There are two ways to grow flowers in a flower bed: planting flower seeds directly in open ground, and growing flower seedlings at home.

To grow flowers in a flower bed, two methods are used: planting flower seeds directly in open ground, and growing flower seedlings at home and then transplanting them into a flower garden.

Both methods are suitable for gardeners; they will be able to provide your flowerbed with continuous flowering.

Basic rules for planting flower seedlings

To grow flower seedlings for your flower garden, if it is not large, a light and warm window sill is enough.

• in the bottom of a container or cup intended for planting flowers for seedlings before sowing, it is necessary to make holes for water drainage;
• It is better to sow seeds of large-seeded flowers in individual containers so as not to damage their roots during transplantation;
• It is not recommended to add to soil for flower seedlings when sowing mineral fertilizers;
• the container or cup for sowing should be filled with soil almost to the brim so that the walls of the containers do not block the light needed by the seedlings;
• when planting flower seeds for seedlings, do not thicken the crops, they will be difficult to separate when picking;
• remember that dense seedlings are more often susceptible to blackleg disease;
• Avoid pulling the seedlings, place them in a bright and cool place.

What flowers can be planted as seedlings

Containers for crops can be any wooden boxes, plastic trays with a height of 8 cm.

Take fresh soil that is well permeable to moisture. Before filling the seed containers, be sure to pass the soil through a sieve with small holes.

Soak the seeds of aster, gillyflower, Chabot cloves, sweet peas, then keep them in a room at a temperature of +18 +20 ° C for 12 hours, then place them in a refrigerator with a temperature close to 0 ° C for the same time, this will increase the cold resistance of the plants.

Flower crops such as aster, ageratum, amaranth, antirrhinum, balsam, verbena, Chinese carnation, dahlia, godetia, gillyflower, lobelia, nasturtium, purslane, fragrant tobacco, zinnia, etc. are grown in seedlings.

When to plant seedlings and flower seeds in the ground?

Annual flowers that you plan to grow through seedlings can be planted in a permanent place already blooming.

This gives an undeniable advantage seedling method, which allows you to constantly keep the flower garden in a decorative state: tagetes, aster, antirrinum, zinnia, fragrant tobacco, lobelia and many others.

After planting the plant, it is necessary to water it well and sprinkle the surface of the soil with humus, peat or sawdust, which prevents the formation of a crust.

There are flowers that do not tolerate transplanting seedlings into the ground well - these are poppy, nasturtium, gillyflower, morning glory. Such flowers can be successfully grown without seedlings.

You can plant seeds of cold-resistant plants, such as aster, calendula, and some heat-loving plants (tagetes, ageratum) directly into the ground.

Cold-resistant annual flowers can be sown in the ground as early as early March.

Seed annuals bloom somewhat later than those planted with seedlings, but the plants turn out to be more powerful, healthy, with more flowers.

Planting flowers in open ground with seeds

Flower seeds are sown in soil 2 times thicker than when planted by seedlings, covered with humus soil on top

Dense seedlings of seed flowers must be thinned out as early as possible. They are thinned out a second time when the plants reach 8-10 cm in height. During the summer, caring for flowers consists of loosening, watering, weeding, and mulching.

Before winter, you can sow asters, antirrinum, cornflowers, etc. They are sown late in the fall, after the first frost, so that the seeds do not have time to germinate. The crops are covered with peat or humus.

? We have already discussed that growing flower or vegetable seedlings has a lot in common. All plants have a similar structure and stages of seed germination. The difference between vegetables and flowers, in fact, is only that we admire some, and eat the fruits of others. However, each crop has its own characteristics; they depend on the size of the seeds, germination time, and requirements for growing conditions. But now we will look at the principles, following which, you can get any seedlings at home.

What do you need to prepare?To grow seedlings, you need the actual seeds, containers for sowing, soil and tools for work. This includes:

1 - boxes, cassettes for seedlings and picking (microgreenhouse)
2 - soil and fine sand
3 - pieces of glass or thick paper
4 — lamp for additional illumination
5 - planting pegs, ruler, wooden tamper, tweezers
6 - sieve
7 — watering can with different nozzles, spray bottle
8 - fertilizers and fungicides
9 — scales and syringe (for precise dosing of chemicals)
10 - notepad, waterproof marker, soft pencil, labels or signs

Timing of sowing seeds depend on

1) individual characteristics plants, timing of seed germination and the period of time from sowing to obtaining finished products
2) your goals and planned time for receiving seedlings.

If you want to get flowering seedlings by May 1 or vegetable seedlings for an early harvest, then sowing should begin in late January - February. You can sow seeds for seedlings for open ground in March-early April. On average, it takes about 10-12 weeks from sowing to obtaining high-quality seedlings.

Also, the timing of sowing is influenced by the ability to ensure the correct temperature and especially light conditions (lighting with lamps). If you are going to grow seedlings just on a windowsill without additional measures, then I advise you not to rush with sowing, then it is better to focus on later dates (March-April).

Which containers can it be used for sowing seeds? Various small (5 to 10 cm deep) boxes or containers with a sufficiently rigid structure to prevent cracking of the soil in case of movement are suitable. At home, it is convenient to use plastic cat trays or photographic cuvettes. You can lay a sheet of paper on the tray grid, or even better, a layer of water-permeable agrofibre, and then pour a store-bought or self-composed substrate.

