Basic Knowledge of Vegetable Seeding
This article provides a detailed explanation of the related contents of fruits and vegetables, the basic knowledge of vegetable seeding, including the following details:
Recently, I have read many posts where many vegetable gardeners have failed to germinate their seeds. I have categorized these common mistakes for everyone to take note of in the future.
1. I have mentioned how to choose seedling soil before, either pure substrate or substrate mixed with disease-free garden soil is best.
2. Before seeding, the base water of the seedling soil must be properly watered, which means it should be thoroughly soaked.
3. Seed treatment, pre-soak the seeds. The benefit of soaking seeds is faster germination. For vegetables like kidney beans and cowpeas, soaking for 4 hours is enough, while for cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers, 6-10 hours is about right. If the seeds are coated, do not soak them (because they contain pesticides, fertilizers, and plant hormones). Generally, seeds other than kidney beans and cowpeas can be soaked for 12 hours without a problem. Pumpkin seeds have a sticky liquid on the surface, which must be cleaned off before soaking.
4. Sowing, some seeds are very small and difficult to sow. Before sowing, you can mix the seeds evenly with moist sand and then broadcast them. This method is suitable for any type of seed.
5. Covering soil, the soil covering the seeds must be cleared of small lumps, stones, and other debris by hand. In short, the covering soil must be fine and free of impurities.
6. How thick the covering soil should be is a common mistake many gardeners make. The general principle is to determine the thickness of the covering soil based on the size of the seeds. For example, pumpkin seeds are large and need about 3 centimeters of soil, while cucumbers, watermelons, and muskmelons need about 2 centimeters. Peppers, tomatoes, and eggplants need about 1 centimeter, and lettuce, coriander, and cabbage need 0.5-1 centimeter. Simply sprinkle the covering soil evenly over the seeds with your hands.
7. After covering the soil, place a layer of plastic film or cling film on top of the seedling bed. Any transparent covering can be used to maintain humidity and temperature. (No watering is needed during this period unless necessary.)
8. Once 80% of the seedlings have emerged, remove the covering. If not removed, high humidity may cause the seedlings to develop damping-off disease.
9. Do not water the seedlings from the time they emerge until the true leaves appear. Watering during this period can easily cause damping-off or excessive growth. Allow more sunlight during this time.
The above is the complete content of the basic knowledge of vegetable seeding. Green plant enthusiasts may refer to this for reference.