Seedlings - seeds or immediately at the cottage
Contents ✓
Seedlings of flowers in the country
Ways of growing flowers
For every lover of flowers, the main sign of the onset of spring is seedlings, gradually crowding out all the bright places of the apartment, first indoor plants, then cats, then things living there, and finally, the owners themselves. At one time, too, everything was just that way. Until one day I’m not tired of it.
Sudden solution
I came to this, in general, almost by accident. Once after the end of the April apartment sowing I bought a few bags with very beautiful varieties asters and zinnias. We did not want to postpone the seeds for the next year, so we had to sow them in early May, when we had already moved to the dacha. The easiest way to do this was to make a film between the rows of cucumbers. In general, I sowed and forgot. While other varieties sown in early April at home required constant attention. They had to be watered, dive, tempered in the fresh air, do not forget to take care of the bright sun and clean it for the night in the house, etc.
Somewhere in early June I transplanted all asters and zinnias to a permanent place. By the time of transplantation, the April crops, although they had more leaves, were noticeably dead and unhappy. And that's why not all took root.
See also: Growing of flower seedlings
May seedlings from cucumber beds were more modest, but not stretched, compact and very strong. As a result, the first flowers of April zinnias appeared only a week earlier than the May ones, while in asters this difference was about one and a half weeks.
And then I wondered: is this minimal difference between all these torments with seedlings?
Well, of course not! If this thought never occurred to you before, and you still prefer to sow most annuals at home in March-April, here is a short list of problems that you will permanently rid yourself of by giving up this lesson.
Exceptions to the seedling rule
Yes, of course, there are flowers that can be absolutely painless (like the aster and zinnia mentioned above) planted in seedlings, and some are generally easiest to plant immediately to a permanent place, despite tips on seedlings on the bag. But for the sake of justice it is worth saying that there are flowers, it is impossible to refuse growing domestic seedlings. They have either too long a growing season, or (and) too small seeds.
Of course, everyone has his own experience and his own set of favorite plants.
In this article I will list only those that I love and plant. So, for example, looks like my list of plants, for which the home planting is still very desirable in March-April. However, in recent years, it is for this reason that I did not grow any of the following.
- Balsam
- Snapdragon
- Petunia
- Fragrant tobacco
- Lobelia
- Leo
- Verbena
SO, YOU WILL NOT COME:
- to carry from the stores heavy bags of land,
- every spring to send to the undeserved exile the indigenous inhabitants of window sills - indoor flowers,
- continuously struggle with the lack of light for the emerged shoots (the purchase of lamps, etc.)
- to spend a lot of time on crops and watering, to drive cats and other domestic animals away from seedlings, and even more children,
- fight with a black leg and other misfortunes, striving to destroy all your labors,
- dive seedlings (oh, I especially hate this process!),
- to carry the surviving seedlings to the dacha, trying not to break it down the road,
- long accustom it to fresh air, low temperatures and bright sun,
- in early June, frantically to look for where to urgently poke grown seedlings so that it does not bend in their small pots, while the place for future asters is occupied, for example, with faded but not yet dug tulips.
Summer seedlings
I'll start with what plants are suitable for summer garden. In my garden, their list looks something like this.
- Asters
- Marigold
- Zinnia
- Decorative cabbage
- Dahlias annual
- Phlox annual
Of course, the most ideal option, if you have a greenhouse. In this case, annuals can be planted there in April. A lot of space they will not occupy and for your cucumber-tomatoes there will be enough space.
If there is no greenhouse, then a film or other covering material will come in handy. Annuals can be sown both on an independent bed, and between garden crops, which they will not interfere with, and in the beginning or middle of June they will "go away" from there altogether.
Both of these methods are optimal, even if you do not yet live in the country in the spring. Growing in the greenhouse or under the film seedling does not require your attention. And small frosts in her shelter are not terrible.
This method of growing has another important plus. If the crops are not too thick, the plants not only do not require picking, but can also grow where they were sown, much longer than seedlings in glasses. And at the same time, it’s wonderful to develop. This is especially true if you plan to plant them, for example, in the place of dug up tulips or in some other places that are not released in late May - early June, but much later.
