Seed dressingis a pre-sowing treatment to kill seed-borne diseases and pests and to protect the seeds from contamination or damage by soil pathogens.Thanks to seed treatment,better and more even emergence of the plants is obtained and the risk of gangrene of seedlings is reduced. In order to protect against fungal diseases it is also worthdressing flower bulbsHere are the bestnatural seed dressingsthat you can prepare yourself at home andready-made preparations for dressing seeds and flower bulbsavailable in gardening stores.
Seed treatment allows for even emergence, free from fungal diseases
Do all seeds and flower bulbs need to be treated?
Before we discussmethods of dressing seeds and flower bulbs , it is worth considering whether all seeds and bulbs need to be treated. Well, the purpose of the treatment is the general strengthening of the obtained seedlings and protection against pathogens (pathogenic fungi, bacteria and pests). Including soil pathogens.
Dressing makes sense, because it allows you to increase the he alth of plants , increase the quantity and quality of the crop, and reduce the need for other protective treatments during the growth of seedlings. Seed dressings are quite cheap and very little is used. Therefore, simplyseed treatment pays off
We should treat, first of all, vegetable and flower seeds collected from crops and purchased cheap, poor quality seeds.Good quality seeds require less treatment. We can alsobuy seeds already treated , enveloped (these are covered with a protective coating) or seeds on a tape (seeds hidden inside the seed tape). Such seeds do not need, and even should not be treated, as they are already properly prepared for sowing.
High-quality seeds of vegetables and flowers, varieties resistant to diseases, he althy growing and yielding well, can be found in the shop of our guide. We chose onlythe highest quality seeds, additionally secured by hermetic packaging
The substrate in which we will sow seeds is also important. If it is a good quality soil for sowing seeds, previously decontaminated, the treatment of the seeds themselves is not so important. Such soil can be used for sowing into pots, boxes and seedbeds. However, if you are sowing seeds directly into garden beds, into regular garden soil,treating the seeds first has significant benefits
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Wet and dry dressing
In the amateur cultivation of plants in gardens, thedry or wet treatment of seeds and flower bulbs .
Dry dressing of seedsconsists in covering or coating the seeds in the seed dressing and leaving it for a specified period of time. Usually the seeds are placed in the jar with the appropriate amount of the dressing, screwed on the cap, and then shaken to allow the seeds to mix well with the dressing.
Wet dressing of seedsconsists in pouring seeds with a solution of the seed dressing and soaking for a specified time. Dry dressing tends to be somewhat easier to do, while wet dressing gives better results. However, we must remember thatwet treated seeds must be sown immediately , because when soaking them, the germination process is initiated.
Dry or wet dressing is also used for flower bulbs.Seeds can also be thermally treatedby subjecting them to a sufficiently high temperature in which pathogens will die. In practice, at home, it is done in the oven, keeping the seeds for 20 minutes at temperatures up to 51 ° C.
Flower bulbs, e.g. gladioli, are also seasoned
Homemade ways to treat seeds
Currently, the choice ofready-made seed treatmentsfor use by amateur gardeners is quite limited. Therefore, it is worth trying naturalhome-made methods of dressing seeds and flower bulbs
1. Thermal disinfection of seeds
In fact, the first home treatment of seeds by keeping them in the oven has just been revealed.The seeds can also be simply poured over with warm water at a temperature of 46-50 ° C In this way, we will also thermally decontaminate the seeds, although the preparation of water at this exact temperature may turn out to be a bit troublesome.
Seeds can be seasoned in a solution of potassium permanganate
Fig. depositphotos.com
2. Dressing seeds in a solution of potassium permanganate
For wet seed dressing, we can use a known agent for disinfecting wounds and treating skin lesions, which is potassium permanganate. If we don't have it at home, we can buy it at any pharmacy. For seasoningthe seeds are soaked in a 2% solution of potassium permanganatefor 20 minutes.
3. Dressing seeds in chamomile infusion
Chamomile infusion is also a good seed dressingTo prepare it, pour 15g of chamomile over 1 liter of boiling water and leave it covered until it cools down . Then we dilute it with water in a ratio of 1: 1 and soak the seeds in the obtained mortar for 30 minutes.
The chamomile is used to prepare not only tea but also a great seed dressing
Fig. depositphotos.com
4. Dressing the seeds in garlic extractTo do this, prepare 20 g of crushed garlic cloves and pour 1 liter of water over them, and then set aside for 24 hours. After a day has elapsed, prepare a 1% solution from the extract and soak the seeds in it for 30 minutes.
5. Dressing seeds in an extract of horsetail or tansy
In a similar way, we candress seeds in an extract of tansy or field horsetail . In both cases, we need 15 g of dried herb, which is poured over with a liter of water and set aside for 24 hours.
6. Dressing onions, rhizomes and flower tubers in a decoction of marigold500g of dried marigolds are poured with 3 liters of water and boiled for 30 minutes. Then the broth needs to be cooled down. Soak the bulbs in it for 8 hours.
Wood ash can also be used for dry dressing seeds.The seeds are dusted with ashor the ash is poured into the grooves where the seeds are then sown. Only deciduous ash is suitable for seed dressing, and bird cherry ash is best. However, oak ash should not be used.
Natural seed dressings
If we wantto season seeds or flower bulbs in a natural way , we can also reach for ready-made natural and ecological preparations, available in garden stores. Here are the 4 most recommended:
1. Treatment of seeds and onions with bas alt flour
Bas alt flour is a natural fertilizer made of grinding volcanic rock. It is widely used in ecological horticulture to fertilize plants and protect against diseases and pests. The meal contains a number of valuable minerals and silica, which strengthens the resistance of plants.As it turns out,bas alt flour is also an excellent seed treatmentThis method of treating seeds and bulbs of plants is recommended in his books, among others. Zbigniew Przybylak, a well-known promoter of ecological gardening. The method is cheap and easy to implement. I must admit that this is also my favorite method of seed dressing.
