Treating seeds before planting is the key to healthy and strong plants. Most diseases are transmitted with seed, so it is necessary to properly prepare the seeds for sowing.
Let us consider in detail how to prepare seeds before sowing.
Before sowing, seeds must be disinfected, except for encrusted and pelleted seeds.
F1 hybrid seeds– undergo processing before hitting the store counter. Treatment is carried out against pests and diseases. Hybrid seeds are completely ready for sowing. They are sown dry directly into the ground or pre-treated with growth stimulants if desired.
Sorting seeds before sowing
Before sowing, the collected seeds from your garden must be sorted out, leaving large and healthy ones. To select empty seeds, we need a solution of table salt (dissolve 2 grams in 100 ml of water).
Dip the seeds into the solution, stir and after 10 minutes the empty seeds will float to the surface, throw them away, they are not suitable. Rinse the remaining seeds in running water and dry.
How to treat seeds?
Varietal seeds, purchased and collected from the garden, must be treated against diseases and pests. Flower seeds are also treated before sowing.
Video - Treating seeds before sowing
The seeds are placed in a bag and placed in a thermos with hot water for 20-30 minutes. After this, rinse immediately cold water within 1 minute. Follow the heat treatment regime, otherwise most seeds will become unsuitable.
Temperature and processing time are indicated in the table.
Attention: During heat treatment of seeds, about 30% may lose germination. Everything is fine, non-viable seeds die.
To combat viral diseases soak the seeds in a weak solution of Immunocytophyte (1 tablet per 100 ml of water) for 3 to 12 hours. You can also keep it in Fitosporin solution according to the instructions.
A solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) works well. To do this, preheat the seeds in hot water(45-50 degrees) for 2 hours. It is better to use a thermos for this procedure. After warming up, place the seeds for 30 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate (1-2% solution).
For processing crops such as onion, radish, tomato, physalis, lettuce, legumes, corn- pickle in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate for 45 minutes.
Carrots, eggplant, peppers, dill, cabbage and pumpkin- use a 2% solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes.
Also use special preparations for treating seeds - Bunker, Commander, Winner, Baitan, Fundazol and others.
Attention- after treating with chemicals, be sure to rinse the seeds with water at room temperature.
Treating seeds with hydrogen peroxide
An effective way to treat seeds before sowing is to disinfect and prepare the seeds. You will need 10% hydrogen peroxide. Seeds spread out on gauze are soaked in a bowl, or you can put the seeds in a bag and dip them in peroxide. Soak for 12 hours, no more.
For rapid growth seeds, they are soaked in any growth stimulant or warm water (it is better to soak in melt or rain water).
Pre-freeze the water, then place the ice in a bowl and let it melt completely, then lower the seeds, they should be completely in the water. Cucumbers and tomatoes are soaked for 19 hours, legumes for 7 hours, celery and onions for 35 hours.
Biological products stimulate seed germination more strongly.
You can prepare growth stimulants at home like this:
Dilute 1 spoon of wood ash in 100 ml of water, leave for a day (solution temperature 17-20 degrees), in this way the seeds are enriched with microelements;
-- Dilute 20-25 drops of liquid peat potassium humate in 100 ml of water, soak for 12 hours;
-- With Epin (2 drops per 100 ml of water), soak for 18 hours;
-- Fertilizer New Ideal or Signor Tomato (20 grams per 1 liter of water), soak for 30 minutes.
There is also a verified old way: soak the seeds in aloe juice for a day. Then dry the seeds on paper.
Attention: when soaking seeds for more than 10 hours, change the water every 3-4 hours to enrich it with oxygen and so that the water does not spoil.
After the soaking procedure, dry the seeds a little and immediately sow them in the ground.
Video - Super way to soak seeds
To increase the cold resistance of crops, it is necessary to first harden them. Place the seeds in bags and soak in water for 12 hours. After soaking, keep at a temperature of 15-20 degrees for 12 hours, then place in the refrigerator at a temperature of 3 degrees for 12 hours.
Vernalization of seeds
Cooling or vernalization of seeds accelerates the germination of cold-resistant crops. This method is used for parsley, carrots, and parsnips. Pre-soak the seeds at room temperature until completely swollen, germinate in damp gauze until 10-15% of the seeds hatch. Then place the seeds for two weeks in a room with a temperature of 0 to 1 degrees.
