How to Treat Spinach Seeds? An Introduction to the Latest Treatment Methods

Spinach is an annual herbaceous plant of the genus Spinacia in the family Amaranthaceae (Chenopodiaceae). It originated in Iran and is now widely cultivated throughout China. Because the seed coat of spinach is covered with a layer of gelatinous material, sowing in the usual way results in slow and uneven emergence, so spinach seeds need to be soaked before sowing. Let's take a look together below at how to treat spinach seeds!

Solution Preparation

Dilute the hydrogen peroxide solution with water at a ratio of 1:4, and stir thoroughly to prepare a 20-25% hydrogen peroxide aqueous solution.

Soaking Time

Put the prepared hydrogen peroxide aqueous solution into a container. When pouring in the seeds, stir with a wooden stick while pouring so that all the seeds can absorb water evenly. When the temperature is below 20°C, the soaking time needs to be 100-120 minutes. When the temperature is above 20°C and below 30°C, the soaking time is 60-90 minutes. When the temperature is above 30°C, a soaking time of 30-50 minutes is sufficient.

Seed Germination

After soaking, scoop the seeds out of the hydrogen peroxide aqueous solution, then immediately rinse them with clean water 3-4 times (rinsing while draining the water). After draining, put them in a container and cover them with a wet cloth to promote germination. If the seeds are suitably mature and plump, generally more than 85% of the seeds will germinate in 5-6 days, and after sowing the seedlings will be fully emerged in 2-3 days, emerging 6-8 days earlier than with conventional sowing.

Precautions

1. Before soaking the seeds in the hydrogen peroxide aqueous solution, the spinach seeds you have kept yourself or bought should be sun-dried in the sun on a sunny day for 4-6 hours, and debris and non-plump seeds should be removed,

2. Use a Bavistin aqueous solution to sterilize the seeds that have already been soaked and germinated,

3. The seeds that have been soaked, germinated and sterilized should be sown in time, and the soil in the field (greenhouse) should be kept moist,

4. After sowing, cover with soil 1-1.5 cm deep and press down so that the soil fits closely around the seeds, then cover with a straw curtain, and when 10-15% of the seedlings have emerged, lift off the straw curtain.