How to soak parsley seeds for quick germination?

Before sowing, the seed material of various crops undergoes mandatory training. Beginners may not know how to soak parsley seeds for quick germination, so it doesn't hurt to take a closer look at the methods of the procedure and the benefits that it provides.

Soaking is not the only way to prepare seeds. They can be warmed up, calibrated, bubbled, pre-buried in the ground.

Do I need to soak parsley seeds before planting?

Parsley is one of those crops whose seeds germinate rather slowly. When using dry planting material, from the moment of sowing to the emergence of shoots, it can take 2–4 weeks, which does not always suit summer residents. And it doesn't matter where the parsley is planted - in the greenhouse or in the open field. Soaking anyway speeds up the germination process, while increasing the quality of the crop. Different formulations can be used for the procedure.

For those who doubt whether it is necessary to soak parsley seeds, experts recommend doing this for three reasons:

• in order to disinfect and reduce the risk of morbidity;
• to check the quality and germination of planting material;
• to speed up the germination process and get strong shoots.

Parsley sprouts for a long time due to the fact that the seed coat is covered with a film of essential oils, which disintegrates in the soil for a long time. Soaking allows you to remove the oily layer and at the same time saturates the seeds with moisture, starting growth processes in them.

How to soak parsley seeds for quick germination?

Although soaking in different formulations has the same goal, the mechanism of action in each case will have its own characteristics. The summer resident has the right to independently choose which of the methods suits him best.

• Soaking in water.

You can use regular water, but it is better to take melt water. You can get it from melted snow or ice cubes taken from the freezer.

Before the soaking process, the seeds must be wrapped in gauze, put on a saucer and filled with hot water so that it does not completely cover the seeds. The duration of the procedure is 12 hours. During this time, the cooled water is changed 3-4 times. After the required time, the seeds will swell. They can be sown immediately or pre-germinated by continuing to keep them in damp gauze.

• In a solution of potassium permanganate.

This method of soaking allows you to disinfect the seeds, in the future it will increase the chances of growing healthy plants.

When adding potassium permanganate crystals to the water, you need to focus on the color of the solution: it should turn out to be saturated. The soaking time is 15–20 minutes. The seed is immediately washed and dried before sowing.

• In hydrogen peroxide.

This composition also has disinfecting properties. The solution is prepared from 1 tbsp. l. 3% hydrogen peroxide and 500 ml of water. It is necessary to keep the seeds in it before planting for 12 hours. They should not be completely submerged in the solution.

The container with seeds is kept at room temperature during soaking. After disinfection, the seed is dried and planting is started.

• In vodka.

This method serves two purposes - alcohol destroys the protective film of essential oils and at the same time disinfects the planting material. Seeds wrapped in cheesecloth are immersed halfway in vodka and kept for 15–20 minutes. You cannot exceed the set time, this will lead to damage to the seeds.

• In milk.

The product should be fresh, heated to 37 ° C.Milk in a small amount is poured into a saucer, seeds are placed there, wrapped in gauze or rags. It is necessary to keep the planting material until it swells. After that, sowing is carried out immediately.

Some summer residents use a solution of growth stimulants for soaking. It can be "Epin", "Zircon", potassium humate. The funds are used in the concentration recommended by the manufacturer and specified in the instructions for use. After the seeds are swollen, they are sown without preliminary washing.

Other processing methods

To improve germination, some other options for processing planting material are also used. These include:

• Calibration in saline solution. It is prepared from 1 tsp. salt in a glass of water. The seeds are immersed in salt water and allowed to sit for 10 minutes. Those seeds that have sunk to the bottom are suitable for planting, while those that have surfaced can be thrown away.
• Burying in cold ground 2 weeks before planting. Dry seeds are placed in a cloth bag and buried to a depth of 30 cm. Before sowing, the material is removed, dried and then used for planting.
• Warming up on the battery. The procedure is performed a few days before planting by wrapping the seeds in cotton cloth. You can speed up the process by rinsing the seeds several times in a row in hot water before planting.
• Bubbling. This is the name of the process of saturating the seed material with oxygen, which is carried out in water with a compressor placed there, forcing air (you can use an aquarium). The duration of the procedure is 24 hours. Before sowing, the seeds must be dried for flowability.

Each method of processing parsley seeds has its own adherents. But experts consider soaking to be the most effective way to accelerate germination and improve the quality of seedlings. To get the desired result, you just need to spend a little time. However, these costs are fully justified.