Garden Insurance

Insurance For the Garden – Treat Flower and Vegetable Seeds

Flower and Vegetable Seeds

Hundreds of kinds of seed-borne organisms, capable of causing plant diseases exist. Practically all vegetable and flower seeds benefit from seed treatment. Seed protectants, properly applied at the recommended dosage, destroy seed-borne organisms on and in the seed, check seed-rotting fungi in the soil, help establish a higher percentage of more vigorous seedlings, plus producing bigger yields of higher quality vegetables and flowers.

Seed treatment is cheap garden insurance.

Certain factors influence the infection of seed and young seedlings by micro-organisms.

1 – Climatic conditions during the latter part of the growing season of the seed-producing “mother” plant. Some organisms may enter seed about the time of pollination, particularly if the period is humid. or wet.

2 – State of maturity when seed is harvested.

3 – Climatic conditions just before and during harvest. If the seed is too dry at harvest it is easily damaged. Organisms then enter through the cracks in the seed coat. If seeds harvested too wet it may mold and not even germinate later. Seed which is harvested with a high moisture content should be carefully dried.

4 – The method used and rapidity of artificial drying may greatly change the numbers of organisms on and in the seed.

5 – Conditions of seed storage and duration of storage. Seeds stored with a high moisture content may “spoil” or “heat,” killing the germ in the seed. Older seed becomes weak and should be discarded.

The above factors are good reasons why you should buy- seed, only from established, reputable seed dealers. Reputable seedsmen call in all unsold seed each year to be sure you buy only fresh, high-quality seed.

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