Growing begonias from seed

Growing begonias with seeds is quite troublesome, requiring constant, vigilant strict control, but if you follow all the basic nuances of agricultural technology, the results will surely please you.

Most often, ever-flowering and decorative-deciduous begonias are grown from seeds, but also tuberous begonias can also be obtained by seeds, although it is worth noting that this process is not fast, so you need to be patient.

The most successful period for growing begonias with seeds is the end of February - the first ten days of March, when the day begins to grow rapidly, the sun's activity increases and it will be much easier to maintain the required temperature regime.

How to grow begonia from seed?

First of all, before you start sowing begonias with seeds, you should pick up high-quality and convenient sowing material for you. In specialized stores flower growers and gardeners can offer two types of seeds: granular and regular, unprocessed.

Drained( granulated) seeds are easier to sow, because, thanks to a special coating of nutrients, they become larger and are excellent for spot sowing in peat tablets. This method of sowing will allow you to bypass such a traumatic for fragile young plants as picking.

Before planting the begonias with seeds in peat tablets, the tablets themselves should be placed on a pallet, thoroughly soaked in water, then place granulated seed on each surface, moisten it with room temperature water( it is best to use a spray bottle) and cover with a plastic bag or topdisposable cup, in order to maintain the required level of humidity. Watering the pills with sown seeds is made through the pan, for its moisture must be monitored very carefully, otherwise the resulting sprout simply dries.

When the temperature is 22 - 23 ° C, the first shoots will begin to appear 14 days later, then after forming the third true leaf, seedlings are planted in individual seed pots completelyfalling asleep peat mass with soil and a good shedding of the upper layer of water at room temperature.

Sowing begonias with seeds of the usual form, not coated, it is most convenient to produce seedlings in boxes. For planting it is best to choose a light loose soil mixture with a large amount of peat in its composition, the main condition for the healthy development of begonia seedlings is the absence of water stagnation and good aeration, so you should take care of the proper drainage device.

An important nuance in the question of how to plant begonia with seeds is the correct sowing technique: the seeds are placed on a wetted surface, thoroughly sprinkled with water from a spray bottle, after which the boxes with the crops are covered with plastic wrap or glass. This is necessary in order to maintain the moisture level required for seed germination.

Watering should be done very carefully, to ensure that the soil was wet, but this did not create stagnant water, which can lead to the development of fungal microflora, affecting the weak delicate roots of seedlings.

Boxes should be placed in a room with good lighting, but protected from the ingress of aggressive direct sunlight, which can burn out only emerging sprouts that can be expected 10 - 12 days after sowingat temperature of 21 - 22 ° C.

Gradually it is necessary to start hardening seedlings, for which the film is slightly opened and boxes with seedlings are left in this position for 10–15 minutes. Then the time of airing( hardening) and the degree of film opening increase, gradually accustoming the seedlings to the usual environment.

This technique also allows you to avoid the development of fungal microorganisms on the surface of the soil, which can occur on constantly wet soils if the temperature is not observed or if the watering is improper and excessive.

After the appearance of the third true leaflet, the seedlings need to be picked into separate seedling pots. This process is quite time-consuming, requiring a lot of time, effort, patience and accuracy.