How to check the germination of corn. Increasing the germination of pepper seeds: proven folk and effective modern methods. Using sawdust

25.03.2018

Hello dear gardeners! In this article, I will tell you how to check seeds for germination at home and why this should be done. Now the season for planting seedlings is in full swing and everyone who grows at least something on their plots wants to get decent harvest. So, in order to achieve this, first of all, we need seeds that have high sowing qualities.

Among these qualities is their viability (i.e., the ability to germinate). It often happens that the seeds are fresh, but stored at too low or high temperatures. And as a result of such storage, they do not germinate. However, they have not lost their germination, but are at rest. You can remove the seeds from this state by alternately exposing them to heat and cold (keep warm during the day and send to the refrigerator at night).

seed viability

The viability of seeds also depends on their maturation, as well as on the health of the plants from which they are collected. Therefore, for sowing, you need to use seeds that are well-made (not empty), clean, without damage and with a uniform color of the shell.

Do not take for sowing and very old seeds. Even if the viability, for example, in beans, can last more than 10 years, other things being equal, it is better to sow seeds no older than 5 years of age.

Some gardeners mistakenly believe that old seeds germinate faster in the celery family, because they already have little essential oils. There is also an opinion that cucumbers should be sown with seeds of the second or third year (then more female (fruit) flowers are formed.

In the first case, celery seeds, even after two years of storage, germinate extremely reluctantly, and the germinated plants will still be weaker than those obtained from fresh seeds. Cucumbers sown with fresh seeds will also be more developed and will therefore produce bigger harvest than plants from old seeds. The yield of female flowers in cucumbers grown from old seeds may indeed be greater, but not all of these flowers will give full-fledged fruits, since the plant simply does not have enough strength for them.

Seed germination

Another indicator of seed quality is their germination (the ability to produce normal seedlings). It depends on the conditions of their cultivation, collection, storage, temperature and soil moisture during sowing. First of all, the seeds must be ripe, well dried.

The more frequent and stronger fluctuations in temperature and humidity during storage of seeds, the more their germination decreases (with an increase in air humidity by 8%, the moisture content of seeds changes towards an increase by 1%). Therefore, it is important that the seeds are kept indoors in the shops where they are sold at a constant temperature. Then they will not be damp when the weather changes. And, of course, there should be no traces of smudges, blurred paint on the packages, which indicates that the seeds were wet and then dried.

When stored at home, seeds should also be kept under stable conditions. They shouldn't be around for long. heating appliances e.g. near radiators or on top shelf kitchen cabinet: in conditions of too dry air, the embryo may fall into a state of deep dormancy, and the seeds will become tight.

Determination of seed germination

When sowing small batches of seeds at home, it is not necessary to determine the germination rate. But, if you have doubts about their quality, and you need to sow large area, then it is advisable to check the germination.

To determine germination, seeds can be germinated in small bowls, plates, saucers, or laboratory glass Petri dishes. A piece of blotting paper is placed at the bottom. Paper towels, napkins, toilet paper. It is well moistened and seeds are placed. The container must be covered to keep it moist.

After a few days, the number of hatched seeds is counted. On the 3rd day, the number of germinated seeds in zucchini, cabbage, cucumber, radish, sorrel, pumpkin, turnip is determined; on the 4th - beans, peas; on the 5th - carrots, beets, onions, tomatoes; on the 7th - parsley, pepper, spinach.

60 - 70% or more - in parsley, parsnip, carrots, dill;
80% - in peppers, onions, lettuce, beets;
90 - 95% - in radishes, cabbage, pumpkins, beans.

In cases where the germination of seeds is below the norm, it is necessary either to abandon their use or to increase the sowing rate.

Energy of seed germination

No less important is the energy of seed germination, which determines how quickly and amicably the seeds sprout per unit of time. It often happens that seed germination is good, but germination energy is low. Such seeds germinate non-simultaneously and slowly, so it seems that they are of poor quality.

Germination energy is determined earlier than germination (for example, in a tomato it is evaluated on the fifth day, and germination on the 10th day after sowing).

In general, it is true folk wisdom: "From a bad seed do not expect a good tribe."

However, it is not enough to have good variety and quality seeds, they need to be properly prepared. Moreover, many cultures need not only to be disinfected and germinated before sowing, but also to try to grow high-quality seedlings in our cramped apartments. We will deal with these and other topics in future articles.

Goodbye, dear gardeners! See you on our blog pages!

