How to soak beet seeds before planting?

Many gardeners prefer to plant these or other plants through seedlings. Because it is a fast and reliable way.But still there are plants that are recommended to be planted directly into the ground. Beetroot is a bright representative of those crops that are planted with the help of seeds.

This root crop has a number of useful properties. Proof of this is that the vegetable is enriched with vitamins (A, B, C, PP) and microelements (potassium, iodine, zinc, iron, magnesium). Without beets, we can not imagine the most delicious dishes: soup, herring under a fur coat, vinaigrette. Unlike other, no less useful vegetables, beets do not lose their properties when cooked. That is why almost all gardeners and gardeners carry out massive sowing of beets in the spring on their beds.

Before planting this root crop, you need to remember such moments:

• beets do not like a cold, not moist, sour, poor in microelements soil;
• Beet prefers clarified and well heated areas and soil enriched with humus.

Despite the popularity of such a well-known vegetable, many are interested in the question: how to prepare the seed properly before planting? How can you accelerate its germination? What are the nuances to consider? Since the increase in germination and yield result is directly dependent on the correct preparation of seed. For a good impregnation of seeds with moisture, so that they germinate faster (beets are characterized by slow growth) such a procedure as soaking is carried out.

There are many options for this training. But the most popular ones that are easy to use and do not take too much time, which is important.

The soaking procedure is an integral part of the preparation of seed for planting. Being in solution, the seeds are very well enriched with moisture and useful substances. And water, as everyone knows, is necessary for the seeds to swell, to increase in volume. Consequently, upon swelling, the seed cells intensively absorb water, and starch and proteins acquire a soluble form. This process is an indication that the seed from a dormant state has passed to active life.

We give a detailed description of some options for soaking seeds before planting in the ground.

You need a small container like a “mayonnaise” bucket that needs to be filled with water (1 liter) at room temperature. Then add half a tablespoon of soda. After that, pour the seed into the solution and cover with a lid. Leave for an hour or a half. When the allotted amount of time has passed, take out the seed material and place it in a small piece of cloth, and pour out the water.

For the procedure, find a deep dish, on the bottom of which place the filtered paper or napkins soaked in clean water. Next, take the beet seeds and place them in a sieve, rinsing with plain water for three to five minutes. Put the washed seeds into a jar-like container and close the lid. Leave it in a warm place, for example, on a windowsill. Seeds will be ready for planting when germinated.

Take a liter vessel and fill it with water at room temperature. Next, dissolve 1 tablespoon of wood ash. Take the gauze and put the seed on it. Then dip it into the solution. Soak need exactly one day.

You can also use other solutions, for example:

• solution of boric acid and copper sulphate (1 gram per 5 liters of water);
• growth stimulants ("Appin", "Zircon" and others), which should be used according to the instructions.

You will learn how to soak beet seeds in the following video.

After soaking, it is possible and even necessary to proceed with the treatment and disinfection, since the majority of all diseases of the plant are obtained due to untreated, non-disinfected seeds. For this procedure, you will need a light pink 1% solution of potassium permanganate. At the rate of 1 gram of potassium permanganate per 100 milliliters of water, you need to stir until the crystals completely dissolve.

Next, take a single-layer square of gauze 10x10 centimeters, in the center of which place the beet seeds, form a bag and tie it with a thread, but not very tight, so that fresh air flows. Immerse the formed bag in a solution of potassium permanganate until morning. Then remove and rinse abundantly with ordinary drinking water until the seeds are completely cleansed.

Place the washed seeds in a jar filled with ash for about 6-12 hours. The impact of ash produces a very good nutritional effect, after which the seeds are ready for planting in the ground.

Another option for heating is wrapping seeds in a plastic bag. Then they are put in a warm place. For example, on the window sill. The first sign that the seeds are ready to be planted in the ground is their cursing. That is, when the first shoots that look like strings will be visible.

Another option for disinfecting seeds is a 1.5% mustard solution. From the calculation: in 100 milliliters of water dissolve mustard powder on the tip of a knife. In the prepared solution, the seeds are disinfected for 6 hours. Then you need to dry them. Flushing is not required. Quite a few gardeners prefer to protect the seeds from the fungal flora with aloe juice. To do this, cut the leaves in a refrigerator for 2 days, the temperature is 2-3 degrees Celsius. After that, squeeze out the juice, immerse the seeds in it and leave them for exactly a day, and then dry.

But only those seeds that you collected yourself are subject to disinfection. The factory ones, that is, those bought in the store, have already gone through this stage of preparation (this is indicated on the reverse side of the package) and is fully prepared for landing directly into the ground. Before starting soaking, it should be remembered that the seeds may be empty in the middle and, as a result, simply unsuitable for germination. Therefore, in order to avoid marriage, you must carefully select them. To do this, it is not enough just to feel them. It is necessary to use 3% or 5% saline. Pour out all the seeds and mix. Those who are not suitable, immediately float to the top.

After soaking, disinfecting and warming up, a procedure such as hardening is performed. Its importance is determined by the fact that during hardening the seeds acclimatize. In other words, the plant gets used to new conditions. Since at the time when it is necessary to plant beets in the ground (in May), there may be sharp temperature drops or freezing. Hardening is carried out by wrapping the seeds in gauze and placing them in the refrigerator for about a day or two.

When all the important preparation activities have been carried out, then you can start planting beet seeds in the ground. How is this done? Sow can be tape or single line method. Between the rows with the first method, the distance is 35-45 centimeters, with the second - 50-60 centimeters. On 1 square meter of a bed it will be enough to sow 5-10 grams, on depth of 3-5 centimeters. Sow in a well-hydrated soil. For this purpose, you can use ordinary warm water. The distance between the seeds directly in the furrow does not exceed 7-10 centimeters.

Terms of germination of beets are directly dependent on the ambient temperature:

• at 21-28 degrees - 5 days;
• at 10-17 degrees - 10 days;
• at 5-7 degrees - 20-25 days.

In order to grow a rich harvest, important tips from experienced gardeners should be remembered.

• Beets need to be planted in mid-May. Because the root vegetable does not like the cold.
• The beds where the beets will be planted should be directed from north to south. To the sun was able to warm the ground.
• Sour soil is not normal for beets. Therefore, before planting, it is necessary to loosen the soil with lime, and if necessary, fertilize with humus.
• If after the beets have risen, red streaks are visible on the leaves, you need to salt the soil. This indicates that there is not enough sodium in the soil. For podsolki you need 200 grams of salt, dissolved in 10 liters of water. Then you need to carefully water every garden bed.

• Disinfected seeds should be stored separately from untreated seeds.
• Sometimes a black inedible stain forms in the middle of the beet. This is chalcosporosis. This is due to a lack of boron and magnesium in the soil. To avoid the disease, it is enough to spray the drug "Mag-bor" in the garden. At the rate of 1 tsp per 1 square meter bed. We bring this fertilizer not into the groove, but over the entire surface of the bed, then it is necessary to dig the soil. But so that the drug remained in the root zone (approximately 10 centimeters). This can be done with a rake, hoe, but not with a shovel.
• Beets are recommended to be stored separately from greens, so that it stays fresh longer.