Every gardener knows that it is very easy to prepare pepper seeds for planting. It is enough to cut the ripest fruit from the bush, extract the grains from it, dry them thoroughly and put them in an envelope or bag indicating the type of vegetable. Working with dry and fairly large pepper seeds is as convenient as possible. Unlike tomato grains, they are not covered with a mucous membrane, which makes them difficult to remove and further dry.
Vital energy of pepper seeds depending on location in the fruit
Experienced summer residents and gardeners who receive record harvests of organic vegetables on their plots every summer know one important nuance when preparing planting material for capsicums. It turns out that the greatest amount of nutrients accumulates in the seeds attached to the base of the stalk. The further the grains are located from the stalk, the less vital energy they contain.
Such seeds have maximum germination rates and hatch into seedlings several days earlier than all the others.In the future, bushes from these seeds are not only resistant to diseases and pests, but also produce the largest number of flowers, ovaries and fruits.
That is why all seeds attached to the internal partitions of the fruit, as well as to the whiskers, are not suitable as planting material due to their minimal productivity. They have scanty vitality, sprout poorly and take a long time, and the seedlings often get sick and rot.
But the main secret of high-quality planting material for vegetable peppers is drying and subsequent storage of seeds directly on the stalk.
Step-by-step instructions for preparing pepper seeds:
1. Trim the selected pepper from the bush with scissors.
2. Cut the pepper fruit lengthwise with a knife, not all the way.
3. Cut off the top with the place where the stalk is attached in a circle.
4. Remove soft tissue to prevent it from rotting while drying.
5. Leave only the pod with the tissues of the inner part of the stalk sown with seeds. Depending on the variety and degree of ripening of the fruit, their number can vary from ten to several hundred seeds.
6. Place the stalks with seeds in the sun until completely dry.
7. Store in this form until the next season, not forgetting to label the variety.
8. Well-dried material can be stored in either a paper or a plastic bag.
9. Separate seeds from dry pods immediately before planting seedlings in winter or early spring.
Advantages of storing seeds with stalk:
- grains germinate 2-3 days earlier than usual;
- seeds do not lose their viability for three years;
- produce the strongest seedlings, powerful, well-leafed, with a thick stem and a strong root system;
- You can count on the maximum yield of each variety.
Try this fall to prepare pepper seeds directly with the stalk cut off, and you will be convinced of their quality in practice next summer.
Have a good nightshade harvest every season!