Soil mixture for sowing seeds should differ from the one in which grown plants are planted, just as the food of an adult differs from the nutrition of an infant. The starting soil should contain a minimum amount nutrients, it must be light, air and moisture resistant to ensure good drainage. Often, high-moor deoxidized (neutral) peat sifted through a sieve or mesh with 5-7 mm cells is used.

For potted seedlings, you can use a mixture in which sand, vermiculite, perlite, and zeolite are added to high-moor peat. At home, gardeners make light mixtures containing soil or compost, for example: 3 parts peat, 2 parts turf soil, 2 parts compost, 1 part coarse sand. Since all these components do not contain nutrients, further seedlings need to be fed.

Level the surface with a plank and tamp lightly, especially in the corners. The ground level should be 1cm below the edge. To prevent damage to plants by root rot pathogens, it is recommended to sterilize 1-3 days before sowing with a solution of potassium permanganate or fungicides: Topsin, Previkur, Ridomil Gold or biological products - Trichodermin or Ali-rin-B in concentrations specified by the manufacturer.

Large seeds, as well as plants that do not tolerate transplantation well (cucumbers, squash, beans, morning glory, etc.) are planted immediately in individual cups, peat tablets or cassette compartments. For subsequent picking of seedlings, you can prepare pots, cassettes or larger boxes.

Sowing seeds
On the surface of the soil, using a ruler, we make parallel grooves 2-3 mm deep at a distance of 3 cm. Very small seeds (for example,
1g of petunias contains about 10,000 seeds) it is better to purchase them in pelleted form: it is easier to distribute them evenly over the surface.

If you are planting a small number of seeds, then the pelleted seeds can be spread with tweezers into grooves at a distance of 1 cm, and ordinary seeds can be spread with a wooden toothpick. To do this, slightly moisten its tip and touch the seed. Then we transfer the stuck seed into the soil. For better control, you can sprinkle a small amount of sand into the furrows when planting. If there are a lot of seeds, then cut the bag of seeds, add fine sand and mix. Then scatter the resulting mixture along the grooves.

Seed placement depth also depends on their size. Very small seeds, like those of petunia, lobelia, and purslane, do not need to be planted at all. Larger seeds are planted to a depth of about 0.5 cm. Another practical method: sow in rows in a box half-filled with the mixture, without burying the seeds, then add sand or soil mixture on top in a layer of 0.5 cm and water. Before sowing, to increase germination energy, it is desirable, but not necessary, to treat the seeds in solutions of epin, potassium permanganate or humate. Planted seeds can be lightly pressed to the surface of the soil with a plank.

If we plant several varieties, then for each variety we install labels with the name of the variety, or we label the container or box with a marker. I advise you to definitely keep a diary and carefully write down all the information about varieties, germination times, etc.

Watering
After sowing, it is very important to properly moisten the seeds. Since the soil is already moist before sowing, small seeds are only sprayed over the surface with a spray bottle and covered with glass or a plastic bag. The air humidity increases underneath them, creating a “microgreenhouse.” Larger seeds can be watered from a watering can with a fine strainer, making sure that the seeds do not float and the soil is not washed away.

It is advisable to use soft water for irrigation (settled tap water, rain, snow) with a temperature of 21°C. During seed germination, regularly moisten the soil, remembering to ventilate, avoiding excess moisture and condensation (periodically turn it over or lift the glass). At this stage, waterlogging can cause the appearance of a “black leg” that is destructive for seedlings.

After germination, the glass can be removed. Next, you need to maintain humidity by spraying. environment within 50-70%. To strengthen the seedlings, it is desirable that the soil dries out slightly between waterings, but of course, the soil should not be allowed to dry out and the plants lose turgor (when the leaves droop). However, overmoistening is also unacceptable.

Temperature
For successful seed germination, a soil temperature of 22-24°C and a bright place is required. Keep in mind that the ground temperature is usually 4 degrees lower than the ambient temperature. It is difficult to control the temperature on the windowsill, especially when there is frost outside the window and cold comes from the glass, and the radiator heats it from below. For bottom heating, amateur gardeners sometimes use a hard flat heater of the “Good Heat” type, on which seedling containers are installed. The surface temperature is controlled by a step-down transformer.

At the first stage after germination, the seeds require a temperature of 18-20 °C; after picking, it is better to reduce it to 16-18 °C - for hardening, preventing stretching and enhancing tillering (growth of lateral shoots). For the final forcing of seedlings, place the containers in a cool place at 13-16°C (for example, on a glassed balcony).

Light
A sufficient amount of light is one of the main components of growing seedlings. Particularly important add light to the seedlings during early sowing periods, in January - February, when the days are still very short. Daylight hours of annuals, which mostly originated from tropical countries, should be at least 12-14 hours. Without lighting, the seedlings stretch out and have pale leaf, lies down and does not lay flower buds. On cloudy days, it is better to use the backlight for 14 hours a day; on sunny days, add additional lighting for several hours in the morning, and then 6-8 hours in the evening.

At home, you can use ordinary fluorescent lamps or fluorescent lamps. Lamps should be installed above the plants approximately 20-40cm from top sheet, avoiding heat from lamps. Consider in advance the possibility of moving lamps or seedling containers in order to maintain optimal distance for lighting.

