House flowers from seeds
Hello, dear friends – gardeners and gardeners!
Probably resting from their gardens and gardens, many turn their attention to the cultivation of indoor plants that brighten up our cold winter evenings.
Flowers from seed: Not easy, but fun
Of course, most often we grow from seeds and in the open ground annuals: petunias, nasturtiums, asters and others. But indoor flowers can also be grown this way. A true florist can not resist the temptation to experiment, to suffer to get the flower of their dreams.
Small seedlings or young exotic indoor flowers are often very expensive. In addition, not everywhere (not in every city) you can buy the plant you like. And now you can even order seeds over the Internet or through catalogs of specialized flower stores.
Seeds are usually inexpensive. Another plus: You will find not one but several seeds in a package, at least one of which will sprout. And for these little sprouts to turn into beautiful flowers, you need to know how to properly grow indoor flowers from seeds.
Choosing, buying, storing seeds
Seeds of houseplants are sold in bags with detailed instructions in specialized stores or on websites. In addition, some of the nuances of growing can be clarified with the sellers of a particular store or website by phone or email. That is why I recommend that you do not buy seeds at the market from hand, but at the designated places of sale.
Don’t throw away the instruction packet; you can use it to see if your seed is developing properly and what you need to do at each successive stage of its growth.
When buying, pay attention to the date of sorting and packaging the seeds, as well as the expiration date: expired seeds have a very low germination rate. Once, for an experiment, I sowed two absolutely identical flowers of different years of production on the plot. The old seeds germinated only 1/3 of the total number of seeds. Of course, there are plants that remain viable for up to 6 years, but they are very few. Therefore, it is better to buy last year’s seeds from acquaintances or take them with you.
Another question you should clarify in the store when buying: How to properly store the seeds? If you will not immediately sow the seeds you bought, ensure proper storage conditions. For most, this is a cool, dark, dry place. For example, I store in a cold hallway in a locker. The main thing is to keep the seeds dry, otherwise they can be affected by rot and mold. From sick seeds, the flower will not grow or will get sick.
If you bought seeds not in a bag, but received them as a gift or borrowed from someone, take care of it, because the seeds collected at home should be well dried and aired before storing.
When to sow seeds
In principle, indoor flowers can be grown from seeds almost all year round. After all, the sprouts are indoors, neither heat nor frost can harm them. Despite this, it is better to do it on the eve of the growing season – from February to March. At this time, all hostesses grow seedlings, you too can germinate seeds of indoor flowers.
Of course, you have to take the characteristics of the plants into account, since everyone has different germination conditions. If you germinate flowering plants that germinate very quickly in February, the young sprouts may not have enough light to develop.
Conversely, when you plant jasmine plants in the same garden in the spring that take a long time to develop as seedlings, the flower will not get stronger and can disrupt the next winter.
Based on germination time, I would divide all indoor flower seeds into several groups.
From 2 to 10 days you can wait for pelargoniums, lemon callestemon, hibiscus, etc. to sprout. The same applies to cacti. Gloriosa in balsamins, cyperus, lithopsen are also excellent in this group. Therefore, beginners flower growers should start with these plants.
Streptocarpus, jasmine-like, begonias germinate within two weeks.
And sprouts of palm and other woody plants can emerge from seed in a month, but even gloss, which takes a long time to develop.
Producing seeds for planting
Some seeds can be taken out of the pocket right away. There are even specially treated seeds available now. But there are seeds that need to be prepared. This is usually written in the instructions on the pocket.
The most common type of seed preparation for planting is pre-soaking in a moist environment. You need to take a cloth napkin, moisten it well with water (you can add a little potassium etchant to the water) and put the seeds on it. Cover them with the other edge of the cloth, and on top of polyethylene film. When sprouts appear, the seeds can be planted. You can also try germinating seeds that have expired. Some of them are quite successful to replicate.
Samples of palm or asparagus need to be soaked for about 5-6 days. And citrus fruits are best germinated fresh. For example, ate the fruit – put the seed in the ground without drying.
Where and how to plant seeds
For the germination of seeds, the floor should be light, but nutritious. A mixture of peat and coarse sand is best. You can buy a special mixture for seedlings, sold in specialized stores.
