Soaking pepper seeds before planting: when and how to do it right. Do I need to soak pepper seeds before sowing - detailed information! Do processed pepper seeds need to be soaked?

Provides fast, strong and uniform seedlings.

Let's figure out how to prepare pepper seeds for planting seedlings step by step.

Checking pepper seeds for germination

Branded pepper seeds have a germination rate within a strict standard: about 80% for seeds of the first class and about 60% for seeds of the second class. That is, out of 100 pieces, only 60-80 will be viable. This should be taken into account when purchasing seed.

6-6.7 grams contains about 1000 seeds of this crop. Pepper seeds remain viable for two to three years. But I advise sowing pepper only with fresh seeds.

Many firms themselves perform seed treatment - disinfect, cover with a nutritious and protective shell. Such seeds are not gently subjected to any preparation. Otherwise, you will remove from the skin all the substances designed to protect young plants from diseases and pests.

Therefore, before proceeding with processing, carefully study the annotations on the bags. If the seeds are already prepared, sow them dry.

Disinfection of pepper seeds

The first stage of working with the seeds of this vegetable is. It is carried out in several ways, but the simplest and most affordable is disinfection in a solution of potassium permanganate.

To do this, dissolve a teaspoon without the top of this substance in 600 milliliters of hot water. You will receive a 1% potassium permanganate solution of a deep burgundy, almost black color. Seeds are placed in it for a period of 25 to 30 minutes. Then they are immediately and thoroughly washed under running water.

And do not be afraid if the seeds turn black after such processing - this will not affect their quality in any way!

And pepper seeds are very fond of hot water "bath". To arrange it is easier - easy.

Pour water at a temperature of 50-60 degrees into a wide mug.
Pour in the seeds, cover the container with a lid and wait 15-20 minutes.
Good, full-bodied seeds will sink to the bottom of the cup, and hollow, worthless specimens will remain floating on the surface of the water.

Thus, you will kill two birds with one stone - and disinfect the seeds, and spend.

You can also steam the seeds in a low soup thermos. Then they are packed in canvas bags, hot water is poured into a thermos. The seeds are immersed in a thermos for 20-25 minutes, then dipped in a bowl of cold water for 2-3 minutes.

How to prepare pepper seeds for sowing - soaking

Soaking pepper seeds has three purposes: it helps to wake up early, it allows you to get healthier and more vigorous sprouts, and it increases the number and quality of fruits in such plants.

A liter of tepid water, 0.5-1 tablespoon, ½ teaspoon of nitrophoska; exposure time - 5-6 hours.
100 milliliters of water, 10-20 milligrams of potassium humate or 2 milligrams of potassium oxyhumate or 4-6 milligrams of succinic acid; exposure time - 6 hours.
A liter of melt or magnetic water, ½ teaspoon of boric acid, a teaspoon of nitrophoska, ½ teaspoon of boric acid; exposure time - 8-10 hours.
500 milliliters of water, ½ teaspoon of soda or honey; exposure time - 8 hours.
Leaf juice that has lain in the refrigerator for 5-7 days; exposure time - 7-8 hours.

Look for even more options for nutrient solutions with my comments on their effectiveness.

And a few more important notes regarding soaking the seed:

place bowls with seeds in a place where the temperature does not drop below +22 degrees (ideally + 25 ... 28 degrees);
pour twice as much water by the volume of the seeds, but the layer of water above the seeds should not exceed 0.5 cm;
every 2-3 hours, stir the seeds in a saucer - this stimulates the flow of fresh air and facilitates the removal of metabolic products formed during the respiration of seeds.

How to germinate pepper seeds

After treatment with nutrient solutions, pepper seeds are soaked to swell. After that, you can immediately start sowing or continue working with the seed.

So, swollen pepper seeds:

hardened and sown;
harden and germinate;
or just germinate.

Let's look at how to germinate pepper seeds.

After you have washed them from the rest of the nutrient medium, transfer them to moistened cotton or linen napkins. Roll the fabric into loose rolls. Place the rolls on a kitchen tray, on both sides of which put on plastic bags. Place the tray closer to the hot battery - it is optimal if the temperature in this place is from +25 to +28 degrees.