Preparing for the next garden season begins with the purchase of seeds and checking their quality. Now that the entire crop has been harvested on the site, the beds have been dug up, it's time to check the germination of the seeds that you have left from the previous season or you bought them in the fall for a promotion.

When checking the packages, you can see that many of them are already running out or the expiration date has expired. And it’s a pity to throw them away, especially if you liked the grown vegetables or flowers. Therefore, doubting the quality of the seeds, they must first be checked before planting.

Under germination is understood the percentage of shoots that have appeared to total number planted seeds. In other words, before sowing, it is necessary to determine the number and timing of the emergence of seedlings. Planning a site for certain crops and the purchase of crops necessary for sowing depends on this.

Another goal is to determine the quality of purchased seeds. It's no secret that purchased seeds are sometimes no good. Often they do not match what is written on the package.

Some planting material we ourselves prepare from the fruits we like, for example, seeds, peppers, flowers. In this case, it is simply necessary to check the germination, otherwise we risk being left without a crop at all.

How quickly do sprouts appear

At different cultures Germination times may vary. For most of them (cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, asters, etc.) average term 7-10 days. favorable conditions for fast shoots- This

constant moderate humidity,
room temperature within 20-25º,
sufficient ventilation, lack of air will lead to deterioration of the seeds,
for the germination of some varieties of flowers, greens, lighting is necessary, you can read about this on the packaging.

How long do seeds remain viable

The shelf life of the seeds is also important. When buying ready-made seeds in stores, always pay attention to the expiration date. Usually it does not exceed 2-3 years. But some seeds remain viable even after the designated period, especially since they need to be checked.

Seeds of cucumbers, as they are stored, remain viable even after 7-9 years; buying them expired is not so scary. But lettuce or parsnips are unlikely to sprout. A completely different situation is when the packages with asters indicate the expiration date in 2-3 years, but in fact they already have germination next year drops to 20%.

Over time, seedling germination may decrease. So, if in the first year the indicator is 90-95%, and this is the norm. The next year it can be 80%, after 2 years - 50%, and after 3-4 years - 30-40%. Moreover, germination is affected by:

expired expiration date;
improper storage - lack or excess of moisture;
low or heat in room;
lack of air access;
conditions for their germination are not created, for example, petunia seeds will not sprout if they are sprinkled with earth or covered with a dense cloth;
the quality of the seeds themselves - immature, overdried, damaged by pests or diseases.

How to check seed germination at home

Seed germination can be tested in several ways.

Fast way

in salt water check the germination of cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, squash, feathers, radishes, spinach, lettuce, corn, flowers, etc. To do this, add 1 teaspoon of salt to a glass of water, mix until the salt dissolves. Then 10 seeds are poured into the solution. Stir them in water, wait 5-7 minutes and see what happened and determine the percentage of germination.

Dry empty seeds remain on the surface of the water, they are thrown away without regret. Good, viable ones remain at the bottom. They can be dried and stored until planting.

In a solution of potassium permanganate . The method is similar to the previous one. To check the seeds are immersed in saturated. They look at which seeds float on the surface, which ones sink to the bottom. This method is good because, simultaneously with the check, the seeds are disinfected. Such a check can be carried out the day before sowing seeds for seedlings.

Germination

Sowing in the ground. Seeds are sown in a container with prepared soil, then they are covered with a layer of earth. The soil is moistened, and the container is placed in plastic bag or cover up cling film. Do not forget to sign what you have planted, the number of seeds, the planting date. The number of seeds must be known to determine the percentage of germination. If you planted 10 seeds, 9 of them sprouted, then the germination percentage is 90%. Or out of 10 6 seedlings sprouted, then this is 60%.

Sprouting on fabric. Take a thick cloth, cotton pad, paper towel wet them with water room temperature, spread 10 seeds on top. Check every day, do not let the cloth with seeds dry, moisten it.

To speed up germination, use

plant growth stimulants (Heteroauxin, Kornevin, Etamon, Zircon, etc.),
by heating the seeds in warm water (50ºС) for 6 hours, then washing them in cold water(stern of tomatoes),
hardening, when the seeds are dipped in warm water (50ºС), and then in cold. This is done 3 times a day for two days;
bubbling.

Bubbling is the treatment of seeds with oxygen or air in water. Bubbling removes the effect of inhibitors in the seed that delay germination, ensures amicable pecking and germination of seeds, increases field germination, enhances the initial growth of seedlings and accelerates the ripening of the crop by several days.