Dry treatment of seeds in bas alt flouris done by sprinkling them or coating them in bas alt flour. The seeds should remain in such a powder for several days. Thanks to this, the obtained seedlings will be less susceptible to gangrene and diseases such as gray mold or mildew. The minerals slowly released from the flour will enrich the soil and nourish our seedlings, providing them with an excellent starter fertilizer to stimulate rooting.In bas alt flour, it is also worth to coat the bulbs, tubers, rhizomes and roots of newly planted plants
2. Treatment of seeds and bulbs with vermicompost
Biohumus is a natural fertilizer that is created in composters, based on organic matter digested by the compost earthworm. In the digestive tract of the earthworm, compost is digested and saturated with microorganisms that have a positive effect on plant development. It is thesemicroorganisms that determine the effectiveness of vermicompost in fertilizing plantsand its beneficial effect on plant he alth.
The samemicroorganisms can also protect our seeds, if we treat them with a preparation based on biohumus . An example of such a preparation is the ecological seed and seedling dressing Ekovit Starter.This preparation can be used for dressing seeds in two ways:
- dry dressing- just before sowing, the seeds are mixed with the loose preparation, and then the wells prepared for seeds are filled with this mixture,
- wet dressing- first, water is added to the formulation to obtain a moist pulp, and then the seeds are soaked or coated in this pulp. In the case of very fine seeds, the seeds mixed with the pulp are poured into the prepared grooves.
- for red beet and carrots - 5g / 1kg of seeds,
- for white cabbage, Chinese cabbage, parsley, tomato and spinach - 4g / 1kg of seeds,
- for onions and peppers - 3g / 1kg of seeds,
- for cucumber - 2g / 1kg of seeds.
Ekovit Starter can also be usedat a later stage, during quilting, transplanting seedlings into larger pots or in flower beds. For this purpose, a wet paste is prepared from the preparation, in which the roots of the plants are soaked before planting them.
3. Treatment of seeds and bulbs with Bioczos
Himal cubes (formerly known as Bioczos BR) are a good example. It is a preparation in the form of 10-gram cubes of garlic pulp in a paraffin coating. As the active ingredient is garlic, Himal cubes can be safely used on the plot, both for the cultivation of flowers and vegetables.To prepare the mortar, dissolve 1 Himal cube in 0.4-1 l of waterSeeds should be soaked for an hour and then sown. Flower bulbs just before planting are dipped for just a few seconds. After sowing seeds or planting bulbs,Himal cubes can also be used for watering plants(1 cube per 1 liter of water) or for spraying (1 cube per 0.25-0.5 liters of water).This will ensure further protection of plants against fungal and bacterial diseases.
Liquid Bioczos is also available for sale.For seed dressing, a 1-3% Bioczos solution is usedThe mixture of Bioczos with potassium soap should also be sprayed on the soil 2 days before sowing, and then immediately after sowing.
4. Dressing bulbs, tubers and rhizomes with Biosept
Traditionally, for the treatment of flower bulbs, Biosept Active is used in a concentration of 0.2-0.4% (2-4 ml of Biosept Active per 1 liter of water). Bulbs and tubers are soaked immediately before planting for 15 minutes. Biosept is also useful after sowing seeds for spraying seedlings in order to strengthen the seedlings, stimulate their growth and prevent gangrene. This natural grapefruit extract has a wide variety of horticultural uses.
5. Dressing flower bulbs in Polyversum WP
Polyversum WP is a biological preparation containing the beneficial fungus Pythium oligandrum.This fungus parasitizes a variety of pathogenic fungi causing, among others. gangrene of seedlings. The preparation also stimulates plants to grow by introducing phytohormones, phosphorus and sugars. In order to season flower bulbs, 1 g of Polyversum WP is dissolved in 2 liters of water and soaked in the bulbs for 15 minutes. Polyversum WP is also useful for spraying plants against fungal diseases, and during the production of seedlings, young plants obtained from seeds can be watered with this preparation to protect against soil-borne pathogens and attacking roots.
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Chemical treatment of seeds and flower bulbs
The multitude ofnatural methods of dressing seeds and flower bulbsmeans that we use chemical treatments less and less often. The more that the possibilities of their use in amateur crops have been significantly limited. On the other hand,chemical dressing brings the most reliable results
The most popularvegetable seed dressing is Zaprawa Seed T 75 DS / WS . Vegetable seeds should be dry seasoned with this agent. The doses of Seed Mortar T 75 DS / WS depend on the seasoned vegetable species and amount to:
Seeds should be decontaminated until their color is uniform.
In the past, to dress onions and seeds of ornamental plantsgardeners used Dithane NeoTec 75 WG (dry mortar 2-5 g per 1 kg of material to be treated or wet mortar for ornamental plant bulbs - 5 g of the agent per 1 liter) water). Currently, however, this product is approved for use only by professional users, and there is no information on its label about the possibility of using it as a mortar.
A similar fate befell the preparationKaptan suspension 50 WP(formerly the dosage was: 5-10g / 1l of water; before planting, the bulbs were soaked in working liquid for 30 minutes) and Topsin M 500 SC (the bulbs and tubers were dressed for 15 minutes by soaking in a solution of the agent 4-6 ml / 1 L of water). Topsin M 500 SC can still be bought in an amateur version, but its label only provides for spraying, without the possibility of using it as a seed dressing.
Aleksandra Dziugan-Smoleń