Thus, enough air will flow to the seeds, but they will hardly lose moisture.

At the optimum temperature, it takes only 12-14 hours for pepper seeds to swell, and sprouts appear in 10-20% of the seeds as early as 3-7 days.

Seeds are sown in pots when 80-90% will acquire white roots.

Do not forget to regularly, at least once a day, rinse the wipes with clean water. This is done so that the seeds do not turn sour and germinate more amicably.

Hardening pepper seeds

If you are hardening off pepper seeds, you need to harden off the seedlings themselves!

How my mother and I grow pepper seedlings from seed treatment to planting under a film, see the video.

The first step in preparing for sowing sweet pepper is selection of suitable seed. It is important to isolate the filled ones from the total available quantity, rejecting hollow, small and too large seeds. The most suitable seed is medium-sized.

Seeds can be calibrated using saline solution, which consists of 40 grams of table salt and a liter of warm water. Sowing material is placed in the resulting solution for several minutes, the water remaining on the surface is selected and disposed of. Quality seeds will be at the bottom, they must be washed well and dried on a paper towel.

ATTENTION: Many gardeners have abandoned the selection in a salt solution due to the fact that not only hollow, but also overdried pepper seeds can float up.

Separation of filled seeds from empty ones is carried out before immediate.

Disinfection

The procedures for preparing bell pepper seeds for sowing include their pickling necessary for disinfection and prevention of possible infection.

For dressing, the seed is placed in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour and then washed and dried on a paper towel.

For pickling Phytosporin solution is often used(4 drops of a biological product in a glass of water). Means effective against a number of bacteria and fungal infections while harmless to humans and pets.

ATTENTION: It is impossible to store disinfected seeds for more than a day, because they lose their sowing qualities.

Disinfection is carried out before planting seeds bell pepper, while ensuring the rapid growth of healthy crops and proper development.

Processing with trace elements

Preparatory procedures before planting sweet peppers may include micronutrient treatment, which increases germination. Plants whose seeds have been treated in this way resistant to adverse conditions in the first phases, which allows the pepper to grow strong faster and give an increased yield.

For enrichment with trace elements wood ash solution is used, which contains more than 30 elements necessary for plants.

For its preparation:

in a liter of water, you need to stir a few grams of ash and let it brew for about a day;
after which gauze or cloth with pepper seeds is put into the mixture for 3 hours;
washed and dried.

Seed treatment can be carried out using special pre-formulated micronutrient compounds. In this case, it is produced in strict accordance with the instructions of the purchased biological product.

ATTENTION: The micronutrient treatment step is carried out a few days before sowing.

Use of growth promoters

Thanks to the processing of sweet pepper seeds, the chance of their germination and development increases. Proven stimulants include nettle infusion, which is prepared at the rate of a spoonful of the plant per glass of boiling water.

You can soak the seed in preparations such as "Zircon", "Epin-Extra" and other stimulants, following the instructions.

Soak

In order to speed up, the seed of the peppers soak before planting. This procedure before sowing softens the seed coat and accelerates the growth process.

Disinfected pepper seeds are wrapped in a cloth or cotton wool moistened with water and left in a warm place. It is necessary to periodically monitor the moisture content of gauze and moisten it as it dries.

After the seeds swell, they either immediately planted in, or germinate first. Germination is done in the same way as soaking, only until the seeds germinate.

bubbling

Bubbling replaces such preparatory steps as soaking and sprouting. It represents seed treatment with oxygenated water, as a result of which the destructive microflora is washed off the skin. This stage is well combined with the processing of microelements.

For bubbling:

high transparent dishes are filled with water by 2/3;
it contains the seeds and the tip of the compressor for the aquarium;
oxygen saturation should occur for about a day;
after which the seeds are removed and dried.

ATTENTION: If at the stage of bubbling the seeds began to grow, they must be taken out and planted in the ground.

hardening

After the bell pepper seeds have germinated, they must be refrigerated for several days where they will undergo the hardening procedure. This stage will help the seeds to easily endure planting in open ground and temperature changes. This is the last point at which the preparatory activities are completed.

Pepper preparation programs for planting may vary, they are determined by the potential and personal preferences. Nonetheless, step-by-step instructions have a single frame- this is the choice of seeds suitable for sowing, their dressing, saturation with microelements and their germination.

