Buying seeds from the same seller reduces the risk of being sold a counterfeit or expired product.
But seeds tend to spoil, and often the seller has nothing to do with this process.
Anastasia Kovrizhnykh, an expert of the online publication "BelNovosti", a scientist, agronomist and landscape designer, told us what signs high-quality seeds have.
Usually gardeners pour the seed material into water and throw away what floats to the surface. This method is not infallible.
The test is carried out in two stages.
First stage
Remember that high-quality and healthy seeds are usually free of spots and have a natural color.
The appearance of odor or mold should give you pause.
They should also be firm and dense. Shriveled, soft, damaged seeds can be thrown away immediately.
Second stage
The germination method can give an error-free result. It is not necessary to germinate the entire batch - you can limit yourself to a dozen seeds.
The seeds are laid out on a damp paper towel, without excess moisture, covered with another damp material and everything is placed in a bag.
Leave it in a warm place, check it daily and if after a few days at least 7 out of 10 have sprouted, then all the seeds in the purchased batch can be considered high-quality.
If the indicator is lower, then you will have to either stock up on a larger quantity of seeds from this manufacturer, or replace them completely.
Expert: Anastasia Kovrizhnykh