Many summer residents begin to sow flower seedlings in February, isn’t it too early? Absolutely not experienced flower growers It is recommended to start growing flower seedlings in winter. What flowers should I sow for seedlings in February? You can sow both annual and biennial perennials. Let's look at them in order.
Photos and names of flower crops will help you understand whether you want to have them in your front garden, and whether you can take into account all the nuances to get high-quality seedlings. Our selection contains only plants that even gardeners without experience can grow at home and whose seeds are sold in all regions.
What flowers are planted as seedlings?
The most common flower crops have a long growing season, and early sowing will allow them time to prepare for summer flowering. February is the time to start sowing flower seeds for seedlings.
If needed good seedlings flowers, the following crops begin to be sown in February:
- Annuals - petunia, lobelia, verbena, begonia, cineraria, shabot carnation.
- Biennial, perennial - pansies, viola, lupine, daisies, primroses, chrysanthemums, delphinium.
Annual flowers for seedlings in February
Petunia
If you want to see flowering gramophones already in June, sowing flower seedlings must be done in winter. Petunia seeds are very small, so it should be planted only superficially, moistened with a spray bottle and covered with film or glass.
Before landing in open ground it is necessary to make one, or preferably two, transplants. The latter is better - in separate glasses.
Don’t worry if your petunia blooms already on the window; even blooming flower seedlings will tolerate replanting just fine.
Lobelia
Meet the graceful beauty with small buds in blue, white and pink shades. Lobelia seeds, like petunias, are very small, so the planting method is the same.
Just planting lobelia is worth three or four plants in one glass to get more lush bushes.
Verbena
In front of you is not only beautiful, but also aromatic plant. Since verbena seeds are quite large, when planting they need to be slightly buried in the soil.
Although you can leave the seeds on the surface. In this case, be sure to cover the container with the seeds with black film, since verbena seeds need darkness to germinate.
Begonia
This is due to the fact that at the end of winter the days lengthen noticeably, especially towards the beginning of March. The seeds are small, planted superficially and always under glass or film.
Cineraria
If you plant this flower for seedlings in February, then by June it will grow beautiful silver bushes.
When planting, cineraria seeds are slightly buried and covered with film. Otherwise, caring for flower seedlings and watering are the same.
Carnation Shabo
This beautiful plant it takes up to six months to bloom. Keep this in mind when planning flower seedlings in February.
Carnation seedlings must be picked several times, then by the time of planting permanent place it will begin to bush. Seeds are sown in the usual way, under film.
Biennial and perennial flowers through seedlings
Unlike annuals, perennials with a short development period are planted in February, which will allow you not to wait until next year to bloom, but to see it already at the end of summer or early autumn.
Viola or pansy
If you plant the seeds of this plant in February, the first buds will appear at the end of July.
Although viola seeds are quite small, they should still be buried when planting. Since seeds left on the surface may become moldy if exposed to excess moisture.
Lupine
If planted early, the plants will bloom by the end of August. For faster germination, seeds should be soaked for a day before planting. Deepen approximately 5-8 mm. Since lupins do not tolerate transplantation well, they need to be planted in separate cups or pots.
If the cups are small, by the time of planting the entire earthen ball will be entangled in roots and will be easy to remove entirely. This will allow you to plant the plant without damaging the root system.
Daisy
If you really want, you can see it blooming in the fall if you plant the daisy seeds in early February.
It must be borne in mind that if the summer is hot and dry, you will not be able to see full flowering. Instead, single buds will appear on thin stems, most likely not double.
Primrose
It is planted superficially, under glass. In order for flowering to occur in September, primrose is planted in a slightly shaded place.
The plant loves to be watered abundantly and fed several times over the summer.
Chrysanthemum
This perennial will definitely bloom in the year of sowing, since the most important condition for the formation of buds is a decrease in daylight hours.
Planting flower seeds for seedlings in February will ensure the growth of sufficient vegetative mass and roots for the plant to successfully overwinter.
Delphinium
If you purchased rare seeds and you can’t wait to see them bloom, then plant delphinium seeds in February. At good care The peduncle will appear in late summer.
Be prepared that in the first year the delphinium will not bloom particularly brightly. The plant will open in all its glory only next year.
As you can see, the range of flower crops for planting in February is not so small. There are many more of them, we have indicated the most unpretentious ones - such that even novice gardeners can get flower seedlings at home.
Choose names, photos, see what will go well with your summer cottage and feel free to buy everything for growing flower seedlings at home. Good luck!
Many flowers can be grown from seedlings, in fact sometimes some flowers can only be grown this way. Typically, seedlings are used for weak seeds that, due to many dangers, cannot survive in ordinary soil. In this way, you can grow both annual and perennial flowers. Perhaps the only limitation here will be the growth of the flower. Seedlings that are too large are more difficult to care for, take up a lot of space and require special gardening supplies.
