A real decoration for any flower bed. A wealth of colors, varieties, sizes, uncomplicated care allows you to plant them in the country all year roundgrowing works of art. The long flowering period makes them welcome guests in any flower arrangement, and the ease of growing seedlings only adds to the advantages over perennial plants that are much more whimsical to growing conditions. Before planting seeds, you should find out what conditions they prefer.

Annuals are preferably grown from seedlings, which gives an advantage in early flowering and allows them to be planted when it gets warm. Sowing flowers with seeds is also beneficial because you are more likely to get strong shoots that are easy to plant. In the first two weeks, when the growing season occurs, the flowers are most vulnerable, therefore vigilant care of the seeds is necessary. Let's look at the process of preparing phlox seedlings.

Phloxes are unpretentious annual and perennial flowers. They are distinguished by a wealth of flowers and petals. Phlox is one of those thermophilic plants that need bright lighting and temperatures above 10 ° C, and which are distinguished by long flowering.

For seedlings, phloxes can be planted in March, having previously soaked for seed germination. Next, sprinkle the surface of the earth with seeds, but in no case do they drop it in or sprinkle it with earth. Cover the box with seeds with foil, put in a well-lit place. You need to ventilate every day for a week. When condensation appears on the film, it must be removed.

After two leaves appear, a pick can be made, but now the sun's rays are dangerous for seedlings, so remove the box with sprouted seeds in the shade. Now, once a month, you can feed phlox with mineral fertilizer. The earth must be loosened, moistened in a timely manner, that is, to carry out normal care. As soon as strong stems and leaves have appeared, phlox can be planted in a flower bed.

Seedling care

In the first 6 hours, the seeds swell, when they reach their maximum thickness, they fall into dormancy for about 2-3 days. Caring for plants during this period consists in not overmoistening, but also not overdrying future flowers, giving an influx of air and sunlight. Let's figure out what conditions are needed for annuals to sprout as soon as possible. The room temperature is very important, try not to lower it and keep it at 20-21 ° C.

The first days, when growth is most rapid, you need to cover the box with foil or glass to create a greenhouse effect. Planting and grooming involves regulating moisture levels. A few days after the dive, you can expose the box to the sun, but now you need to turn it frequently so that the ground evenly warms up. When the sprouts are completely strong, lower the temperature down to 15 ° C to harden and prevent them from stretching. Using phlox as an example, such care will lead to early flowering and extend it for several weeks. Careful plant care can be carried out right in the country.

Planting directly into the ground

Seeds are mainly propagated by annual phloxes. It is best to prepare the beds in the spring, and then sow seeds in the ground.

It is worth planting flowers at a distance of 3-5 cm from each other, so that it is more convenient to look after later. After sowing, cover the ground with a film, but you do not need to sprinkle it with earth - from time to time the film will have to be lifted, shaking off condensation from it and letting the plants breathe. Once the sprouts appear, the film is no longer needed.

If you decide to plant flowers in your country house, it is worth remembering that the composition of the soil and its quality will affect the growth. Annuals grow best in soil with low acidity and high nutrient levels. A couple of days before planting phlox, you can moisten the soil to keep it moist. The main thing is not to water the soil on the day you are going to plant them.

When planting flowers in a box, it is worth remembering that its size should be quite large. The root system of these plants is quite developed, so it will take a lot of space for the roots to grow properly. And in this case, the composition of the soil is also better to check, even if the land is purchased.

Regardless of how you decide to plant flowers, there are a number of tips to consider in order to get desired result... It is better to loosen the land for planting well and add a little lime. It is better to sow seeds in well-lit areas and remember to weed the weeds. Water your plantings abundantly, but infrequently, preferably in the afternoon. It is also important to monitor the air temperature. If it's too cold outside, your flowers may not produce seeds.

Why won't the seeds sprout?

It so happens that everything was done according to the instructions, all the recommendations were followed, but the flowers still did not come up. It should be figured out what reasons lead to the fact that planting seeds does not lead to germination. One of the possible reasons is low-quality seeds purchased from unverified producers. You can surround the flowers with care, as for a small child, improve care, sow in the most fertile soil, but bad seeds still will not sprout.

