How to choose seeds in seedling bags

Our portal has already told how to collect and save seeds on our own. However, not all owners of orchards and vegetable gardens are engaged in this painstaking work. Many people prefer to purchase ready-made seeds to save time or just try new varieties, update their beds, try their hand at growing interesting crops.

First rulewhen buying seeds in packages – planning. Spontaneous purchases, of course, are not excluded, maybe the seller will convince you or the description of the variety on the package will be very attractive. However, it is better to decide in advance what exactly you need: early-variety tomatoes, canning cucumbers, late cabbage, fragrant night violet, and so on..

Second rule– purchases are best done in specialized stores. There are several good reasons for this:

1. Specialized outlets cooperate with many manufacturers with their own breeding nurseries and laboratories. Much less likely to buy a fake, and more choice.
2. Sellers will be able to give detailed advice, tell about the features of a particular variety, provide information about the manufacturer.
3. Such shops strictly follow the expiration dates, labeling, and correctly store packages of seeds..

Third rule– we carefully read the information on the package. Let’s clarify, before delving into what is written on the package with seeds, inspect the package itself. It should be intact, strong, of high quality, without damage even to the top layer. Now let’s find out what the manufacturer should tell us:

1. Information about yourself. Not only the name, but also contact numbers, e-mail – the buyer should be able to contact the manufacturer.
2. Expiry date, packing date, harvest year.
3. The name of the plant, including in Latin, according to the State Register.
4. Brief description of the variety, rules for planting seeds, especially agricultural technology. It is clear that you cannot write much on a small bag, but the most important nuances and features of an agricultural crop should be indicated.
5. Number or weight of seeds. If the package contains the mass of seeds, then you can roughly imagine how many of them there are in pieces. For example, in 1 gram of small seeds of lettuce, carrots, parsley, celery – 600-1000 pieces. Seeds of medium size, such as peppers, tomatoes, cabbage and onions, will be about 150-400 pieces per gram. Large seeds, like beans or zucchini, are no more than 10 pieces in 1 gram, and melons, cucumbers, radishes, parsnips – up to 100 pieces in 1 gram.
6. Seed lot number.
7. Compliance with GOST, TU, OST. Such instructions indicate that the seeds have passed all the necessary checks and meet the approved standards..

It is important to know that first generation hybrids are designated as F1, varietal seeds of the first generation S1, maternal form or sterile analogue – A.

Advice! Choose seeds from different producers and different varieties. This way you will have a better chance of getting a good harvest, even if seeds show low germination in one of the packages..

Fourth rule– do not buy seeds end-to-end, let a small stock remain. In this case, if your carrots do not sprout well, you can sow seeds of the same variety..

The fifth rule– with exotic and imported seeds, you should be especially careful, you can check whether such a variety is exactly in the State Register, otherwise it may turn out that the “Giant Celery Eggplant” simply does not exist. The date of imported seeds should be checked especially carefully – they are often expired.

Do not store seeds purchased this season for a long time. Firstly, they need special storage conditions, and secondly, in the second year, germination may become worse, and new varieties will appear on the market. By the way, experts advise buying seeds in packages in winter, when freshly harvested crops of the last harvest go on sale..

Choose the right seeds and let the result of your spring labor please the whole family!