With the onset of spring, the first chores begin for summer residents and gardeners. When the ground warms up a little, everyone starts to think about growing seedlings. In this matter, it is important not to miss the moment, to be in time. Many garden flowers can be grown using the seedling method. Among them asters, dahlias, phloxes, petunia, chrysanthemums, carnations and many other flowers that will decorate the garden.
There are several ways to grow healthy and robust seedlings. Many of them are simple enough. They do not require special equipment or special conditions. Moreover, they have been tested over the years. Thanks to them, you can grow seedlings of flowers and vegetables.
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How to prepare seeds for sowing
The quality of seedlings directly depends on the planting material. To grow good seedlings, you need to choose quality seeds. Before sowing, the seeds are prepared for germination. It is equally important to prepare them for the first difficulties - temperature extremes, diseases, pest attacks. The procedure is carried out simultaneously. First, a weak solution of potassium permanganate is prepared, a little boric acid is added there and the seeds of annual plants are placed there. The first time the seeds are soaked in a room for 10-12 hours. Then they are moved to the refrigerator for 12 hours too. The procedure is repeated until the seeds hatch.
Seedlings of many annual, biennial and perennial plants sprout slowly, so sowing the seeds of some flowers should be started in winter. Seedlings are sown in February petunias, viola, salvia. In March, primroses, asters, phloxes, dahlias, carnations, castor oil plants are sown. And in April, you can grow seedlings of flowers that develop well and sprout - ageratum, marigold, Iberis, Zinnia.
Seedling container
Dishes are of great importance in growing seedlings. There are certain criteria for choosing a container for seedlings. If there are a lot of seeds, it is better to use wooden boxes. They should have a removable bottom, some homemade compartments. The height of such a box should not exceed 5 centimeters. Seedling boxes save space and are easy to carry. Plant care will be simple. However, it is very difficult to remove the seedlings from the box without injuring the plant root system. The box itself is heavy, but together with the ground, it becomes heavy.
Many gardeners grow seedlings in improvised containers. For example, in leaky pots, old bowls, tin cans. This method is not suitable for beginner gardeners. First, the ground should not come into contact with metal. This leads to acidification of the soil and stagnation of water.Secondly, it will be inconvenient to dive young shoots.
It is much more convenient to germinate seeds in low cardboard boxes. Milk cartons are fine. First, you need to make small holes at the bottom of the box so that the water can drain safely. In such containers, many people plant plants in open ground. Better not to. The package contains not only cardboard, but also foil, polyethylene. If the cardboard dissolves easily in the ground, it will take forever to dissolve the other components of the box. Why litter the land and harm the environment?
The remains of plastic pipes can be used as containers for seedlings. It is necessary to take unnecessary pipes with a diameter of about 6 centimeters. They are cut to 8-10 cm, placed vertically, filled with earth, and seeds are sown. When the seedlings are ready, they are pushed out of the pipe and sent into the ground along with the soil.
Seedlings can be grown in pots. Using pots, you can do without picking seedlings. It is enough to dump them into the ground when replanting. Thanks to this method, young and fragile roots of the sprouts will not be afraid of root rot. But placing the pots on the windowsill will take a lot of space. It is very uncomfortable.
But it is best to use peat containers, which are sold in specialized flower shops. They are inexpensive, available to everyone. In addition, they will help save time and make life easier for novice gardeners. On sale there are also plastic cassettes containers designed for reusable use. It is very convenient to use them.
Many adventurous gardeners adapt plastic cups. This method is not only convenient, but also affordable. It is best to plant seeds in reusable containers and dive into peat cups. This will save time, get rid of unnecessary picks, and get the right amount of the highest quality seedlings. In addition, thanks to this method, the density of the seedlings can be controlled.
The listed devices for growing seedlings help maintain the integrity of the root system when planting flower seedlings. When using any container for growing seedlings, it must be disinfected - scalded with boiling water or hold the container in a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Seedling land
The future of flowers depends on the quality of the seedling soil, which you can buy in the store or prepare yourself. You can save time by purchasing a multi-purpose plant primer at your flower shop. Having prepared an earthen mixture with your own hands, there will be no doubt about its quality. In addition, this method will cost you less. In any case, to grow good, sturdy planting material, you need to prepare good soil. Each plant has its own requirements for the composition of the soil.
The soil for planting must be fresh. The soil in which other plants used to grow is not suitable for growing seedlings. The soil mixture should not contain plant residues, fungal spores, weed seeds, pathogenic microbes, worms, larvae. They can destroy a young plant. The land must be nutritious and permeable. It is equally important that it is fertile and contains the necessary nutrients. Depending on the type of plant, the composition of the earth is selected individually. The most popular earthen mix is one part turf, one part sand, and three parts peat. If the proportions are not observed, the quality of the seedlings will be poor. Coarse sand can be used as light drainage, which must be placed on the bottom of the tank. Depending on the type of crop grown, additional components are added to the earthen mixture in certain proportions.
Choosing a place for seedlings
When growing seedlings of flowering plants, remember that the seeds must be germinated in the dark.Having planted the seeds, the container with the seedlings is placed in a dark place. But when the first shoots appear, the containers with seedlings are rearranged to light. There will be little natural light in late winter and early spring. To fix this, it is necessary to illuminate the seedlings with fluorescent lamps. Daylight lamps are turned on during the daytime. This will help the young seedlings maintain a balance of day and night. The ideal place for growing seedlings is a mini-plant. She can be found at the flower shop. But there is one drawback in using it - it takes up too much space. Improvised means will correct this situation. The container with future seedlings is covered with glass. After the seeds germinate, a kind of greenhouse is built by pulling a piece of polyethylene between two pieces of wire.
Watering and fertilizing
After planting the seeds in wet soil, they are not watered. Just moisten the ground a little with a spray bottle. When the first green shoots appear, they begin to be watered with a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate. This should be done gradually. Seedlings need moderate watering. Excessive moisture and water depletion will reduce the quality of the seedlings.
Before planting green shoots in open ground, they must be fed three times. Fertilizer is prepared with your own hands. For the first feeding, an infusion of mullein and water is suitable (proportion 1:20). The prepared fertilizer is used to feed 10 seedlings. For the second and third feeding, 1.5 g of potassium sulfide, saltpeter and 3 g of superphosphate are dissolved in 1 liter of water. 5 seedlings are treated with this liquid. Such recommendations are universal, but you should take into account the characteristics of the plant that you plan to grow.
If you grow seedlings in the above way, it adapts well to an independent, adult flower life. In most cases, the seedlings have a well-formed root system, about 10 green and healthy leaves are formed on each plant.