Attention: It is not recommended to prepare beet seeds, spinach, and lettuce seeds in this way.
Video - Super product for soaking and germinating seeds
To ensure rapid germination of seeds, they are saturated with oxygen. You will need a regular aquarium compressor or a special bubbler.
Seeds of perennial crops with a pronounced dormant period need stratification. These seeds require cold to germinate. The container is filled with sand and the seeds are placed in it.
The container with the seeds is placed in the refrigerator; it can be buried in the snow for a period of 2 weeks to six months, it all depends on the type of crop.
Scarification of seeds
Seeds of perennials with a dense shell are scarified. The dense shell prevents the appearance of sprouts, so the seeds are ground with sand or between sheets of sandpaper.
Stratification and scarification This is not carried out for all crops, so it is not necessary to treat all seeds in this way.
Looks red, yellow and blue. Such seeds are treated with polymers, which ensures seed germination and reliable protection from pests.
There is no need to further process these seeds. They are sown dry in moist, ready soil.
The seeds are covered with a peat-mineral mixture. The mixture creates a nutritious and protective shell; the processed seeds are larger in size and round in shape.
It is economically profitable to sow pelleted seeds; the seed consumption during sowing is small, and thinning is not necessary.
Seeds are sown dry, laid out in prepared holes or furrows. Water the soil well before sowing.
Video - Three ways to soak seeds
You have learned all the ways to prepare seeds before sowing in the ground. The main types of processing are sorting, dressing and soaking; without them you will not be able to get healthy and strong plants and, accordingly, a good harvest.
When asked whether seed material needs to be processed, experts answer with an unequivocal “yes,” because such a procedure helps the agronomist achieve the following results:
- tomatoes will sprout earlier and more quickly;
- metabolic processes are accelerated;
- the development of diseases and pests is suppressed;
- young seedlings grow and develop much better;
- the culture’s resistance to various unfavorable external factors increases;
- The harvest can be expected a little earlier.
Types of processing - description and instructions
Disinfection
The most reliable and A proven way to disinfect tomato seeds is to soak them in hydrogen peroxide. To do this, take a 10% solution and drop the seeds there for a third of an hour. The mass of the seed and the mass of the hydrogen solution must be the same.
You can place the seeds in a weaker solution - 0.4%. But then the soaking time increases to a day.
More than one study has shown that This procedure reduces the level of nitrates in tomatoes. After this treatment, the seeds are washed under running water and dried.
From the video you will learn how to properly treat tomato seeds with hydrogen peroxide:
Awakening
This procedure will help speed up seed germination.
- To do this, the seed is placed in multi-layer gauze and tied.
- Gauze is dipped into a container with clean water for half a day.
- However, the water must be changed every four hours.
- Immediately after manipulation, the treated seeds are dried and planted in prepared soil. It is important to prevent the seed from drying out again, otherwise it will be damaged.
Boosting immunity
This procedure is not necessary for all seeds, but only for those that were collected from weakened adult plants. For this The seeds are placed in growth stimulants for the time specified in the instructions.
Reference! Fresh and healthy seeds do not need such treatment.
How to properly prepare seed material for sowing - description of methods
Any “help” to plants should be in moderation. You should not resort to all types of processing at the same time. This will only harm the culture. In addition, if the seeds are healthy, they do not need to be processed at all. The harvest will already be high if you follow the basic rules for growing.
Etching with potassium permanganate
- To do this, the seeds are soaked for a quarter of an hour in a 1% solution. It is important that the treatment does not last longer than 20 minutes.
- After soaking, the seed must be washed and dried.
If healthy seeds are soaked, this procedure can only worsen their condition, because it will kill the entire immune system.
We suggest watching a video about soaking tomato seeds in potassium permanganate:
Warming up
This method is another type of disinfection. But such manipulation must be carried out with extreme caution. The heating temperature should not be higher than 40 degrees Celsius, which is very difficult to achieve. Therefore, experienced vegetable growers recommend turning to the old, proven “potassium permanganate”. Some people think that just placing the seeds on a heating device is enough. But this is not so, since such a procedure will only dry out the seed.
