When to plant flowers for seedlings. When to plant flowers for seedlings to decorate your garden

Get a container with drainage holes. If you want to grow several flowers, you can purchase a fairly spacious container or box. Make sure that it has drainage holes, as oversaturated soil adversely affects plant growth.

• If you don't want to buy a container for houseplants, you can drill holes in the bottom of an egg carton and use that.
• Lay a rag under the container so that water does not spread from under it.

Fill each section with a mixture of peat moss, vermiculite and perlite. Mix three different types of soil in equal proportions - the result is well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Fill the container ¾ full with this mixture.

Bury seeds in the top layer of soil or simply scatter seeds on its surface (depending on the type of flowers). Harder seeds should be covered with organic material such as vermiculite or peat moss, while softer seeds should be left on the soil surface. Read the directions on the seed bag to see if they should be planted in the ground (and how deep) or left on the surface of the soil.

Water the seeds. Spray the soil lightly with water. Don't water the seeds too hard to wash them off. You can sprinkle water from the palm of your hand or slowly pour it into a container from a small saucer. Be that as it may, it is necessary to moisten the soil, but do not touch the seeds.

Cover the container with plastic wrap. Plastic wrap or a tight-fitting lid will trap moisture, which will help the seeds germinate. Make a couple of holes in the top of the film so that the plants can breathe.

• You can also wrap the seed container in a plastic bag.

Place the container in a warm place at home. Seeds germinate best at temperatures of 18-24°C. Place the container in a warm place with sufficient sunlight. You can also place the container near an artificial heat source, such as a refrigerator or near an oven.

• Remove the container before turning on the oven as the heat from the oven can damage the seeds.

Harden off the shoots before transplanting them into open ground. If you are going to move the seedlings outdoors, leave them outside in a shady spot for 7-10 days. This will allow the plants to get used to the temperature changes. Some flowers do not tolerate cold well and should be kept indoors.

• The seed bag should indicate what temperatures are suitable for this type of flower.
• If the flowers tolerate cold well, the package may indicate that they are cold-resistant.
• Delicate flowers tolerate cold less, they should be kept at temperatures not lower than 4 ° C.

A lot of flower growers grow seedlings on their loggias and window sills. After all, growing seedlings of flowers is a very exciting and exciting activity. If something doesn’t work out for you, then let’s figure it out together.

Growing flowers from seeds

First of all, we choose the soil.

The soil for sowing flowers for seedlings should be:

1. moisture-intensive.
2. Lightweight and breathable.
3. Not nutritious.

It is necessary to sow flower seeds for seedlings in poor, non-nutritious soil. Then the seedlings have a much better root system. Roots are looking for food and grow faster than in the "fat" land, and this is a very important point in growing seedlings of flowers.

Buy any peat-based substrate from the store, mix it with sand one by one and get the perfect mixture for sowing seeds for seedlings.

But after picking, another, more nutritious soil will be required. But for different colors and the land will need different, so there can be no one, general recommendation here.

Pre-sowing preparation of seeds

In different flowers, seeds have different germination. Before sowing, it is desirable to treat the seeds with some kind of stimulant ("Epin", "Zircon"), soaking gives good results. Many successfully use bubbling.

Some seeds have a very hard shell. They must be placed in a jar of sandpaper and shaken for a long time. The shell from contact with sandpaper is broken and the germination of such seeds increases markedly.

Growing seedlings of eustoma.

Seed stratification before sowing

Sowing seeds can be done in furrows.

If you intend to grow many flowers from such seeds, and there is not enough space in the refrigerator, then it is allowed not to sow them in the ground, but to keep them in a damp cloth. The napkin must remain moist at all times.

Another option for stratification- on an unheated loggia. Put a container of seeds in there. All winter they freeze there, and in the spring they naturally thaw, warm up, and sprout.

Sowing flowers for seedlings

There are many plastic containers with tight-fitting lids on the market today. They are very convenient for sowing seeds.