Checking the germination of carrots

Carrot seeds usually germinate in 30-40 days due to the long dissolution of the shell of tannins. It is they who protect the seeds from frost, delaying the emergence of seedlings. If it is enough to soak the seeds of other plants in water to find out their germination, then you will have to work a little with carrots. But this must be done. Because of long period germination of seedlings and lost time, poor-quality planting material can leave this useful vegetable without.

Take a piece of dense fabric, sprinkle dry seeds on it, then tie the ends of the fabric with an elastic band to make a fabric bag;
Pour water (50ºС) into a bowl and dip the bag into the water for a few minutes, then immediately immerse it in another container with cold water also for a few minutes. This is done three times a day. After 2 days, all tannins will be washed off the surface of the seeds. Remove the seeds from the bag, dry them on a plate or on a paper towel;
In a shallow container (box), pour the earth with a layer of 2-3 cm, scatter the seeds, and do not thick layer earth. Moisten the soil. The first shoots should appear in 10-15 days. You can check the germination by spreading the seeds between layers of damp cloth.

Dear readers, if you are not sure about the quality of the seeds, be sure to check them for germination without waiting for the start of the garden season.

Before any crops, the seeds must be checked for germination. Germination rates will directly affect the seeding rate. Knowing the expiration dates, determining the viability and germination of seeds will help to avoid risks when planting seedlings and sowing seeds in open ground. By correctly calculating the percentage of germination, you can avoid unnecessary expenses and save seeds of valuable varieties and crops.

Shelf life of seeds for sowing

If your seed bank has accumulated a lot of unused seeds from the past, do not rush to throw them away. Perhaps they will serve you more good service. If the seeds are preserved own production, then here you probably remember the year they were received. Get in the habit of marking the harvest year on the packets of seeds you collect.

With purchased seeds, everything is much more complicated. The time of purchase in the store and the expiration date indicated on the bag will not tell you anything about the true terms of use. It is good when conscientious producers also indicate the year of harvest.

seed viability

Seeds of all crops have their own period of viability, i.e. the ability to germinate for a certain time. Each vegetable has its own: in small-seeded crops (onions, leafy vegetables, carrots), the viability period is 3-4 years, pumpkin (cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin) and cabbage - 6-7 years, nightshade crops (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant) - 7-8 years.

Having established the age of the seeds, do not rush to get rid of expired ones in your opinion. The preservation of the sowing properties of seeds is affected by the conditions in which these seeds were formed on the plant, ripened and stored at your home or in a store. Therefore, before sowing, seeds should be checked for germination.

How to check seeds for germination at home

You can check the seeds for germination on your own, even at home. Place the seeds on a saucer with a damp cloth napkin: ideally - 50-100 pcs., However, in order to save money, you can limit yourself to 5 large seeds or 10 small ones. Cover them damp cloth or glass and put in a warm place with a temperature of 24-26 ° C.

For germination, you can also use ordinary toilet paper, folded several times. To obtain the result, it is necessary to ensure that the seeds are always in a humid environment and do not dry out. Germination is established by counting the seeds that have sprouted in a certain time, reflected as a percentage of the total number laid down for testing.

Determination of seed germination

For example, you have 7 seeds out of 10 put up for analysis, and there were only 30 seeds in the package. Then we make a proportion:
10 pieces. - 7 pcs. ascended
30 pcs. – X pcs. ascended

Now we will find out how many seeds in total with such germination will sprout out of 30: (30X7) / 10 = 21
It turned out that 21 seeds will sprout from the whole package.

Seed germination percentage

Again, let's make a proportion: we take all 30 seeds in a bag for 100%. We will find out how much of this amount will be 21 seeds, which, according to our previous calculations, will sprout: (21X100) / 30 \u003d 70%
Thus, seed germination was 70%.
According to the germination rates, one can judge the need for any additional measures for soaking the seeds in biological products, microfertilizers, heating or processing in other ways.

Seed germination time

Seed germination time for various vegetable crops different. For example, the germination of seeds of radish, radish is determined on the 6th day, not counting the day of sowing; carrots and tomatoes - by 10; and full germination in dill can be established only on the 21st day.