Each of these methods of pre-sowing treatment of pepper seeds proven, easy to perform and effective. It is necessary to choose 1-2 most suitable ones, without interfering with everything in one procedure. Properly prepared sowing seeds will be one of the most important guarantors of a decent result.

Useful materials

Read other articles on pepper seedlings:

how to grow,

Soaking helps speed up seed germination before planting. Usually, soak the seeds eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, carrots - in a word, many cultures. Proper soaking will help the seeds germinate, and the wrong one can do harm. Therefore, today we will understand what's what. We enjoy watching the Garden World channel on Youtube. It talks about complex things in a simple language, including touching on topics such as how to soak pepper seeds before planting. Let's review the information. I'm sure it will be useful not only for us 😉

What to soak pepper seeds in?

Main mistake:

It is wrong to soak seeds by simply dropping them into a glass of water. In this case, the seeds sink or float in water. But they are living organisms, and for life, for germination, they also need air.

Simple and effective soaking in water. The correct way to soak the seeds is:

Fold the gauze in 2 or 4 times.
Wet the cheesecloth so that it becomes damp, even wet, because pepper seeds are very dry.
Pour the seeds onto cheesecloth and smooth out.
Close the seeds with gauze and place on a saucer.
There should be no water in the saucer. And so that the gauze does not dry out, it is placed in a plastic bag and an air cap is made.
A saucer with seeds is placed in a warm place, but not to the battery and not on the battery.
Each variety should have its own rag, so they must be signed.
How much to soak? As a rule, after 3-5 days, the first seedlings appear, which produce the strongest seeds.
The hatched seeds are planted in a container, best of all with separated cells.

There are seeds that are treated with fungicides (growth stimulants), this information is usually indicated on the packaging. They are sown dry, without soaking, directly into the cells for growing seedlings. Treated seeds have good germination without soaking.

But in potassium permanganate, it is no longer recommended to disinfect seeds. Seeds can be germinated perfectly in ordinary water. And those seeds that the seedlings give first are considered the best, the strongest. Not germinated, feeble ones are rejected or planted. It happens, and they can get out of the way.

By the way. It will not work to reject low-quality pepper seeds with salted water, because all are equally light.

What else can you soak pepper seeds in? But in the manual "Encyclopedia of country life" such ways are given to soak the seeds before planting. It is indicated that for eggplant and peppers they are the same:

Disinfection in potassium permanganate. Prepare a 1% solution of potassium permanganate, dip the seeds into it and soak for 20 minutes.

Disinfection in hydrogen peroxide. Seeds are dipped in a 2% hydrogen peroxide solution for 5 minutes.

After the disinfection procedure, the seeds are thoroughly washed in running water.

Soaking in fertilizer solution. Dissolve 2 tbsp in 1 liter of warm water. spoons of ash. Seeds are placed in cloth bags and placed in the prepared solution for 24 hours. Then the bags are removed from the solution, slightly moistened with clean water and placed on a saucer. It is placed in a warm place (temperature about 25 degrees) for 1-2 days until the seeds hatch.

At the stage of pre-sowing treatment, the seeds are also heated in an oven and hardened. Pre-sowing seed treatment allows you to get the first shoots the very next day after sowing, and the maximum number of seeds germinate on 5-6 days.

Should you soak pepper seeds?

Soaking pepper seeds, germinating them in a humid environment helps to identify strong specimens and discard feeble ones. After all, we need high-quality seedlings and a rich harvest. Therefore, do not be lazy, soak. It is quite simple, and most importantly - it is useful for seeds. After all, it is not in vain that they say: What you sow, you will reap 😉 A rich harvest for you!

Pepper is considered by many gardening enthusiasts to be capricious and demanding plants. Indeed, the culture is thermophilic, reacts sharply to any adverse conditions, therefore its cultivation is a phased and rather complicated process. Some believe that sowing seeds for seedlings is the beginning of growing a crop. This opinion is erroneous, because it is necessary to start with an assessment of the quality of the seed, its storage conditions, and pre-sowing preparation.

