Rules for processing and sowing tomatoes in boiling water
Towards the end of winter, gardeners begin an active period of sowing tomatoes for seedlings. Before planting, the compulsory processing of tomato seeds is carried out, which enhances protection against viruses and ensures a more friendly germination.
Recently, the method of sowing tomato seeds in boiling water has become increasingly popular among tomato growers. Despite some controversy, this method immediately took root and proved to be excellent. Indeed, after treatment with boiling water, even tightly germinating seeds germinate quickly and amicably.
How is this possible, and why don't the seeds die? The thing is that heat treatment helps to destroy the ether shell of the seeds, which interferes with germination. In addition, boiling water disinfects both seeds and soil, so the seedlings are healthier without additional treatments.
Step-by-step instruction
This sowing method is very simple and doesn't take long.
- Pre-prepared containers must be filled with earth by about three quarters.
- The soil must be saturated with moisture.
- Boil the kettle, and pour the earth thoroughly with boiling water.
- After that, you need to evenly sow the seeds on the ground and press them with your fingers or a knife. For better contact with the soil, you can lightly press each seed with a match.
- Immediately cover containers tightly with plastic wrap or plastic bag.
- Wrap in a thick cloth and put on a hot battery.
- After one hour, the containers should be moved to any warm place.
You can change the processing process a little, turning it into sowing tomatoes under boiling water. In this option, you first need to sow seeds on moistened soil, and then spill them with boiling water. And even in this case, they will not suffer and will give one hundred percent germination.
Caring for "boiled" seedlings
Now all that remains is to air the mini-greenhouses daily and monitor the condensation. The absence of condensation will indicate that it is time to water the seedlings. When the first "knees" hatch, it is time to move the containers with seedlings under additional lighting without removing the film. After the appearance of cotyledon leaves in most seedlings, the film must be removed from the containers.
Due to the fact that the seeds, when planted, practically lie on the surface, while germinating, they quickly stretch out. To form a strong root system, they must be buried. You can immediately plant the sprouts in separate cups, or gently pour the earth into the container, and make a dive in a couple of weeks, when the seedlings get stronger.
Tomatoes sown in boiling water experience a shock that stimulates them to reproduce faster. So sowing seeds in boiling water not only affects germination of tomatoes, but also speeds up the fruiting process and has a beneficial effect on yields.
In this way, you can process not only tomato seeds, but also other plants: peppers, eggplants, celery, cucumbers. Many flower seeds respond very well to treatment with boiling water. Summer residents love to experiment, as new methods appear that can turn the tedious struggle for the harvest into an enjoyable adventure.
Reviews
Julia:
I use this method when growing peppers and tomatoes. They germinate significantly better than standard sowing. I'm afraid to scald seeds without a hard shell.
Leonid:
Using the method with boiling water, we try to plant not only tomatoes, but also cucumbers. We spill the prepared bed with boiling water and sow cucumbers, without preliminary soaking. Cover with foil and you're done.
Larisa:
Having read for the first time about the method of sowing with boiling water, I doubted, but I wanted to try. I sowed part of the seeds in the usual way, and treated the other part with boiling water. The first to hatch are those under boiling water, friendly and strong shoots turned out. But the usual method of sowing did not give such results.
Natasha:
I don't like to experiment. If the seeds are of high quality, they germinate and develop well without additional manipulations.
Olga:
I have not tried scalding yet. Usually, I simply pour the soil with a hot solution of potassium permanganate before sowing, and everything germinates perfectly.