We fill such a container with soil mixture and spill it abundantly with water. Spread the seeds evenly over the surface of the earth. Small seeds are best mixed with sand, so it will be easier to carry out uniform sowing.

Another good option: powder the surface of the substrate with snow and scatter the seeds on the snow. It will be clearly visible where to sow, besides, when the snow melts, it will drag the seeds into the ground. This is also good, but you have to work quickly, the snow is melting before your eyes.

Sowing petunias in the snow.

It is not necessary to sprinkle the seeds of flowers germinating in the light with earth. Gently sprinkle them with dewdrops, cover with a lid and place in a warm, bright place.

Flower seeds that do not need light for germination are sprinkled with a thin layer of earth 0.5 - 1 cm, and placed in a warm (not necessarily bright) place.

In both cases, the substrate must be kept moist at all times. Not even short-term drying is allowed! However, you can't over-moisturize.

Another way to sow flowers for seedlings: put 7-10 layers of toilet paper on the bottom of the container and moisten it with water. Spread flower seeds on paper and lightly press them into the paper. Close the container and wait for the sprouts to appear.

I don’t know why, but with such germination, the germination of all seeds is much higher than in the ground. When both tops and roots grow noticeably, transplant the sprouts into the ground. Until they take hold, keep them under the film.

Sprouting flower seeds on toilet paper.

flower seedling care

Backlight.

When shoots appear, the boxes are immediately transferred to a bright place. If you grow seedlings of flowers in March, then additional illumination is no longer needed. If the yard is the beginning of February, then you have to light it up. Without lighting, the plants will be frail and elongated, which means they can easily become prey to the black leg.

It is possible to grow good seedlings of flowers without illumination only from mid-March.

With backlight, it is easier to grow healthy seedlings.

Pick.

The grown seedlings of flowers begin to dive when it has the first pair of true leaves. It is not worth delaying with a pick, in the future the seedlings planted will take root much worse.

Dive plants into pots or large boxes. When transplanting, deepening to the cotyledons is allowed. After picking, water the seedlings and put them in the shade for 2-3 days. When the sprouts are accepted in a new place, you can transfer the boxes to the sun.

Do not forget that there are flowers that are extremely painful to transplant. Such specimens should be immediately planted in small pots, and when they grow up, roll over with a clod of earth into a larger bowl.

Temperature regime.

Growing seedlings of flowers at home, it is difficult to provide some kind of special temperature regime for it. In my experience, most flowers develop well on a windowsill at room temperature.

Watering.

If you use tap water, it is not necessary to boil it (preferably to defend). If you have your own well, then such well water has to be boiled, otherwise the earth will soon be covered with moss after watering.

Seedlings are watered with a thin stream and only under the root

You can water young plants only at the root. Surface watering is completely excluded. Before picking, it is necessary to water in a thin stream, avoiding even getting on the stem of the seedlings. Try to pour water in places where there are no shoots. The earth will still absorb water and gradually get wet all over.

If you flood young seedlings, then your cultivation of seedlings of flowers can be interrupted at any time. It's not just growing fast, it's growing fast! We have not yet learned how to effectively deal with it. This disease can only be prevented.

The development of the black leg is facilitated by:

1. Dampness.
2. Cold.
3. Lack of lighting.

After picking, you can breathe a sigh of relief. If the seedlings of flowers have been accepted, then everything will be much easier. But it is by no means impossible to flood the plants even after picking! They may not disappear, but they will definitely turn yellow.

Picked chamomile seedlings.

Seedling nutrition.

Before picking, no top dressing is needed. Seedlings begin to feed 10 - 15 days after transplantation.

The stores have a large selection of flower fertilizers. You can always choose one that suits your colors. Feed seedlings no more than once every two weeks. To grow good flowers, it is not necessary to feed them with fertilizer every day.

The main rule of feeding plants - it is better not to supplement.

Flower seedlings also love foliar feeding. Alternate fertilization under the root and on the leaves.