Many fluorescent lamp manufacturers offer lamps with a spectrum optimized for plants. Of course, they are more expensive than regular ones, but with the same power, a special lamp provides more “useful” light for plants. If you are using a fluorescent lamp, it is very useful to install a reflector (reflector, for example from foil). Only the light that is directed downwards reaches the plants.

Feeding, processing
At first, the seedlings do not require special feeding, but with the appearance of real leaves, we begin to regularly use mineral fertilizers in small doses when watering. It is convenient to use special liquid fertilizers for seedlings, following the manufacturer's instructions. Ratio of essential nutrients elements N-P-K(N - nitrogen, P - phosphorus, K-potassium) and microelements in them have already been calculated. All that remains is to add the exact amount of solution (for example, using a syringe) to the specified volume of water. If the seedlings are stretched, then use only calcium fertilizer. If leaves turn yellow, apply foliar feeding iron chelate.

Seedling diseases and measures to combat them
The gardener must maintain sterile cleanliness of materials and tools to prevent the occurrence and spread of diseases. It is also important to be able to recognize the signs of the disease in time and take urgent measures if this does happen.

To prevent diseases, the soil is shed with a pink solution of potassium permanganate or a weak solution of fungicides. The most common disease that occurs in conditions of waterlogging and high temperature is “blackleg”. This is a fungal disease, the infection is located and persists in the soil. Sometimes it is recommended to add crushed charcoal to the soil. But the main remedy is maintaining sterility and ventilation. It is impossible to save such plants; you need to replant new seeds in clean soil.

Overmoistening, cold water, low or, conversely, too high temperature, poor soil, excess fertilizer can cause the appearance of other fungal or bacterial diseases. Signs of root rot are as follows: the main root and root collar become brown,
the stem becomes thinner, the leaves turn pale, and the plant dies. Control measures: remove diseased plants, and add chalk, humus, and sand under the rest. Water with a solution of foundationazole or copper-containing preparations.

If pale brown spreading or wet, putrefactive spots appear on the leaves and stems, and a dark gray fluffy coating from sporulation of the fungus forms on top, urgently spray the plants 2 - 4 times after 10 days with a copper-soap solution or other copper-containing fungicides, or potassium permanganate solution.

If a powdery powdery coating appears on both sides of the leaves, which then becomes denser, young leaves become deformed, dry out or fall off, the stems become bent - these are signs powdery mildew. Control measures: spray 2 - 4 times every 7 days with either a solution of foundationazole or topaz, or a 0.5% solution of soda ash, or a copper-soap solution.

In the next part of the article, Victoria Roy will tell you in more detail about growing petunia seedlings. We will also offer you a diagram of a beautiful flower garden of annuals.

Features of growing petunia seedlings

Petunia seedlings

If you decide to grow a large quantity seedlings, you will have to deal with concentrations and control feeding more carefully. Foreign instructions for fertilizers often use the term ppm (part per million) - one part per million. If you dissolve 1 g of fertilizer in a liter of water, you will get a concentration of 1000 ppm.

In the initial stage we use weak solutions of 25-75ppm. To do this, dilute the mother solution (1000ppm) 40 - 25 ppm, 15 - 75 ppm times. Subsequently, until planting, the concentration increases to 150 - 200 ppm. You can use German liquid complex fertilizers for flowers. When the plants become strong enough, fertilizing can be done at every watering.

Pick petunia seedlings carried out when the first pair of true leaves appears (depending on the type of plant - approximately 3-4 weeks after sowing). You can dive from boxes directly into cassettes with a cell size of 6x6cm or 8x8cm. To obtain plants of the highest quality, which is especially important when growing ampelous, double and large-flowered petunias, it is advisable to use pots with a diameter of 9-11 cm.

For hanging plants an option is possible with picking one plant into a cell of 5x5 - 6x6 cm, followed by transferring it into a pot (for example, 3 plants in 1 pot with a diameter of 20-25 cm). To save space, you can carry out double picking: first into cassettes, then into individual pots or cups, pallets. The plant should be kept in a smaller volume until root system will not take up the entire volume. It is then transplanted to the next largest containers. You can grow more plants this way. In addition to saving space, you also get easier care, watering, and fertilizing.

Features of seedling formation
To form a branched bush with side shoots in non-hybrid varieties that are susceptible to stretching, it is better to pinch over the third pair of true leaves. Some varieties are excellent bushers themselves. Sometimes seedlings overgrow if they were sown too early, or if there is not enough light. Abroad, in large greenhouses, growth regulators PGR (plant growth regulator) are used for this purpose: B-Nine, DIF, Bonzi, Sumagic.

We can use domestic drugs Epin and Zircon. It is convenient to keep them in disposable syringes to prepare a solution of the desired concentration. Of course, the growth rate also depends on the individual characteristics of the variety. Cascading petunias grow much faster than ordinary ones, tall ones - faster than compact ones.

And now we offer you diagram of a beautiful flower garden from annuals. We wish you good luck!

1. Petunia (Petunia) is a perennial plant used as an annual, with showy, bright, colorful, funnel-shaped flowers. Plants branch heavily and grow quickly. They are distinguished by abundant and long flowering, thanks to which they have become one of the most popular species for summer flower garden .