If you purchased seeds in a specialized store, then they have already gone through all stages of processing and do not need homemade ones.
Saturation with microelements
This the procedure will help improve all the vital characteristics of future plants: resistance to weather conditions and diseases, yield, shelf life, taste.
- To enrich tomatoes nutrients, you need to take a few spoons of wood ash and stir it in two glasses clean water room temperature.
- The resulting solution should infuse for two days.
- And after that, the seeds are placed in the tincture for 3-4 hours.
Metal cannot be used as a container for ash solution.
Stratification
This procedure involves cooling the seeds in the refrigerator for several hours. But this is not always the case. Professional agronomists cool seeds not for a couple of hours, but for three whole months. However, such manipulation is not suitable for tomatoes. It is best to find a middle ground by leaving the seeds in the cold for 3 to 5 days. At the same time, the air temperature should remain at 3 degrees Celsius.
The seed that is planted most needs stratification early spring. It is also necessary to cool old seeds to awaken them.
To carry out this procedure, the seed is placed in damp gauze, and it is placed in the vegetable compartment. You need to make sure that the gauze does not dry out. After 5 days, the material is removed from the refrigerator and they are ready for planting.
Soak
Such manipulation is so familiar to agronomists that no one even thinks about whether it is necessary. Seeds wrapped in gauze are soaked in warm water for several days, depending on the variety. After this, the seed will germinate better and faster. The main thing is not to go too far with time: the point is to prevent the sprouts from intertwining with each other.
The water temperature should be 22-25 degrees Celsius. Adjust the soaking time to the planting time, since immediately after this procedure the seeds need to be planted even without drying.
Important! Do not soak plants that have been treated chemicals during pre-sale preparation.
From the video you will learn how to properly soak tomato seeds in water:
Epin and other growth stimulants
This manipulation is necessary in order to increase the immunity of young seedlings. Most often the following drugs are used for this: “Sprostok”, “Epin”. The seed is immersed in the solution for a period of half an hour to an hour. (exact time specified in the instructions).
Such procedures will awaken the seeds and increase their resistance to diseases.
There is no need to keep the seeds in the stimulator - this will only worsen the condition of the material.
Barbating
Such manipulation is extremely rarely used at home. However, it is very effective. The meaning of the procedure is to place the seeds in water enriched with oxygen. This is where an aquarium compressor comes to the rescue.
This method has the main advantage - the seed material is awakened, but no chemicals are used.
Barbation is often used for rare seed varieties, which can no longer be found on store shelves, and those you have have long expired.
Hardening
This procedure is somewhat similar to stratification.
- To do this, the seeds are placed in natural fabric and then in a plastic bag.
- Then the bag is placed in a cold place for a day (or for two people).
Such manipulation will make the seed more resistant to illnesses and vagaries of the weather. In addition, such seeds germinate several days earlier.
Important! Immediately after hardening, the seeds must be planted in prepared soil.
You should not use all of the listed processing methods at once. You just need to choose one or two of them. And sometimes the seed does not need any processing at all.
What is the best way to use folk methods?
Aloe juice
Aloe juice is a folk growth stimulant. This solution has a number of advantages:
- efficiency;
- environmental friendliness;
- cheapness.
To prepare the juice you need:
- Cut a leaf from the plant.
- Wrap in gauze and place in the refrigerator (never in the freezer).
- During a week of staying in the cold, the leaves will infuse and the biologically active substances will be activated.
- After seven days, the leaves are crushed in a blender to a pulp.
- After this, pure juice is squeezed out of the pulp, which is then diluted with water in a 1:1 ratio.
This procedure is most necessary for old plants. Leave the seed in the solution for a day.
Hydrogen peroxide
This the solution is necessary to stimulate the growth of seed. It is prepared as follows:
- 40 ml of 3% peroxide are dissolved in 500 ml of clean water.
- Tomato seeds are left in the tincture for 24 hours.
In baking soda
- 10 grams of soda are diluted in a liter of water.
- The seeds are placed in the resulting solution for a day.
Succinic acid
The tincture is a good growth stimulant. To do this, 15 grams of acid are dissolved in a liter of clean water at room temperature. Soaking time - 24 hours.