To print

Vladimir Marchenko March 26, 2015 | 7335

Plot owners rarely think about the fact that problems with growing crops begin with improper planting. We have collected for you tried and tested methods of sowing seeds for seedlings, which are guaranteed to help you get a rich harvest.

What could be more amazing than gorgeous and colorful flowers grown from a few small seeds? Plus, it's much cheaper than buying seedlings .

Many growers don't even try sow seeds, considering it a difficult and thankless task, which is unlikely to bring results. Others are afraid that the plants will not germinate, and the seedlings will not rise and die. Well, it happens even to experienced flower growers. However, a few simple rules will help you avoid becoming a seedling specialist.

How can seeds be sown?

There are four main ways to sow flower seeds for seedlings:

1. sowing in small pots;
2. sowing very small seeds;
3. sowing in trays with cells;
4. use of seedling boxes.

Landing in containers You can start at the end of February - beginning of March. For each specific type of plant, you should choose your own method (we will discuss this below).

We didn't mention greenhouse- it is certainly suitable for growing seedlings of flowers, but is not a necessary component of their successful growth. The window sill, which receives a sufficient amount of heat and sunlight, completely replaces a small greenhouse.

You can start germinating seeds on the window, and then move the young plants to the open air. As a "home" for them, any plastic packaging or hood available at any garden store will do. Ideally, both methods should be combined - both greenhouse and "home".

Where to start sowing seeds?

To successfully sow seeds, you will need:

• several clean small pots with a diameter of 7 cm;
• trays with cells;
• seedling boxes;
• labels for plants;
• pencil or marker;
• package vermiculite ;
• a bag of fine-grained sand for plants (selected depending on the type of seeds you plan to sow);
• fungicide- to combat fungal diseases that affect seedlings, and a spray gun for spraying the drug solution;
• clean plastic bags and a small container with a plastic lid.

You will also need a special soil for growing seedlings of your chosen crop or, in extreme cases, universal substrate. But it's better to have both. Seeds of capricious and fastidious flowers should be sown in specially prepared soil. For everyone else, universal store soil will do just fine.

What else needs to be considered before sowing?

Absolutely all seeds - even the hardiest ones - require a small amount of heat to germinate and enough light (but not direct sunlight) after they sprout. A good place to grow seedlings is a window sill with a thin tulle curtained window.

Do not grow more plants than you can fit in your garden. Some sachets contain over a hundred seeds. Do you really need, for example, a hundred asters, petunias or marigolds? Of course, you should sow a little more seeds, taking into account possible losses, but not more than a quarter of the estimated volume.

Method 1. Sow the seeds in a small container

This method is best suited for seeds of medium size, with a diameter of a pinhead (0.5-2 mm in diameter). They are small and easy to handle. Among flowers, seeds of large sizes are found, for example, in calendula and cosmos.

Step 1. Fill a small pot with soil and compost mixture to the brim, without tamping it down, but leaving no air pockets. Gently shake the pot by the base to evenly distribute the composition.

Step 2. Take a second similar pot and tamp the poured mixture with its base until the surface is flat and uniform.

Step 3. Spread the seeds on the surface of the substrate. You can, of course, pour them out, but make sure that they are evenly distributed over the entire surface of the soil.

Step 4. Now sprinkle a handful of vermiculite on top. The use of sifted soil is allowed, but it is not always sterile, so it is better to use vermiculite.

Step 5. Write on a small plate or label the name and variety of the plant and the date you sown it. If nothing rises within 3 weeks, then something went wrong.

Step 6. Before watering, place the pot in a special tray and fill it with water so that the substrate gradually absorbs water.

Do not water the soil in the pot from above. Together with water, the seeds will go deep into the soil and may not germinate.

Step 7. "Pack" the pot in a clear plastic bag and place it on a windowsill out of bright sunlight. Check every three days for sprouts.

Step 8. As soon as seedlings become visible, remove the plastic bag and let the seedlings grow normally for 1-2 weeks, periodically turning the pot to the light in different directions.

Method 2. How to sow small seeds?