Energy of seed germination

Seed germination should be counted in two periods. The first count is made around the middle of the total germination time period. For example, in a cucumber after 3, peas - after 4, and in a tomato after 5 days. The readings taken by you during these periods are called the energy of seed germination. This is an important indicator characterizing the friendliness of germination. The higher the resulting percentage, the more friendly the seedlings will appear. The second data is noted after the final time interval established for each culture. The obtained indicators are summed up, converted into percentages, and the full germination of the tested seeds is established.

How to calculate seeding rate

Knowing the seed germination rate is important in order to correctly calculate the seeding rate and remove absolutely non-germinating seeds in time. Normally germinated, and therefore countable, are seeds in which the length of the emerging seedling is equal to or greater than the length or diameter of the seed, depending on the shape of the seeds. In addition, the sprout should have a well-developed main root and, if this is characteristic of this culture, lateral roots without signs of decay. Otherwise, the seedlings will be sparse, weakened and may soon die.

Seeds are considered conditioned, i.e. suitable for sowing if their germination rate is equal to or greater than 90%. At a rate of 50%, the sowing rate is doubled. Seeds with lower germination are unsuitable for sowing.

How to maintain seed germination

So that the seeds do not lose their sowing qualities during storage in the future, they must be stored correctly. The greatest danger during storage is increased temperature regime and humidity, because seeds are very hygroscopic and have the ability to absorb moisture from the surrounding air. In case of good drying seed material even an increase in temperature will not cause much harm even with high humidity in the room where they are stored. The best place seed storage - a dry, well-ventilated room, where the humidity does not exceed 50-60%. Then the moisture content of the seeds will remain at the level of 7-8%.

For proper storage I recommend pouring dried seeds into glass jar or a bottle, close tightly with a plastic cap or cork and place in the refrigerator in the vegetable storage compartment. Seeds stored in this form long time retain their sowing qualities.

Very, very little time is left before the calendar beginning of spring, which means that the “hot” time for farmers is just around the corner. Many summer residents have already managed to sow seedlings, and some crops, but the bulk of the seed is patiently waiting in the wings, which is about to come. In order not to waste such precious time later, not to miss it, the germination of seeds must be checked in advance! About how to do this, what affects germination, what this concept generally means, and what is the meaning of the procedures, let's talk today.

Rarely any of the gardeners do not have "strategic reserves" - these are purchased seeds left over from past seasons, and collected with their own hands, and those that were presented by friends and acquaintances. So seed can accumulate for years. However, the longer the seeds are stored, the worse their sowing qualities - germination and germination energy. But first things first...

What is meant by seed germination

Seed germination refers to the number of sprouts that have appeared, expressed as a percentage of the total number of seeds sown. Simply put, this is the ability of seeds to produce normal seedlings in a certain period of time. certain conditions germination. Still not very clear? Let's take a closer look...

The term for determining germination

Different crops take different times to germinate, although most germinate in 7-14 days. The terms for determining the germination of other crops (among the most popular) are given in the table, and be guided by it:

Of course, older seeds will take a little longer to germinate than indicated in the table. However, if they do not germinate for too long or have appeared on them, they will no longer sprout.

What is germination

laboratory germination determined only in specially created ideal conditions. It is she who is indicated on the packages and in the passport of the seeds that we purchase. Usually its performance is very high - 95-98%. Why, then, do they almost never give such results in our country? Does this mean that seed producers are deceiving us, clearly overestimating the percentage of germination?

In specially created ideal conditions

And here it is - no cheating! The thing is that the laboratory germination indicated on the seed bags is determined under ideal conditions, which are almost impossible to recreate on your own.

And we, sowing seeds, observe the so-called field germination, and it will always be lower than the laboratory one, because the conditions we have created are by no means ideal. field germination determined by the number of seedlings in real conditions - on the field.

According to the content and meaning of the ongoing processes, seed germination can be conditionally divided into three successive stages:

1st stage- swelling of seeds: in this time runs rapid absorption of water;
2nd stage- stimulation of biochemical processes under the influence of water: at this stage, enzyme proteins are activated and the formation of elements begins, which determine the final stage of germination;
3rd stage- growth of the embryo.

What determines seed germination

In addition to the features set by nature itself, which will be discussed a little later, seed germination directly depends on:

their maturity,
conditions and drying;
subsequent (its conditions and terms: the longer the seeds are stored, the more their germination decreases, keep this in mind).

