SPRING - For Better Seed Germination

SPRING - For Better Seed Germination

You can start planning your vegetable sowing for the new season right now. Browse our seed selection and perhaps break away from your "usual routine" and try growing new vegetable varieties.

Always buy vegetable seeds on time! Some vegetable types cannot be sown late - you might not get a harvest (fruits might not have time to develop and ripen).

Seeds should only be purchased from specialized shops - from us. Varieties are genuine and pure. Seed germination is guaranteed. The seed viability expiration date is marked on the back of the packet. Always open seed packets carefully so you don't tear this information. Keep the unopened packet for potential complaints, but also for yourself, so you know next year whether stored unused seeds are still suitable for sowing. The label also immediately shows you who produced the seeds. Don't buy loose bulk seeds where you have no certainty of origin and expiration date.

If you don't sow purchased seeds immediately, it's advisable to store them properly for future use. To prevent seeds from molding, store them in a dry environment. Seeds lose their viability if stored at temperatures higher than 15°C. Seeds should be stored in a sealed jar or bag to prevent moisture absorption from the air. The ideal temperature for storing opened seed packets is below 10°C.

How to Easily Test Seed Viability?

For larger seeds - pumpkin, beans, corn - use the same method but instead of cotton wool, use river sand or sawdust. Room temperature during this test should be around 20°C. How do we determine percentage germination? The more seeds you test, the more accurate the viability assessment will be. Germination - 100 seeds used = 100% viability.

How to Support Seed Germination?

In spring months, it's advisable to use various techniques to support seed germination.

Seed Soaking

• seeds are sprinkled with lukewarm water before sowing, allowed to swell, and then left to dry
• soaking washes out chemical substances called inhibitors that slow down or prevent germination
• aerate soaked seeds - for example, by shaking the dish in which they're germinating
• provide light, placing seeds under a desk lamp is sufficient
• change the water for soaked seeds. Optimal water temperature is 20-25°C. The longer you soak seeds, the shorter time they'll need for germination

Pre-germinated soaked seeds should never be transplanted into dry soil. The sprouts would dry out and plants wouldn't emerge at all. The soil must be thoroughly moistened before sowing. Statistically, soaked seeds show twice the germination rate.

Seed Warming

We warm seeds before germination. Warming is performed by heating the seeds for approximately 2 hours with air at a temperature of 40-50°C. If you don't have a hot air heater, you can warm the seeds under a lit desk lamp - at a reasonable distance! Warming is a particularly effective method that promotes plant growth and the formation of flowers and fruits. Warming is especially suitable for cucumber seeds.

Seed Vernalization

As the name suggests, this is a method of awakening seeds before spring. This method is particularly effective for tomato seeds, increasing their biological value. Moisten the seeds and store them in a warm environment, then briefly cool them and place them in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.

Warning! - Seeds that don't tolerate vernalization include onions, kohlrabi, celery, and all varieties that are prone to bolting when this isn't their primary purpose!

Seed Coating

This method ensures nutrition for young plants immediately after germination. Coat moistened vegetable seeds in powdered organic-mineral fertilizer containing essential nutrients and growth substances in proportions that germinating seeds and young plants can fully utilize. Sow the seeds immediately after coating.

Dissolve any remaining fertilizer powder from seed coating in water and use it for watering, for example in hotbeds.

Have you learned something new that you haven't tried yet? Did any of these methods for supporting seed germination catch your attention, and have you decided to try it in spring?

Do you have proven tips for stubborn seeds? What song do you sing to help them grow better? Write to us and share with friends on Facebook!

Author: Hana Michalíková