How to check cucumber seeds for germination in water?
There are hundreds of different types of cucumbers on the market. But to get a rich harvest, it is not enough to choose the right type and fulfill all the requirements of agricultural technology.It is also important to correctly select the seed, because it must be of good quality. This can be easily done at home, but you have to take into account a number of points.
Principles of selection
An early check of seed germination is extremely important for all gardeners and gardeners. Only with its implementation can we guarantee the success of landing. First of all, all empty copies are carefully selected. To check the seeds of cucumber for germination in water is quite simple. The procedure algorithm is as follows:
- seed is poured into water;
- moving in a circle, mix it (while trying not to stir);
- leave the tank alone for about 10 minutes;
- at the end of this time, all that remains to float on the surface must be removed and discarded;
- the sunken seeds are removed and gently dried after laying out on dry paper.
Alternative methods
You can do the same without water. For this take:
- sheet of paper of small size;
- piece of gauze;
- chintz or medical bandage.
The material is divided into two parts and spread on a small saucer. Part of the fabric is used for a uniform layout of seeds, pre-moistened with water. The second part of the material is intended to cover the seeds. Then the saucer is moved to where the room temperature is consistently observed. A few days sowing culture slightly moistened (1 time in 24 hours).
If groups of seeds are divided into 10 pieces, it will be easy to estimate how much will come up.
Another option for determining germination is the so-called roll approach. For it use a tetrad sheet of A4 format, the entire surface of which is moistened (but at the same time it should not be torn). Putting the sheet on a hard surface, lightly moistened seeds are evenly spread over it. After that, the sheet is wound into a roll and placed in a tank with warm water. The roll should be put so that it only touches the water, but does not sink into it. Exposure is also several days, and the seeds should be in a dark room.
To determine the germination of cucumber, cabbage and radish seeds is worth any of the above method for 4 days. For comparison, the term for determining the germination of other crops is:
- for onions, sorrel and beets - 5 day;
- for carrots, tomatoes and dill - 6 day;
- for parsley and celery - 8 day.
Counting is carried out, taking the total number of prepared seeds for 1. Hollow and excessively weak embryos are taken into account as a residue. For example, if 30 seeds were grown, and the number of sprouts that appeared was 15, then the germination rate was 50%. This is an average figure. It means that the expenditure of seed material grows noticeably, as dense sowing is required. If the number of sprouted sprouts does not reach 15%, the use of seeds is better to refuse, because they will have to spend a lot, and the result will not justify the effort.
Additional recommendations for seed sorting and preparation
At home, instead of ordinary water, salt water can also be used, which is obtained by dissolving 60 g of common salt per liter. The advantage of this approach is that you do not need to wait for the result for a long time. You just need to collect the emerging part of the seed and send it to the trash. The next stage of work is the heating of seeds in a fabric bag made from natural materials. The heat source can be either a solar window sill or a radiator (on which, to prevent unpleasant consequences, you should put cardboard).
The seed is then disinfected.. If potassium permanganate is taken for this purpose 1%, then it is necessary to process 20 minutes, and when using hydrogen peroxide in a concentration of 3%, the processing time is halved. From two to three hours you need to keep the seeds in a weak solution of boric acid or copper sulfate. The proportions of branded disinfectants are listed in the instructions. It is possible to increase germination due to soaking in the preparations “Gumi” or “Epin-Extra”.
It is worth considering that if seeds are taken in advance that are pre-pickled at the plant, additional disinfection is not required.
Important nuance
Many gardeners are concerned about the idea: how to determine if there is an excessive amount of harmful nitrates in the crop. No wonder, because these substances can penetrate into the plant not only with the use of various fertilizers, but also from the soil itself. Therefore, it is recommended, even when using cucumbers from their own site, to thoroughly wash them, cut off the skin and the area where the stem is attached. They mainly concentrate in themselves the toxic substances.
At the stage of cultivation is to regularly feed the plants with potassium. It reduces the absorption of nitrate by cucumbers and reduces their accumulation. It is also good 10 minutes before eating or before cooking, even if it is a salad, soak vegetables in cold water.
On how to check the seeds of cucumber germination, see below in the video.