2. Gatsaniya ( Gazania x hybrid) is a low-growing plant of the Asteraceae family with a rosette of dense green leaves of various shapes. In many species of Gatsania bottom part The leaves are covered with short silvery pubescence. Gatsania is distinguished by large and showy inflorescences that unfold in the morning and close at the end of the day.
There are many varieties of gatsaniya with bright, varied colors of inflorescences: white, cream, lemon, yellow, orange, pink, crimson, red, red-brown, bronze, purple.

3. Verbena ( Verbena) is a perennial plant used as an annual, native to America, 30-50 cm high with highly branched shoots. Verbena leaves are oblong-elongated, rough. Verbena flowers are collected in a corymbose inflorescence and are colored white, red, pink, purple, with a central cream or white eye or plain.

4. Antirinum major, snapdragon ( Antirrhinum majus) is a perennial plant used as an annual. Depending on the variety, it forms bushes from 15 to 100 cm in height, with large, irregularly two-lipped, simple or double flowers, collected in a racemose inflorescence. The color of the flowers is white, pink, yellow and two-tone. Blooms from June until frost.

5. Salvia brillianti ( Salvia splendens) is a herbaceous perennial plant, grown as an annual, has an inverse pyramidal shape, densely leafy, compact, 20-75 cm high. Depending on the variety, the color of the flowers varies from soft pink to fiery red; there are also plants with blue and dark purple flowers .

6. Daylily ‘Stella d’Oro’ ( Hemerocallis hybrida) - border, small-flowered landscape variety. Perennial 30-40cm tall. The flowers are up to 5.5 cm in diameter, golden yellow, collected in spreading inflorescences. Belongs to the group unpretentious perennials !

7. Mountain pine ‘Mughus’ ( Pinus mugo‘Mughus’) - compact, highly branched coniferous shrub up to 2m high. The crown is ovoid or broadly pyramidal. The needles are hard, thick, two needles in a bunch, dark green. Drought-resistant, winter-hardy, light-loving, but tolerates shade. Resistant to soil contamination and compaction. Does not suffer from snowfalls, tolerates heat and high humidity well.

8. Spirea Boumalda ( Spiraea x bumalda) - a low shrub, up to 75 cm in height with an elegant, spherical crown and erect branches. The shoots are slightly ribbed and bare. Leaves are up to 8 cm long, ovate-lanceolate. The color of the flowers varies from pale pink to dark carnation pink. It blooms almost all summer, about 50 days.

Listen to the article

What flowers are sown for seedlings

First, you need to understand for yourself which flowers can be propagated by seedlings. These include both annual and biennial plants, and perennials. Of the annual flowers, those most often sown for seedlings are those that have a long growing season, or if you want the flowers to bloom earlier. In principle, you can grow seedlings of any flowers, except those that do not tolerate transplantation well.

Most often, seeds of the following flowers are sown for seedlings: Chabot carnation, lobelia, petunia, cineraria, snapdragon, sweet pea, zinnia, marigold, nasturtium, cosmos, calendula, mignonette, geranium, gerbera, gaillardia, viola, pansies, primrose, balsam, begonia, verbena, ageratum, aster, clarkia, phlox, gillyflower, salvia, godetia, lupine, lavatera and many others.

When to plant flower seedlings

Sowing flower seeds for seedlings in January

Before all other flowers, we sow seedlings of the Shabot carnation, which blooms 5-6 months after sowing, and tuberous begonia, which needs 5.5-6.5 months to bloom. Begonia sown in December-January has tubers that form better and last longer than those sown in March. The bag of seeds usually indicates how much time should pass from sowing the seeds to the start of flowering, and the longer the time period, the earlier the seeds need to be sown. During this period, flower seedlings are sown, the seeds of which must undergo mandatory stratification - stimulation with low temperature.

These include aquilegia, spring and stemless gentians, arisema, clematis, princelings, bathhouse, mulberry, jeffersonia, perennial violet, breaker, alpine bell, irises, many bulbous, lumbago, lavender, primrose. In January, you need to sow slow-germinating seeds of perennials with a thick or dense shell, if for some reason you do not want to scarify them - mechanically damage or remove the seed shell.

Sowing flower seeds for seedlings in February

In the second month of winter, we continue to sow flowers with a long germination period. It is not too late to sow the seeds of Shabot carnation and flowering begonia. In addition, the time has come to plant those plants that feel good both in the garden and at home - fuchsias, balsams, pelargoniums, as well as early flowering annuals for hanging baskets, decorating loggias, balconies and glazed terraces– petunia and lobelia, for example.

In February, seeds of angustifolia lavender, sparkling salvia, Wittrock's viola and heliotrope are sown. However, it should be borne in mind that seedlings of some flowers will need long daylight hours, and you will have to provide additional lighting for them.

Sowing flower seeds for seedlings in March

In March, you can plan to grow seedlings of echinacea, fragrant tobacco, verbena, iberis, lobularia, climbing kobe, cleome, bells, herbal carnation, annual phlox, snapdragon, matthiola (levkoya), brachycoma iberisolia and climbing azarina, as well as those flowers which you for some reason did not sow in February.

In the first half of March, you can sow seeds of flowers that grow well both in the garden and at home - pelargonium, coleus, kufei.