Preparing pepper seeds for sowing

Pre-sowing preparation consists of several procedures, which can be combined in different ways. Their choice depends on the quality of the seeds, the climate of a particular area, the composition of the soil and the specifics of the further cultivation of the crop. Among the main stages of seed preparation, the following can be distinguished:

selection and calibration;
disinfection;
hardening;
soaking and germination;
bubbling.

It is especially important to carry out pre-sowing procedures with planting material harvested independently. Purchased seeds most often underwent basic processing, there is no need to apply all of the above steps to them.
You can collect pepper seeds yourself from the fruit you like, but you should do this only if you are sure that this is not a hybrid

Calibration and selection of seeds

Calibration of planting material consists in removing too small or, conversely, too large seeds. It is convenient to do this on a white sheet of paper, where you can inspect each seed and remove the non-standard. The next step is to determine their viability:

Disinfection

Seed material can be infected with pathogenic bacteria, which, during germination, begin to become more active. Pathogens are destroyed by disinfection, that is, soaking pepper seeds in disinfectant solutions. There are a huge number of ways to carry out this procedure. Here are some of them:

the most affordable and common way is soaking the seeds in a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate. Processing time is about 20 minutes. After the procedure, the seeds must be washed, preferably under running water, and dried. Experienced gardeners recommend disinfection in potassium permanganate only after daily soaking of the seed in water. This is due to the fact that dry seeds during their stay in the disinfectant solution will absorb too much potassium permanganate, which will not be removed during washing. An excess of an important microelement will have a harmful effect on the embryo, and may even destroy it. Swollen seeds will not absorb the solution so intensively, only the surface of the seed will be processed and excess potassium permanganate will be removed when washed;
Pepper seeds are conveniently placed in a disinfectant solution in a gauze bag, you can also wash them in it
effectively disinfects pepper seeds with hydrogen peroxide. 3 g of peroxide is added to half a glass of warm water (+40 degrees), the selected seeds are placed in the solution for 7 minutes, then they are thoroughly washed in water;
Peroxide is an excellent antiseptic, so it is ideal for disinfecting seeds.
With the help of ordinary baking soda, seeds can also be disinfected. 10 g of the substance is stirred in a liter of water and the seed is soaked in the resulting solution for a day. It should be borne in mind that the soda solution must be freshly prepared, and that soda is not recommended to be diluted in dishes made of polyvinyl chloride, aluminum, steel and polystyrene;
To prepare a soda solution, use warm (not higher than +55 degrees) settled or melted water
aloe juice. It is pressed from leaves that have been cut from the bush and aged for two weeks in the refrigerator. The resulting juice must be mixed with water in equal proportions and the pepper seeds must be kept in it for 24 hours. The substances contained in the preparation stimulate the immune system of the plant, promote the emergence of strong, disease-resistant seedlings;
seed disinfection can be carried out in Fitosporin-M, 4 drops of which are added to half a liter of water and the seeds are soaked for 2 hours. During this time, pathogens of both fungal and bacterial infections will be destroyed.
Phytosporin is a biological product based on the natural culture of Bacillus subtilis, effective against a large number of fungal and bacterial diseases.

Not later than a day after dressing, the seeds are planted in the ground or sent for germination.

hardening

Hardening is a very useful procedure for the seeds of most vegetables, including peppers. The seed material that has passed it reacts more easily to temperature changes, adapts faster when planting. Hardening can be carried out in the following way:

The second and third stages are repeated twice with alternating 12-hour exposure in cold and heat. After another overexposure in the refrigerator, the seeds are planted in warm and moist soil.

Growth stimulants and trace elements for soaking pepper seeds

Growth stimulants act on pepper seeds in a complex way:

accelerate germination;
increase immunity and resistance to diseases;
protect from adverse weather conditions.

Their impact on plants during presowing treatment is recognized as more effective than direct application to the soil.

What can you soak pepper seeds in?

Melt water is best for soaking seeds. In its absence, purified water without gas from the distribution network or settled tap water is recommended. It is useful to add biologically active substances to it, a special place among which is occupied by ready-made products:

Appin. This substance is produced from plant components. The drug stimulates the growth and development of dormant cells, increases the reserve strength of the culture and its resistance to adverse external influences. To soak the seeds, five drops of Epin are diluted in fifty milliliters of pre-boiled and cooled to room temperature water;
Zircon. The drug is made on the basis of zirconic acid, which is rich in echinacea purpurea. It accelerates the process of root formation, stimulates the active growth of seedlings. 5 drops of Zircon are added to a liter of water and the seeds are immersed in the solution for 6–8 hours.

