How to soak cabbage seeds before planting and what is it for?

Soaking the seeds before sowing is not a coincidence: this technique helps to grow healthier, stronger, high-quality seedlings. It is better to prepare in advance and learn how to soak cabbage seeds before sowing and what exactly this treatment gives. It is advisable to carry out this procedure for both your own and purchased seeds.

Is it necessary to soak cabbage seeds before planting?

When buying cabbage seedlings from hands on a spontaneous market, the gardener is at great risk of getting a plant of the wrong variety and quality that he expects. It is better to purchase and sow seeds yourself.

When choosing a variety, you need to consider:

• compliance with the growing region;
• ripening terms;
• soil requirements;
• the purpose of the variety;
• landing dates;
• recommendations for agricultural technology;
• resistance to disease.

In addition, you need to pay attention to the expiration date of the seeds and the availability of a certificate of conformity. You can use your own seeds for sowing if they were stored in conditions of humidity no higher than 50%, at a temperature of + 15–20 ° C, without access to direct sunlight.

Before sowing, the planting material usually undergoes additional processing. This is done in order to:

• disinfection;
• germination tests;
• accelerated emergence of seedlings;
• hardening.

Some procedures are necessary, some can be dispensed with.

If the summer resident still has doubts about whether it is necessary to soak the seeds before sowing, he makes a decision of his choice. You can get by with the standard disinfection procedure in a solution of potassium permanganate, additionally harden the seeds by putting them in the refrigerator.

Soaking serves a completely different purpose. The procedure activates the growth processes inside the seed, as a result of which the growth and maturation of cabbage is accelerated in the future. Seeds that have undergone such treatment can be planted 2 weeks later than ordinary seeds - this must be taken into account when determining the planting time. Soaking the seed will help the gardener out if, for some reason, the previously planted seedlings have died and it is necessary to grow new seedlings as soon as possible.

Seed preparation stages

Ideally, the seeds should go through several stages of processing at once before planting. In addition to water, salt and potassium permanganate, the summer resident will not need anything else for this.

1. The first step is a saline calibration. 1 teaspoon of salt is added to one glass of water. The seeds are immersed in the solution for 10-15 minutes. The seeds that have fallen to the bottom can be used for planting, and those that have surfaced will have to be thrown away - they will not sprout.
2. For disinfection, the seeds are immersed in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate for 20-30 minutes. Dressing allows you to get rid of fungal spores and bacteria that may be present in the seed. The simplest and not time-consuming procedure significantly reduces the risk of cabbage morbidity. After immersion in salt water and a potassium permanganate solution, the seeds must be washed under running water.
3. For hardening, the seed is wrapped in a damp cloth and placed in the refrigerator for 12 hours. This will enhance the immunity of seedlings and their adaptive capabilities.

After the procedures carried out, you can immediately plant the seeds or additionally soak them before planting. To avoid mistakes, it is important to know in what composition and for how many hours the seed should be immersed.

How to soak cabbage seeds?

There are many ways to soak seeds before planting. It is permissible to use settled tap water. It is even better if it is thawed or wet. Some people take purchased bottled or boiled water for this purpose - there is not much difference.

Which solution is better to use?

To accelerate growth and increase the stock of vitality of seedlings, you can use a solution of any stimulating agent instead of water. This could be:

• "Epin-extra";
• Energen;
• "Zircon";
• Ecosil;
• "NV-101";
• "Immunocytophyte";
• "Gumat-Baikal".

The preparations are diluted according to the instructions and the seeds are kept in the resulting solution for the time recommended by the manufacturer.

In addition, summer residents often use a folk remedy prepared on the basis of aloe juice with the addition of honey:

1. Cut off 2-3 ripe juicy leaves of aloe, place them in a plastic bag and put them in the refrigerator for 10-14 days.
2. After that, the leaves are torn into pieces with your hands (it is advisable to avoid contact of the leaves with a metal knife or spoon), squeeze the juice through cheesecloth.
3. Mix the juice in half with boiled water and add 1 teaspoon of honey.

Experiments have shown that the use of stimulants does not have an accelerating effect at the stage of seed germination: sprouts appear after the same period of time as when soaking in ordinary water. However, this does not mean that the drugs are useless. Their effect will certainly appear later, in the process of seedling growth.

How much to soak cabbage seeds before planting?

The seeds from which summer residents will grow cabbage are soaked 2 days before the expected sowing date. You do not need to overexpose them, since the sprouts develop very quickly.

Soaking procedure step by step:

1. Put a piece of cotton cloth on the saucer, moisten the cloth with water or a prepared stimulating solution.
2. Lay out the seeds so that they are partially submerged in the water and at the same time cannot dry out.
3. Remove the container in a dark, warm place until sprouts appear.

Some summer residents prefer to use hot water for soaking (the temperature should not be higher than + 50 ° C). This method has a beneficial stress effect on the seeds, contributing to a sharp awakening of growth energy.

After such an impact, cabbage can hatch on the second day. If you simply plant it in the ground without soaking, the sprouts will appear on the surface not earlier than in a week.

Further cultivation of seedlings from soaked seeds is no different from standard care. Seedlings will need to be provided with bright light, warmth, regular watering and feeding, preventive treatments against diseases and pests.

Soaking cabbage seed material before planting will ensure 100% germination, eliminate the need for calibration, and allow you to get heads of cabbage earlier than it is typical for the selected variety. The procedure will not take much time and effort, but it will give an excellent result - you should definitely take advantage of the possibility of early harvest.