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To ensure that in the summer period the garden is fragrant with various colors, it is necessary to take care of the planting material in advance. Many plant species, both annual and perennial, can not be grown directly from seeds. They are already planted with small bushes-seedlings.
Preparation for seeding flowers for seedlings
At the first stage it is necessary to find out which flowers are grown by seedlings. Most often these are small and weak seeds, which can die in the open ground under the influence of various weeds.
These include:
- Lobelia;
- Petunia;
- Delphinium;
- Ageratum;
- Asters and many others
Next, you need to find out when to plant flowers on the seedlings.
As a rule, this time coincides with the end of winter or the beginning of spring. More detailed information can be found on the packaging of the selected plant, where it is reported on the time of transplanting, picking it on a permanent place and some important aspects of growing the plant. Some types of flowers require an earlier planting, for example, clove Shabo, Lobelia. The planting of flower seedlings in January is caused by a long period of germination and development of seeds.
In the next stage it is necessary to prepare seeds, soil and containers for growing flower seedlings.
Preparation of seeds for sowing
Experienced growers recommend preparing seeds for planting. From various diseases it is desirable for 10 - 12 hours to soak the selected material in a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
For early germination, the seeds can be soaked (according to instructions) in a solution of zircon or epin.
Many growers with seeds make the procedure of stratification. To do this, flower seeds are soaked in water for about 12 hours. Next, the dishes with seeds are removed to a cold place for the same time. Then the container is again brought into the room, then into the refrigerator and so on until the germination of the seeds. Experts argue that in this way plants even at the stage of embryos acquire immunity to possible temperature changes.
Preparing the soil for planting flowers
Soil for seedling flowers should also be unusual. For beginners, you can purchase a prepared mixture in the store, for example, "Living Land".
But it is better to prepare the land yourself. To do this, mix:
- 1 part of sand;
- 2 parts of compost;
- 2 parts of soddy soil;
- 3 parts of peat.
Before sowing seeds of flowers on seedlings, the prepared mixture, as well as the seeds, must be disinfected. To do this, the entire soil is spilled with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and completely dry the earth.
In order for seeds to penetrate quickly, planting them is recommended in a slightly cool (up to 20 ° C -22 ° C) soil.
Preparation of containers for growing flower seedlings
Currently, in specialized stores there is a large selection of different containers for growing flower seedlings. As a rule, they are all quite large and deep. To fill such tanks requires a large amount of soil. Some enterprising growers prefer to use seedlings for seeding:
- disposable cups or mugs;
- containers from products;
- container of yoghurt and cottage cheese;
- cut to the desired height packages of milk and kefir.
If food utensils are used, it must be washed out of possible food residues. It is important to remember that at the bottom of any container there must necessarily be holes for draining excess liquid.
Before filling the earth in containers, it is necessary to make a drainage system. To do this, a layer of sand or fine expanded clay with a height of no more than 1 cm is laid out on the bottom of the flowerbed box.
It is not necessary to fill the soil in the tank to the very edge. It is advisable to leave 1 cm or 2 cm. This place will be required for regular watering and if necessary adding soil. The earth in the container for seedlings should be densely compacted, so that when watering it does not crumble and do not lag behind the edges of the dishes.
Technology of planting flower seedlings
Just before sowing flowers on seedlings, the ground in the prepared containers must be well watered. If this rule is not observed, then, before emergence, additional liquid will be required, and when watering, it is possible to damage immature plants or seeds that do not have time to ascend.
In wet ground, small grooves or dimples should be made if the planting stock is large enough. In these holes, seeds are dropped for 2 to 3 pieces and sprinkled with soil. If the seed material is very small, as in Lobelia, then it is pre-mixed with sand and simply evenly poured onto the surface of the earth.
Next, dishes with seedlings should be covered with polyethylene or completely placed in a plastic bag, if the dimensions of the container permit.
