We reveal all the secrets of outlandish seedlings in Moscow style

An increasingly popular method has recently become the possibility of growing seedlings without land, the so-called Moscow-style seedlings. Many gardeners use this unconventional and certainly interesting innovation in order to save such valuable space on the windowsill and not clutter all kinds of horizontal surfaces with endless containers of seedlings. The idea itself is not new, many years ago it was successfully developed and implemented by the Soviet Azerbaijani agronomist Musa Asad oglu Kerimov in the 60s of the XX century, later this idea was used by the famous gardener Galina Aleksandrovna Kizima.

And now this method is called "growing seedlings in Moscow", perhaps because in Moscow apartments, at best, only one window opens to the south side and the month of February, when it is possible to take advantage of this rational use of free space, does not spoil Muscovites with sunny days.

What are diapers and snails?  

Diapers are called small bundles of polyethylene, fabric and even ordinary toilet paper, where grown plants dive. Materials for organizing such a "snail" can be purchased at any hardware store, and even an amateur gardener can handle the job without having much experience in plant growing.

This method will save not only money and space - you do not need to buy a large number of containers and soil.

Planting seeds in a "snail" is a uniform distribution of seeds on strips of a certain size and various material, which, after the earth and the seedlings themselves are distributed on them, can be rolled into a roll, otherwise "snail", or as many call "rolling" ...

The advantages of planting plants in this way are undeniable: fast germination, the root system develops freely, thanks to the distance between the seedlings. When diving, one more advantage of this method will be appreciated - the roots will never be damaged. The soil is constantly moistened, moisture does not get on the leaves, and the watering of the seedlings itself is simplified.

Moscow-style seedlings are optimal for small seeds, for plants that sprout for a long time and cold-resistant crops: peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, varietal seed potatoes, pumpkin, strawberries, strawberries, watermelon, melon and many others.

Many gardeners, through trial and error, have found out that this method is not suitable only for root crops: carrots, radishes, beets, since when transplanted into the soil, the root crop can bend. But still, some gardeners are happy with growing carrots in this way - the seeds of carrots are very small and this is really convenient.

It is extremely important not to miss the moment when it is required to transplant the seedling into the soil from the "snail" - due to the small space, the growth of roots may stop and the plant will stop developing.

Seedling in Moscow. Planting guide

Before planting seeds, they need to be processed so that they are distinguished by high-quality seedlings and excellent germination. Sort empty and defective seeds from those you will use. The remaining seeds should be inspected for damage to the upper shell and before placing the seeds in the "snail", you need to do the following: process the seeds in a concentrated cherry solution of potassium permanganate for 25 minutes, then rinse, leave for ten hours in a solution of wood ash, or nitrophoska, a proportion of -1 teaspoon per 1 liter of water, after which the seeds are left in warm water for a day.Then the seeds need to be hardened, kept in the refrigerator at a temperature of -7-10 degrees, changing the water every four hours.

Seeds should be planted in a roll immediately after pouring.

Each variety is best planted in a separate spiral, with a maximum of two varieties. For the frame of our "snail" any material that has at least some minimal flexibility is suitable: polyethylene, many even use ordinary notebook covers, burlap, toilet paper, laminate.

The prepared material is laid out on a prepared surface, a substrate for a laminate, on top of strips with earth or ordinary toilet paper moistened with water. Next, we spread the seeds with tweezers, retreating 1-1.5 cm from the upper edge in a checkerboard pattern, carefully twist our "snail", fasten it with an elastic band, ordinary stationery will do, or with tape so that the whole structure does not fall apart. The part of the paper that remains will act as a small wick, not too long, which will also deliver water to the seedlings. For the speedy germination of seeds and their preservation, it is best to wrap the structure with polyethylene, ordinary shoe covers are also suitable. Until the plants appear, they should be watered from the sprayer, as soon as the seedlings have sprung up, you can pour water into the pan.

This method of growing seedlings by many gardeners is recognized as very convenient, low-cost and original, and with it you can easily boast of strong seedlings and, in addition, use the space in the room ergonomically.