Among other reasons that affect poor germination, insufficiently moist soil can be noted. Sometimes the seeds do not germinate due to lack of heat or, conversely, too hot conditions, but in this case, they will simply germinate later. Planting in too acidic soil weakens the growth of the plant, stems and flowers appear much later, when their comrades, for example, phlox, can already be planted in the country.

One of the reasons is incorrect planting, that is, instead of sowing them on the surface of the earth, you dug them in. There are flowers that must first be kept in the cold. Before planting, it was worth keeping them in the refrigerator. Perhaps you took the advice about care and watering too literally, that is, you simply flooded the flowers with water. This cannot be allowed in any way, since the seed will suffocate without air.

Many plants need feeding for good germination and development. They get their main nutrients from water and air, but others should be taken care of. For example, maintain a sufficient amount of nitrogen in the soil, saturation with phosphorus, which accelerates the growing season, potassium for the formation of strong roots and stems. If you lost sight of the regular feeding of the seeds, then it is not surprising that they did not sprout - they simply did not have the strength to do it. Add some mineral fertilizers to the ground and then you will succeed.

Already in the first decade of May, Shabo cloves, sweet peas, levkoy, cineraria are planted - these crops can tolerate small (up to -4 ° C) frosts without shelter. At the end of the second decade, ageratum, snapdragon can be planted. arctotis, aster, verbena, gaillardia, gatsania, Chinese carnation, helipterum, gelichrizum, dorotheanthus, ornamental cabbage, glue, kochia, craspedia, lavatera, lobularia, lobelia, molucella, penstemonbecki, perilla dushy, petu , Drummond phlox. Prepare a plot for seedlings in advance, at least a few days before planting, so that the soil settles a little. During digging, it is good to add humus, nitrophosphate (20-30 g / m2) and on acidic soils - lime (200-300 g / m2).

It is better to plant seedlings on cloudy days or in the evening, after shedding the boxes or pots with plants properly. With a garden scoop, and if the soil is loose, then directly with your hands, you need to make a hole, place the roots in it (if the seedlings were grown in peat pots, then right with them), sprinkle the soil and squeeze it well around the plant. The distance between plants depends on the crop habit and the type of planting. Low curbs - lobelia, alissum, Drummond phlox, purslane; as well as dense carpet plantings of ever-flowering begonias, cineraria, santolina and other species - they are planted tightly, at a distance of 10-15 cm.Most of the plants with medium-sized bushes are placed every 20-25 cm, and large-sized crops - perilla, castor oil plant, fragrant tobacco, statice, kohija and some others - after 30-50 cm The planting is considered correct, in which the plant is not removed from the soil if it is slightly pulled.

When planting, it is advisable to deepen many crops by 1-2 cm.At a great depth, up to 5 cm, overgrown seedlings of marigolds, ageratum, amaranth, zinnia can be buried, but they cannot tolerate the deepening of carnations and plants that form a root rosette of leaves - statice, fragrant tobacco and the like.
If the soil is dry, the seedlings must be watered when planting, or water must be poured directly into the hole before the roots of the plants are dipped into it, or all the seedlings must first be planted and then watered on top - whichever is more convenient. In the first method, dry soil is sprinkled on top. Then additional powder and mulching are not required, however, planting in this case is much slower and an assistant is desirable for watering. The second method is much easier and faster, but after watering the soil must be mulched with peat or humus. This will not only protect it from drying out and allow it to remain loose for a long time, but it can also save the plants from frost. And such landings look much more attractive.

It is especially important to mulch ageratum, perilla, petunia, nasturtium, snapdragon, lobularia, lobelia, salvia in case of the threat of a return of cold weather, since even when the upper part of their shoots freezes, the buds in the lower part, sprinkled with peat, remain alive. After a while, new shoots grow from them. True, such plants will bloom a little later, but the bushes will be more branched and strong. If after planting the seedlings there is dry hot weather, then the plants need to be watered periodically, and if there is such an opportunity, shade with lutrasil for the first days for better survival. A shelter is also useful in the event of a sharp cold snap, since plants taken from a greenhouse or room are less resistant to adverse weather conditions than those that have already taken root and have passed the adaptation period.

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Flowering annuals: sowing and growing

Flowering annuals: sowing and growing

handsomely flowering annuals a great many. They are grown in two ways - by direct sowing into the ground or through seedlings. Choose which option you like best.

Blooming zinnias can be obtained by direct sowing of seeds into the soil.

