How to properly soak peas for planting?

The seed material of vegetable crops is soaked in order to obtain quick and friendly shoots. Soaking peas for planting is especially important if the seeds are dry. Soaking can be carried out not only in water, but also in various solutions.

Is it obligatory to soak peas before planting?

Between summer residents, disputes do not subside over whether it is necessary to soak peas.

When sowing a crop, two methods are used:

• In the first case, the seeds are soaked.
• In the second, they are sown dry into moist soil.

When dry planting, seedlings are uncooperative and hatch longer, but such plants are distinguished by their strength and excellent health.

It is necessary to soak the peas before sowing when the gardener's timing is adjusted or the seeds are too dry and therefore will germinate for a long time. If you use not ordinary water for soaking, but a stimulating solution, the seedlings will be strong and resistant to adverse environmental influences, as well as diseases.

In general, peas are considered a non-capricious crop and are unlikely to cause much trouble in the future. Experts noted that with proper soaking, plants develop better, bloom more abundantly and give a crop a little earlier.

Sometimes on the package with seeds you can find information that the planting material has passed the necessary training. In this case, you do not need to do anything with the peas - they are ready for sowing.

How much to soak peas before planting?

Does it matter how much to soak peas before planting? Yes, it has. Insufficient soaking time will not give the expected effect.

The peas should be in the water until the seeds are evenly round and grow in size.

Do not sprout peas while waiting for the seeds to hatch. Pea sprouts are very tender and easily damaged when planted. The culture already sprouts quickly enough in the soil, there is simply no need for germination.

When using stimulating formulations instead of water, the processing time depends on the active ingredient. It usually takes 6 to 18 hours to soak in stimulants. The manufacturer indicates detailed instructions on the packaging for his drug.

Here are some rules regarding the procedure:

• The processing time directly depends on the temperature of the water, which can be room temperature or warmer.
• If the water has a temperature of + 22 ° C, the seeds are left in it for 12 hours. For old seed, the processing time should be increased by 1.5 times. During this time, the water must be changed repeatedly, otherwise mold may appear.
• Pea seeds are soaked in water with a temperature of + 45 ° C for only 3 hours. To keep the water cool, the procedure can be carried out in a thermos. After that, the swollen peas are dried and sown. Such treatment reduces the time of seed germination in the open field by 2–3 times.

The appearance of air bubbles in the water indicates that the seed has been overexposed and is unsuitable for planting. This often happens due to the lack of the necessary experience in the gardener. To prevent this from happening, it is better for beginners to soak the peas in the evening, and start sowing them in the morning.

Soaking solutions

Is it right to soak in regular tap water? Experts do not recommend doing this. Better to use boiled, rain or melt water.

If there is a fear that pathogens of any diseases are present in the planting material, disinfection can be carried out using potassium permanganate. The concentration of such a solution should be low, and the procedure time should be no more than 30 minutes.This is enough to kill viruses, bacteria and fungal spores.

Gardeners often use specialized solutions for soaking peas, each of which has its own purpose:

• Fundazol. It is recommended to treat the peas with this agent 3-5 days before the sowing date. In this case, the seedlings will be protected from root rot. The solution is prepared from 10 g of the drug per 1 liter of water. The required soaking time is 3 hours.
• Potassium humate. A preparation based on humic compounds with a broad spectrum of action. It is used to strengthen the immunity of plants, accelerates germination, promotes the development of a strong root system and vegetative part. The soaking solution is prepared from 3 g of powder per 5 L of water. Soaking time is 5-7 hours. Can be replaced with sodium humate, both agents work the same way.
• "Epin-extra". It awakens biological processes in seeds, protects future seedlings from diseases and pests. According to the manufacturer, the treatment of seed with Epinom-extra increases the crop yield by 15–20%. The seeds are soaked in the solution just before sowing for 4–6 hours. To achieve the desired concentration use 1-2 drops of the drug per 100 ml of water. For old or dried seeds, the processing time is doubled.
• "Rizotorfin". The drug belongs to the group of biofertilizers. It is made on the basis of the nodule bacteria Rhizobium sp. and is often used for pre-sowing treatment of legumes. Promotes an increase in the harvest volume by 1.5-2 times and an increase in the protein content in it. Seed treatment is carried out on the day of sowing. For 1 kg of peas use 1-1.5 g of "Rizotorfin". The sun's rays should not fall on the processed material, otherwise the nodule bacteria will die.
• Boric acid. The solution is prepared from 1 g of the substance per 5 liters of water. Soaking lasts 5-7 minutes, the water should be at 40 ° C. Such treatment will saturate the seeds with the necessary microelement and prevent the development of pathogenic microorganisms.

Planting of seed is carried out after soaking in a loose and nutritious soil prepared in the fall. The culture prefers slightly acidic soil, if necessary, the soil is lime. Fertilizers should be applied in the fall (half a bucket of humus, 20 g of superphosphate and 30 g of potassium nitrate per 1 m²). Sowing is carried out in single rows or in two lines.

Each gardener adheres to the technology of sowing crops already adopted by him. The same goes for peas. To determine the best option for yourself, you can soak some of the seeds, and sow some dry. After all, the features of germination and further development of seedlings also depend on the soil and weather conditions. The resulting harvest will make it possible to draw final conclusions about whether soaking is necessary for pea seeds or it is quite possible to do without it.