Pre-sowing seed treatment is a mandatory measure that affects the germination of cucumbers and prevents seedlings from becoming infected with viral or fungal diseases. At home, cucumber seeds are treated with hydrogen peroxide. This procedure is quite simple, and its effectiveness is comparable to a number of agrotechnical techniques included in pre-sowing preparation.
Why treat seeds with peroxide?
In the natural environment, a cucumber seed germinates under certain conditions. These include increased temperature and humidity, lighting intensity, and increased oxygen flow.These factors suppress the action of substances that inhibit the awakening of the embryo during the dormant period and influence the increase in growth stimulants in the storage tissue of seeds.
To force a seed to emerge from a state of natural dormancy in conditions where there are sub-zero temperatures outside and there is snow, they resort to techniques that imitate the natural environment. The seeds are frozen, heated, soaked in a solution with microfertilizers, subjected to bubbling (saturated with oxygen) and disinfected with fungicides.
Many of these techniques require a careful approach and adherence to strict temperature and time conditions. To simplify the process of preparing seeds, they are treated with hydrogen peroxide before sowing, combining several preparatory procedures at once.
Peroxide affects the seed coat. As a result of the oxidative reaction under the influence of oxygen, the amount of inhibitors inhibiting germination decreases. The embryo wakes up, starting a new life cycle of the plant.
Important! Hydrogen peroxide acts as an effective antiseptic and growth stimulator at the same time.
How does hydrogen peroxide affect seeds?
Hydrogen peroxide sold in pharmacies has a 3% concentration. A slightly acidic environment has a complex effect on cucumber seeds:
- affects the strong peel and promotes its destruction;
- as a result of oxidative processes, the amount of substances limiting the germination of the embryo decreases;
- saturating the endosperm with oxygen, enhances the effect of growth stimulants;
- Hydrogen peroxide disinfects the surface of the shell and the hatched seedling, destroying pathogenic microflora.
By soaking cucumber seeds in hydrogen peroxide before planting, you get an immediate effect of disinfection and saturation of the planting material with a dose of active oxygen. Peroxide activates the germination energy of the embryo, which ensures friendly shoots. Treatment with peroxide does not take much time and is very simple in everyday life.
How to properly soak cucumber seeds?
The planting material is calibrated before the procedure, trying to cull at the initial stage. This is done by placing the seeds in a saline solution or plain water for 20–30 minutes. The floating seeds are removed, and the full seeds that have settled to the bottom are washed and prepared for further processing:
- To soak the seeds you will need 3% hydrogen peroxide, which can be purchased at any pharmacy in glass or plastic bottles of 50 ml or more. If, in addition to soaking the seed, you plan to treat the soil with an antiseptic or spray the plants, then it is more profitable to purchase peroxide in liter containers at chemical stores.
- You will need a glass saucer or glass into which you can safely pour the drug. Select the volume of the dishes depending on the number of seeds to be soaked. If you have to process several different varieties at the same time, then you need separate dishes for each. The dishes are washed and dried.
- Prepare small pieces of fabric that are necessary to absorb excess liquid and maintain constant moisture around the seeds. It is not advisable to use fabric that is too thin, as the seed may get stuck among the fibers and be damaged. Gauze or bandage should be folded into 4-5 layers.
- Place a cloth on the bottom of the glass container and moisten it with a solution of hydrogen peroxide. Place the seeds on its surface, distributing them evenly over the surface.Cover the top with a second piece of woven material. Moisten this layer so that the seeds are completely covered with the soaked cloth.
- If you are soaking a large amount of planting material of the same variety, you can put them in a glass container and fill them with peroxide solution without using fabric protection. In this case, the drug is poured just enough so that it covers the top layer by 2–3 mm.
The soaked seed material is kept in the solution at normal room temperature for 12 hours. After which it is washed in boiled water and dried.
What should you pay attention to?
Of course, pre-sowing preparation is directly related to the method of cultivation:
- If cucumbers are grown by seedlings, then the seeds are planted in peat pots immediately after processing. In this case, it is not at all necessary to wait until they hatch. Thermal and light conditions are much easier to create at home.
- If you plan to grow cucumbers by direct planting in the ground, then additionally the seeds are allowed to swell to the point of sprouting. To increase immunity, sprouted seed material is placed in the refrigerator overnight. After this, the seeds can be planted in a permanent place with full confidence that friendly shoots will appear in a few days.
- In addition, the quality of seed material that has undergone this treatment is much higher. It is known that pathogens are often transmitted with planting material. They can penetrate not only into the outer shell, but also into the endosperm. The antimicrobial and antiseptic effect of hydrogen peroxide prevents these dangerous processes.
If you are confident in the quality, or have purchased encrusted, coated, laser or plasma seeds, then there is no point in reprocessing them. And ordinary seeds in bags that do not have a protective coating are disinfected by the manufacturer.
Planting material purchased second-hand in markets is subjected to processing. It is advisable to disinfect your own seeds, or those received in exchange through friends. Be careful and if you have the slightest doubt about the quality of planting material, use an accessible and cheap way to protect plants using hydrogen peroxide.