In the second half of March, we sow seeds of seedlings of the following annuals: Drummond phlox, celosia, helichrysum, alissum, venidium, ageratum, arctotis, annual aster, penstemona, castor bean.

Sowing flower seeds for seedlings in April

In April, seedlings are sown with zinnia gracilis, tritoma berry (or kniphofia), scabiosa, daisy, perennial delphinium, annual dahlia, cornflower, cottonweed, gatsania, helipterum, godetia, morning glory, calendula, xerantenum, fragrant mignonette, scabiosa, Suvorov limonium, amaranth , aquilegia, kochia (summer cypress), marigolds, as well as those flowers that you did not have time to sow in March - annual aster, Venidium, ageratum, lobularia.

How to grow flower seedlings

Pots for flower seedlings

Readers often ask: What is better to grow seedlings in - in boxes or in pots? Of course, it’s better in pots - you sow in a separate container, and then you don’t have to deal with picking the seedlings. The seedling is not injured, the risk of infection with rot is minimized. However, seedlings at home are usually kept in loggias and on window sills, and there is not much space there. If you are not a fan of the seedling method, and you only need three or four containers for seedlings, then, of course, it is better to use pots for seedlings.

But if you have big plans, then it is better to use plastic seedling cassettes with trays, cups or boxes. Don’t get carried away with cardboard containers, especially those for dairy products - now they are treated with some substances that, as they evaporate, inhibit the barely hatched seedlings, causing them to freeze and not develop. The container must be environmentally friendly so that the flower seedlings do not experience discomfort.

The best container for seedlings is peat pots. Their porous walls ensure moisture and air exchange of the root-inhabited soil layer; grown seedlings can be planted in open ground directly in them, without damaging the roots of young plants by removing them from the container. These pots contain no toxic substances or pathogens, and are durable enough in both dry and wet conditions.

A good container for growing small plants are peat tablets for seedlings, which swell when soaked and form a kind of cup filled with peat substrate. This perfect dishes for seedlings, but small plastic disposable cups for food liquid and large boxes for seedlings are also suitable as dishes for sowing. The main thing is that there are drainage holes in the bottom, and under the bottom there is a tray for excess water.

Soil for flower seedlings

The soil for seedlings should have the following qualities: looseness, lightness and porosity of consistency, it should have good air permeability and retain moisture, and also meet the requirements of the crop that you intend to grow in it.

The following components are unsuitable for soil composition: composts of any kind, leaf soil(rotted leaves), rotted manure, wood shavings, low-lying unprocessed peat, untreated turf land, chopped straw, hay dust, sawdust from wood impregnated with creazote or treated with varnish, unwashed sea sand, quarry sand, unwashed from clay.

Used to compose the soil: high-moor peat, frozen or weathered lowland peat, sand or sandy loam meadow, but not garden, turf soil after heat treatment, sphagnum moss, crushed pine bark, dry pine needles, grain husks, crushed peanut shells, river and quartz sand, perlite, vermiculite, agroperlite, granulated foam, crushed pumice and expanded clay. A classic example of a substrate for seedlings: 65-70% sawdust, 25-40% sand.

You can buy soil mixture for seedlings in the store - now huge selection soil for seedlings. For example, Flower soil from the Living Earth series, Flora soil, Garden Earth soil, Violet soil, Universal soil, and so on. In order to choose the soil you need, you need to know exactly in which substrate your seedlings will grow best, and also study the composition of the soils offered in the store.

Pay attention to the composition of fertilizers in ready-made soil mixtures - their excess may prevent you from seeing your plants bloom. If the amount of phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen in the soil is within 300-400 mg/l, it can only be used as a component for seedling mixture or for planting adult seedlings in it, but it is undesirable to sow seeds in such soil, since the seedlings will turn lushly green, but buds will not form.

Do not use garden soil as a substrate for seedlings, since it is unbalanced in mineral composition and contains pathogenic microflora and pest larvae. But the soil for cacti is suitable for growing seedlings, but before sowing, its acidity should be adjusted by adding dolomite flour, if necessary. It is advisable to sterilize soil for seedlings, whether purchased or prepared by yourself, in an oven or microwave before sowing.

Well, remember about peat tablets - in many cases this is really the best solution.

Lamps for flower seedlings

At the end of winter or beginning of spring, the days are still short, and growing seedlings do not have enough daylight hours to develop, so sometimes it is necessary to create for them artificial lighting. What lamps are best to use for this, and how to properly organize the lighting? Immediately exclude incandescent lamps from the list, since they produce an excessive amount of heat, but do not emit the rays that plants need. The choice must be made between energy-saving lamps and phytolamps.

Among the energy-saving lamps for germinating seeds, you should choose induction lamps. Lamps with a warm spectrum will be needed to illuminate seedlings that have entered the flowering phase, and energy-saving daylight lamps are suitable for illuminating seedlings throughout the entire growing cycle. Install these lamps perpendicular to the boxes with seedlings.

Among the colossal number of phytolamps, LED, halogen, sodium and fluorescent lamps are most often used to illuminate seedlings. Usually the choice of gardeners falls on fluorescent lamps, since they produce almost no heat, consume little electricity and have a full spectrum of colors. The advantage of LED lamps is their durability and low power consumption; in addition, they can emit red and blue colors what stimulates rapid growth seedlings.

