How should spinach seeds be treated before sowing?

Spinach is an annual herbaceous plant of the genus Spinacia in the family Amaranthaceae, native to 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 soaking treatment before sowing. Let's take a look below at how spinach seeds are treated!

Solution preparation

Mix 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 in 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 enough.

Seed germination

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

Precautions

1. Before soaking the seeds in the hydrogen peroxide aqueous solution, the spinach seeds kept at home or purchased should be sun-dried in the sun on a sunny day for 4-6 hours, and debris and shriveled seeds should be removed,

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

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

4. After sowing, cover with 1-1.5 cm of soil and press down to make the soil fit snugly against the seeds, then cover with straw mats, and remove the straw mats once 10-15% of the seedlings have emerged.