If you do not have a greenhouse or film shelters, but at the dacha in May you already live, you can fill any garden with garden soil or compost (basins, large pots, balcony boxes for flowers, etc.) and plant annuals there.
On warm sunny days they can be exposed to the sun, and in the cold and at night clean, for example, on a light glazed veranda.
However, in this case the seedlings will develop slightly more slowly than under the film or in the greenhouse. Yes, and fuss at times more. But with the forecast of even very serious spring frosts (this is rare, but it happens), from which the film can not be saved, containers with seedlings can easily be brought into the house.
See also: Planting seedlings of annual flowers - when what and how?
When flower seedlings are not needed at all
But these plants I usually sow immediately to a permanent place.
- Sunflower decorative
- Nasturtium
- Sweet pea
- Lavaetera
- Cosmey
- Kohia
Since I have never tried to grow them with seedlings, I can not say how much later they blossom and achieve maximum decorativeness when grown in such a hassle-free way.
I suspect that not much later. Therefore, I still can not understand why manufacturers insist on writing on bags with seeds that it is preferable to grow them seedlings. Well, perhaps somewhere in the very northern regions with late spring and early autumn frosts and a short summer.
Anyone who still wants to complicate his life a little and accelerate germination a little, can soak large seeds (nasturtiums, sunflowers and sweet peas) and sow them already hatching. Sowing time depends on the weather. I sow Kokhiyu and sweet peas at the end of April, Lavater and Kosmei in the first half of May, and nasturtium and sunflowers in the second half. Of course, not only the listed plants can be sown immediately at a permanent place. But no marigold or poppy seed will ever come to grow seedlings, unlike those listed just above.
And finally, I want to write one more thing ... Yes, of course, growing flowers is a job, but you should not complicate your life at every step and turn pleasure into torture. And where it is possible to simplify this very life, it must be done without fail.
© Author: E. CHERNYSHEVA
Below other entries on the topic "Dacha and garden - with their own hands"
- Letniki: planting and care for flowers by annuals
- Geiger: reproduction of these flowers (photo)
- Planting cultivation and maintenance of digitalis
- Division of perennials in spring - professional advice
- Alstremeria (photo) planting and flower care
- Rejuvenation, feeding perennials: August-September
- How and where to start making your flower garden in the country
- Preparation of decorative perennials for winter
- Seedlings - planting, growing and leaving from A to Z
- Yarrow (photo) - varieties and species
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Collect in September seeds from annual, biennial and perennial floral plants. In the ground, you can immediately sow freshly picked seeds of alissum, violets, anemones, perennial aster, badana, crocus, bathing-place, daylily, young, primrose.
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Immediately make a reservation that the seeds of flowers do not collect everything. For example, plants grown from hybrid seeds (F1) may be disappointing.
Pereopylyaetsya and can give offspring, somewhat different from the parent, ageratum, marigolds, cloves, helichrysum, calendula, snapdragon, nasturtium. But still their seeds - it's a significant cost savings.
I compulsorily collect the seeds of asters, pansies, amaranth, alissum, brachycoma, cornflower, dahlias, gypsophila, godess, sweet peas, fragrant tobacco, Iberis, Clarkey, Cleoma, Kosmia, kohia, flax, linen, daisies, Mattioli, forget-me-nots, not -mesia, nigella, petunia, portolac, celosia, phlox Drummond, escholtcii.
MY SECRETS
In an aster of annual and ornamental sunflower, I collect seeds only from the first outer circles of the inflorescence.
I collect seeds from the most full-flowered calendula inflorescence - flowers will be more dense.
I especially appreciate Dolphinium ... ugly seed bolls - they can produce offspring with original color and shape of flowers.
Testes of the dahlia of the annual and nasturtium are digested at room temperature 1-1,5 a month.
The quality of the marigold seeds is checked, trying to bend their fingernails: the bad ones are easily bent, and the quality resist.
