How to accelerate the germination of carrot seeds?

At the beginning of preparation for the new season, farmers will have a lot of work on their plot. And, in addition to fertilizing, loosening the soil, planting plants and watering them, problems with seed germination are added.Carrots are more capricious than other crops and require special attention.

Carrots are a root vegetable by nature. And such plants do not tolerate transplantation, which implies sowing directly into open ground. But if you do this without any prior preparation, then there is a high risk of getting weak shoots and tasteless fruit. In addition, it will take about 20 days of agonizing wait to see the first shoots that have spiked through the earth.

Soil throughout this time must remain wet, otherwise most of the seed material may die, and the gardener will only have to reap a meager harvest. And this is not all the problems associated with direct sowing of seeds into the soil.

Carrot seeds have an oleaginous shell. On the one hand, it protects the seed from external influences, on the other hand, it prevents water from penetrating inside, which makes the orange root crop not the simplest crop for growing. Therefore, farmers, in order not to lose crop quality and reduce time costs, resort to accelerating the germination of carrot seeds.

There are many different ways to improve seed quality before planting.

The easiest and most common method that can be applied not only to carrots, is soaking. Its essence is to fill the required number of seeds in a container and fill them with water. The liquid should cover all seeds completely. It is necessary to leave the contents of the container for a day in a warm place.

But do not keep the seeds in the water more time, thinking that they germinate faster. On the contrary, an excessively long presence of seeds in the water will deprive them of their access to oxygen, and they will begin to die. Also classic soaking has another difficulty. During sowing the soil wet seeds will stick to the hands, which will complicate the even distribution of material along the grooves.

The second method is more laborious, but effective. In order to reduce the negative effect of the oily seed coat, soaking is also used, but not just in the tank anymore. Seeds are poured into the bags and left in the water for 3-4 hours, after which the need to replace fluids. This goes on for three days.

If the gardener often encounters various pests on the plot, it is recommended that another procedure be carried out after the main soaking. The bag is placed for another day in a warm solution of sodium humate. The solution itself is prepared at the rate of 1 teaspoon of humate per 1 liter of water.

For supporters of organic farming there is an alternative way. Instead of mineral fertilizer, you can use wood ash and dilute it in warm water in the ratio of 1 tablespoon to 1 liter. Then strain the resulting solution and soak the bag in it.

And in order to avoid having to deal with the diseases of carrots, it is better, after soaking, to harden the seeds. This is done as follows: a still wet bag is left for 5 days in the refrigerator. The main task is to ensure that the seeds do not have time to dry during this time. Then the seed is removed from the refrigerator, slightly dried before the moment of purchasing flowability, and is conveniently sown in open ground.

The third method can be called the most technologically advanced. For its implementation will need a capacity of three or more liters and aquarium aerator for water. It will not allow to wither the seeds from lack of oxygen during their long stay in water. After 3-4 days seed can be used.

It remains to remember to change the water 1-2 times a day. And in order to make this method more efficient, you need to pour the seeds into the bag and not just put it in the water, but fix it in front of the aerator nozzle for maximum oxygen supply.

The modern market is saturated with various growth stimulants. For some plants, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peas, additional stimulation is not needed, because they themselves are distinguished by good germination. Of course, in the presence of high-quality seed material. For with bad genetics, even the best stimulants will be useless.

Most agronomists today distinguish the following stimulating drugs.

• "Albite". According to the manufacturer, this stimulator not only accelerates the process of seed germination, but also has a number of other useful properties. It is able to protect plants from sudden changes in temperature and humidity, herbicidal stress, common diseases and mechanical damage. In addition, the manufacturer promises, "Albit" will accelerate the ripening of fruits and improve their quality. A nice addition is its very low toxicity, which distinguishes the drug from other fungicides.

• "Zircon". This preparation is experienced gardeners put on a par with "Albit." And not without reason. “Zircon” is also multifunctional and copes with the same problems as its predecessor. According to its composition, this drug is not satisfactory. According to the manufacturer, it can be concluded that Zircon does not harm either animals or plants. And you can believe in it, because it is based on an organic extract of Echinacea purpurea. For soaking seeds, the drug is used in the following dosage: 10 drops are diluted in 1 liter of water. The seed is kept in the resulting solution for up to 8 hours.

• "Bioglobin". Another proven tool among experienced gardeners. All his strength is directed specifically at stimulating plant growth. Therefore, you can apply it at all stages of cultural development. To improve the quality of seeds, you need to add 20 drops of the drug to 0.5 liters of water. In the finished solution, the seed material is aged for up to 24 hours. This also includes drugs that are similar in action, but with a less pronounced effect, such as “Vympel”, “Epin” and “Energen”. Seeds are soaked in diluted solution according to the instructions, dried and sown in open ground.

• Aloe. An alternative to all industrial biostimulants is a three-year-old aloe juice. It is optional to use three-year-old, it is possible to take more adult plant. But it is better to refrain from applying a young one, since he has not yet formed a suitable composition for stimulating growth. To obtain the drug, the lower leaf of the plant is cut off, after which it is removed in the refrigerator for a period of 7 to 14 days.

Whatever the achievements of modern agronomy, it is impossible to discount the experience of ancestors. These are time-tested methods with a 100% eco-friendly approach. Below are some of the ways.

• Soaking in hot water. For seed material, such conditions will have a positive effect not only on their rapid germination, but also serve as a good prevention of bacterial diseases. In order for this method to be effective, it will be necessary to heat the water to no more than 50 ° C. Then, without letting it cool, it is necessary to pour liquid into a thermos. Place the seeds there and insist up to 8 hours.After this time, rinse the planting material in cold water, dry it and apply for its intended purpose either on the same day or the next.

• Steam treatment. To quickly germinate seeds, there is another "warm" way. It will be necessary to pour hot water (about 80 ° C) into the container and place the sieve with seeds above the surface of the water. Cover everything with a lid on top and let it brew for 8 hours. For greater efficiency, water is best changed as it cools. According to some summer residents, this method speeds up the sowing of seeds at least twice.
• The use of vodka. As mentioned at the beginning of the article, carrot seeds have an oily shell, which makes it difficult for seeds to germinate in the ground. Alcohol is, by its nature, a good liposolvent. Therefore, planting material by soaking for 15 minutes in a container with vodka can significantly increase the number of sprouts in the garden.

To accelerate the germination of carrot seeds, see the following video.