How to grow seedlings in a "snail"?

A small amount of space for seedling containers on the windowsill sometimes does not allow a novice gardener to grow the entire volume of the intended crops. Therefore, everyone dreams of sprouts occupying a smaller area. To save planting space, the method of planting seedlings in a "snail" is often used. Any plant can be grown using this method.

Making a "snail" and sowing seed

"Snail" is formed by rolling a soft substrate under the laminate with a spiral. More than a dozen seeds are planted in it. For production, you need a substrate about 3 mm thick, cut into long strips about 10 cm wide. For sowing seeds, you will also need a transparent low container to accommodate the roll, two rubber bands, a plastic bag, soil and seed material.

Important!

Any plants can be grown in a "snail" if no light is needed for seed germination.

Seed material must be pre-processed using various techniques.

• Soaking - to stimulate growth, it is carried out in warm water until it swells; for hardening, it is soaked in cold water for a day, regularly changing it every 4 hours.
• Top dressing - to accelerate the emergence of seedlings half a day before sowing, the seeds are soaked in water with dissolved nutrients.
• Disinfection - in order to disinfect the seeds, you can use a 1% solution of potassium permanganate, where the seeds are placed for half an hour.

Important!

The processed seeds are distinguished by good germination and quality.

The process of sowing seed into a "snail" is to perform the following steps.

1. Prepare the workplace.
2. Spread out the cut backing piece.
3. Cover the entire width of the tape with soil up to 1 cm high, compact it a little.
4. Moisten the soil slightly to prevent scattering.
5. Place the seeds in the area, slightly deepening them, at a distance of about 15 mm from the edge. A distance of 1-2 cm must be observed between seeds.
6. Roll up the filled portion of the tape.
7. Fill the entire belt with soil and seed gradually, continuing to twist it.
8. Wrap the entire piece of substrate in a spiral, fix it with an elastic band to prevent soil from spilling out.
9. Place the resulting "snail" so that the seeds are at the top, and top up the earth.
10. Install the structure in a container, the bottom of which is lined with wet sawdust or sand.
11. It is good to spill the loops with warm water.
12. Pull a cellophane bag on top and secure it with an elastic band.

The humid microclimate promotes the rapid emergence of seedlings. With the appearance of the first seedlings, it is necessary to remove the cellophane and place the container in a bright and warm place. As soon as the sprouts become cramped, they can be seated in separate containers. Growing seedlings in a "snail" involves the same care as for ordinary seedlings.

Advice

It is better to plant one variety of plants in the "snail" so as not to confuse the sprouts during unfolding.

Germinating seeds without land

To germinate seed without soil, you will need a backing tape, toilet paper, rubber band and a jar of water where the snail will be installed.

Landing is done according to the following algorithm.

1. Spread out a piece of laminate backing.
2. Put a strip of toilet paper on it, moistened with plenty of water.
3. Place the seeds approx. 15 mm from the edge. A distance of 1–3 cm must be observed between the seeds.
4. Roll up the resulting two-layer sheet with a spiral and fix with an elastic band.
5. Put in a jar so that the water slightly covers the edge of the roll, cover with polyethylene and provide warmth.

It will be possible to check the pecking of seeds already three days after sowing. As soon as the sprouts begin to look out of the "snail", you will need to fill in some nutrient soil. To this end, you need to perform the following steps.

1. Prepare the soil for seedlings.
2. Expand the sprouted seedlings roll.
3. Pour soil up to 1.5 cm thick over the entire width of the tape.
4. Compact the earth and moisten it with a spray bottle.
5. Bend the lower part so that the soil does not spill out.
6. Roll up the tape in a spiral, fixing the resulting "snail" with an elastic band.
7. Sprinkle a little more soil on top and moisten well.
8. Put the "snail" back in its place, providing optimal conditions.

Advantages and disadvantages

Growing seedlings in a "snail" has many advantages:

• saving space on the windowsill;
• good germination and cultivation of high-quality seedlings;
• quick shoots due to high humidity;
• saving soil;
• availability and low price of materials;
• the possibility of sowing seeds without picking (if you calculate the time of planting seedlings to a permanent place);
• growing sprouts without damaging the root system;
• the possibility of using the structure several times;
• the application of this method does not require any experience;
• the same distance between seedlings makes it easy to transplant sprouts;
• simple irrigation scheme: water is poured into the container with a roll.

Along with the positive aspects, there are also the disadvantages of growing plants in a "snail":

• too dense planting of seeds contributes to the receipt of less light by the plants;
• there is a high risk of pulling seedlings and forming a weak root system.

Features to look out for

When planting plants in the "snail" method, the following points must be taken into account for growing better seedlings:

• cellophane must be removed immediately after the emergence of sprouts in order to avoid stretching the tomatoes due to the prolonged greenhouse effect;
• you need to dive the plants only after the roots appear in the lower part of the "snail";
• it is necessary to roll up the roll tightly to prevent the seeds from sliding down.

It is best to grow cold-resistant plants in a "snail" way, which can be transplanted immediately to a permanent place. Any culture can be grown in a unique pot. The use of this method is justified in the presence of limited space. Caring for grown seedlings is to create favorable conditions for the growth and development of plants.