If there are frosts outside the window, it’s time to start preparing for the new garden season. Since any gardener knows that in order to enjoy flowers in summer, you need to start growing them in winter. Some plants have a long period from seed germination to flowering that they need to be sown in January.
Let’s talk about lavender, primrose, cloves Shabo and eustoma, which is also called lisianthus.
Sow primrose and lavender
For good seedlings, lavender seeds and most primrose species need stratification, that is, in a period simulating winter cold. The bottom shelf of the refrigerator is well suited for this purpose. The duration of the period should be 3-4 weeks, and that is why it is necessary to start growing primrose and lavender from the end of January.
Primrose seeds are very small, they need to be sown in pots with a loose peat mixture. Before sowing, the substrate is moistened and the seeds are carefully distributed over the surface. Primrose grows well in the light, so the seeds are not sealed with a dark film.
Moisten the soil before sowing
Then cover the crops with a transparent lid or polyethylene and remove them from the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.
Lavender also belongs to the “Sleepy Species” which takes a long time to wake up. The seeds of this plant are quite large, so you can use a non-woven cloth or cotton pads for stratification. Moisten the cloth and put the seeds on it.
Place the lavender seeds on a damp paper towel
Then wrap it up, put it in a bag and put it in the refrigerator on the top shelf.
After 3-4 weeks, the primrose is sown on a light windowsill, and lavender is sown on loose soil, sprinkled with a thin (about 2 mm/0.07 in) layer of sand, and also placed in a bright place. Before germination of seeds, both plants need a transparent coating, which must be opened daily for 3-5 minutes for ventilation.
Sow cloves Shabo
The Shabo carnation blooms 150-180 days after sowing, so you need to start doing it no later than mid-February. The seeds are sown in a container with a loose moist substrate, a mixture of 2 parts of top peat and 1 part of coconut substrate is well suited. The soil can be shed with a stimulant solution.growth.
Clove seeds are quite large, and they can be easily separated with wooden toothpicks.
Separate the clove seeds with toothpicks.
Then sprinkle the seeds with a thin layer (1.5-2 mm/0.05-0.7 in) of soil or calcined sand, cover with a transparent lid or polyethylene and do not remove until seedlings appear. The first sprouts of cloves may appear on the 5th-9th day, and when two real leaves appear, the seedlings will need to be spread out in separate cups (containers).
Sow eustoma
Eustoma (lisianthus) is a delicate and demanding plant. But anyone who has ever seen her wonderful flowers will agree to fulfill all her whims.
The seeds of lisianthus are very small and therefore are often sold in a shell – granules. As a rule, there are few of them, so it makes sense to sow immediately in separate containers or peat tablets.
Soak the peat with water
Peat tablets are placed in a suitable container, placed under a non-woven fabric: this will help with watering, the water will be distributed evenly. Mix the peat with water or a stimulant solution. One drop will be needed for half a liter of water.
Then carefully place the seeds one by one in the center of each tablet. After that, the container is closed, signed and exposed to a bright window. Eustoma is very demanding of lighting and you can’t do without light here. The daylight for this plant should last at least 12 hours. The optimal temperature during the day is +20…+25°C (68-77°F), at night – +15…+20°C (59-68°F).
Distribute the seeds into containers
Sprouts appear after about a week, and then the container is gradually opened, accustoming the plants to the open air. Eustoma should be watered very carefully, avoiding water droplets on the embryo. Therefore, it is preferable to do this from below, pouring water into the pallet.
In January, seedlings of other flowers are sown.
Have you already started growing seedlings? Share with us what you have sown.
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