A container first need to take a wide enough (to fit a few seeds at a distance of 5-6 cm) and flat (so as not to pour extra soil).
The depth of planting depends on the size of the seeds. The smaller, the less they need to go deeper into the ground. And the smallest (such as gloxinia seeds) can simply be placed on the floor and well watered or lightly sprinkled with a layer of 1-2 mm. Larger seeds need to be buried by 1-1.5 cm.
Before spreading the seeds, the soil mixture should be well watered. If this is done after sowing, the seeds may blot and accidentally sit.
After planting the seeds, you need to arrange a greenhouse. For example, I sawed the material into regular closeable food containers, closed the lid – this is how the greenhouse is shown. But other boxes or flower spots can simply be covered with a plastic bag.
Waiting for the inner flowers to sprout
While the seeds germinate and the first sprouts appear, the floor should not be watered, you can only spray liberally. Sometimes you can arrange airing and remove excess condensation (drops of evaporating moisture) from the lid or bag.
If the sprouts have become larger than 5 mm, remove the lid or bag. Now you need to gradually accustom the sprouts to the light, so at first put them closer to the sun for a while, and then from time to time turn the container so that one or the other side of the sprout was in the light.
Sprouts that have grown to 5 cm can be nested, although it is best to nest 2-3 times. You need a separate pot for each sprout. To begin with, take an ordinary plastic cup or cut plastic bottle, then the size of the container should be gradually increased. But even a well elongated sprout should not be planted in a permanent large pot, its size should increase as the seedlings grow. The next transplanting can be done after six months, and some flowers grow well in small pots and transplant them only once a year, gradually increasing the volume of the flower pot.
Indoor plants from seed
House plants come to us mostly from flower stores and markets. Sometimes we take a cuttings of a plant we like from friends or acquaintances and grow it for ourselves. But perhaps not everyone knows that beautiful houseplants can be grown from seeds, and in this article I will tell you about my experience of propagating some houseplants from seeds.
Cyclamen
The first plant I grew from seeds was the cyclamen. In Latin, “cyclamen” means “round”, apparently because this flower forms round bulbs in the ground. At home, the cyclamen propagates both by dividing the underground part and by seeds, which can be sown all year round.
You will need a room temperature of 18-20 ⁰C to get them sprouting, but even in these conditions the seeds will take a very long time to germinate. Cyclamen seedlings also develop slowly. In my case, the seeds germinated irregularly for a month or two, and then they started to form nodules in the ground, so the development of the ground part of the cyclamen slowed down drastically.
Moreover, the formation of leaf mass was very slowed down because of the heat, and it was only when the weather cooled down that the cyclamen actively started to put out new leaves. I sowed a Persian mix. There were only five seeds in the bag, four of which sprouted.
Asparagus sprouts
This variety of asparagus has been familiar to me since my childhood. It can still be seen on windowsills in kindergartens, schools and hospitals. It is an ampelous plant, whose stem length can reach three or more meters. One package contained eight seeds, and I did everything as described in the instructions: first I soaked the seeds for two days, and then sowed two swollen seeds in small cups.
Sprouted in two weeks. Today these plants are about three months old and can already be transplanted into larger pots.
Balsamina Waller.
I am very worried about this plant, because out of four packets of seeds that I bought in different colors, only one plant has grown, which made me very sad. Basically, sowing a balsamina is no different than sowing a petunia, it is relatively easy to grow, but you need quality and fresh seeds to do so. I have a light pink balsamina that has sprouted, and now I am looking forward to the first bloom to see if the plant matches the variety listed on the bag.
Pelargonium
Pelargoniums are also successfully propagated by seeds. I have already explained to you how to sow them and how to take care of the young plants afterwards. The first time I planted only two varieties – “Night Rose” and “Eva”. They matched the photos on the bags and bloomed beautifully all summer. Now I cut them down and put them on a cool porch for wintering. And in the summer, in late June, I sowed a few more varieties: Yarka, Night Scarlett, Night Salmon and Alena. And they have already grown considerably.
Raising houseplants from seed is an interesting and fun activity, provided you buy quality seeds. I wish you success in this endeavor.