Mustard
This solution helps destroy bacteria and microbes existing in the seeds.
- For one liter of water you need to take mustard powder on the tip of a knife.
- Leave the seed in the solution for 6 hours.
- After the specified time, the seeds are dried without prior washing.
Treating seeds before planting does not at all guarantee that the seed will sprout quickly or the seedlings will be healthy. Much also depends on the quality of the seeds. However, one of the processing procedures described above is still worth carrying out - it will only benefit your entire harvest.
Hello, reader!
Let's talk about what seed treatment is before planting.
Do seeds need to be treated before planting?
And do all seeds need to be processed?
1. Hybrid seeds
Let's answer the second question right away. Hybrid seeds (F1) Before hitting store shelves, they are completely treated with various drugs against pests and plant diseases. Such seeds are completely prepared for sowing, so hybrid seeds are sown dry or, if desired, treated with growth stimulants (described below).
2. Varietal seeds
varietal seeds3. Seed treatment
A significant effect in the fight against various viral diseases is obtained by keeping seeds in a weak solution of IMMUNOCYTOPHYTE (“weak solution” - 1 tablet per 100 ml of water). The residence time in the solution is from 3 to 12 hours.
Or hold it in a solution of Fitosporin (according to the instructions).
Treating seeds in a solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) has also proven successful. In this case, the seeds are first heated in a thermos for 2 hours at a water temperature of 45-50°C (when your hands are patient). After warming up, the bag of seeds is treated with a weak solution of manganese for half an hour.
In order for the seed to wake up and begin to grow quickly, homemade and purchased varietal seeds need to be soaked in warm water or in any of the growth stimulants:
- - the familiar WOOD ASH (1 teaspoon per 100 ml of water) for a day.
- - drug EPIN (2 drops per 100 ml of water) 18 hours.
- - liquid peat potassium humate (20-25 drops per 100 ml of water) for 12 hours.
- - fertilizer SIGNOR TOMATO or NEW IDEAL (20g per 1 liter of water) for 30 minutes.
A good old way to speed up germination, tested by our grandmothers, is to soak the seeds in Aloe juice, usually for a day. They are then dried by scattering the seeds on a sheet of paper.
4. Encrusted seeds
Please pay attention to the colored seeds (red, green, blue) - they are called " inlaid". Because they are treated with polymers that form a reliable protective shell, which stimulate seed germination and protect them from harmful effects.
Encrusted seeds should not be soaked or subjected to any processing at all! This is exactly the case when you don’t need to do anything!
They are simply sown dry in moist, prepared soil. y!
5. Dried seeds
Haven't told you about it yet coated seeds that are coated with a peat-mineral mixture. It creates a nutritious, protective shell, increases the size of the seed and gives it a rounded shape. Pelleted seeds are more economical to use, since seed consumption during sowing is reduced and they require less thinning.
A high yield of vegetables, first of all, depends on how well and correctly the seeds are prepared for sowing in the ground.
There are many ways to prepare seeds, but there are some that simply cannot be ignored if you want to achieve good results.
In this case, under no circumstances should seeds be subjected to all these operations, because this will kill even the strongest seeds. You only need to do what is necessary for your seeds, for your greenhouse.
Moreover, for different conditions of growing seedlings, the required set of these pre-sowing procedures can be completely different.
Let's talk about disinfection (dressing) of already calibrated seeds.
Seed disinfection
IN recent years There is a lot of talk about the need for pre-sowing seed treatment. After all, diseased seeds are almost impossible to distinguish from healthy seeds in the usual way. Namely, it is with them that many dangerous diseases are most often transmitted. vegetable crops.
Therefore, to protect seed germination from fungal and bacterial diseases First of all, it is necessary to carry out seed treatment, which will destroy pathogens located on the surface and inside the seeds and protect them from pests and diseases found in the soil. After all, there is no guarantee that clean and healthy-looking seeds do not carry pathogens.
With cucumber seeds, for example, the infections of anthracnose and angular blotch are transmitted, in beets - downy mildew and phomosis, in cabbage - vascular bacteriosis, downy mildew and phomosis, in carrots - black rot, and so on.
That is why dressing and heat treatment of seeds, especially those purchased from a street stall or at the market, is a strictly mandatory method of preparing seeds for sowing.