Sowing in open ground

Growing annuals in this way can be started both in autumn and spring.

Autumn sowing

Early flowering. Summer plants, sown in the ground on the eve of winter, bloom next year a week earlier than when grown by seedlings.

What summer plants can be sown in the fall: alissum, summer aster, cornflower, viscaria, Ajax delphinium, golden blossom, iberis, coreopsis, kochia, cosmea, poppies, levkoy, calendula, tobacco, summer chrysanthemum, escholzia.

Soil preparation. Sowing beds are prepared in September, then, with the onset of frost, seeds are sown in pre-made grooves. From above they are covered with a mixture of earth and sand or peat. It is important that the ridges are covered with snow in winter.

Weeding and thinning. The first thinning and weeding is carried out in the spring, after the appearance of one or two leaves. With subsequent thinning, the gaps are left between the plants, which are necessary for their normal development.

Iberises grown from seeds by sowing in the fall in the ground.

Spring sowing

As soon as the weather permits. In spring, the cultivation of annuals by sowing in open ground begins in late April and early May.

What summer can be sown in spring: calendula, asters, nasturtium, escholzia, clarkia, cornflower, gypsophila, kosmeya, lavatera, godetia, nigella, ornamental cereals and other species.

Soil preparation. A place for them is prepared in the fall or April. Humus, compost and complex mineral fertilizers (20-30 g / m2) are scattered over the surface of the site, the soil is carefully dug up, choosing weeds. The surface is leveled with a rake and furrows are made.

Sowing and care. Sow thickened, in the phase of appearance of one or two true leaves, extra seedlings are removed or planted.

Amaranth paniculata is not difficult to grow by direct sowing of seeds into the ground in early June, when the threat of frost passes.

Annuals from seedlings

Seedlings of annuals allow for earlier flowering than spring sowing in open ground.

When to plant annuals for seedlings? Depends on the type of plant. To grow a Shabo carnation, seeds for seedlings must be sown in January. In February comes the turn of Salvia and Lobelia. In March, most annuals are sown: aster, ageratum, levkoy, lobularia, snapdragon, petunia, scented tobacco, etc. Marigolds, zinnia, sweet peas, nasturtium can be sown in April.

The soil. Seedlings of annuals need a loose and nutritious substrate, consisting of 3/4 of sod land and 1/4 of humus with the addition of sand. For aster, ageratum, levkoy, snapdragon, petunia, tobacco, a mixture of turf, peat and sand in a ratio of 3: 1: 1 is suitable, since they are susceptible to the "black leg" disease.

Sowing and seedlings. Seeds (with the exception of large ones) are mixed with sand and evenly scattered over the surface, very small seeds are not covered with earth, but covered with glass or film. With the emergence of shoots, the trays are placed in the brightest place. Most of the seeds germinate at a temperature of 18-20 ° C.

Marigolds and ornamental sunflowers grown by seedlings bloom faster.

Picking and watering. When the first true leaf appears, the seedlings are split into separate pots and cassettes. Seedlings of ageratum, asters, marigolds, verbena, carnations, levkoy, snapdragons, petunias, phlox, chrysanthemums, zinnias are rarely watered, preferably in the morning. Dahlia, sweet pea, lobelia, mirabella, nasturtium, allspice, sage prefer moist soil.

Seedlings of cineraria marine, grown in cassettes.

Planting seedlings in the ground

Annuals grown in cassettes and pots in open ground depend on whether they are thermophilic or cold-resistant.

Cold-resistant annuals. The earliest of all (at the beginning of May) are planted in open ground with sweet peas, Shabo cloves and levkoy. These cultures tolerate frosts down to -5 ° C. They are planted at intervals of 20-25 cm in a row. The holes are spilled abundantly, after planting they are sprinkled with dry earth. Seedlings of aster, Gaillardia, Coreopsis, Lobelia, Lobularia, Nemesia, Statice, Chrysanthemum are planted in mid-May.

Heat-loving annuals. Seedlings of ageratum, marigolds, scented tobacco, petunia, zinnia and salvia are planted in open ground when the danger of late frosts has passed. Two weeks before planting, the seedlings are hardened - they are taught to open air. The distance between tobacco plants is 50-70 cm, for other crops - 20-30 cm.

Petunia seedlings are planted in a permanent place when the danger of frost has passed.