Life hack for gardeners: Stimulating root formation of seedlings using succinic acid

All gardeners know that the quality of seedlings directly affects the future harvest of vegetables and the lush flowering of ornamental crops. The main indicators of the health of seedlings grown in early spring in greenhouse conditions are considered to be not only a powerful stem, on which there are 5-8 true leaves, but also a well-developed root system, covering most of the soil coma in the seedling container.


And in order for the roots of all your seedlings to quickly and correctly develop, experienced plant growers use a variety of growth stimulants while the seedlings are on the windowsill or in a heated greenhouse. Watering the bushes at the root with effective growth-stimulating solutions leads to the formation of a large number of suction roots. But they are the ones who provide the seedlings with adequate nutrition, absorbing the necessary mineral elements from the substrate.

Useful features of succinic acid

One of the most effective and, importantly, cheap drugs that activate the processes of growth and root formation of indoor, garden and vegetable plants is succinic acid. This universal remedy for the full development of seedlings can be purchased in the form of tablets or crystalline powder in various packaging in most flower shops and specialized nurseries.

Getting into the soil, a solution of succinic acid not only causes active growth of suction roots, but also promotes the accelerated decomposition of organic matter present in the earth mixture into mineral components bioavailable to the root system of bushes. Thus, with the help of a growth stimulator, nutritional deficiency can be prevented and the need for additional feeding by plants can be reduced.
According to experts, by feeding your seedlings with a solution of succinic acid, you help strengthen their phytoimmunity, which means you productively increase the resistance of the bushes to various unfavorable factors. If we compare the root system of seedlings treated with nutrient liquid and those that were watered with ordinary water, then visually we can notice a double, and sometimes triple, number of white suction roots piercing the earthen ball in all directions.

How to use succinic acid correctly?

For large volumes of grown seedlings, it is most convenient to use succinic acid for gardeners, in powder form. The consumption rate of this drug is 2 g per 10 liters of settled water. The tableted product is used at the rate of 1 tablet per 1 liter of water.To completely dissolve, the tablet is first crushed into powder, then it is dissolved in a small amount of lukewarm water, and only then the volume of liquid is brought to a liter.

In order for the roots of tomatoes, peppers and eggplants to develop intensively in seedling containers, moistening the soil with the prepared solution is carried out a few days after picking.



Seedlings of cucumbers, zucchini, and squash are watered with succinic acid after the formation of the first true leaf.

Flower seedlings (pelargonium, marigolds, petunia, etc.) are fed with a growth and root formation stimulator a month before transplanting to a permanent location.
According to reviews from experienced summer residents, a single feeding of seedlings with a solution of succinic acid leads to an increase in the volume of the root system of seedlings by up to 300%. If your plants look weak even after root watering and continue to stretch, then they are additionally treated with a solution on the leaves from a spray bottle with a fine nozzle, using a solution of 1-2 g of succinic acid per 10 liters of water or 1 tablet per 1 liter of water.
Easy work for you at the dacha!