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 seed material for carrots before planting is associated with the biological characteristics of this crop. The seed coat contains essential oils that prevent moisture from getting inside. Such seedlings are classified as tight-looking, which is why the problem of accelerating the germination of seed material is especially acute for carrots.

Pre-sowing preparation solves several problems at once:

• avoids unfriendly germination of seedlings;
• increases the rate of emergence of sprouts;
• provides resistance to adverse external conditions, minimizes the risk of damage by pests and fungal infections;
• strengthens the immunity of the plant.

However, there are also disadvantages. Seed processing technology is quite painstaking, it involves several stages – calibration, culling, sorting, disinfection, growth stimulation and other activities. Moreover, if at least one of these steps 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. Seedlings are immersed in a saline solution and left for 10-15 minutes. Those that float to the top are empty, they have not passed the test, so they can be safely thrown away.

All others are calibrated. To do this, the seed material is visually examined, and seeds with visible signs of defects, diseases, or colored lighter than the rest are removed. This is followed by disinfection. To disinfect carrot seedlings at home, it is better to use one of the following compounds.

Potassium permanganate – 1 g of potassium permanganate is stirred in 300 ml of water until dissolved. 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, planting material should be soaked for about a day.

An excellent result is obtained by preplant 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 to activate the seeds include several means.

• “Energy” – 500 drops of the drug are diluted in 10 liters of water. 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 speed up their germination and increase fruiting.

• “Vympel” – helps to reduce the germination time, and increases the germination parameters by 20-25%.

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

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

Another way to quickly germinate seeds is vodka. To do this, place the seedlings in a canvas bag, and then lower them into an alcohol solution for 10-12 minutes. You can’t 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.

Soak seeds in 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 per 500 ml of water. In this substance, the seedlings are kept for about a day, after which they are planted without washing.

There are alternative methods 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. Seeds are poured with cool water in a jar and the compressor is lowered there.

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

Another common method is soaking the seeds in ordinary water with the addition of ash powder. For 1 liter of water you 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 performed for only 3-4 hours, but prolonged processing gives a more pronounced effect.

To properly prepare the seeds for sowing, and 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 available, 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. Processing time is half an hour.

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

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

A good result is the grinding of seedlings with dry sand. Sand thins the seed coat, thereby greatly accelerating the appearance of the first shoots. 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 sand.

An unusual way of pre-sowing preparation involves burying seeds. It is used in the spring, when the snow begins 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 in this hole.

After that, a small snow hill is formed, which will prevent the seeds from freezing. During the melting of snow, it will nourish 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 on a prepared garden bed.

When carrying out pre-sowing processing of planting material, many novice gardeners make mistakes. We list the most common.

• Non-compliance with the recommended duration of soaking seeds and their waterlogging.
• Using too cold or 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 material. There is an opinion that preliminary preparation and treatment with a growth stimulator will help revive and wake up 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 the year you plan to plant a crop.

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

As for spring time, all methods without exception can be used here. The only thing to focus on is the natural and climatic conditions of the growing region, as well as the varietal characteristics of carrots.