Some seeds are so small that they look more like dust particles or pollen (for example, seeds tobacco, lobelia and petunias). They are quite difficult to sow evenly, but there are a couple of tricks that will help you get a great result.

Step 1. Fill a small pot (7 cm in diameter) with the potting soil and compost mixture and lightly shake the base to set it down.

Step 2. Tamp the composition with a second similar pot, as in the first method described.

Step 3. Carefully open the bag of seeds and pour the amount you need into your hand.

Step 4. Now pour some dry sand into the palm of your hand and mix it thoroughly with the seeds.

Step 5. Spread the resulting mixture evenly over the surface of the soil - the sand will help you to see the boundaries of the area you have covered.

When sowing small seeds, in no case sprinkle them with soil or vermiculite.

Step 6. Write on the label the name of the plant, variety and date of sowing.

Step 7. Place the pot on a tray and fill it with water to the brim. Water will be absorbed by the composition gradually, so do not make it "rain" and do not pour the seeds from above.

Step 8. Using a spray bottle, spray the soil surface with a solution of any fungicide that will prevent the development of infections.

Step 9. Place the pot in a mini greenhouse or cover it with cellophane and place it on a well-lit windowsill. After a few days, the seeds will germinate and you can remove the "shell" or start airing the mini-greenhouse.

Method 3. How to sow seeds in trays with cells?

Honeycomb trays are great for large seeds (2mm diameter or more) as you can freely plant one seed per cell. As a substrate, it is best to use a general-purpose soil because it is more fibrous and retains moisture better.

Step 1. Sift the soil through a coarse sieve and fill all the cells with it. Shake the tray lightly to evenly distribute the substrate.

Step 2. Make shallow holes with your finger in each cell filled with soil. This is necessary for small seeds, like calendula, and larger ones can simply be placed on top.

Step 3. Pour the desired amount of seeds into the palm of your hand.

Step 4. Carefully drop one seed into each cell, or spread them on the surface.

Step 5. Now sift a small amount of compost over the cells to cover the seeds with a thin layer of fertilizer.

Step 6. Lightly pack the compost with the palm of your hand, lightly tapping each bin on top.

Step 7. Write on the labels what was sown, the variety and the date, and stick the plates in the tray with the crops. If desired, you can sign each cell (if they were sown with different plants).

Step 8. Place the cell tray in a bowl filled with 2.5 cm of water. Do not water the cells from above.

Step 9. Put the tray in a warm propagator or in a special greenhouse for seedlings.

Step 10. Install the tray in a bright, warm area, such as a greenhouse or greenhouse. However, any window sill that receives sunlight will do.

• The seedling method can grow almost any flower. annuals, biennials and perennials. The only exceptions are plants that do not tolerate transplantation well. Annuals are sown for seedlings most often when they have a long growing season or when they want to get early flowering.
• The seedling method of growing is optimal for flowers with very small seeds.. Their seedlings are thin, weak, can easily die in open ground, and seedlings are a guaranteed way to grow beautiful and healthy plants from such seeds. Small seeds need good lighting from the moment of sowing. But the large ones have a hard shell and develop slowly, so they are moved to a bright place only after the appearance of sprouts.
• Seedlings are grown in greenhouses, on windowsills or glazed balconies.. To make it strong and healthy, you need to have viable seeds, a high-quality substrate, create favorable conditions for the growth of seedlings and ensure proper care for seedlings.

All plants have a different rate of development, so the seeds of slow-growing flowers are sown for seedlings already in January-February, with an average development rate - in March-April, and fast-growing ones can be sown in May immediately in open ground.

The group of flower crops with a long period of development includes both annual and perennial "slow" plants, which take 130 - 180 days, or even more, from sowing to flowering. If they are sown for seedlings in winter, annuals will delight you with flowering in May - June, and perennials - in the first year of their life! If the seeds of slow-growing plants are sown directly into the ground in May, flowering can be seen at best at the end of summer, at worst - only the next year.

