue here:
- A solution of potassium permanganate. The classic method. Prepare a 1% solution (1 g per 100 ml of water) of dark pink color. The seeds are soaked in it for 15-20 minutes, then thoroughly washed. It is important not to overdo it, so as not to burn the seeds.
- Infusion of garlic. 2-3 cloves of garlic are crushed, pour 100 ml of warm water, insist for a day. In the resulting infusion, the seeds are soaked for 1 hour, then washed. Garlic has good bactericidal properties.
- Aloe juice. The aloe leaf is kept in the refrigerator for 5-7 days, then the juice is squeezed out. The seeds are soaked in juice (can be diluted with water 1:1) for 12-24 hours. Aloe not only disinfects, but also stimulates growth.
These methods help to reduce the risk of fungal and bacterial infections at the initial stage of plant growth.
Stimulating growth: giving a boost to development
Various natural stimulants are used to make the seeds germinate faster and the seedlings be friendly and strong. Soaking seeds in nutrient solutions saturates them with useful substances and energy to start.
- Infusion of wood ash. 1 tablespoon of ash is poured into 0.5 liters of water, infused for a day, filtered. In this infusion, the seeds are soaked for 3-6 hours. Ash is rich in potassium, phosphorus and trace elements.
- Honey solution. 1 teaspoon of honey is dissolved in a glass of warm water. The seeds are soaked for 5-6 hours. Honey contains biologically active substances that stimulate germination.
- Potato juice. Freshly squeezed potato juice is also a good stimulant. The seeds are soaked in it for 6-8 hours.
After soaking, the seeds are usually not washed, but immediately sown in moist soil or germinated.
The wisdom of the ancestors in the service of the harvest
Folk methods of seed preparation are a whole layer of knowledge accumulated by gardeners over many years of observation. They are simple, affordable and eco-friendly.
Of course, they cannot always replace modern drugs, especially if the seeds are heavily infected or for specific crops. But as a basic stage of pre-sowing preparation, helping to select the best seeds, protect them from diseases and stimulate growth, these "grandmother's" recipes are well worth attention. Online betting becomes more rewarding when new users activate special offers at sign-up, and the 1xbet promo code today is designed exactly for that purpose. After entering the code, players gain access to a 100% bonus up to $130 or a 100% welcome bonus up to €130 on sports. Casino enthusiasts benefit from €1,950 in bonus funds plus 150 free spins. These privileges are supported by live streaming, mobile access, and a large selection of games.
