What to soak seeds in to grow healthy seedlings: 10 options

Growing seedlings from seeds may seem like a daunting task, but there are ways to maximize your chances of success. One of them is to soak the seeds before sowing. It accelerates growth, increases germination, and strengthens the seedlings.

There are many different ways to soak seeds, each of which has its advantages. Floristix told us about them.

Melt water

Soaking in melt water imitates the effect of natural winter and spring processes on seeds. To get such water, you can melt snow from the street, or first freeze it in the freezer and melt it. In this case, it is better to freeze rainwater or spring water.

Hot water

This method will help to wake up even the oldest seeds. Take two glasses, pour hot water into one (not boiling water, but water that won't burn you), and cold water into the other. Then you need to dip the seeds for 5 seconds in one container and then in the other. This procedure should be done five times.

Mineral water

Still mineral water contains trace elements that are essential for plant growth. It will not work as well as the other methods described below, but if you don't have time or don't want to bother, it is a good alternative.

Ash

A solution of wood ash can enrich the seeds with microelements and stimulate their development. To prepare it, dissolve 1 tablespoon of ash in 0.5 water and let the liquid brew for two days.

Aloe vera

Aloe juice stimulates plant growth and has antibacterial properties. Before collecting it, you can put the leaves of the plant in the refrigerator for several days to maximize the beneficial effect.

About one teaspoon of aloe juice will be enough to treat the seeds. After that, there is no need to rinse the seeds.

Honey

Honey is a natural growth stimulant and a source of nutrients. To prepare a solution for soaking seeds, dissolve half a teaspoon of honey in 100 ml of water at room temperature.

Onions

Collect the onion peel, pour boiling water over it, and let it brew for 3-4 hours. The resulting liquid will contain a huge amount of trace elements, including phytoncides.

It can be used not only to germinate seeds but also to feed seedlings.

Mushrooms

It is better to use tubular mushrooms to prepare the germination liquid, as they contain more trace elements and biologically active substances. You can either dry or buy dried mushrooms right away. Then you need to pour warm water over them and wait until it turns brown.

A few hours are enough to awaken the seeds in this solution.

Willow

If you put willow shoots in water and wait for the roots to appear, the water will gain remarkable stimulating properties. It can be used not only to germinate seeds for seedlings but also to water rooting rose cuttings to stimulate root formation.

Phytosporin

Phytosporin is a biological preparation that protects seeds from fungal infections. Make a solution and soak the seeds in it according to the instructions.