The meaning of checking seeds for germination

To sum up, the point of testing seeds for germination is to make sure that they are able to germinate. Accordingly, the main procedure for such a check will be seed germination.

seed germination conditions

Germination is called renewal active growth seeds after dormancy. In order for the seeds to germinate, they must be viable, and they need to be in the right conditions:

water: first necessary condition germination - without it, sprouts will not appear, and those that have appeared will die;
temperature: has a direct impact not only on the percentage of germination, but also on the rate of seed germination. The optimum temperature for seed germination of cold-resistant crops is +18...+25 °C, for heat-loving crops - +25...+30 °C.

Seed germination temperature

light: only some cultures have strict requirements for it, the most popular among which are:, browallia, , pharynx, lettuce, .
air: without its normal access, germination slows down or is completely blocked. Therefore, germinate the seeds in a well-ventilated area.

In more detail about the germination conditions that must be created for different cultures, described in this .

Preparing seeds for germination testing

Before checking the seeds for germination, it makes sense to calibrate them.

Why Seed Calibration is Necessary

If you decide to test the percentage of germination on the smallest and most empty seeds of the species, nothing good will come of it. And why sow low-quality seed at all?

Calibration makes it possible to isolate the most seeds - large and medium - those that contain a large supply nutrients and can turn into powerful productive plants. That is, the meaning of calibration is to select seeds of approximately the same mass and size, with approximately the same nutrient reserves. Such seeds will sprout together, thereby facilitating the care of crops.

Let's start calibrating

We select large full-weight seeds and in small portions, stirring, immerse them in a 3-5% solution prepared from 30-50 g of salt dissolved in 1 liter of water. We keep the seeds in a saline solution for 2 hours: during this time, large and medium full-weight seeds sink to the bottom, and small and empty ones float up. This is exactly what needs to be removed. After removal small seeds the solution is carefully drained, the seeds are thoroughly washed and dried. By the way, it makes sense to use after calibration not only large and medium seeds, but also full-fledged small ones, you just need to sow them separately.

How to determine the percentage of seed germination

There is an opinion that one hundred percent germination simply does not exist, and this is true. There are germination rates even for conditioned seeds of different crops, but they do not reach 100%.

Percentage of germination for the most common horticultural crops is given in the table below, and be guided by it when germinating seeds.

To establish the percentage of germination, take 10 pieces of seeds (a different amount is possible, but then it is more difficult to calculate the percentages) of the same type, spread them evenly between sheets of filter paper (blotter - who remembers, there were a lot of them in Soviet times) or any porous material (ordinary toilet paper or gauze folded in several layers will do) and placed in a small saucer.

A container with seeds is installed in a room with a temperature of about +18 ... +22 ° C, and the seeds themselves are thoroughly moistened. Water is added as needed, but check that the paper is not too wet. After a certain time (it is equal to the term for determining the germination of seeds for a particular crop), the number of germinated seeds is calculated, setting the percentage of their germination. For example, if out of 10 seeds sprout 6, then the germination of seeds in a particular batch is approximately 60%. That is, we calculate the degree of germination as the ratio of seeds that have already sprouted to those that have not hatched.

Energy of seed germination

When checking germination, the germination energy is also determined, which is also indicated as a percentage and indicates the viability of the embryos. The higher the energy of seed germination, the more friendly the shoots will be, which means that the plants are stronger and the harvest is greater.

The energy of seed germination in all plants is determined several days earlier than their germination. For example, the germination energy of pea seeds is determined already on the third day after its seeds were laid for germination, and germination - on the sixth.

What can affect seed germination

Of course, no one can give a 100% guarantee that a beautiful-looking seed will germinate, and calibration will not insure against failures. There are a number of reasons for a decrease in seed germination, some of which we can prevent:

incorrect germination conditions (lack or excess of water, too low or too high temperature, and so on);
improper storage: e.g. wet room seeds can become sterile - the temperature inside the seeds rises from moisture, they overheat and lose their germination;
unripe and overdried seeds;
there are so-called light-like seeds that will never sprout if they are sprinkled with earth or covered with a dense cloth, sawdust or other material;
the lack of a dormant stage necessary for the seed;
seed damage ( various diseases or insects).