Planting flower seedlings
First of all, you will need three things for planting. The first is knowledge, the most the best option It will happen if you have a gardener friend who can explain everything to you clearly and intelligibly. The second part is garden supplies, such as cassettes, boxes, pots, tablets, cups for seedlings. This includes all soil components (soil, compost, peat, sand and much more). The last, but most important thing you will need are seeds; you should approach their choice very carefully, since there are many varieties of them and many of them have special needs. Growing flower seedlings is a troublesome task and takes a lot of time. You will have to follow a certain regime, plant seedlings and replant plants on time. You will also have to constantly monitor the seedlings and, in cases of trouble, immediately act according to the circumstances.
Seedlings of annual flowers
Sowing begins, depending on the type of flowers, from the end of January (for example, Chabot carnations), in February (petunias, impatiens, pelargoniums, fuchsias) or in March (Chinese carnations, hybrid verbena, summer gillyflower). Mass sowing of one-year-olds most often begins only in March, which is associated with a short growing season. For sowing annual flowers, you can use various substrates, but there is one condition - they must be fresh, that is, they have not previously been used for sowing any plants. The soil for such seedlings should contain nutrients in moderate quantities, and should also allow water to pass through well when watered. There are crops that suffer from blackleg even in the seedling period (ageratum, gillyflower, asters, and others); the solution for such seedlings is to abandon compost and use turf soil, peat and sand in a ratio of 3:1:1. For the rest of the same year, you can add another part of humus or compost soil to the composition mentioned above. This mixture should be prepared in the fall. A layer of sand up to 1.5 centimeters high should be poured onto the bottom of the container for sowing, and the previously prepared earthen mixture should be poured on top. It is very important that the sowing should not be thickened; in addition, you can increase the cold resistance of flowers by treating the seeds with changes in temperature.
Seedlings of perennial flowers
Perennial
Since such plants do not bloom in the first year, they do not have to be sown early. To preserve as many seedlings as possible, it is advisable to use only a small amount of seeds. Already in the spring of next year, such seeds can be planted in a permanent place. In many situations, in order to successfully grow seedlings perennial species flowers, gardeners prepare seeds to speed up their germination, this technique is called stratification. -Biennials Such plants are sometimes planted earlier, since in some cases they can bloom in the first year.
When to sow flower seedlings
When purchasing seeds from official representatives, you will be able to see the sowing dates on the packaging, but still the approximate sowing time of seedlings is limited to the period from February to March; January is often used to revise the seeds and prepare everything necessary. The basic rule that a gardener should follow when choosing the time of sowing is that by the time of transplanting into the ground, satisfactory conditions have been provided for the successful planting of the flower. However, seedlings and timing are interrelated, that is, the timing of planting depends on the needs and characteristics of the future flower.
Flower seedlings in January
First of all, in January an inventory of all available flowers is carried out. Seeds are divided mainly according to the criteria of annual and perennial, as well as relative to the growing season. Depending on the seeds, you should create a calendar for growing seedlings. Flowers that can be grown as seedlings as early as January include plants with a long growing season, such as the famous Shabot carnation. Also planted early tuberous begonia, which contributes to better formation of tubers.
Flower seedlings in February
Many flowers are planted throughout February, mostly similar to the same plants that are planted in January. February seedling flowers include: impatiens, pelargoniums, fuchsias, hot peppers, lobelia and petunia. During this period, seeds are also grown, which will require preliminary stratification. Examples are: aquilegia, arizema, rutovnik, prolomnik, perennial violets, alpine bells and most of the bulbous flowers: primrose, lumbago, lavender.
Flower seedlings in March
In March, it is most often recommended to sow annual aster or callistephus, Chinese carnation, hybrid verbena, summer gillyflower, cultivated dahlia, Snapdragon, winged tobacco, chrysanthemums, silver celosia, Drummond phlox and other species.
Many summer residents grow flower seedlings in apartments and houses, preferring not to buy them on the market or in flower shop. It's convenient, pleasant and profitable. Many flower crops are grown by seedlings - buying them as seedlings, at least 10-20 plants of each variety, is expensive, but growing them from seeds is easy. In addition, a small seed planted in the soil gives life big plant, which, growing up, makes the world more beautiful - isn’t this a joy for a gardener?
What quality should the soil be for production? flower seedlings? Nothing special is required to sow seeds. The seeds contain enough energy for germination, therefore, especially if you pre-treat the seeds with growth stimulants, ordinary store-bought soil is sufficient for sowing. Neutral slightly acidic peat must be mixed in equal proportions with clean river sand (also bought in the store). You will definitely need drainage at the bottom of the seedling containers.
Advice!
It is best to use agloporite artificial pebbles, designed specifically to create a drainage layer.
You can make up seed soil from three components - peat, leaf soil, sand (1: 1: 1).
