2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
In order for a wonderful harvest to grow, it is important to competently approach the cultivation of seedlings - to make sure that it grows in suitable soil, as well as that the seeds are not only of high quality, but also properly prepared for their sowing. Lighting, proper temperature conditions are also important components of success that should not be neglected. Paying due attention to the seed and seedlings will definitely pay off a hundredfold
A few words about the soil
The best and most suitable for growing seedlings indoors will be a porous and rather loose soil that easily permits water and at the same time is very moisture-consuming. When watering, all water is absorbed into it in a matter of seconds, and the excess immediately flows out. As for the reaction of the soil, it should ideally be, of course, neutral.
Some gardeners believe that nutrient-rich soil should always be used for the successful cultivation of seedlings. In reality, this is not entirely true - the soil enriched with them is more suitable for adult crops. The fact is that the mineral nutrition of mature vegetation and young seedlings is noticeably different. And nutrients in excessively high concentrations can significantly delay the germination of sown seeds, slow down the growth of tiny seedlings and even sometimes provoke various diseases. Overloading of the soil with such substances is evidenced by the shoots appearing in waves. The most optimal will be a moderately fertile soil. As for the nutrition of seedlings, it is quite possible to supply it with such by organizing special watering.
The best soil is often formed by components that have all the necessary properties (sawdust, perlite, river sand, high-moor peat, etc.), however, these components are often completely lacking any nutritional elements. To provide such a soil with the required level of fertility, all kinds of mineral fertilizers are certainly introduced into it in strictly metered volumes.
Presowing seed preparation
Its purpose is to get rid of seeds from various pathogens of diseases, their speedy germination, as well as increasing vitality. The seeds previously stored in the refrigerator are first warmed up for a month at a temperature of about 30 degrees, and only then they begin to disinfect them using chemical etching or the notorious heat treatment.
Disinfection is a very important event, since a huge part of all kinds of diseases is transmitted precisely with seeds. If they have been pelleted or the packaging indicates that the seeds have already been processed, then there is no need to disinfect them.
Heat treatment is one of the most reliable disinfection methods. The guarantee of the release of the inoculum from numerous pathogens with this method is very high. Indoors, water heating of the seed is usually used: the seeds placed in gauze bags are placed in a thermos for 25 minutes, the water temperature in which is 50 - 51 degrees. At the end of the treatment with hot water, all the seeds are transferred to cold water for literally 2 - 3 minutes.
The most famous and widespread, incredibly simple and very effective is seed dressing with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate, which has a very rich color. When dressing with solutions with a lower concentration, which have a dark pink or pinkish color, as well as when processing seeds stuck together (which often happens with tomatoes), the purpose of dressing may not be achieved. Sticky seeds should be thoroughly rubbed with your hands before immersing them in potassium permanganate.
At the end of disinfection, the seeds are usually sown in the ground. It is not forbidden to soak them in a solution of humate or epin before sowing - these miraculous biostimulants contribute to the early emergence of seedlings, characterized by "tight" germination (these include seeds of pepper, parsnip and onion, celery, etc.). Also, this procedure stimulating the growth of young seedlings increases the resistance of tiny seedlings to various diseases and significantly reduces their sensitivity to various adverse factors.
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