When to plant flowers
Flowers are a real decoration of the homestead plot, that is why you can see flowerbeds of all kinds of colors and shapes in almost every dacha. Growing these crops is not more difficult, and sometimes even easier than growing fruit plants. But the flowers allow you to get an aesthetic pleasure from being in the countryside. How to grow them, what are the secrets of richer, more magnificent flower beds? When should you plant flowers in seedlings and how to get strong and healthy?
Flowers for the country house
When to plant flowers in seedlings
Choosing the seed
Before you go to the store for seeds for growing flower seedlings (after all, you want to see beautiful flowerbeds in your Dacha), you need to become better acquainted with those varieties and species that need exactly a seedling. After all, many flower plants in the summer fully have time to grow and flower from seeds sown in the ground.
A place for flowers
Both perennials and annuals with a long growing season can be grown as seedlings. It is also possible to plant seedlings if the owner of a personal household dreams of a flowering garden in the beginning or summer. In general, absolutely all flowers can be planted in seedlings, if there is a desire to make the dacha look like a bed throughout the garden season.
Petunia
But there are some plants that are sown to maintain seedlings more often than others. These include:
-
;
- Lobelia;
- Gerbera;
- Ageratum;
- Capuchin cress;
- Ringflower;
- Phlox;
- Begonia;
- Zinnia;
- Leuvenmaul.
A place for flowers
There are also other species and varieties that are needed to grow seedlings. In any case, you need seeds, which can be harvested with your own hands at the end of last season or bought in gardening deals. And here, too, you should not lose vigilance: shrewd sellers may try to slip the material of poor quality, which may not take off at all as an inexperienced gardener. To avoid this, carefully inspect the seed package and carefully read the technological specifications.
Flower seeds in packages
Leuve Zev – seeds
Respectfully! It is best to buy the freshest flower seeds – this way you are more likely to have good germination. Unfortunately, they lose this quality over time. Ideally, when the tracing period for seeds ends no later than the end of the current year or the next year.
Flower seeds
It is also advisable to make a choice in favor of those manufacturers of seeds that you at least know. It is undesirable to buy seedlings packaged in incomprehensible and damaged packages, even if they are offered at a great discount.
It is important to evaluate the growing conditions in which the colors you choose are needed. Look at these conditions and choose those plants that you can provide the right amount of sun, shade, moisture, and make a bed where you feel comfortable.
Natural petunia seeds natural petunia seeds and petunia pellet
Sincerely! Lobelia, balsamine take root in shaded areas. Not afraid of short-term drought tops, marigolds and phlox. A long-blooming flower is the petunia, which can please you every day and for a long time, so it is considered the queen of the dacha.
Petunia is the queen of flower beds
Petunia seeds prices
General rules of sowing
Each plant has its own requirements for growing conditions, but there are some general rules that unite the procedures for sowing seeds of all flowers. Of course, most experienced gardeners are familiar with these nuances, but the beginner will be interested to learn something.
To begin with, you should take care of the equipment that is necessary for a successful occupation. These are all kinds of containers for sowing seeds and soaking the seeds. In order not to spend extra money, which, as you know, does not exist, you will take care of containers in advance and have time to pick up a lot of cups from food and drinks. From these containers you can get a good container for flowers.
For flower sprouts, plastic containers from Under Food are ideal.
In addition, soil is needed for seeding. This can be a store mix, or made on the basis of garden soil with your own hands. The main thing is that the floor has undergone preliminary preparation, which will be discussed below. Store soil mixture should be aimed specifically at growing flowers and contain humus, peat and sand. Soil from your garden should be kept in the cold and only then bring it home for direct treatment – so it will be able to kill all living organisms, including the larvae of all kinds of parasites. Another step towards success can be the purchase of fertilizer.
Soil for flower seeds
Soil for seedlings of vegetables and flowers
To water the soil with sown seeds, it is better to buy a sprayer – it will not wash away the soil and will not disturb the seeds of colors, which are usually very small. Adult seedlings can also be watered with a thin-spouted watering can.
spray
Pumpkin flower remedy, 1 L
Respectfully! Before you sow the seeds, take care of the labels with the names of the varieties you will grow.
