How to choose seeds for seedlings

Some of the gardeners are already planting early seedlings, while others are just going to shopping or garden centers to buy seeds for the next harvest. And often, in the heat of shopping, we grab whatever comes to hand. And very in vain!

“For starters, I would advise buying at least seeds, at least seedlings, only in large specialized centers from well-known manufacturers and breeders with a name,” warns Chairman of the all- public organization “Gardeners of Our Country” Andrey Tumanov. “A grandmother in the market or a vendor in a shady tent can tell you a wonderful story about huge harvests. But in fact, the seeds can be infected or weakened by hereditary diseases. While large manufacturers are carefully monitoring this.

7 Signs of Quality Seeds

Examine the package carefully. Self-respecting manufacturers give out all the information about the seeds. They have nothing to hide, they value their name. By the way, do not throw away the seed bag: you can use it to choose a variety from the same batch or make a claim to the manufacturer.

So, what must be indicated on a bag of seeds (1).

1. Names of crops and varieties. Or the designation of the hybrid F1 or F2 (if it is a hybrid). As well as brief information about the variety, its agricultural technology (at what depth to sow, for example). It is desirable that the package contains a description of the variety (height, yield, color, etc.), as well as recommendations for caring for the plant.

2. Details of the manufacturer. Full address and phone number of the manufacturer (not just its name).

3. Batch number  This is important if after a while you decide to buy exactly the same seeds. And the GOST number, according to which the sowing qualities of seeds are determined.

4. Shelf life or implementation period. Moreover, they should not be printed in a typographical way, but stamped as a seal, because the packaging for seeds can be repeated from year to year, and the seeds must be fresh.

An important point: a self-respecting company will definitely indicate on the bag not just the expiration date, but also the year the seeds were harvested. If the crop year is not specified, then it is better to refuse the purchase. After all, there is no guarantee that these seeds did not lie for several years in some damp hangar and were packaged in branded bags only when they began to run out of time.

The younger the seeds, for example, last year, the better the germination (2). This rule applies to almost all cultures. The only exception is cucurbits. After 3 years of “rest” in cucumbers, zucchini, squash, on the contrary, germination increases.

5. The number of seeds in the package. It is better if it is written how many pieces are there, and not just grams.

6. Germination percentage. If the package indicates, for example, that the germination of seeds is 80 – 85%, this is completely normal. The promise that all 100% of the seeds will sprout is not worth believing – in our climatic conditions this is impossible.

7. Are the seeds processed. Please note: on some bags there is an inscription: “Seeds should not be heated, frozen and pickled!”. This means that all the necessary operations have already been done, and your attempt to independently increase the germination of seeds will lead to their death.

If there is no such inscription, then you can pickle (“bath” before planting in potassium permanganate).

What to choose: variety or hybrid

Gardeners can argue until they are hoarse about which is better: varietal seeds or hybrids? And still, no one will wake anyone up – both of them have their undeniable pluses and serious minuses

What is a grade

A cultivar is a selected group of plants. Seeds collected from varietal vegetables and flowers will sprout beautifully and bear fruit next year. And you can be sure that you will get the same harvest as the previous year. Many summer residents prefer precisely varietal plants, confident that they have a better taste, more vitamin content, they say, they were sorted by nature itself, and not by a man in a test tube. But here, as they say, the taste and color …

Advantages of varieties:

• many generations retain their properties, that is, if an experienced gardener decides to grow his own variety, then he will be able to perpetuate his name – for many more years the taste of tomatoes or cucumbers will be exactly the way they were created;
• they are unpretentious, tolerate temperature changes better and are rather indifferent to the conditions of detention, they can grow on any land, that is, they are ideal for weekend summer residents.

Disadvantages of varieties:

• many plants pollinate themselves, it will be very difficult to achieve the purity of the variety;
• some varieties of cucumbers, no matter how you take care of them, can give bitterness.
• unstable yield – on one bush there can be dozens of fruits, on the other two will barely ripen;
• many are not resistant to fungal and viral diseases and pass it on by inheritance.

What is a hybrid

A hybrid is the result of crossing two or more varieties for the best characteristics: color, taste, shape, resistance to diseases and pests. But their seeds are no longer capable of reproduction. That is, you can, of course, collect and plant them next year, but it is not known what will grow out of them.

As a rule, first-generation hybrids (the most productive ones) are designated F1 on seed packages. This is a generation of flowers and vegetables that have taken only the best qualities from their “parents”. F2 is a second generation hybrid, their advantages may not be so obvious. But still, there are objectively more of them than varieties.

Advantages of hybrids:

• as a rule, all hybrids are approximately the same in size, which is convenient for salting, beautiful, even – it’s not a shame to put it on the table;
• good, stable yield on all bushes;
• resistant to most diseases and pests (this is noted with particular pride by breeders on the packaging).

Cons of hybrids:

• often require good, fertile soil, favorable conditions, although now there are already less capricious hybrids;
• they do not always withstand temperature changes, they can die from a sudden change in weather, which often happens in our latitudes;
• require timely top dressing, often a larger dose than varieties;
• hardly tolerate both underfilling and overflowing;
• can cost 2 or even 3 times more expensive than varieties.

“Choosing hybrids or varieties is a personal matter for everyone,” Andrey Tumanov believes. Both of them have their pros and cons. But if you notice that your varietal plant is sick from year to year with the same sore, then it is better to plant a “fresh” hybrid resistant to this form of the disease in its place.

And one more thing: when choosing a variety or hybrid, always check with the State Register of Breeding Achievements – there is not only an honest description (some seed producers “forget” to indicate unfavorable data for them, for example, that the variety is resistant to diseases), but also indicates which regions it is zoned (3).

Popular questions and answers

We asked typical questions of gardeners about the choice of seeds agronomist-breeder Svetlana Mikhailova.

Sources of

1. Law “On seed production” No. 171-FZ http://pravo.gov.ru/proxy/ips/?docbody=&nd=102050543
2. Zharkov I.V. Tips for the gardener // St. Petersburg: Publishing house “A. V.K. – Timoshka, 2002 – 192 p.
3. State Register of Breeding Achievements https://reestr.gossortrf.ru/