A garden plot, a small flower garden or a flower bed is a great place to grow various types and varieties of herbaceous flowering plants. Urban residents use the space of a balcony, loggia or just window sills for these purposes, on which containers, boxes, pots and other containers are placed. Flowers that will be a wonderful decoration and a source of good mood during the warmer months (for example, pansies, petunias, snapdragon and marigolds), can be grown by everyone. This will require a little effort, patience, and quality seed.
Types of flower crops and planting dates
Seedlings can be grown in winter (January-February) or early spring. The time of planting seeds depends on the variety and type of plant, as well as on the rate of its growth and development. For example, winter planting is recommended for slow-growing flowers - petunias, snapdragon, ageratum and purslane, and spring - sweet peas and ipomee... Growing seedlings of flowers can be guaranteed to get amazingly beautiful and decorative flower cultures that will delight you with their lush and fragrant flowering throughout the summer. The main thing is that the basic rules for planting seeds and further care for seedlings are observed.
Seed preparation for planting and the choice of capacity
The procedure recommended by experienced flower growers - seed soaking - is carried out using stimulating solutions "Kornevin" or "Heteroauxin" or ordinary cold water. Seeds with a hard hard shell must be soaked for about a day.
As a container, you can use plastic disposable cups, which are suitable for sowing large seeds, or shallow bowls with a large diameter for small seed material.
Soil preparation
The soil mixture for growing seedlings should be light and well permeable to air and water. The specialty store has soil for seedlings, but you can also take ordinary soil from a park or garden. True, before using it, you need to carry out preventive measures that will disinfect it. It is enough to hold the soil in a hot frying pan for just a few minutes.
Planting seeds
Each flower plant has individual requirements for planting seeds and must be studied and adhered to. But there are generalized rules that recommend sowing small seeds on the surface of wet soil and germinating in the light, and planting large seeds at a depth of at least 1 cm.
Seedling care rules
The place for growing seedlings should be in a bright, sunny room, but with diffused light.
The air temperature should be constant and not exceed the interval from 20 to 25 degrees Celsius. Temperatures below 18-20 degrees will delay germination. Direct sunlight will significantly raise the room temperature and reduce humidity levels.This can lead to the appearance of pathogenic bacteria and the onset of the disease.
Soil moisture is moderate, without excess moisture.
A shelter made of glass or thick plastic wrap will help create the necessary greenhouse conditions for germinating seeds and further developing seedlings. To obtain full-fledged young plants, you need stable air humidity and temperature, as well as daily ventilation and the absence of cold drafts. The number of airings should be increased gradually. The shelter can be removed after 3-4 full-fledged leaves appear.
Watering the seedlings is carried out regularly in moderate amounts.
Very bright lighting is recommended, but direct sunlight should not fall on the plants due to the danger of scalding delicate leaves.
The first transplant is recommended after the formation of 2-3 pairs of full-fledged leaves on the seedlings. So that young flower crops do not interfere with each other, thinning is carried out. This procedure is especially necessary for seedlings of those types of flowers in which the seeds are very small and are sown chaotically. The ideal distance between seedlings after thinning is at least 1-2 cm.
The second transplant of seedlings takes place around the end of May. At this time, when the warm weather has already established, and the plants are not threatened by nighttime cold snaps with light frosts, the seedlings can be transferred to open flower beds. Strong healthy seedlings usually quickly take root in the open field and after a short time they begin to delight with their first blossoming buds, a bright unique floral aroma and a varied palette of colors and shades.