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In January-February I sow seeds of annuals and biennials. The soil mixture is prepared from river sand, humus and garden land (in equal parts). All sift through a sieve. I fill the containers, pots. Depth of seeding depends on their size: large (nasturtium, morning glory, abutilone, hibiscus) - on 1,5-2 cm in separate pots one seed each. Petty seeds of small spread on the surface of moistened soil (the end of the match I dip into the water,
grab their seed and carry them to the landing).
© For the seeds of lobelia, snapdragon, fragrant tobacco, I use the following method: I cook “jelly” (1 tablespoon starch per 1 tablespoon of water), cool. I fill the small glass half with “jelly”, gradually fill the seeds there (by eye), mix them so that they are evenly distributed. I collect this mixture into a small rubber bulb and squeeze it out into evenly moistened soil. Then I cover it with glass and put it in a bright, warm place (+ 22 ... + 25 degrees). Seedlings must be illuminated (18-20 hours). As a result, I get very strong seedlings. Then the plants bloom 2-3 weeks earlier than usual. Bloom profusely and for a long time.
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I saw seeds of beautifully flowering houseplants (passionflower, gloxinia, begonia, etc.) on sale. They cost much less than greenhouse flowers in pots. I'm thinking: is it worth to bother with seed breeding? Give advice
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Experts assure that indoor plants grown from seeds feel much better than those bought in a pot. It is very difficult for adult plants to adapt to new conditions. Especially because they were brought from abroad, where they were grown in greenhouses and mercilessly treated with chemicals. In an ordinary apartment, it is impossible to provide such care for flowers, so they are under stress for a long time, they grow poorly, do not bloom again, and often die. With plants grown from seeds, usually such problems do not arise.
The main condition for successful seed germination is heat (air temperature not lower than 20 degrees). So that they ascend faster, lower the growth biostimulator (e.g., epin) into the solution for 1-2 hours before sowing. You can use aloe juice. Cut the lower leaves from the plant and keep them in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. Then scroll through the meat grinder and squeeze the juice through cheesecloth. Soak the seeds in aloe juice for at least a day, then immediately plant them in the soil, consisting of peat, vermiculite and sand (all components are taken in equal amounts). You can buy ready-made soil mix for indoor plants, the main thing is that the composition does not contain humus and garden soil.
It is also important that the soil in the pot is constantly moist (but not wet!). To achieve this, cover the crops with a bag or glass. Make sure that condensation droplets do not accumulate on the surface of the shelter, do not fall back into the soil - this can lead to decay of seedlings. Typically, the seeds of many indoor plants germinate within 2-3 weeks. Passiflora this process lasts longer. When the first true leaf appears at the seedlings, seedlings need to be peaked in pots. And finally, advice: when choosing bags with seeds of indoor plants, first of all pay attention to the expiration date. Seeds of indoor flowers are not in great demand, so the store can lie for years. Meanwhile, he loses germination very quickly. This is especially true of tropical plants.
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And the zinnia will be magnificent!
In late May - early June, I plant seedlings of zinnia in the soil (at the same time, the seeds can be sown immediately into the soil, but flowering will come much later).
As soon as the seedling grows up, I press its upper part with my hands (gently prip), then the plant will grow bushy and lush. Zinnia loves warmth and light, so I plant it in a sunny place. During the budding period, I feed the complex mineral fertilizer for flowering plants.
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I can not imagine my garden without annuals - bright, blooming all summer! But how troublesome with them: to make large ones and to please flowers, you must first sow them at home, and then in the spring to plant seedlings in the garden
I did this for several years, until my friend, looking at my window sills, made up of not only vegetable, but also flower seedlings, suggested that not all flowers should be grown on the window first, some would grow well if their seeds were sown immediately to a permanent place - snapdragon, marigolds, calendula, annual aster, eschscholzia, nigella, poppy samoseyka. Now I grow them, they are beautiful, but there are not many worries with them.
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Thank you very much for the articles! Always very valuable information.