Seeds are not disinfected only in two cases: if the bag indicates that disinfection has already been carried out and if the seeds are coated.
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Vegetable seeds are disinfected using various dry and wet methods. Among the dry methods, the simplest and oldest is keeping the seeds in the open sun on the veranda for 5-7 days. At this time, the seeds should be mixed on a plate several times a day.
This method is especially reliable for seeds of heat-loving crops such as cucumber, pumpkin, zucchini, and beets, especially if they have been stored for a long time in a cold room. sun rays not only disinfect seeds from microorganisms, but also actively stimulate their germination.
Using special preparations to disinfect seeds in a dry state also looks very simple. This disinfection allows, by shaking, for example, seeds in a bag with fungicide, to create a uniform (thin layer) coating of them. However, it is better to refuse such a procedure in an apartment, because the health hazard is too great, since it is impossible to guarantee complete safety when using these drugs.
For wet disinfection of seeds, many gardeners, like our grandfathers, still use a 1% solution of potassium permanganate, although some experts are quite skeptical about this method.
But not every gardener knows how to properly prepare a solution of potassium permanganate of the required concentration. After all, the vast majority of gardeners do not have the opportunity to weigh 1 g of potassium permanganate at home, and therefore put it by eye. Without weighing, you can quite accurately determine the required amount of potassium permanganate using... a standard teaspoon (5 ml volume). This level teaspoon contains 6 grams of potassium permanganate. “No top” means that excess potassium permanganate must be removed from the spoon with the flat side of the knife.
The regimes for treating seeds with potassium permanganate are as follows:
Seeds of tomatoes, onions, celery, lettuce, radishes, beans, peas, beans must be processed in a 1% (dark pink) solution of potassium permanganate at room temperature for 30-40 minutes, followed by rinsing in water.
And it is better to disinfect the seeds of eggplant, pepper, cabbage, carrots, pumpkin crops, and dill in a 1.5% (dark purple) solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes, followed by washing the seeds with water.
To treat seeds, you can use a 2-3% solution of hydrogen peroxide, preheated to 38-40 o C, where the seeds are kept for 7-8 minutes.
Many gardeners pickle tomato seeds in a solution boric acid(0.2 g per 1 liter of water) or copper sulfate(0.1 g per 1 liter of water). This treatment also completely protects tomatoes from diseases.
Care should be taken to ensure that there are no stuck together seeds, for example, tomato seeds stick together, because... however, you may not get the desired result.
To combat bacterial diseases, many gardeners often treat vegetable seeds with aloe juice. Leaves for this indoor plants keep for 6-7 days in the dark at a temperature of +2°C (in the refrigerator door), then squeeze out the juice and dilute with water in equal parts. The seeds are kept in the resulting solution for 18-24 hours.
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Against vascular bacteriosis, the seeds of cabbage and its “relatives” are often treated with garlic infusion. To do this, 25 g of highly crushed garlic are mixed in a jar with 100 g of water, the seeds are kept in it for 1 hour, and then washed and dried.
You can disinfect seeds in mustard solution. To do this, pour 1 teaspoon of dry mustard with half a glass of warm water, stir well and place the seeds in this suspension for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. Then the seeds must be washed with cold water and dried.
An aqueous infusion of wood ash, which contains almost 30 nutrients, is also useful. To do this, the seeds are placed in a daily infusion of ash (half a glass of ash per 1 liter of water) for 4-6 hours.
In recent years, most often the seeds are kept in a weak solution of the biological preparations Rizoplan and Trichodermin, according to the instructions attached to the preparation. And Immunocytophyte helps well against viral diseases.
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And supporters of the organic living farming system (OLA) recommend using the drug “Fitosporin-M” to protect against diseases. Before sowing, to protect against diseases, the seeds must be treated in it according to the instructions, preferably together with the drug “Gumi” to stimulate growth and development.
If you decide to grow tomatoes for yourself or for sale, you must understand that in our time it is very difficult to resist disease attacks; the climate, which is changing, is largely to blame for this. Heat and rain replace each other and provide pathogenic flora ideal conditions existence. But the weather itself often prevents the active growth of seedlings and slows down fruiting, which also needs to be taken into account. That’s why they come to the aid of the gardener different methods treating tomato seeds before planting seedlings, which can completely or partially help avoid problems. These actions can be tested experimentally by summer residents; they are called folk; the seeds can also be treated with special preparations, which are now in abundance on sale and have been developed by scientists. Let's talk about both.