U halogen lamps Over time, the level of heat transfer decreases, so they are used much less frequently. Sodium lamps are installed to illuminate small seedlings. For example, one 100 W lamp is enough to illuminate seedlings located on a one and a half meter windowsill. When choosing a phytolamp, consider which lamps will suit you best - wall-mounted, ceiling-mounted or compact ones that give a directed beam.

Caring for flower seedlings

Watering flower seedlings

The first watering of the soil is carried out even before sowing, since the seeds are sown in moist soil, but then, until the emergence of seedlings, the soil is not watered - as a rule, under glass or under a film the soil remains moist for a long time. After removing the film, the hatched seedlings are watered regularly so that the soil is always moist, but not wet. With prolonged waterlogging of the soil, there is a risk of root rotting. It is advisable to moisten the soil with seedlings in the first half of the day, since evening watering causes the plants to stretch out and grow sickly and weak.

Water for watering seedlings needs to be left for 2-3 days. Watering seedlings with melt water gives good results, especially before planting in open ground. Dahlias, sweet tobacco and nasturtium require frequent watering. And petunia, phlox, purslane, asters, snapdragons, marigolds and zinnia need to be watered only when the top layer of soil is dry. The water temperature for irrigation should be at least 21 ºC. Watering is carried out in different ways: at the root, by spraying from a sprayer, they also use the method of bottom watering - it all depends on what kind of seedlings you are growing.

Temperature for flower seedlings

After you have bought and sterilized the seedling substrate, put it in a container, soaked the seeds in Zircon or Epin (this does not apply to purchased seeds that are already prepared for sowing), spread the seeds on the surface, lightly pressed them into the substrate, sprinkle them with a layer of soil , the thickness of which depends on the size of the seed - the planting depth should be three times. In some cases, the seeds are not buried at all, but are only pressed to the surface of the soil.

If you sowed in dry soil, moisten the crop, but only with a spray bottle. Now it's time to build a greenhouse for seedlings. Usually, it is enough to cover the container with film or glass. Sometimes, to speed up the germination of slow-germinating seeds, it is necessary to arrange the bottom heating of the container with sowing to a temperature 2-3 ºC higher than in the room. In any case, you should not keep the container on a cold windowsill, because in addition to good lighting, seeds need warmth to grow. Therefore, place the seeds on a piece of foam or other support so that there is a gap between the window sill and the seed box.

The ideal temperature for germination of seeds of heat-loving crops can be considered 25-30 ºC, and for cold-resistant crops 18-15 ºC. When the seedlings appear and the greenhouse for seedlings is no longer needed, the glass or film is removed, and further development of the seedlings occurs at a temperature of 20 ºC. Of course, these are general recommendations - each plant has its own requirements for both lighting and temperature.

If you purchased seeds in a store, the factory packaging should contain instructions or recommendations on how to sow the seeds of this particular plant. But if there are no instructions or recommendations on the package of seeds, our website will always be happy to provide you with the information you need, remember this.

Transplanting flower seedlings

Picking seedlings should be done on time, when the seedlings develop the first two true (not cotyledon) leaves. If you delay replanting, the seedlings will take root much worse. Why do seedlings dive? In order to increase the area of ​​their feeding, because the growing roots of seedlings take up more and more space. In addition, the seedlings become cramped above the ground surface.

It is best to plant seedlings in peat pots, because when the time comes to plant the plants in open ground, they can be planted in the holes without removing them from the pots, which subsequently do not interfere with the growth and development of the roots. Some flowers do not need picking at all, and plants with long tap roots, so as not to injure them during picking and replanting, should be immediately sown in peat pots one at a time.

If you plant seedlings in a common box, then plant seedlings of large plants up to the very cotyledons at a distance of 5-6 cm from each other, and small ones at intervals of 2.5-3 cm. When transplanting, take the seedling not by the stem, but by the cotyledon leaves, and at the end of the procedure, move the box with seedlings to a dark place for a couple of days.

Feeding flower seedlings

Two weeks after picking, you need to apply the first fertilizing, which is a solution of mullein 1:10 at the rate of one glass of fertilizer per 8-10 seedlings. After half a month, the seedlings are fertilized with the same composition, but one and a half grams of ammonium nitrate and three grams of superphosphate per liter are added to it at the rate of one glass per 4-5 seedlings. Instead of mullein, you can use bird droppings, and make a second feeding with an ash solution or Agricola for flowers.

Applying fertilizer to the soil is preceded by watering the plants so that the fertilizer does not burn the tender roots of the seedlings. And watch the concentration of the solutions that you prepare for adding to the soil with seedlings: the instructions for preparing solutions indicated on the fertilizer packaging are designed for feeding adult plants, and you will have to make the solutions twice as weak.

Two weeks before planting seedlings in open ground or moving them to a cold greenhouse, you need to gradually accustom the seedlings to the temperature in which they will find themselves. To do this, seedlings are taken out daily into the yard or onto an open balcony. Cold-resistant plants such as cineraria and antirrhinum begin to be taken out into the fresh air in the shade at an air temperature of 8-10 ºC; for other plants this is too cold, you need to wait until the temperature outside is 10-12 ºC, and only then begin hardening .

