Revealing the secrets of storing seeds

In order to get guaranteed seedlings of certain plants in the spring, it is important to correctly put their seeds in storage and prepare them for germination. It is necessary to prepare for storing seeds immediately after harvesting - that is, in the fall.

When laying for storage, it must be remembered that the highest yield will be obtained from plants that have grown from seeds after 3 years from the moment they were harvested. Also remember that if you do not renew your plantings annually - do not keep extra seeds in your stock - they will deteriorate. Late ripening varieties that are harvested in dry and warm seasons are best stored, rather than unripe and early ripening in the cold wet season.

Preparing seeds for storage includes the following steps:

Debris removal (for example, you can put seeds in saline or nitrate solution to separate the pulp or diseased seeds)

Calibration (sieve, sieve, wind or fan, or manually)

Drying (the moisture content of the laid seeds should not exceed 9%, in order to determine this - try to break the seed, if it does not break, but only bends, then it is ready for storage)

The optimum storage temperature for seeds is 0-5 degrees Celsius and humidity is not higher than 55%. It is best to store seeds in paper bags or cloth bags, and constantly monitor temperature and moisture fluctuations. If you have observed the moisture content of the seed (up to 7%), then they can already be stored in hermetically sealed glass bottles, vials or plastic bags. For such seeds, storage in a cellar or freezer is allowed. Cruciferous and solanaceous plants are stored for 4 years, zucchini and cucumbers - 5 years, legumes - also 5 years, eggplants and peppers - 3 years, and green ones - only 2 years.

Particular attention should be paid to flower seeds. They should not be stored for more than a year, as they will lose their viability. Each flower has its own characteristics - for example, flax or calendula can be harvested immediately without drying and calibration, and ageratum is harvested in 3 doses. But in general, the techniques remain the same - drying and storage from dry, warm places without changes in temperature and humidity.

The optimal place for storing seeds is a refrigerator door with a temperature of 5 degrees and a humidity of 40%. Remember that the seed is a living organism. So, you need to make every effort for its germination.