Many gardeners believe that quality seeds are the key to a good harvest. But an important factor is also their proper preparation before planting.
Each preparatory stage will make the seedlings hardy and strong. Next, we will talk about what methods of seed treatment are: what is drazhirovanie, bubbling, stratification.
How to wake a tomato seed, whether to germinate it. And also how to prepare for planting store seeds and those that are collected independently.
Importance of preparation
The importance of seed preparation for seedlings is that in the future with it there are fewer problems. Each of the preparatory stages helps her to become:
- hardy;
- healthy;
- strong.
Old, independently collected or purchased in questionable places seeds need preliminary preparation.
Different ways to prepare
Different methods of preparing tomato seeds trigger various processes in them, for example, they awaken seed germs, increase the permeability of the shell, etc. No need to apply different methods at the same time, germination may deteriorate.
Rejection
Before planting, the seeds need to be examined. This process is called rejection or calibration. Healthy differ in the big size and weight if to touch them, they are dense. Manually you need to remove:
- dried up;
- empty
- small;
- broken.
To determine the density will need to prepare saline:
- In 200 g of slightly warm water dissolve 1 tsp. salt.
- They pour out the seeds, mix and leave for 20 minutes.
Those that come up, throw it away, and those who drown are considered good. That they take for landing.
Maceration
Do I need to soak it? This process is not considered mandatory. Do not need soaking high-quality, hybrid, imported and pre-treated seeds. With proper soaking of other seeds:
- yield increases by 30%;
- decreases the risk of tomato diseases;
- sprouting evenly.
Seeds are poured with a small layer of water, if there is a lot of it, they will rot. Leave them for 2 days.
How to warm up?
Warming up should be done independently collected tomato seeds. It contributes to the awakening of seeds, biochemical processes begin to occur in them. A short-term increase in temperature increases germination, accelerates germination.
Seeds can be heated in the sun, especially for seeds stored in a cool room. It is necessary to heat the seeds for a week, not forgetting to mix it regularly.
In another method, the seeds are placed in a gauze bag and hang for 2 months next to the heater. The temperature in the room should not be below 20 degrees.
Heat treatment is not carried out when growing tomatoes in the southern regions and seeds of hybrids.
Etching or disinfection
So that later the seedlings do not get sick with fungal disease, experts advise to disinfect them in other words with a pickle. How can pickle tomato seeds? The most common method is steeping tomato seeds in a solution of potassium permanganate.
- Seeds are placed in gauze, folded in several layers, which is tied in the form of a bag.
- A solution is prepared: 1 mg of potassium permanganate is dissolved in 1 liter of warm water, in which this bag is immersed for 15-20 minutes.
- Then the seeds are washed and dried.
Drazhirovanie
In the process of drageeing, the seeds are covered with a shell having the following properties:
- nutritious;
- protective;
- activating growth.
The procedure should be carried out before landing for 4 months or six months. Soaking in aloe juice is considered the most affordable option. For this:
- Cut 2-3 bottom sheet, which is wrapped in a napkin or a dry cloth.
- Then place them for 2 weeks in the fridge.
- After that, squeeze the juice out of them, dilute it with boiled water: 1 to 1. In this solution, the seeds must be between 3 and 6 hours just before planting.
You can feed them with industrial preparations containing microelements. Such means include Epin, Zircon. They make seedlings more resistant to various germs.
Planting material, which already has a shell, immediately planted in the soil. They cannot be processed, because in this case everything useful will be washed off.
Bubbling
Under the procedure of bubbling means the treatment of seeds with water and oxygen. It is performed in order to:
- increase germination;
- run biochemical processes;
- increase the germination rate.
This procedure can be performed by those who have an aquarium compressor. For this:
- Planting material is placed in a gauze bag, which is dipped in a liter glass jar of water.
- There is inserted a hose from the compressor. This is how the seeds are saturated with oxygen. Sparging should be carried out for approximately 18 hours.
- Then dry, and the seeds are ready for planting in the ground.
Stratification
Stratification is the process by which the seeds, under the influence of an external influence, pass from a dormant stage to a development. The main goal is to obtain friendly shoots by the target date.
For this:
- Tomato seeds are mixed with wet sand and kept at a temperature of 0 ° C ... -3 ° C. The procedure should last 20-45 days.
- When the composition begins to dry, you need to add water.
- After stratification, etching is performed, and before it is calibrated.
Do I need to germinate?
The time required for the germination of tomato seeds depends on the shelf life and weather conditions, namely, on humidity and air temperature. Last year's sprout in 4 days, and harvested 3 years ago, will sprout in a week. If the seeds are not soaked, it will take 10 days to sprout. The shelf life of tomato seeds is 5 years.
It is most convenient for the germination procedure to use cotton pads.
- Soak them in warm water and put them on a plate.
- On them spread out the seeds, covering the top with another wet disc. To avoid confusing varieties, you need to write a name on each one.
- Then carry the plate to a dark place where the temperature does not fall below + 20 ° C.
- After the seeds hatch, it will take 2-3 days, they are planted in moist soil.
It is not recommended to wait for the shoots to become long. The embryos of this size break off quickly when planted. It is also noted that from such seeds seedlings are obtained poor quality.
How to wake up a tomato seed?
What to do to wake up a tomato seed? The need to wake up the seeds is due to the fact that when they swell, they begin to germinate faster. To do this, take a flat dish. Between 2 layers of cotton spread the seeds. Vata perfectly holds water, preventing the seeds from drying out.
In warm water (22 ° С -25 ° С) they should be no more than 12-18 hours, it should be changed after 5 hours. They should not swim in it. To get oxygen, they are sometimes recommended to be pulled out of the water.
If these recommendations are not followed, the seeds will become unusable. After swelling they are planted in the prepared ground.
What to water the land?
Plant tomatoes need to warm the ground. The optimum temperature is 14 ° C. The first thing that they bring in the wells is fluorine-containing fertilizers that help:
- bushes settle down;
- get a rich harvest;
- fruits become tastier.
24 hours before planting, the ground is recommended to shed a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Experienced gardeners are advised to add 200 ml of yeast mixture to each well. It must be prepared in advance for the day: 10 grams of yeast is dissolved in 10 liters of water. The growth of tomatoes is well affected by woody ash piled under the roots of bushes and shredded eggshell.
It enriches tomatoes with nutrients. After the seedlings are planted, the ground should be compacted, sprinkled with a small amount of compost or black soil. We must remember that the excess fertilizer will lead to the death of the root system.
Tomatoes grown in their garden have a wonderful taste. But this can be achieved only with careful care for the soil and plants. The key to a tasty and abundant harvest is also the introduction of the necessary fertilizer and fertilizer.