At first, staying in the fresh air should last no more than 2 hours; in addition, the plants must be protected from drafts and direct sunlight. Then the plants begin to briefly open to the sun, daily increasing the duration of the seedlings' stay in the fresh air and under the sun's rays. How long your seedlings can tolerate direct rays depends on the characteristics of the crop you are growing. Hardening is a very important procedure; it determines how successful the transplantation of seedlings into open ground will be, and what their further development will be.

When to plant flower seedlings in open ground

Seedlings of many flowers are planted in the ground when the threat of spring return frosts has passed - in May or early June. This applies primarily to heat-loving perennials. Planting of seedlings is carried out on a cloudy day or in the evening, when the sun's rays cannot damage seedlings weakened by transplantation to a new place. If we are talking about cold-resistant plants that are not afraid of spring cold snaps, then you can plant them as soon as the earth warms up: tightly squeeze a handful of dry earth in your hand, and then sharply unclench your hand. If the soil falls into pieces, it is ready for the growing season.

Before planting seedlings, tidy up the area: dig up the soil, add fertilizer to it, loosen and level the surface. Manure and compost are added to the soil in the fall, and humus and mineral fertilizers can be applied in the spring. The timing of sowing and planting rates are individual for each plant, but the area where the plants feed should allow them to develop well, that is, they should not grow in crowded conditions. The distance between seedlings when planting is determined by the size, diameter and branching of adult plants.

Rating 4.54 (26 votes)

After this article they usually read

Flowers are a real decoration of the yard, which is why flower beds of various colors and shapes can be seen in almost any summer cottage. Growing these crops is no more difficult, and sometimes even easier, than cultivating fruit-bearing plants. But flowers provide an opportunity to get aesthetic pleasure from being in a summer cottage. How to grow them, what are the secrets of rich, lush flower beds? When to plant flowers and seedlings and how to make them grow strong and healthy?

Before you go to the store for seeds to start growing flower seedlings (after all, you really want to see beautiful flower beds at your dacha), you need to familiarize yourself with those varieties and species that specifically need seedling cultivation. Indeed, in fact, many of the flower plants have time to grow and bloom during the summer simply from seeds sown in the ground.

So, both perennials and annual plants with a long growing season can be cultivated using the seedling method. They can also be planted as seedlings if the owner of a household plot dreams of blooming garden already at the beginning or middle of summer. In general, you can grow absolutely any flowers using seedlings if you want your dacha to look like a flower bed throughout the entire gardening season.

But there are plants that are sown to produce seedlings more often than other crops; in particular these are:

• lobelia;
• gerbera;
• ageratum;
• nasturtium;
• marigold;
• phlox;
• begonia;
• zinnia;
• snapdragon.

There are also other species and varieties that need to be grown in seedlings. In any case, for this you will need seeds, which can be collected with your own hands at the end of the last season or purchased at gardening stores. And here, too, you should not lose your vigilance: cunning sellers may try to slip you, as an inexperienced summer resident, low-quality material that may not grow at all. To prevent this from happening, carefully examine the seed packages and carefully read the expiration dates.

Snapdragon - seeds

Note! It is best to buy flower seeds as fresh as possible - this way there is a greater chance that they will have good germination. Unfortunately, over time they lose this quality. Ideally, the seed sales period ends no later than the end of the current year or the next.

It is also advisable to make a choice in favor of those seed producers that you know at least something about. It is undesirable to purchase seedling material that is packaged in strange and damaged bags, even if they are offered at a deep discount.

It is also important to evaluate the growing conditions that the flowers you choose need. Familiarize yourself with these conditions and choose the crops that you can provide required quantity sun, shade, moisture, and also make them exactly the flowerbed in which they will be comfortable.

Note! Lobelias and impatiens take root well in shaded areas. And nasturtiums, marigolds, and phlox are not afraid of short-term drought. A long-blooming flower is petunia, which can delight you every day and for a long time, which is why it is considered the queen of country flower beds.

Prices for petunia seeds

petunia seeds

General sowing rules

Any plant has its own requirements for growing conditions, but there are some general rules, which combine procedures for sowing seeds of any color. Majority experienced gardeners, of course, are familiar with these nuances, but a beginner will be interested to learn about them.

First, you should take care of the equipment that you may need for successful implementation procedures. These are all kinds of containers for sowing seeds and planting seedlings. In order not to spend extra money, which, as we know, does not happen, you can take care of the containers in advance and have time to collect a lot of jars of food and drinks. These containers may well make good containers for flowers.

To water the soil with sown seeds, it is better to purchase a spray bottle - it will not wash out the soil or disturb the flower seeds, which are usually very small. Grown seedlings can also be watered with a watering can with a thin spout.

Watering can for flowers “Pumpkin”, 1 l

Note! Before you sow your seeds, make sure you have labels with the names of the varieties you will be growing.

Preparing seeds, containers and soil for sowing

Before you start sowing seeds, you need to tidy up the container for the soil, the soil itself and prepare the seeds themselves. To begin with, all selected ones need to be holed, that is, drainage system– pierce several holes at the bottom of the containers through which excess moisture will flow out. If you are too lazy to do this, then you can buy ready-made pots for seedlings, of which a huge number are sold in stores. Then all jars and boxes should be thoroughly washed with soap and water, and then with soda solution.

Note! It would be good if a layer of expanded clay was placed at the bottom of each jar or box as a drainage material.

