How to prepare carrot seeds for planting?

To get a rich harvest of carrots, it is not enough to properly care for the growing crop; it is also important to carry out pre-sowing preparation of seedlings. There are many techniques to improve seed germination. We offer an overview of the main methods of processing seed before planting in open ground, which will increase the rate of its germination.

The problem of preparing carrot seed material before planting is associated with the biological peculiarity of this culture. The seed coat contains essential oils that prevent moisture from getting inside. Such seedlings are classified as tugovidny, which is why the problem of accelerating the germination of seed material is especially acute for carrots.

Presowing preparation solves several problems at once:

• allows you to avoid uncooperative germination of seedlings;

• increases the rate at which sprouts appear;

• provides resistance to adverse external conditions, minimizes the risk of damage by pests and fungal infections;

• strengthens the plant's immunity.

However, there are also disadvantages. The seed processing technology is quite painstaking, it involves several stages - calibration, culling, sorting, disinfection, growth stimulation and other measures. Moreover, if at least one of these stages is performed incorrectly, then there is a high risk of completely spoiling the seed material.

First you need to determine the germination of carrot seeds. This will require a container of water and a little salt. The seedlings are immersed in a saline solution and left for 10-15 minutes. Those that float up are empty, they have not passed the test, so they can be safely thrown away.

All others are calibrated. To do this, visually inspect the seed material, and remove the seeds with visible signs of defects, diseases, or colored lighter than the rest. After that, disinfection is carried out. To disinfect carrot seedlings at home, it is better to use one of the following formulations.

Potassium permanganate - 1 g of potassium permanganate is stirred in 300 ml of water until dissolved. The seedlings are wrapped in a bandage and dipped in a pale pink solution for a quarter of an hour.

Boric acid - taken from a proportion of 1 g per 5 liters of water. In this composition, the planting material must be soaked for about a day.

An excellent result is obtained by pre-planting soaking of seedlings in nutrient solutions of macro- and microelements. To do this, you should purchase a universal drug, which includes zinc, molybdenum, copper, magnesium, as well as boron, iron and cobalt. The most effective means for activating seeds include several means.

• "Energy" - dilute 10 drops of the drug in 500 liters of water. The seeds are placed in a gauze or linen bag and immersed in liquid for 5-7 hours.

• "Bioglobin" - enriches seedlings with vitamins and protein. This will accelerate their germination and increase fruiting.

• "Pennant" - contributes to the reduction of germination time, and increases the germination parameters by 20-25%.

Germination can be improved by using the formulations "Gibberellin", "Ecost", "Thiourea", as well as "Epin" and other similar agents. But the absolute leader of pre-sowing preparation is the drug "Zircon". It contributes to a significant increase in the germination energy of seedlings.

If you do not have the opportunity to purchase specialized preparations, then you can use aloe juice. It has a beneficial effect on the revitalization of seeds. It is best to use plants that are 3-5 years old, and the leaf from which you will receive juice must first be kept in a cool place for about a week. To stimulate seedlings, you need to dissolve 10-15 drops of juice in 500 ml of water.

Another way to quickly germinate seeds is vodka. To do this, you need to place the seedlings in a canvas bag, and then lower them in an alcohol solution for 10-12 minutes. You cannot keep it longer, otherwise the seeds will burn and will not germinate. After that, the seedlings are thoroughly washed in water and planted in the ground. The advantages of this technique include a significant acceleration of germination, as well as disinfection of seeds. A similar result can be achieved if the planting material is treated with kerosene.

Hydrogen peroxide has a similar effect. The use of peroxide allows you to achieve fast and, most importantly, friendly germination. There are two options for using this drug.

Soaking seeds with 3% undiluted hydrogen peroxide for a quarter of an hour. After processing, the seedlings are washed and planted in the ground.

Drawing up a solution at the rate of 1 tbsp. l. peroxide in 500 ml of water. The seedlings are kept in this substance for about a day, after which they are planted without washing.

Alternative methods are available to improve germination rate parameters.

This method involves exposing the shell to air bubbles. For processing, you will need a three-liter jar and any aerator, an aquarium will do. The seeds are poured into a jar with cool water and a compressor is lowered there.

Air bubbles flush essential oils from the seed coat and thus accelerate germination. As soon as the seedlings are nailed, the contents of the can are filtered through a sieve and planted in the ground.

Another common method is to soak the seeds in plain water with the addition of ash powder. For 1 liter of water, you will need 1 tbsp. l. crushed ash, the solution is thoroughly mixed, and the seeds are immersed in it in a canvas bag for a day. There are options in which soaking is carried out for only 3-4 hours, but prolonged processing gives a more pronounced effect.

To properly prepare the seeds for sowing, and to achieve better germination, you need to saturate the seeds with moisture. To do this, you can use different techniques.

• Hot water. It is advisable to use a thermos, if it is not there, then the seedlings are poured into a glass container and filled with water heated to 40-55 degrees. The jar is covered with a lid and carefully wrapped to retain heat. The processing time is half an hour.

• Steam. This is one of the most popular folk methods. To do this, take a plastic bucket, make a wire frame on supports and cover it with old tights or other nylon fabric. Next, the seeds are poured into a tea strainer, placed on a frame, boiled water is poured into a bucket so that the water does not reach the seedlings.The bucket is tightly covered with a lid and left for 9-10 hours. Such treatment allows accelerating seed germination at least twice.

• Soak. The most affordable method for preparing carrot seeds. Before disembarking, they are simply poured with water and left in a well-heated place for a day - this time is quite enough for them to swell. The next day, you can safely plant them in open ground.

A good result is given by grinding the seedlings with dry sand. The sand thinns the seed coat, thereby accelerating the appearance of the first shoots many times over. However, many summer residents consider this method inconvenient - if you take river sand of gray shades, then the seeds are lost against the general background, and in the process of grinding it is not clear whether they are present between the fingers, or there is only one sand.

An unusual method of pre-sowing preparation involves burying seeds. It is used in the spring, when the snow is just beginning to melt. It is necessary to dig a shallow hole 30-40 cm in the ground, pour the seeds into a linen bag and bury them in this hole.

After that, a small snowy hill is formed, which will prevent the seeds from freezing. During the melting of the snow, he will saturate them with the necessary moisture. In this form, the seedlings are left for 10-14 days, after which you can safely germinate them in the ground in a prepared bed.

When carrying out pre-sowing treatment of planting material, many novice gardeners make mistakes. Let's list the most common ones.

• Failure to comply with the recommended duration of seed soaking and waterlogging.

• Using too cold or, on the contrary, too hot water for soaking or rinsing.

• Keeping seedlings in an antiseptic solution longer than necessary.

At the first stage of pre-sowing preparation, all diseased and empty seeds are removed. The rest are calibrated and the most valuable are selected, the diameter of which is not less than 0.7 mm. It is from such seedlings that the largest root crops are obtained.

Do not forget about the expiration date of the seed. It is believed that pre-preparation and treatment with a growth stimulant will help revitalize and awaken expired seeds. This is a common misconception. In such seeds, the embryo dies, and neither moisture nor chemicals can make it viable.

There are many effective ways to speed up seed germination. The choice of a specific technique largely depends on what time of year you plan to plant the crop.

When planting before winter, the sizing, sorting and selection of the largest seedlings is a must. They have a dense shell and, accordingly, an impressive supply of nutrients. But any measures that are designed to saturate the seeds with moisture are best avoided, since they will freeze under the influence of negative temperatures.

As for the spring time, here you can use all methods without exception. The only thing that should be focused on is the climatic conditions of the growing region, as well as the varietal characteristics of carrots.