Sowing seedlings in January

In the first half of January Shabo carnations are sown on seedlings (blooms 5-6 months after sowing), as well as tuberous and ever-flowering begonias (they need 5.5-6.5 months from germination to flowering). In tuberous begonia, sown in December - January, tubers form better and are stored longer than those sown in March.

During this period, seeds are sown for seedlings, which must necessarily undergo stratification - stimulation with low temperature. These include aquilegia, spring and stemless gentian, arizema, clematis, princes, swimsuit, alpine bellflower, Carpathian bellflower, rutovnik, jeffersonia, perennial delphinium, perennial violet, primrose, penstemon, prolomnik, backache, irises, many bulbous, lavender, primrose .

Our advice:

In January, it is also necessary to sow tight-looking, with a dense thick shell, perennial seeds (otherwise they will have to be scarified - mechanically break or remove the seed coat).

In the second half of January zonal and ivy-leaved pelargonium, lobelia, primula, heliotrope, calceolaria, meconopsis and graceful ragwort (graceful cineraria) are sown on seedlings.

Sowing seedlings in February

From the beginning of February quite a lot of flowers with a long germination period can be sown on seedlings: antirrinum (snapdragon), Turkish carnation, sponge, kermek, coleus, spherical craspedia, gray left, sparkling salvia, fragrant tobacco, tigridia, seaside cineraria, Wittrock's viola, daisy, passionflower , narrow-leaved lavender, etc.

It is not too late to sow the seeds of the Shabo carnation and the ever-flowering begonia.

In addition, it is time to plant plants that feel good both in the garden and at home - fuchsias, gloxinias, cyclamens, New Guinea balsam and Waller.

Now seedlings are sown for seedlings of early flowering for hanging baskets decorating loggias, balconies and glazed terraces - verbena, petunias, tunbergia. At this time, they also continue to sow pelargonium and lobelia.

At the end of February nemesia, gazania and marigolds are sown for growing in containers.

Features of growing seedlings of some types of flowers

Germination test

The seeds of most of the plants mentioned do not require pre-sowing preparation, but before sowing, they must be checked for germination and preferably treated with a growth stimulator (to obtain the maximum number of seedlings).

If the seeds germinate for a long time and unfriendly (like verbena or levkoy), before sowing they must be soaked in a growth stimulator (epin, zircon, HB101, agate, etc.). This will accelerate seed germination and increase the resistance of seedlings to adverse conditions.

Additional training

Carefully read the instructions on the package of purchased seeds, they may need stratification or scarification.

• If the seeds must pass stratification, you will have to withstand them for several months in loose, moist soil at a low temperature (aquilegia, primrose, etc.).
• Scarification need seeds with a hard shell (pelargonium). To carry it out, gently rub the seed coat with sandpaper. Seeds with a thick shell germinate better if they are soaked in advance for 12-24 hours, changing the water 2-3 times, or put in a thermos with warm water overnight.

Seeding depth and density

It is very important to observe the depth and density of sowing.

• Large seeds are evenly distributed over the substrate and planted to a depth of 1-2 cm.
• Medium(cloves, verbena, salvia) - sown in the same way, but close up to a depth equal to twice the thickness of the seeds.
• small(balsam, petunia) and very small seeds (begonia, heliotrope, gloxinia, lobelia, calceolaria) are mixed with sand before sowing, evenly distributed over the surface of a moist substrate and simply pressed against the soil without embedding (surface sowing). They are germinated in the light, but not in direct sunlight.

Our advice:

Some amateur flower growers sow small seeds of many crops (begonia, gloxinia, primrose) directly on the snow. When it melts, the seeds fall into the soil well moistened.

Moisture and watering

Containers with sown seeds are covered with glass jars or plastic wrap on top so that soil moisture does not evaporate. Until the emergence of seedlings, containers with seeds are kept in a warm place. The substrate should always be moist, but not too wet, otherwise the seeds may suffocate and rot. When drying, the soil is sprayed with water from a sprayer. Normal watering at this time is unacceptable, since the soil with seeds can be eroded from water jets.