With this approach, a special microclimate is created inside the landing container, which does not allow the reduction in the temperature necessary for plant growth and the drying of the soil. Daily monitor the film fogging. If large drops of liquid accumulate on it, the seedlings need to be ventilated. There are two ways to do this:
- Just turn the package over to the other side and again wrap up the planting of the flower seedlings.
- Open the package and give the ground and planting material a little (20 - 30 minutes) to breathe.
If the seeds have not yet risen, and the soil is very dry, then it is recommended to moisten it using a sprayer. You can not water the seedlings of flowers from the watering can, as this will invariably lead to damage and death of plants.
Place containers with seedlings in the allotted space. It is advisable that there are no batteries near the containers and no direct rays of sunlight fall on them. It is most expedient to grow seedlings of annual flowers on a warmed balcony. If this is not the case, then you can make special shelves on the window slightly above the battery level (if the windows do not go to the sunny side). Otherwise, you can organize a nursery in a well-lit corner of the room. The optimum temperature and lighting is indicated on the package with seeds.
If the seedlings are not sufficiently illuminated, it is recommended that the lamps installed above it be used for several hours a day. Naturally, this issue must be taken care of in advance. Optimum fit lamps on LEDs with a predominantly red spectrum.
Many gardeners prefer to grow seedlings in the greenhouse on the plot. To do this, plant seeds are planted along the hothouse ridges at about the beginning of April and take care of them according to all specified rules.
The only difference between the greenhouse method of growing seedlings from a domestic one is the lack of necessity to transplant grown plants into separate pots. The downside of this method is that caring for seedlings requires constant attention and being on the plot of land.
Picking plants
When the seeds have risen, and several real leaves have grown, one should proceed to the next stage of growing flower seedlings - picking.
For this you need:
- For all the above-mentioned rules, prepare separate tanks with ground;
- Prepare the necessary tools. If there are none, then you can use the usual manicure kit.
- Prepare, preferably warm and stagnant water.
Planting seedlings of flowers in a pot of fine and jewelry work. Carefully pulled out a sprout with a small amount of ground, a little pinched the end of the root, falls in the groove made in a separate cup, sprinkled with dry soil and watered the plant from all parties. With this approach, the root of the flower will be absorbed almost completely into the soil, excluding any damage to it.
Some growers prefer to transplant seedlings of perennial flowers not to dry land with further watering, but immediately to a well-moistened one. This method is suitable for a highly developed root system and does not require additional pinching.
If the plants are too weak, then you can plant not one sprout, but small groups. This will not allow breaking the stems and will exclude a strong strain on the rhizome.
Care of plantings
Seedlings of flowers, like all ordinary plants, require timely moderate watering, getting the necessary light and, of course, constant feeding. In botanical shops you can purchase complex fertilizers for seedling flowers, for example, Uniflor micro, Agricola.
The first fertilizing of plants must be performed 2 to 3 weeks after sowing and then with the same periodicity.
It should be constantly monitored for the appearance of signs of the incidence of seedlings. The most dangerous for her is the "black leg".
As a rule, this disease occurs when the soil is heavily waterlogged and the ambient temperature is too high.
The signs of the disease of seedlings "black leg" are:
- Changes in color of root sprout on brown;
- Thinning of the plant stem;
- Sharp decrease in the bright color of the leaves.
In case of detection of the first signs of the disease:
- Immediately remove infectious plants from the container;
- Add in a container with seedlings of dry sand and lime;
- Treat the ground and plants with a solution of foundation.
Another important enemy of seedling flowers is powdery mildew.
Plants affected by the disease:
- They differ in the curvature of the stem;
- The appearance on the sheets of white plaque;
- Falling leaves.
To get rid of the disease apply a solution of foundation or a solution of soda, enriched with calcium.
To avoid diseases of flower seedlings, it is necessary to periodically spray plants and land around them with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
To grow self-sufficient flower seedlings, it will take a lot of time and effort. You can purchase ready-made planting material in botanical shops, but in this case no one will be guilty of buying not what you wanted.
