Pepper seeds soaking. Yes or not?

Pepper sowing time is almost here and the common trick is to soak seed before sowing as they should germinate earlier and should become more resistant against various diseases, fungi and pests. We have tried soaking seeds but also focused on various discussions which do not recommend soaking… It seems that soaking does not make that much of a difference.

What should you soak seeds in?

Many people soak the seeds in a highly concentrated humic preparation such as Lingohumate. 15 ml of the preparation is diluted by 3 litres of water. This amount will last you a very long time. We tried chamomile extract for dipping but did not notice any earlier germination. It seemed that seeds were germinating at normal speed… Some users even experience the occurrence of mould after soaking. Well, some people soak seeds in black tea as black tea has antibacterial properties.

Photo: Radek Štěpán

Some gardeners just use water

Many people use plain water to soak seeds. This provides seeds with enough moisture and makes them stronger and they should produce healthier sprouts. The question is whether soaking makes seeds is better and healthier or whether regular unsoaked seed would have the same properties…

Photo: Pixabay

Not worth the effort

A lot of growers do not soak pepper seeds as they do not see any benefits in it. The differences between soaked and unsoaked seeds is miniscule. A seed soaking joke goes like this: best to soak seeds in brandy and then drink it. Some say that soaking seeds in tea turns regular peppers into “tea” peppers. Whether this is good or not we are not sure. Well, everyone seems to have a different opinion.

Preview photo: Radek Štěpán