Banks and film are turned over from time to time so that an excessive amount of condensate does not accumulate on them, and with the advent of seedlings they are generally removed. After that, the plants are watered regularly and very carefully using a sprayer or watering can with a fine sieve.

Dive

The grown seedlings must dive. When the first leaf appears on the delphinium, pelargonium, calceolaria, meconopsis, they dive into seedling pots. To obtain strong seedlings, seedlings of begonias, carnations, heliotrope, salvia, petunias, violas are recommended to dive 2-3 times, the last time - in separate pots.

Our advice:

Plants that do not take root well during transplantation (levkoy, kobeya) should be sown immediately in pots (1-2 pieces each) in order to avoid picking and once again not injure the root system.

Topping

In the phase of five pairs of leaves, seedlings of most plant species are pinched to enhance branching (balsams, verbena, carnations, coleus, petunias, kobe, salvia, etc.). It is advisable to pinch Kobe, ampel varieties of petunia and verbena several times during the growing season.

What difficulties can arise with early sowing?

For plants sown for seedlings in January - February, it is very important to provide comfortable conditions for development.

What can negatively affect the development of plants with early sowing:

• lack of light due to short daylight hours;
• sharp fluctuations in temperature (this can generally destroy fragile seedlings);
• increased likelihood of fungal diseases (blackleg) due to a combination of high humidity (needed for normal germination and seed development) and fairly cool temperatures.

How to help plants in this difficult period for them?

1. Irrigate the soil before sowing.
2. Control air temperature
3. Install lamps to illuminate seedlings in a greenhouse or on a windowsill and turn them on in the mornings and evenings to extend daylight hours and thus prevent plants from stretching.

What lamps are better to use and how to properly organize the backlight?

• Incandescent lamps they are categorically not suitable for this, since they emit too much heat, but give little light (they emit rays of the red-yellow spectrum, which are characterized by poor light output). The choice must be made between induction energy-saving lamps and LED phytolamps.
• Energy-saving lamps with a warm spectrum are suitable for illuminating seedlings that have entered the flowering phase, and with a daylight spectrum they are suitable for additional illumination of seedlings throughout the entire cycle of its cultivation. Install the lamps perpendicular to the boxes with seedlings.
• Among the colossal number of phytolamps for supplementary illumination of seedlings, the most commonly used LED, halogen, sodium and fluorescent.

1. Fluorescent lamps - These are commonly chosen by flower growers as they generate little to no heat, consume little electricity, and emit a full spectrum of colors.
2. LED lamps are also energy efficient, but their main advantages are durability and the ability to emit red and blue colors, which stimulate the rapid growth of seedlings.
3. Halogen lamps - their heat transfer level decreases over time, so they are used much less frequently.
4. Sodium lamps are installed to illuminate seedlings of small volumes. For example, to illuminate seedlings located on a one and a half meter windowsill, one such lamp with a power of 100 watts is enough.

Our advice:

If it is not possible to provide constant illumination for seedlings, you can shift its sowing to the end of February - the beginning of March, even if we are talking about seeds of "long-playing" flowers. Otherwise, you will get elongated weak plants that are unlikely to survive to transplant into the ground.

But still, try not to put off sowing your favorite flowers for seedlings, get down to business right now - and then you can enjoy their flowering with the first rays of spring. By the way, growing seedlings of annual flowers can bring a good income and support the family budget in times of crisis. In this case, you need to hurry up with sowing so that the seedlings have time to bloom and withstand competition during the spring sales period.

Svetlana MASHKOVSKAYA, Candidate of Biological Sciences, National Botanical Garden. N. N. Grishko NAS of Ukraine
© Magazine "Ogorodnik"
Photo: depositphotos.com

In order to grow good seedlings, the following conditions must be provided:

• quality seeds ready for planting,
• soil for planting
• good lighting,
• comfortable temperature,
• watering,
• top dressing - fertilizers and stimulants.