Tomato seeds and their treatment before sowing
For good growth and development
So that the seeds not only germinate well, but also can withstand weather conditions such as changes in cold and heat, frosts can be used simple methods, which summer residents use from year to year. You don't need to spend any money, as everything is easy to do without going to the store.
Heat treatment
This method will help your tomatoes not be afraid of drought, seed germination will be maximum. The process involves heating the seed material on a battery. To make this easier, a bag is made from fabric, the main thing is that the material is breathable. After which all the tomato seeds are placed here and suspended from a warm radiator for a whole month. Then you can start sowing.
If you did not have time to prepare seeds from last year or bought them a week or two before the sowing season, then you can heat them in the oven in just 2-3 hours at a temperature of 50-60 degrees. This is a good stimulation for germination and future rapid development of fragile seedlings.
Advice!
In order for treatment methods to give their positive results, first always cull empty seeds using salt water - a spoonful of salt per liter of water. Empty seeds will float.
Oxygen treatment
This method is also called by the unusual word bubbling. The point is simple - if the seed material is saturated with oxygen, then it gives better results. This has already been verified by the experience of summer residents different varieties. You will need a compressor to supply oxygen to the aquarium. It needs to be placed in a jar or other container with water, the rejected seeds are also placed here, after which the compressor is turned on for a day. That's it, the seeds can be sown immediately.
Cold treatment
How to save seedlings from frosts and changes? Many people ask this question, because it is not always possible to make shelter for seedlings in advance and provide for the vagaries of nature. Of course, you can choose a cold-resistant variety, but gardeners have their own favorite tomatoes, and not every one of them has this quality, so don’t give up growing them because of this. Of course, the seeds can be hardened by keeping them 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 alternating heat and cold. First, the seeds are soaked in warm water 15 minutes, after which they are placed in the refrigerator for two days in a damp cloth. It should not dry out, after which it should be sown.
For information!
You can use as one folk method, and all at once, alternating. This way your tomatoes will receive comprehensive protection.
Treatment with drugs
Nowadays, to activate growth and good development There are different preparations for seedlings. We advise you to buy three proven preparations and soak the seeds in them according to the instructions - these are “Zircon”, “Epin” and “Immunocytophyte”.
Aloe juice and melt water
These two very simple folk methods help the seeds to germinate much better; the seedlings grow actively, evenly, and do not stretch out. To soak the seeds in aloe, you need to first keep the leaves in the refrigerator for five days, then soak the tomato seeds for a day. Melt water It can be used both for soaking and for germination.
For seedling immunity
Of course, every summer resident is interested in the answer to the question of how to treat tomato seeds before planting against pests and diseases. As a rule, they are saved from insects by using special resistant varieties or by treating the area together with seedlings, but you need to protect yourself from diseases at the very first stage. To prevent your seedlings from getting sick, you can choose either a resistant variety or give them strength with your own hands. Next, you will learn the most popular and proven methods.
- Manganese solution. The very first one on the list, since it is very simple and has already been tested by the experience of millions of gardeners. To treat the seeds, they are soaked for 15-20 minutes in a slightly pinkish manganese solution before planting. Then they are washed with warm water and planted.
- Hydrogen peroxide. Pour a bottle of 3% concentration into a cup, place the seeds here for 3-4 minutes, then plant. This will not only disinfect it from diseases, but also saturate it with oxygen, which will increase germination.
- "Ideal". A fairly commonly used drug, it is taken at the rate of a tablespoon per liter of water. The seeds should lie in it according to the instructions for the required amount of time.
- Ash solution. This old folk method works very well to help seeds and seedlings resist diseases. Take a tablespoon of wood ash per liter of water, but it is better to place the seeds here in cotton or gauze bags for a day.
- "Fitosporin". Famous biological and safe drug. It has a whole range of beneficial effects on seed material. 1/2 teaspoon of powdered preparation is diluted in water - 100 ml. Then soak the seeds for two hours before planting.