Labels for labeling plants from improvised means
Preparing the seeds, containers, and soil for sowing
Before you can start sowing seeds you need to prepare the container for the soil, the soil itself and the seeds themselves. First of all, all selected containers for seedlings should be perforated, that is, to make a drainage system – to puncture a few holes at the bottom of the containers, through which the excess moisture will flow out. If you are too lazy to do this, you can buy ready-made pots for seedlings, which are sold in stores. Then all the jars and boxes should be thoroughly washed with soap and water, and then with a soda solution.
drainage holes
Respectfully! It will be good if you put a layer of expanded clay on the bottom of each jar or crate as a drainage material.
plant drainage.
Drainage layer with soil for planting seedlings
The soil for seedlings is necessarily decontaminated. It can be steamed, drenched or drenched with a pink solution of potassium permanganate. After this, it is important to dry the soil well.
Preparing soil in the oven
Potassium permanganate solution
Flower seeds need to be prepared for planting – to disinfect. You will be soaked in a weak solution of potassium mordant for 12 hours. This protects the seeds from various diseases. You can also carry out the process of laying the seeds – this will help speed up the process of the first sprouts. To do this, the seeds are soaked in clean water for 12 hours, after which the container with them should be put in the refrigerator at the same time. Then they are returned to a warm room, and then again to the refrigerator. The procedure is carried out until the seeds begin to germinate.
Stratify the seeds
Respectfully! This process increases the system’s resistance to low air temperatures.
When to plant flowers
Because different types of flowers can have different growing and blooming periods, you should plant the seeds at different times. The instructions that are always printed on each package of seedlings will help you understand the seeds. However, the following table will help you figure out the timing.
Table. Time of planting flowers in seedlings.
Table for planting seedlings
The lunar calendar often comes to the rescue when choosing the time of sowing seeds. It shows the cheap days for certain gardening works according to the lunar cycles. As we know, the moon has a significant influence on all living organisms living on earth, including plants. For example, it is recommended to plant all bulbs during the rising moon, but seeds are planted during the full moon. However, if you plant the seeds on a different day, there won’t be much of a problem. Perhaps the germination of sprouts will decrease a little, and perhaps you will not notice that the seedlings feel a little worse. Therefore, the lunar calendar can not attract special attention.
Lunar seeding calendar for 2017
Planting seeds.
Now familiarize yourself with the 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. Prepared for the seedling container is easily filled with drainage material and treated soil. After that, moisten a little with a sprayer.
Moisten the floor with a spray gun
Step 2: Open the bag of seeds and gently take it on your finger (be careful – it’s very small) and carefully sprinkle the floor, as if you were salting food.
Sowing primrose seeds for seedlings
Step 3: The floor, along with the seeds, slightly moisten with water from a sprayer.
Saat soil moisture.
Step 4. Cover the container with a lid or polyethylene. Don’t forget to write the name of the variety or flower species on the container. Put the container in the refrigerator for 3 weeks on the bottom shelf for stratification.
Place a lid on the container.
After planting the seeds you should immediately put the primrose in a sunny window. The way to sow lavender seeds is a little different.
Step 1: Take a few soft pieces of cloth, fold one of them in two halves and moisten with water from a sprayer.
Moistening the cloth with water from a spray gun
Step 2: Open the lavender seed packet and sprinkle it on the damp cloth. Wrap it up and put it in a plastic bag with a clip.
Sprinkle the seeds on the damp cloth.
Step 3: Put them in the fridge on the bottom shelf for 3 weeks. After that, as in the previous instructions, sow the seeds in moist soil.
The first sprouts will appear in a few weeks. After that, roll seedlings need careful care – good lighting, watering, warmth.
Sprouts of flower seeds
Tomato plants for seedlings.
Of course, you can buy in the store provided tomato souls, but it will be much more pleasant to grow them yourself. The first step to growing seedlings is planting tomatoes for seedlings. This process may seem simple to many, but it is much more complicated than it seems.
The seedlings must be in a well-lit window, where they also get enough heat – constructions are not allowed. When drying out, the soil must be moistened. Young plants are fed and watered with a sprayer, larger, closed plants are pickled. By the way, the water is better to stand not only with water, but also at room temperature.
Video – Flowers for sowing for seedlings: lavender, primrose, Istoma, Nelke
Growing seedlings from seeds from seed is not that difficult. The most important thing is to provide it with proper care. And you will not recognize your dacha by summer – it will sparkle with all kinds of flowers from the beds.