How to speed up germination and increase seed germination

Seed germination can be increased and germination can be accelerated by pre-treatment. If everything is done correctly, they will not only sprout faster, but they will also grow better. To do this, in addition to the usual sorting and calibration, you can carry out:

soaking seeds in solutions of growth stimulants, for example, in a solution of the Energen preparation, due to which their germination is accelerated;

You can choose preparations for pre-sowing seed treatment in our catalog, which combines the offers of large garden online stores. :

Epin extra 19 rub LOOK
Russian Garden

Ribav-extra (1ml) (growth stimulant) 41 rub LOOK
Agrofirm Search

Amulet (natural stimulant of plant immunity), 1 ml 39 rub LOOK
seedspost.ru

Now it's time to think about landings. And we get our stocks of seeds. Many have already decided what they will plant and now they need to sort and check the seeds for germination. In order not to lose precious time while waiting for seedlings, it is better to try to determine the quality of seeds in advance, even before sowing. Let's take a look at how you can determine the quality of seeds in advance, even before sowing.

A seed is already a plant, a real one. Each seed already has a bud, leaf and root. Only they are very small and hidden under the skin of the seed, and therefore they are not visible. But it is on their condition at the time of sowing that the first push and the rate of development of the plant in the future depend. Therefore, even before sowing, it would be good to find out as much as possible about those with whom you are going to communicate in the future.

Seeds cannot be stored indefinitely. Over time, they lose their ability to grow. The shelf life of all plants is different, which can sprout after 7 years, and some after a year are already unsuitable for planting. Seed germination depends on several factors. Germination is affected by the storage conditions of the seeds, the health of the plants themselves from which the seeds were collected, the ripeness of the fruits and flowers from which the seeds were collected, and the age of the seeds. Therefore, even if the seeds were excellent in the fall, by the time of planting they may already become unusable. To avoid surprises, it is better to sort them in advance and check for germination. Checking at home is not at all difficult. The check will help you plan the planting of seedlings and, if necessary, buy additional seeds in a timely manner so as not to disrupt the sowing time.

Let's take a look at what is meant by seed germination. Seed germination refers to the ability of seeds to germinate and produce viable sprouts. Thus, germination characterizes the health status of each seed. A healthy seed is characterized by the integrity of the seed, the speed of germination without the use of various growth stimulants and fertilizing, and the power of the sprout.

Typically, germination is determined by percentage the number of germinated seedlings to the total number of seeds. Seed germination is rarely 100% and no one expects it. Even if the seeds are fresh and healthy, then germination is considered good if 90 - 95% of the seeds sprout.

The germination rate depends on the culture. So, for example, for peas, cereals and turnips, germination is considered good if it is 90 - 95%. And for celery, cabbage, beets and tomatoes, the germination percentage is considered good if it is 60 - 70%. Parsnips, parsley and dill have the lowest germination rate - only 35 - 55%.

Seed germination is significantly affected by storage conditions. Seeds should preferably be stored in linen bags in a dry, cool place. Optimum temperature to store seeds around 10 C 0, it should not exceed room temperature.

As practice shows, harvested seeds from personally grown crops, have better germination than purchased ones. In this, the quality of seeds, varieties and accurate knowledge of age play an important role.

Germination of seeds is inversely proportional to their age. Therefore, especially carefully check old seeds for germination. The terms of preservation of germination for different crops are different. For example, cucumbers and tomatoes retain good germination for up to 4-5 years, and celery and parsley for no more than 2 years. The table below shows the approximate terms for maintaining good germination for seeds of various crops.

Shelf life of vegetable seeds without loss of germination.

	vegetable seeds	Seed shelf life (years)
	Parsnip, celery, onion
	Leek, lovage, parsley, dill, spinach, sorrel
	Carrot, pepper, lettuce
	Eggplant, kohlrabi, turnip, beetroot, cauliflower
	Canned cabbage, broccoli, swede, radish, radish, tomato

	Corn, beans, beans
	Watermelon, melon, zucchini, cucumber, squash, pumpkin

Shelf life of flower seeds without loss of germination.

	flower seeds	Seed shelf life (years)
	Aster, calendula, verbena, helichrysum, gazania, godetia, cochia, foxglove, arctotis
	Ageratum, chrysanthemum, viola, gaillardia, annual dahlia, delphinium, iberis, bluebell, ornamental sunflower, ornamental tobacco, lobelia, scabiosa, zinnia, purslane, stock rose
	Carnation, tar, Snapdragon, nemesia, penstemon, lavatera, malopa, stockrose, poppy, escholzia
	Petunia, marigolds, nasturtium, sweet pea, lupine, kosmeya, salvia, ornamental beans, sage, salpiglossis, nirembergia, schisanthus
	Balsam, cornflower, levkoy, alyssum, malcolmia
	Amaranth, celosia

Analyzing these tables, we can conclude that in stores you can buy or order seeds with an ending expiration date, starting from line "B" and below.