Soil for seedlings must undergo a disinfection procedure. It can be steamed, calcined or spilled with a pink solution of potassium permanganate. After this, it is important to dry the soil well.

Flower seeds should be prepared for planting - disinfected. They are soaked for 12 hours in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. This will protect the seed from various diseases. You can also carry out a stratification procedure - it will help speed up the process of the appearance of the first shoots. To do this, the seeds are soaked for 12 hours in clean water, and then the container with them should be put in the refrigerator for the same time. After this they are returned to warm room, and then back into the refrigerator. The procedure is carried out until the seeds begin to germinate.

Note! This procedure will improve the resistance of plants to low temperatures air.

Because different types colors may have different periods growing season and the beginning of flowering, it follows at different times. You can find out when to sow seeds using the instructions, which are printed on each package of seedling material. But the table below will help you roughly navigate the timing.

Table. Time to plant flowers for seedlings.

Month	What we do
	This month we sow the seeds of those flowers that take the longest to germinate and grow the slowest. For example, tuberous begonia blooms only six months after sowing, Shabot carnation produces its first flowers no earlier than 5-6 months. Also in January, those plants are sown whose seeds are subject to stratification without fail - these are clematis, aquilegia, gentians, princelings, irises, prolomnik, jeffersonia, perennial violet, lumbago, lavender, and most bulbous flowers. By the way, if begonia is sown in December or January, its tubers will be better formed and stored than those grown later, in March. Slow-germinating seeds with thick skins are also sown in January. This month you can plant sage and salvia, perennial daisy and other species.
	Throughout February, flower seeds are sown, which germinate and grow for a long time. You can also plant those recommended for starting cultivation in January. They also sow fuchsia, pelargonium, balsam, and plants for loggias and baskets. February is the time to plant petunia, lobelia, salvia, lavender, heliotrope. Pay attention to the light requirements of seedlings - some of these crops require long daylight hours, which means that additional lighting will have to be arranged.
	March flowers are verbena, echinacea, cleome, lobularia, iberis, bells, annual phlox, gillyflower, and iberisolia brachycoma. You can still have time to sow plants that are usually planted in February. At the beginning of the month, pelargoniums and coleus are sown, and at the end - penstemona, annual aster, ageratum, alyssum, helichrysum. Also, do not forget about marigolds and snapdragons - unpretentious, but beautiful flowers. And they bloom until the coldest weather.
	In April it is already too late to start sowing all of the above flowers, but you can plant delphiniums, dahlias, scabiosa, helipterum, calendula, aquilegia, and amaranth. Sometimes you can still have time to plant March flowers - marigolds, ageratum, and annual aster.

It often comes to the aid of gardeners when determining when to sow seeds. It indicates favorable days for carrying out certain gardening work in accordance with lunar cycles. As you know, the Moon has a significant influence on all living organisms living on earth, including plants. For example, it is recommended to plant all bulbous plants during the waxing moon, but seed plants are planted during the full moon. However, if you plant the seeds on another day, no big disaster will happen. Perhaps the germination rate of the sprouts will be slightly lower, or maybe you won’t even notice that the seedlings feel a little worse. So special attention You don’t have to pay attention to the lunar calendar.

Planting seeds

Now let's get acquainted with step by step instructions for sowing flower seeds. There is nothing complicated here.

Step 1. Let's start with primrose seeds as one of the most commonly grown flowering plants. We fill the containers prepared for seedlings with drainage material and treated soil, and lightly tamp them. After this, moisten it a little with a spray bottle.

Step 2. Open the bag of seeds and carefully take them on your finger (be careful - they are very small) and carefully, as if salting food, sprinkle them on the soil.

Step 3. We once again moisten the soil together with the seeds a little with water from a spray bottle.

Step 4. Cover the container with a lid or polyethylene. Don’t forget to write the name of the variety or type of flower on the container. Place the container in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf for stratification for 3 weeks.

After stratification, primrose seeds must be placed immediately on a sunny window. The technology for sowing lavender seeds looks somewhat different.

Step 1. We take a couple of pieces of soft fabric, fold one of them in half and moisten it with water from a spray bottle.

Step 2. Open the package of lavender seeds and pour them onto a damp cloth. Wrap it up and put it in plastic bag with clamp.

Step 3. After this, we put the seed bags in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf for 3 weeks. After this, we sow the seeds superficially on moist soil, as in the previous instructions.

The first shoots will appear in a couple of weeks. After this, the seedlings will need careful care - good lighting, watering, warmth.

Of course you can purchase ready seedlings tomatoes in the store, but it will be much more pleasant to grow it yourself. The first step on the path to growing seedlings will be. For many, this process may seem simple, but it is much more complicated than it may seem.

It should be located on a well-lit windowsill, where it will also receive enough heat - drafts are unacceptable. It is necessary to moisten the soil as it dries. Young plants are watered from a spray bottle, larger ones that have undergone the picking procedure are fed and watered from a watering can with a spout. By the way, it is best to water with water that is not only settled, but also at room temperature.

Video - Sowing flowers for seedlings: lavender, primrose, eustoma, carnation

Growing flower seedlings from seeds is not that difficult. The most important thing is to provide her proper care. And by the middle of summer you will not recognize your dacha - it will sparkle with all sorts of colors from the colorful flower beds on it.