Treatment of carrot seeds before sowing in open ground: methods of pre-sowing preparation

Since you are reading this article, it means that you are seriously thinking about getting good and friendly carrot shoots as soon as possible.

Next, you will be provided with detailed information on how to prepare carrot seeds for sowing, namely what methods of seed treatment exist and how to correctly implement them in order to accelerate and improve germination.

Why is it recommended to specially process carrot seeds before sowing

Carrot seeds are usually sit long enough before climbing (up to 3 weeks, on average - after 15-18 days). The fact is that they contain essential oils prevent swelling (moisture access) and delay germination and, as a consequence, germination.Therefore, in order to accelerate the germination of seeds, they must be soaked in order to get rid of the outer shell, in other words, to wash out the essential oils.

Thus, the preparation of carrot seeds for sowing is reduced to washing out essential oils from them, which allows to reduce the time of their hatching by about 2-3 times, i.e. instead of 3 weeks, you will wait only 7-10 days for the first shoots.

By the way! The germination rate of carrot seeds remains at the level of 50-70% for 3-4 years. Moreover, it is better to plant 2-3 year old seeds - they have a higher germination capacity, since during this time some of the essential oils that inhibit their pecking have time to erode and evaporate.

Yes, compared to seeds of other crops (non-umbrella) the percentage of germination in carrots is quite low.

When is seed treatment not required

If you bought pelleted, granulated or glazed carrot seeds, no additional preparation is required for such seed. They are already processed and covered with a special coating. Such seeds must be sown exactly dry so as not to wash off the protective film.

Important! The same goes for special tapes with carrot seeds. Do not try to expose them to any manipulation.

Methods for preparing carrot seeds for sowing

To accelerate the germination of carrot seeds, the following methods of their pre-sowing preparation are used:

Note!It is not necessary to use all the procedures for treating carrot seeds at once before sowing them, since not all of them are combined. As a rule, it will be enough to choose 1 or 2 methods (for example, one of the growth stimulants can be added to the bubbling water).

In no case don't think of germinating carrot seeds.. root crops are not transplanted or transplanted.

Heating or heat treatment

First you need to put the seeds in gauze bag and then dipped in hot water (50-55 degrees), for example, can be placed in a thermos (thermo mug) for 20 minutes. After the allotted time seeds in a bag are needed promptly cool already in cold waterthen dry to a loose state and sow in open ground.

Important! Be sure to follow the recommendations for the temperature and duration of the procedure. If the water is too hotthen seeds can simply lose their germination. Conversely, if the water is too coldthen all meaning will be lost this method of seed treatment, i.e. he will be completely ineffective.

However! You can similarly soak the seeds in room temperature water. during the day, while periodically changing the water as it cools and saturates with essential oils (2-3 times). The result will be similar.

Soaking in a growth promoter

Alternatively, you can soak the seeds in a solution of one of growth stimulants, for example, Epin or Zircon.

Prepare the solution in a jar (according to the attached instructions), pour the seeds into it (you can just put it in a gauze bag), wait 2-4 hours, filter, dry it to a loose state and sow it on the garden bed.

Bubbling

This method is perhaps the most effective method for treating carrot seeds and all umbrella crops.

The purpose of bubbling (oxygen saturation) is actually the flushing out of essential oils and other growth inhibitors that are present in any seeds and slow down their swelling and germination. Simply put, this is an effective way to accelerate the germination of seeds of all crops (not only umbrella, but also nightshade - the same tomatoes, peppers).

For the bubbling procedure, you can use the most common compressor for aquarium (if you have one) or buy already ready-made device for sparging seeds.

Diagram of the simplest device for bubbling seeds:

Sparging of carrot seeds is carried out as follows:

• pour the seeds into a container (for example, in a glass vessel or jar);

If you want to simultaneously bubble several crops at once, then, of course, different seeds must be wrapped in different bags so that they do not mix.

• fill them with room or slightly warm water (30-40 degrees);

By the way! You can add one of the growth stimulants (Zircon, Epin, Citovit) to the water.

• lower the compressor hose to the bottom and turn on the oxygen supply;
• the duration of the procedure for bubbling carrot seeds is about 24 hours;

Advice! It is highly advisable to change the water 2-3 times a day.

• at the end of the procedure, the water with the seeds will need to be filtered (through calico or gauze), dried to a loose state and sow in the ground.

Natural stratification

So, you need to take dry carrot seeds, fall asleep in a canvas or linen cloth bag and in early spring (2 weeks before the expected sowing date) bury in damp ground to the depth of the shovel bayonet (25-30 cm). The ground at this moment is rather wet, not warmed up and cold. Thanks to this procedure, the seedlings will swell, as well as undergo natural stratification (as in winter sowing), which will have a beneficial effect on their immunity and germination. At the end of the period, the seed bag must be removed from the ground. Then place the seeds on paper or cloth to dry. And then sow into the ground.

Folk ways

• Place the carrot seeds in the pouches, lather them with laundry soap, rub thoroughly, as if erasing. Then rinse well in clean water, dry and sow. Seedlings should appear very quickly.
• Put the seeds in a bag and immerse them for 20 minutes (Not for a day or even an hour, otherwise you will simply ruin all your seeds!) in vodka... Then rub the bag of seeds with your fingers, periodically dipping in vodka until you get a dirty yellowish color and disgusting smell. Next, rinse this bag in running water, rubbing it with your fingers, dry it and immediately sow.

Instead of vodka, you can use ammonia, hydrogen peroxideby increasing the soaking time to 30-40 minutes. All these funds have the best solvent propertiesthan just water!

Well, now you know how to increase the germination rate of your carrot seeds. It's time to try several methods, sow and compare the results. Remember that seedbed preparation is a great way to bring peace of mind to the gardener.

Advice! The site has a detailed article for correct spring sowing of carrots in open ground.

Video: preparing carrot seeds for sowing