Seeds of cabbage, root vegetables, lettuce or onions are best used fresh, and seeds of fruit vegetables are best stored for several years and used as needed.

So, let's take a closer look at how to check and sort seeds.

Seed packaging.

We begin the check by examining the packaging of seeds, if they are purchased. You must pay attention to the expiration date.

The expiration date of the seeds on the package does not mean the period during which the high germination of the seeds. The expiration date on the package refers to the time interval during which seeds can be sold at retail. This period is counted from the date of packaging of seeds, and not from the date of their collection, and it does not depend on the type of crop.

In accordance with the "Procedure for the sale and transportation of seeds of agricultural plants" Article 7.1.:

“The expiration date is set for seeds packed in paper single bags from the date of packaging current year until the end of the next year.

For seeds packed in double packaging and only with the use of foil and other airtight materials - from the date of packaging of the current year until the end of the second year of sale.

For more better understanding Let's take tomato seeds as an example. For example, we have tomatoes from the 2017 harvest. The organization packaged them in November 2017. In this case, on the packaging, it must, in accordance with the law, indicate the expiration date of 12.2018. If these same seeds are packaged in January 2018, then the expiration date is already indicated on 12.2019, despite the fact that in the first and second cases these are the same seeds.

The expiration date allows you to estimate the age of the seeds and make assumptions about their germination. It is desirable that no more than a year pass from packing to sorting seeds. Although, if you see that on the packaging, for example, tomatoes, the expiration date is 2017, in the yard is 2018, then do not rush to throw them away, since tomatoes retain their germination for 4 to 5 years. It is possible that they still have good germination.

Seed calibration.

We look at external state seed. I think that everyone understands that the larger and heavier the seeds, the better. Select the largest and heaviest seeds of the same species.

Pay attention and appearance, for various seed damage. Damaged, discolored seeds, with various stains mold - you can safely throw it away. Such seeds will not give good harvest, and besides, they can infect other healthy crops.

Checking seeds for germination.

Now let's move on to a direct test for seed germination. Do seeds need to be germinated? Of course you have to. It will be cheaper to germinate the seeds than to re-sow.

For the germination process, it is important that the seeds get enough air. Otherwise, they will swell and suffocate, and as a result, they will die.

Prepare a 4 - 5% saline solution (1 teaspoon of ordinary table salt per 1 liter of water). Put the selected seeds in this solution for 2 hours. During this time, all the bad seeds will float to the surface, and the good ones will settle to the bottom.
Can be used instead of saline hot water. Pour the seeds into a bowl and pour hot water(up to 60 C 0) and leave to cool under the lid. When the water cools down, look: floating seeds are unusable, and settled seeds germinate 2 times faster.
You can throw away the floating seeds, and rinse the rest of the seeds from salt and dry them in the open air. This check can be completed. But if you want more accurate results, then we continue on.
Take a convenient number of seeds for calculations (for example, 10 pieces).
Place the seeds between two layers of cloth or napkin. You can germinate the seeds of several different crops at the same time. Put each culture in its own separate fabric, signing each. But separately place the seeds of umbrella seeds, such as parsley, celery, dill, carrots, parsnips. The seeds of these crops contain inhibitors in their walls that slow down the germination process. Inhibitors are a defense mechanism for desert dwellers: until the rains wash away this protective shell, the seed will not germinate.
Put all the seed rags in a cup in a pile and fill with warm water. Please note that germination occurs better if rain or melt water is used.
Squeeze out the stack with the bottom of a glass and drain off excess water.
Pack the cup in a plastic bag and put it in a warm place at 24-26 C 0 for 7-14 days. Make sure the fabric is constantly damp. To make pecking faster, change the water more often: pour clean warm water and wring out the rags.
Depending on the crop, seeds should germinate in 7 to 14 days. Count the germinated seeds. For our example of 10 seeds: if 6 pieces germinate, then this will mean 60%, 8 pieces correspond to 80%, 10 out of 10 - 100% seed germination.

If you got a germination rate of more than 80%, then you got a good germination rate and you can safely use proven seeds.

If germination is less, then when planting, use growth stimulants to increase seed germination. Sow seeds with a margin, taking into account the percentage of germination.

If the germination rate is 30% or less, then it is undesirable to sow such seeds.

We examined in detail how to check seeds for germination at home. If you have any questions or want to discuss something, be sure to leave your comment.

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