Experienced gardeners know that seeds must be treated before planting.
Therefore, it is worth understanding why this procedure should be performed and remembering the best methods that have proven their effectiveness in practice.
Why is it necessary to treat seeds?
If we consider planting material from trusted manufacturers, then it is not at all necessary to perform the procedure, but there are certain features here too.
If the seed package is just purchased and used immediately, there is no need to treat it. It is a different story if the package has already been opened.
Pickling is the process of briefly soaking seeds in a disinfectant. The procedure helps to get rid of dangerous microorganisms that may be on the surface. It is always worth pickling seeds that are collected on your own plot or bought from a local farmer.
Organic seed dressings
Our grandmothers used organic methods of seed dressing. The most popular one is garlic infusion.
The method is performed as follows:
- 2 cloves of garlic are finely chopped, it is important to preserve all the juice;
- garlic is poured with 100 ml of water;
- infusion time is about 12 hours;
- The seeds are kept in the infusion for 30 minutes.
You can also use aloe juice, which is diluted with water in a 1 to 1 ratio. The seeds are soaked in aloe juice for 30 minutes.
Chemicals
Chemical etchants can be called more effective. The easiest way is to use chlorhexidine, which can be purchased at a regular pharmacy. The concentration for soaking should be 0.05%. If there is no suitable concentration, you can dilute the product with distilled water.
A solution of brilliant green is also sold in any pharmacy. Add 5 ml of brilliant green to 500 ml of water. The seeds are soaked for 30 minutes. Many also use an infusion of potassium permanganate, but its effectiveness raises many questions.
Important! After pickling, the seeds must be rinsed with boiled or distilled water.
Industrial seed treatments
Among the most popular means are:
- "Prestige".
- "Sinclair".
- "Maxim".
- "Fundazol" and others.
Before using industrial seed dressings, you should read the instructions. The concentration, method of application, and other parameters may differ. When working with industrial preparations, you should protect your hands with rubber gloves and use respiratory protection. Chemicals can cause serious harm to health.
