Do you wash your seeds before sowing? This is a deadly mistake that ruins 80% of seedlings!
We reveal a forbidden technique that professionals use to ensure that seeds germinate with a 100% guarantee.
Mistakes of gardeners
The first mistake is soaking in potassium permanganate. It kills not only fungi, but also beneficial bacteria.
The second is washing the seeds with soap. Alkali destroys the protective shell.
The third problem is growing on cotton wool. The roots get entangled in the fibers and are damaged during transplantation.
The fourth mistake is ignoring stratification. Seeds of many crops need cold to awaken.
The fifth mistake is using boiling water for disinfection. It kills the embryo in the semen.
Tips and tricks
Replace potassium permanganate with aloe juice (1:1 with water). Soak the seeds for 12 hours - this will disinfect them and speed up germination.
For stratification, wrap the seeds in a damp cloth and place in the refrigerator for 3 days (+4 degrees).
Grow them in hydrogel - it retains moisture and does not damage the roots.
If you don't have hydrogel, use tea bags: cut them open, fill them with seeds and bury them in the soil. The paper will decompose, and the tannins from the tea will protect against fungi.
For pumpkin crops (cucumbers, squash), use "dry" germination: wrap the seeds in a dry cloth and place them on a radiator for 2 days. The heat will awaken the embryos without the risk of rotting.
Mix small seeds (petunia, lobelia) with sand - this will help distribute them evenly throughout the soil.
Summer residents who previously used potassium permanganate, after switching to aloe juice and hydrogel, claim that 9 out of 10 seeds germinate!
And experts say stratification is a necessity for many crops. Without it, lavender seeds won't germinate.
Author: Igor Zur