Plant growth stimulants are organic preparations containing biologically active substances: vitamins, acids, proteins, amino acids, trace elements, peptides, hormone precursors, polysaccharides

For supporters of the use of folk remedies, the following recipes can be recommended:

ash solution. To prepare it, take 2 tbsp. spoons of ashes, pour 1 liter of water. After two days, the solution is filtered and pepper seeds are soaked in it. The holding time of planting material in the ash infusion should be 3-6 hours;
Ash - a natural gift to summer residents as an alternative to industrial mineral fertilizers
honey infusion. The substances contained in this infusion contribute to the active growth of the culture, strengthen the immune system of the plant. 1 teaspoon of honey is added to 250 g of water, stirred until dissolved and pepper seeds are placed in the resulting solution for 6 hours;
Honey solution is prepared in a volume sufficient to completely cover the seeds
succinic acid solution. Treatment of planting material with this stimulant increases their resistance to cold, drought and disease resistance. To prepare the solution, you can use succinic acid tablets from the pharmacy chain, as well as a drug sold in specialized gardening stores. The solution is prepared as follows: 0.5 g of succinic acid is dissolved in a small amount of water, and then the volume is adjusted to 1 liter. Pepper seeds are recommended to be kept in solution for 24 hours, and then dried and sown in the prepared substrate;
Soaking pepper seeds in a solution of succinic acid increases the germination energy and seed germination, increases the yield and sugar content of fruits.
boric acid solution. Soaking seeds in a solution of boric acid, prepared at the rate of 0.2 g of the drug per 1 liter of water, has a positive effect on seed germination. Boric acid can be added to the manganese solution when disinfecting seeds or combined with ash infusion when soaking;
Pepper seeds are soaked in a solution of boric acid for 12 hours
mushroom infusion. For its preparation, dried mushrooms are used, since it is they that contain the maximum amount of trace elements necessary for pepper seeds. One tablespoon of ground dried mushrooms is poured with boiling water and cooled. Pepper seeds in a gauze bag are dipped into a cooled infusion and left in it for 6 hours;
potato juice. Raw peeled potatoes are frozen and then moved to a warm place to thaw. Such potatoes will completely give up their juice, in which pepper seeds are soaked. Exposure time - 6–8 hours.
Potato juice enriches the seeds with a complex of nutrients

Before treating the seeds with any of the above means, it is recommended to keep them for 1-2 hours in purified water. After processing, the seed is washed and dried to a free-flowing state.

Video: soaking pepper seeds in growth stimulants

If the packaging of purchased pepper seeds indicates that they are treated with fungicides or growth stimulants, then you should not soak them, and when germinating, use the minimum amount of water so as not to wash off the nutrient and protective layer.

Germination

The purpose of sprouting pepper seeds is to sprout faster. In a liquid medium, the dense natural shell easily softens and the sprouts freely hatch through it. The germination procedure is completely standard:

Soaking pepper seeds for more than a week is not worth it, they can simply rot.

Focusing on the timing of pecking and the appearance of seedlings, determine the start date of pre-sowing treatment of pepper seeds. If you coordinate the start of work with the lunar calendar, then you should know that on a favorable day you need to start pre-sowing processing of pepper seeds, because sowing is not considered the day the seed is planted in the ground, but the day when the seed hits the environment that stimulates its awakening. And this is done not only by land, but also by water.

bubbling

Soaking and germination of seeds can be replaced by bubbling - treatment in water with a temperature of +20 degrees, saturated with air. The procedure speeds up the germination process, cleans the seed material from pathogenic bacteria. To carry out bubbling, you need an aquarium compressor and a high capacity, which is 2/3 filled with water:

Bubbling can be combined with seed treatment with microelements and growth stimulants.

As you can see, there are many ways to pre-sow the preparation of seeds and recipes for infusions for soaking them. You should not apply everything at once: analyze, experiment, act consistently, carefully - and the result will not disappoint you!