What should be done with tomato seeds before planting?

If you decide to grow tomatoes for yourself or for sale, you should understand that nowadays it is very difficult to withstand attacks from diseases, which is largely to blame for the climate, which is changing. Heat and rain replace each other and provide ideal conditions for the pathogenic flora. But the weather itself often hampers the active growth of seedlings, slows down the fruiting, which also needs to be foreseen. Therefore, the gardener comes to the aid of various methods of treating tomato seeds before planting on the seedlings, which in whole or in part can help avoid problems. These actions can be tested by summer residents by experience, they are called folk, seeds can be processed and special preparations that are now in abundance on sale and developed by scientists. Let's talk about those and about others.

Tomato seeds and their processing before sowing

For good growth and development

So that the seeds not only germinate well, but also can withstand weather conditions such as changing cold and heat, frost can use simple methods that gardeners use from year to year. You do not need to spend any money, since everything is easy to do without going to the store.

See also: Seeds of tomatoes of the Siberian selection, the most fruitful

Heat treatment

This method will help your tomatoes not to be afraid of drought, seedlings will be maximized. The process is the heating of seed material on the battery. To make it easier to do this, a bag is made of fabric, as long as the material is breathable. After that, all the seeds of tomatoes are placed here and suspended from a warm battery for a whole month. Then you can begin sowing.

If you did not have time to prepare seeds from last year or bought them already a week or two before the planting season, then you can warm them in the oven in just 2-3 hours at a temperature of 50-60 degrees. This is a good stimulation for germination and the future rapid development of fragile seedlings.

Tip!

In order for the processing methods to give their positive results, first always conduct culling of the empty seeds with the help of salt water - a spoon of salt per liter of water. Empty seeds will float.

Oxygen treatment

This method is also called the unusual word bubbling. The essence is simple - if the seed is saturated with oxygen, it gives better results. This has already been verified by the experience of summer residents in various varieties. You will need a compressor to supply oxygen to the aquarium. It must be placed in a jar or other container with water, and the culled seeds are placed here, after which the compressor is turned on for a day. All seeds can be sown immediately.

See also: Tomato varieties with photos and descriptions

Cold treatment

How to save seedlings from frosts and drops? This question is asked by many, because it is not always possible to make a sapling shelter in advance and foresee the whims of nature. Of course, you can choose a cold-resistant variety, but the gardeners have their own favorite tomatoes, and not every one of them has this quality, it’s not to be abandoned because of this. Of course, because the seeds can be hardened with the help of extracts on the bottom shelf in the refrigerator. To do this, they are placed in a damp cloth and kept in the cold for two days, then immediately planted.

Stratification

This method involves the alternation of heat and cold.First, the seeds are soaked in warm water for 15 minutes, after which they are placed in a refrigerator for two days in a damp cloth. It should not dry out and then sow.

For information!

You can use as one national method, and all at once, alternating. Thus, your tomatoes will receive comprehensive protection.

Drug treatment

Nowadays, there are various drugs for activating growth and good development of seedlings. We advise you to buy three proven drugs and soak seeds according to the instructions exactly in them - these are “Zircon”, “Epin” and “Immunocytophyt”.

Aloe juice and melt water

These two very simple folk methods help seed seeds to grow much better; seedlings grow actively, evenly, and do not stretch. To soak the seeds in aloe, you need to hold the leaves first for five days in the refrigerator, then soak the tomato seeds for a day. Melt water can be used both for soaking and germination.

For immunity seedlings

Of course, every summer resident is interested in the answer to the question of how to treat tomato seeds before planting from pests and diseases. As a rule, they are saved from insects by specifically resistant varieties or they cultivate the plot with saplings, but it is necessary to make sure that they are protected from diseases at the very first stage. So that your seedlings do not hurt, you can choose as a sustainable variety, and give strength with their own hands. Next, you will learn the most popular and proven methods.

• A solution of manganese. The very first in the list, since it is very simple and has already been tested on the experience of millions of gardeners. To process the seeds, they are soaked in a slightly pinkish manganese solution for 15–20 minutes before planting. Then washed with warm water and planted.
• Hydrogen peroxide. Pour a bottle of 3% concentration into a cup, place the seeds for 3-4 minutes, and then plant. This not only disinfects against diseases, but also saturates with oxygen, which will increase germination.
• "Ideal". Quite often used drug is taken from the calculation - a tablespoon per liter of water. In it, the seeds must be laid according to the instructions for the right amount of time.
• Ash solution. This old folk method very well helps seeds and seedlings to resist diseases. A liter of water is used to take a spoonful of table wood ash, but seeds should be placed here in bags of cotton or gauze for a day.
• "Fitosporin". Known biological and safe drug. Has the whole range of useful impact on seed material. 1/2 teaspoon of tea preparation in powder is diluted in water - 100 ml. After that, soak the seeds for two hours before planting.

See also: Tomato "Cardinal": description of the variety, photos, reviews

• "Baikal". Powerful attack against the whole pathogenic environment on seeds. The drug is diluted - 3 ml per liter of water. Since beneficial bacteria produce the effect, it is possible to add honey or sugar here for their greater productivity and soak the seeds for two hours before sowing.

Purchased seeds

I would like to say separately that in our time you can buy seeds that have already been industrially processed. So, often use the drug "Thiram". Manufacturers, as a rule, indicate this on the package, but you can also understand that the seeds of tomatoes are processed by their color, it is usually bright. Many are afraid of such seeds, as this drug is a chemical, and if you read the information about it, it can be scary. In our country, this fungicide is allowed just for seed treatment, it is used in doses, and it does not harm the soil in minimal quantities, as well as the crop. Therefore, the answer to a common question - whether tomato seeds processed with “Tiram” need to be soaked, will be negative. Otherwise, you wash away all the protection from bacteria and viruses, which will cause diseases of tomatoes and fruits in the future.

These methods can solve all the problems of the summer resident and give the opportunity to enjoy healthy vegetables on the table.