What do phacelia seeds look like and how do I get them?

Phacelia is a plant that is very popular with backyard owners. It belongs to the category of green manure, has a beneficial effect on the soil, actively fights weeds and pests, and also prevents soil erosion. Cultivation of a crop is a simple process, but much here depends directly on the quality of the seeds. In order to use good seed, it is recommended to collect and prepare it yourself.

Phacelia is rightfully considered a unique green manure, since its sowing begins in early spring and ends in late autumn. But quality seeds can only be obtained from those specimens that were sown in the spring. They are distinguished by high germination (almost 95-100%), since they have time to ripen.

If you want to get good seeds, it is recommended to take care of spring sowing. As soon as the snow melts, it is necessary to dig up the selected piece of land and sow green manure.

The flowering period is the most important during the entire life cycle of the phacelia. The quality of the seeds for the future sowing depends on how well it goes.

You can also use autumn seeds, but their germination rate will definitely not be so high. In addition, the spring has one more advantage - its large size. It is much easier to store and dry these grains. For planting, it is recommended to use mainly large specimens. Autumn seeds almost always look dry and unviable.

If the spring sowing took place on time, then the collection of seeds falls on the end of August - this is if we talk about the northern regions and the middle lane. In the southern regions, the seed pods ripen several weeks earlier, therefore it is recommended to collect the seeds at the end of July.

It is very important not only to collect seeds in a timely manner, but also to make high-quality collection of seeds. In the process, you will need a basket for spikelets, as well as good scissors or pruning shears. The dry plant is prickly, so gloves and long-sleeved clothing are recommended to protect your hands.

It is best to collect seeds in dry and calm weather. If you do this during rain, the seeds will lose some of their original properties, which will also negatively affect germination.

The build process is as follows:

• using the selected tool, it is necessary to cut spikelets with a part of the plant;

• the collection must be carefully folded into the basket;

• hull seeds at home.

During the collection process, it is necessary to showb maximum accuracy in order not to waste some of the raw materials.

After the spikelets are collected, it is necessary to carry out a number of additional activities. These include drying, threshing, and blowing. Each of the stages must be treated responsibly, since the quality of the future seed depends on them.

The first preparatory stage is drying. It can be carried out without special frames with nets, but you can use blank cardboard sheets. The process will take several days.During the entire period, it is necessary to stir up the collected boxes.

An important point: the capsules are rather prickly and can damage the skin. When in contact with them, it is strongly recommended to use household gloves.

If drying is carried out indoors, then ventilation is a prerequisite. Otherwise, mold will appear on the boxes, which will significantly spoil the seed.

If the first stage of preparation was successful, then you also need to thresh at home. Initially, a special bag should be prepared for this purpose. You can buy it in a store or sew it yourself from burlap or any similar thick canvas.

It is highly discouraged to harvest seeds by hand, as the result of such actions will be numerous wounds and abrasions on the fingers. The boxes should be folded into a bag, tied tightly, and rolled with a rolling pin, but without much pressure. After a few minutes of such actions, you need to untie the bag and check if the seeds have separated. If the threshing was insufficient, then the procedure should be repeated.

Further, it is recommended to pour the contents of the bag onto a newspaper or any other paper. For example, a piece of wallpaper can be used for the same purpose. Some of the boxes must be removed manually. But even after that, there will be a lot of waste along with the seeds. Additionally, the seed must be cleaned at the next stage.

At the final stage, it is necessary to clean up the debris after threshing. This is very easy to do if a special winder is available. If not, you will need to use additional accessories:

• sieve with large meshes;

• scoop (plastic);

• a bucket or basin as a container.

Use a scoop to load the existing material into a sieve. Sift in the usual way. As a result of the performed procedure, the largest debris should be separated from the seed.

The next stage of the trend must be carried out on the street. It is better to choose windy weather for this. The bottom line is to separate the remaining small debris from the seeds. To do this, you need to load the seeds in small portions into the sieve. From a height of human growth, it is necessary to sift the material. If everything is done correctly, the seeds will fall into the container, and almost all small debris will be removed with the help of the wind. To completely get rid of debris, the procedure should be carried out at least 3-5 times.

Phacelia seeds are believed to have a shelf life of 1 to 8 years. At the same time, germination will be preserved in 85-90% of cases. The following are used as storage containers:

• plastic containers without any ventilation holes;

• bags made of natural material.

Plastic bags are categorically unsuitable for this purpose, since such packaging contributes to spoilage and shortens the shelf life of the seed.

For storage, it is recommended to choose a cool room in which the air temperature should constantly be in the range of + 10 ... 15 degrees Celsius. If linen bags were chosen as containers for storage, then the room must be ventilated at least 2-3 times a week.

And also in the selected room should be dark. Sunlight acts as a provocateur so that the seeds begin to germinate. It is not recommended to organize storage in the immediate vicinity of all exits to the street (windows, doors, vents).

Another proven storage method is freezing seeds. Immediately after all the preparatory stages, the seeds in a plastic container must be sent to the freezer.Low temperatures do not have a negative effect on germination, therefore, even after 7-8 years, a full-fledged plant can be obtained from frozen seeds.

If they have been frozen, then they must be taken out of the freezer and, without removing from the packaging, left at room temperature. In the event that an emergency defrosting is needed, the seeds are placed in a plastic bag and immersed in hot water for no more than 25 minutes. Germinates will germinate after such actions.

Dry seeds can be soaked in a damp cloth for several days. In this case, high-quality seed is capable of sprouting quite quickly. Sow them in small plastic containers, sprinkling them with a small layer of fertile soil on top. At the initial stage, it should be covered with plastic wrap to simulate the greenhouse effect. Then it can already be transferred to open ground. In addition, you can sow directly into the beds, but also use a covering material. To accelerate germination, abundant watering is recommended at the first stage.