For work, it is necessary to prepare the following tools and: boxes, cassettes, glass, fluorescent or fluorescent lamps for additional illumination, tweezers, a watering can with a fine strainer, spray gun, marker, syringe, in order to accurately add liquid fertilizers.

Growing seedlings of flowers requires diligence, diligence and certain knowledge gained from the practice of gardeners. If you haven’t had any experience yet, it’s better to start with large seeds, such as dahlias of the Merry Fellows variety, zinnias, you can try to grow petunias and purslane.

The seeds of these plants germinate quickly, and do not cause any problems if you follow the simplest rules for growing seedlings. Planting time depends on how quickly the seeds germinate, and on how long flowering occurs.

The period from sowing seeds to the first shoots:

Time from sowing seeds to flowering:

• calendula 40-60 days sowing end of March, beginning of April
• petunia 80-100 days sowing in mid-February
• purslane 80-120 days sowing in mid-February
• salvia 120-180 days sowing at the end of January
• begonia 120-180 days sowing at the end of January
• carnation Shabo 120-180 days sowing at the end of January

Preparing seeds for sowing seedlings

There are plants prone to diseases - aster, ageratum, petunia, fragrant tobacco. seeds it is good to hold these plants in a solution of potassium permanganate (0.1%) for 30 minutes before sowing and then rinse.

Since potassium permanganate is not always available in pharmacies, phytosporin can be used.

In addition, there are special preparations - Fitovital, Stimulin, which disinfect and increase germination. Seeds should be processed according to the instructions and then dried.

To improve germination, stratisfaction is used - hardening as follows: from the beginning, keep the seeds spread out on the ground and covered with polyethylene for two weeks on a shelf in the refrigerator, and then put them in a warm place on the windowsill.

Priming

Flower seedlings are grown on light soil mixtures. You can use ready-made soil mixture for planting seedlings from a store, such as "Live Earth". You can make your own mix:

• sand - 1 part
• peat - part 3
• compost - 2 parts
• sod land 2 parts

The day before planting, you need to shed the prepared soil with a solution of potassium permanganate. Sterilization is necessary to prevent the spread of root rot. The soil for planting has a temperature of 20-22 degrees. The temperature of the soil should be a few degrees lower than the air temperature when sowing, and the sprouts will stretch to where it is warmer.

Good lighting

Most of the annual flowers we grow come from tropical countries where daylight hours are 14 hours or more. On short winter days, seedlings need additional lighting with fluorescent lamps or special phytolamps in order to get high-quality seedlings.

Otherwise, the plantings will be pale, stretched out, the stalk will become thin and the plant may get sick. The lamp is placed near the sowing (25-30 cm), the lamp is used at dusk for at least 6 hours, or if it is more convenient for three hours early in the morning and in the evening. The seedling will grow stronger immediately.

Comfort temperature

Growing seedlings of flowers depends not only on seeds, land, but also on the temperature of the room in which the boxes with crops are located. Most flowers will give friendly shoots at 18-20 degrees Celsius, there are plants for the emergence of seedlings, the comfortable temperature is lower:

Watering

After sowing, small seeds are sprayed from a spray gun, larger ones are watered from a small watering can. The soil must not be eroded. For irrigation of crops, we use tap water at room temperature.

Top dressing - fertilizers and stimulants

When the first two leaves appear, not counting the leaf from the seed, watering should be done with water with the addition of a small dose of special liquid mineral fertilizers for seedlings. In accordance with the instructions, the required amount of fertilizer is added to the water with a graduated syringe.

If you see that the stalks are stretching, urgently light up, pour top dressing with calcium. If suddenly the seedlings turn yellow, make a top dressing containing iron.

Landing dates

The process of growing seedlings of flowers and vegetables is similar and is needed in order to get early flowering or early vegetables. The following flowers are grown in seedlings: snapdragon, ageratum, aster, sweet pea, salvia, allspice, nasturtium, petunia, dahlia, annual phlox Drummond, etc. Early seedlings are planted already in late January - early February, then after 10-12 weeks in early May, flowers will appear.

