Many annuals are obtained from seedlings by sowing seeds into boxes and pots on window sills, in greenhouses and under tunnels. Some people, however, choose the easier way -seeding straight into the ground , straight to the destination. Some annual flowers can be sown in this way in the second half of March, and most are sown in April and May. See how to doseeding flowers into the groundand what species we can sow in this way.
Sowing flowers into the ground
What flowers can be sown into the ground?
The date and place of sowing seeds of flowering plants depends on the length of the germination period, the sensitivity of the seedlings to low temperatures, the length of the period needed by the plants from germination to flowering, and the date in which we want to obtain flowering plants. Plants with a long growing season, such as continuously flowering begonia, to bloom from the beginning of summer, are sown at the end of January in sill boxes or in greenhouses. In February and March, sowing of other species continues, such as the Mexican Marigold and Lobelia.
Some people find the production of flower seedlings too laborious or sometimes they are simply afraid of failure, e.g. during quilting. Such people can buy a ready-made seedling of flowers in spring or performsowing flowers directly into the groundDirectly on the beds and beds, you can sow seeds of plants that need a relatively short time from sowing to flowering (usually from 8 to 10 weeks, up to a maximum of 12 weeks).
In the case of this group of flowering plants,the date of sowing into the grounddepends on the sensitivity of the seedlings to low temperatures. The earliest, because already in the second half of March (of course, it all depends on the weather - the soil must already be thawed and suitable for preparation for sowing), you can sow Damascus black cumin (Nigella damascena), gypsophila (Gypsophilla elegans), sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus ) or refined clarkia (Clarkia elegans).
Much more species can be sowndirectly into the groundin April. They are: marigold (Tagetes patula), cornflower (Centaurea cyanus), zinnia refined (Zinnia elegans), weird (Mirabilis jalapa), wildflowers godetia (Godetia grandiflora), blackberry (Coreopsis tinctoria), marigold officinalis (Celendula officinalis) , fragrant reseda (Reseda odorata), coastal scallop (Lobularia maritima), pendulous amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus), amaranth paniculatus (Amaranthus paniculatus) and tricolor chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum carinatum).
Flowers whose seedlings are sensitive to frosts should be sown even later - only in May. In this termis sown into the grounde.g.the greater nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) and the lobed wolf (Ipomea lobata).
How to sow flowers into the ground
Beforesowing flowers into the ground , the soil in the flowerbed should be well tilled so that it has a fine structure. Then we will avoid seeds sinking too deep into the spaces between the clods of soil. Ideally, the soil should be dug with fertilizers such as compost or manure in the fall. Then, in spring, it is enough to loosen it with a hoe and level it with a rake. The substrate should also be cleaned of the remains of old plants and weeded. The depthof sowing seeds into the grounddepends on their size. Typically, the seeds are sown to a depth equal to three times the size of the seed. Very fine seeds are sown on the surface of the soil without covering them. Detailed information on the depth and method of sowing can usually be found on the packaging with the seeds.
The smallest seeds are sown in rows. When the seedlings appear too densely populated, some of them must be broken. Larger seeds are sown in nests, and those with the largest sizes, such as peas or nasturtiums, can be sown individually (so-called spot sowing).
Seedssown into the groundneed a lot of moisture to germinate, so the beds should be watered regularly. In order to avoid rinsing the seeds, the beds are watered with a very delicate, highly dispersed stream of water.
