When growing seedlings, even the most experienced gardeners often make mistakes that lead to poor seed germination and plant death. Pay attention to what not to do if you want to get healthy seedlings.
Many do not even suspect that the techniques that they have been using for many years not only do not help, but, on the contrary, prevent seedlings from developing normally.

Storing seeds in a warm and humid place

Warm, moist air is the worst enemy of stored seeds. In places where it is hot and humid, the seeds lose their germination in a matter of months, and with free access to air – in a few weeks. Seeds germinate longer at lower temperatures.

If the amount of moisture in the seeds is small, then keeping them at a temperature of 5-10 ° C will extend the shelf life. However, when the humidity is too high, the seeds deteriorate faster than in a dry room at a temperature of 25 ° C.

With deep freezing (–15°C and below), dry seeds retain their viability well, but they can fall into a state of deep dormancy and behave like non-sprouts during germination. To bring them into an active state, a stimulating effect (for example, warming up) is required.
The ideal conditions for storing most seeds are temperatures in the range of 12-15 ° C without significant changes, moderate humidity (not higher than 50%) and limited air access.

Overtreatment and dressing of seeds

Usually, seeds are recommended to be processed before sowing: warm, disinfect, harden, etc. All these procedures (in reasonable amounts) have a positive effect on seed germination and further development of plants. But if you “stuff” the seeds with microelements, soak them in aloe juice, and then harden them, they will not sprout.

But there is another mistake. Let’s take tomatoes, for example. Many people think that it is enough to hold the seeds in a weak (pink) solution of potassium permanganate for a couple of minutes – and you can forget about seedling diseases. In fact, a weak concentration will not destroy pathogens.

To prepare a solution in 0.5 liters of water, dissolve 5 g of potassium permanganate and soak the seeds in it for at least 15 minutes, optimally for 30 minutes. Then be sure to rinse them and soak for 6-8 hours in water at room temperature.

But if you bought seeds of an unnatural color (for example, pink or blue), which means that they are already treated with a fungicide and do not need additional disinfection.

Hardening of hatched seeds

If in the future you are not going to harden the seedlings, then it makes no sense to do this with seeds: during the growing time in the apartment, the seedlings will lose the immunity acquired as a result of hardening. However, if it is possible to take the seedlings to the balcony or to another cool place, then hardening the seeds will only benefit them.

Seeds are placed in bags, soaked in water (from 6 to 12 hours). Then for 12 hours kept at a temperature of 15-20°C, after which the same time left in a room with a temperature of 1-3°C (for example, in the refrigerator).

This procedure is especially useful for crops that grow in open ground: beets, celery, carrots, cabbage, onions, parsnips, parsley.

thickened seeding

This is one of the most common mistakes beginner gardeners make. If the seeds are sown too thickly, the seedlings will develop unevenly, stretch out strongly from lack of light and grow brittle. Such plants are more susceptible to blackleg and other diseases.

To prevent this from happening, keep the recommended distance between seeds when sowing. For different crops, it is not the same, so before sowing, carefully study the preferences of those plants that you are going to settle on your site. Some cultures even need separate containers.

Wrong watering

Many do not even think about how gross a mistake they make when watering the soil in containers immediately after sowing the seeds. You can’t do this, because. together with water, the seeds will go deep into the soil, which will take longer to germinate or not sprout at all. The soil in a box or pot should be shed with warm water just before sowing the seeds. And after it – you can only spray from a spray bottle.

Subsequently, the crops should be watered very carefully, trying to prevent both the drying of the topsoil and excessive moisture of the substrate. The drying of the earth is dangerous because it leads to the death of the seeds that have hatched and the death of the roots of young plants. In too wet soil, the roots of plants begin to rot, they get sick with a black leg and die.

Also remember that seedlings should never be watered with cold water from under crane. Water intended for irrigation should stand for at least a day, its temperature should not be lower than 22 ° C.

Many believe that the best way to prevent seedlings from stretching and overgrowing is to drastically limit watering. However, this technique often does harm than good. Without water, plants begin to wither and stop growing. It is possible to restrain the growth of seedlings by lowering the temperature, reducing the volume of the nutrient substrate, and reducing top dressing.

Contrary to popular belief, it is undesirable to water the seedlings before transportation to the landing site. If you do this, then the probability of damaging it will be much higher, because. juicy stems and flowers are more fragile than slightly wilted.

Growing too large and powerful seedlings

For seedlings of each culture there are optimal parameters. High-quality seedlings of early varieties and hybrids of tomato, ready for planting in open ground, should be 50-60 days old, with 7-9 leaves; cabbage – 35-55 days old with 4-5 true leaves.

Seedlings of cucumbers, pumpkins, zucchini, zucchini, squash, melon and watermelon are usually grown within 25-35 days (up to 2-3 true leaves in seedlings). Plants should be healthy in appearance, compact in shape and with a well-developed root system. Overgrown seedlings after planting take root more difficult.

If the seedlings have overgrown, when planting, deepen its stems to the level of the cotyledon leaves and sprinkle with moist soil. This will contribute to the formation of additional roots, thanks to which the plants will take root better and grow faster.