Seeding tanks

Currently, specialized stores have a sufficient selection of containers for seedlings, but they are all too deep for planting seeds and require a lot of soil.

Some growers use plastic cat trays and other various shallow plastic containers to plant seeds.

After diving, when each root is transplanted individually, deeper pots are needed. They can be bought at a flower shop in a set with a special pallet. In order to save money, you can use plastic disposable cups, it is cheap and profitable - less land is consumed.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

We level the soil with a ruler or plank, lightly tamp, pay attention that the corners are not empty. There are large flower seeds, such as morning glory, ornamental beans, which are immediately planted in separate cups or pots. Such cups are also used for transplanting seedlings after picking.

For small seeds, we make grooves with a depth of no more than 2 mm and plant them as follows: touch the seed with the moistened end of a wooden toothpick, it sticks, and drop it through a cm into the grooves.

For coated seeds, it is more convenient to use tweezers. If we want to plant quickly, mix the contents of the bag with sand and scatter it along the grooves. In this case, the seedlings will not be so uniform, you will need to carefully thin out the sprouts with tweezers. Very small seeds, like those of petunia and purslane, are not sprinkled with earth from above, the grooves with larger seeds are slightly leveled. Then the container is covered with glass or placed in.

The humidity inside such a micro-greenhouse will increase, the soil will not dry out, there will be no crust. There is a danger, if you do not ventilate and do not remove the glass in time, infect the seedlings with a fungus - the “black leg”. We put labels or sign boxes with seedlings.

Seedling Care

When shoots appear, we carefully monitor so that waterlogging does not occur. We open, ventilate regularly, water or spray about once every two days. When all the seedlings have risen, we remove the glass or polyethylene.

When the first two leaves appear, not counting the leaf from the seed, the seedlings dive. Large healthy strong sprouts are selected, carefully removed, dived and planted in light moistened soil in separate cups or pots.

The sprouts do not have enough space to develop in a common box. To give the plant room for further growth, seedlings are transplanted at a young age.

This action is called a dive and is performed as follows:

• The seedlings are watered, the sprout is carefully removed with a flat stick.
• The central root is shortened with scissors by about one third to branch the root system. For small, thin sprouts, you do not need to do this so as not to destroy the sprout.
• They make a recess in the pre-watered earth in a pot, where the seedlings are transplanted. They lower the sprout into the recess, compact the soil so that the plant stands straight in the pot.
• Sprayed with water with an energy drink (for example, epin) and carefully covered on top so as not to damage for two days.

After picking, it is necessary to lower the temperature in the room to 16 degrees and start hardening. To do this, we transfer the seedlings to a cooler place, take them out on a sunny balcony during the day for hardening. Heat-loving plants - ageratum, petunia, purslane, marigolds, sweet peas require

• during the day -20 degrees and above,
• at night - not lower than 15 degrees.

If the temperature is lower than required, growth will slow down. For cold-resistant crops - asters, gillyflowers, fragrant tobacco, snapdragons, temperature is necessary

• in the afternoon - 16 will endure an increase to 25 degrees,
• at night - 8 degrees.

They are planted outdoors only when the spring frosts have passed.

Diseases

Most often, seedlings get sick with a "black leg". This disease occurs when waterlogging and high temperature. Signs - thinning of the stem, pale leaves, root and stem at the base becomes brown.

It is necessary to remove the diseased plants, add sand or chalk and water the seedlings with a solution of foundationol. If a fluffy dark gray coating appears on the leaves, it is urgent to spray the plants two or three times with a solution of potassium permanganate, repeat the spraying after a week.

For spraying seedlings planted in the ground, you need to use. Powdery mildew can kill seedlings. Signs: damaged leaves with dense powdery coatings, stems are bent, leaves dry, fall off. At the first sign, spray with a foundation solution or a solution of soda ash. Growing seedlings of flowers is an exciting activity that will thank the gardener with a flowering garden.

Good luck and friendly shoots !