Parsley - greenery common to all, found in almost every garden and vegetable garden. Grow it easy if you know some of the subtleties associated with the processing of seed. It is known that parsley seeds germinate very slowly. Using dry seeds, seedlings can only be seen in two to four weeks. To speed up this process, as well as to improve the quality of the crop, it is necessary to prepare the material for sowing by soaking. Consider in the article whether it is necessary and why it is so important to soak the seeds of a plant before sowing in open ground or in greenhouses in order to get quick shoots, and how to do it correctly.
What is soaking before sowing and what is its purpose?
Soaking is the stage of seed preparation before sowing, at which they are immersed for a while in various solutions: in hot water, milk, solution of potassium permanganate, peroxide, and others.
The main objectives of soaking:
- Prevention and prevention of diseases that can destroy the plant.
- Checking the quality, shelf life and germination of planting material.
- Acceleration of seed germination and faster first seedling appearance.
Do I need to do this?
Is it possible to soak the seeds of a plant before sowing? Parsley can be sown as dry seeds, and after soaking. However, parsley is a long-term crop, and if you need to get friendly, strong shoots that appear actively after soaking, then yes, you need to soak it.
Effect of soaking on planting material
The parsley seed has a dense shell, coated with essential oils, which slows their germination. Soaking helps destroy the oily coating and softens the seed coat. With it, the seeds are well absorbed by the moisture needed for germination.
Step by step instructions: what and how to withstand the grain to the plant sprung faster?
Let us see how and in what way it is best to soak the seeds of the plant before planting in order to obtain quick germination.
In milk
- Seeds are placed in a container with a small amount of fresh, warm 37 ° C milk, so that they are lightly covered.
- Leave until swelling, then sow.
In alcohol solutions
- Wrap the seeds in cheesecloth.
- Hold in vodka for 15-20 minutes.
- Then rinse well under running water and dry.
Seeding material is ready.
Important! Essential oils are perfectly soluble in alcohol-containing solutions, but you can not exceed the set time, as the seeds can be spoiled. The advantage of this method is that it also helps to disinfect the seedlings.
We invite you to watch a video about soaking parsley seeds in vodka:
In water
Lay the seeds on a layer of gauze, cover them with a second layer.- Place in a saucer and pour hot water, but not boiling water, so that the liquid slightly covers gauze with seeds.
- Leave on for 12 hours, changing the cooled water 3-4 times.
- Then remove the swollen seeds and sow. Or keep in a wet gauze and sow already sprouted.
There is an option with the use of melt water: it can be collected and melted pure snow, or water frozen in a freezer, then melted and warmed to room temperature.
- With such water pour the seeds laid out on the fabric at the bottom of the plate.
- The optimum air temperature is + 20- + 25 ° С. The containers are placed in a dark place for 48 hours.
- Water is changed 3-4 times a day.
In solution of potassium permanganate
Soaking in the solution of potassium permanganate is necessary for the disinfection of seeds.
- To do this, dissolve 1 oz. manganese in 100 ml of warm water. The solution will be dark, almost black.
- Place the seeds wrapped in cheesecloth in the solution tank for 15-20 minutes.
- Over time, rinse them well in running water and dry them, or wrap in a damp cloth for further germination.
In hydrogen peroxide
- Make a solution of 1 tablespoon of peroxide 3% and 0.5 liters. water.
- Wrap the seeds in a layer of gauze and drop in a saucer with a solution.
- Keep at room temperature for 12 hours, changing the solution to fresh every 3-4 hours so that oxygen goes to the seeds and they are not “suffocated”.
- After soaking, rinse them in running water, dry.
In the growth stimulator
There are various growth stimulants to increase the resistance of seedlings to adverse factors. The use of growth stimulants helps to increase the percentage of crop germination. After the procedure, soaking in growth stimulants, the seeds are dried without washing, sown.
- Soaking in Appin solution: in 100ml of boiled water, with a temperature of 22-23 ° C, dilute 4-6 drops of Appin. Lower the seeds in a gauze bag into the prepared solution for 18-24 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Soaking in a solution of Humate potassium: dilute 0.5 grams in 1 liter of warm water. Seeds, wrapped in cloth, placed in a glass for a day, periodically stir the liquid.
- Concentrated solution of biohumus dilute with water in the ratio of 1:20, parsley seeds in this solution hold no more than 24 hours.
In addition to purchased growth stimulants, nutritional blends made from natural ingredients are very popular at home.
For example: infusion of wood ash - an excellent source of minerals.
- Infusion is prepared from 2 tbsp. l ash and 1 l. water.
- Everything is mixed and insisted a couple of days.
- Seeds are kept in the infusion from 3 to 6 hours, stirring occasionally.
Mushroom infusion - contains all the trace elements necessary for the plant:
- It is made from dried mushrooms, which are poured with a small amount of water.
- After cooling, the cloth bag with seeds is dipped in the infusion for 6 hours.
Are there any other ways to improve germination?
In addition to soaking, there are other ways to prepare seeds:
- Calibration and sorting of seeds, for the removal of non-spars.
- Pour the dry seeds into a cloth bag, bury in a cold soil to a depth of 30-35 cm for two weeks. Remove the bag from the ground before sowing, dry the seeds on paper and sow.
- Hold the seeds in hot water, in a thermos from 30 minutes to two hours, then dry.
- Warm up the seeds on the central heating battery, wrapped in a cloth beforehand. - Rinse seeds, wrapped in a cloth bag in hot water, 3-4 times.
- Sparging - mixing seeds in water saturated with oxygen for 18-24 hours. After the bubbling procedure, the seeds are dried.
There are many methods for preparing seed material, but soaking is the most effective way of increasing the germination of parsley and improving the quality of the crop. Efforts will have to be made, but it is worth it to enjoy this vitamin seasoning.