Pots or boxes
The second item on the list of things without which it is impossible to grow seedlings is containers. The range of containers, boxes, pots, plastic cassettes, peat pots and tablets for flower seedlings is huge. Any container can have advantages and disadvantages, depending on the material of manufacture, size, and stage of application.
Another thing is important - different stages The “maturation” of plants and the need for picking or replanting them require their own different containers. To grow flower seedlings at the first stage - sowing seeds - it is best to use seedling boxes, but not the largest ones - medium or small in size. After picking, it is better to move the seedlings into personal pots, cups, containers - it depends on the size of the future plant.
Seed selection
In addition to choosing from a list of ornamental crops, which are preferably propagated by seedlings, you need to know how to choose seeds. Here the main parameter that is worth paying attention to is germination.
Flower seeds, and indeed any other seeds, do not have an expiration date. These are not food products, and in the generally accepted sense, seeds cannot spoil. But there is such a thing as germination period. And if it is expired, then there is really no point in planting seeds - they will sprout poorly and weakly.
Video - what flowers to sow in February
What flower crops are sown for seedlings in February
The last month of winter is the time for sowing almost all flowers that reproduce through seedlings. Not worth it middle lane propagate flowers with seedlings, which can be sown directly into the ground (this is done only for earlier flowering). It is advisable to produce seedlings of the following crops: ageratum, aster, azarina, marigold, brachycoma, verbena, gazania, carnation, heliotrope, wendium, annual dahlia, delphinium, sweet tobacco, Iberis, cleome, coleus, gillyflower, lobelia, snapdragon, nasturtium, petunia , salvia, annual phlox, celosia, cineraria, osteospermum, zinnia.
When to start sowing
Flowers that have a long germination period are grown by seedlings. When sowing seeds in the ground, they do not have enough time to develop properly and delight with lush flowering. Such flower seeds are sown in February for seedlings, so that 2-3 months pass before planting in open ground - from the end of April to the end of May.
Today, when the florist has at his disposal Newest technologies and methods, seedlings can be grown much faster, and the quality can be achieved better. Soil preparation, seed preparation, temperature, water, light conditions (read the article about ), timely fertilizing - provide your seedlings with all the conditions, and start sowing seeds starting from February 15th.
How to sow seeds
1. Before sowing, it is a good idea to disinfect flower seeds. Soaking in traditional potassium permanganate, which is usually done with vegetable seeds, is not always a method, because some flowers (petunia, lobelia) have very small seeds. It is easier and more effective to carry out disinfectant dusting with a fungicide. How to do it? Pour a pinch of powder into a bag with dry seeds placed in it, close and shake.
2. The soil in the seed containers has already been prepared, moderately moist, with grooves or holes. For petunia and lobelia, no grooves or depressions are needed - only Smooth surface soil on which the seeds are scattered without covering them with anything. You can mix small seeds with sand or snow. Medium and large seeds are sown to a depth of 1 to 5 cm and sprinkled with peat. The depth of planting seeds is usually 3-5 times greater than the height of the seed.
3. Until the seedlings hatch, containers with seeds should be protected with film or glass. Maintenance before germination – at +18°С…22°С. The contents of the containers must be ventilated every day, and the soil must be moistened by spraying. There is no need to additionally illuminate the containers at this stage.
4. After detecting the seedlings, the protection and containers are immediately moved to the light, and the room temperature is provided at +22°C...25°C. Water (very carefully) and spray regularly. In low light, add additional illumination with lamps.
After the sprouts appear, expose them to sunlight or artificial light
5. The time to feed flower seedlings for the first time is two weeks later. When the seedlings are one month old, the next feeding is done. Next, you need to fertilize weekly, alternating humic preparations and mineral complexes. In the phase of two leaves, picking is carried out into personal pots for planting.
February sowing of popular flowers
The most common ornamental flowering crops are petunia, lobelia, and marigolds.
Features of sowing Petunia
If you want to see colorful fragrant gramophones on your balcony or flowerbed already in June, you can start sowing petunias starting on February 15th. - smaller than a poppy seed, but it takes quite a long time to sprout. You can sow petunia only superficially. Crops must be covered with protective glass or thick film, creating a greenhouse effect.
Before planting in the garden or permanent flower pots it is necessary to make at least one transplant into a large container, ideally two - every month. Don't worry if the plant blooms right on the windowsill. Petunia seedlings tolerate replanting well when in bloom. The main thing is that the seedlings do not stretch out and become thin. To do this, when growing, it is necessary to use artificial lighting.
Flower - ampelous petunia
Features of sowing Lobelia
The second favorite of flower growers. The exact opposite of petunia in appearance - elegant, with small blue and pink or white buds. Its seeds are also small. Therefore, sowing is carried out in the same way as petunias.
The difference is that lobelia does not really like transplanting, so it is better to sow several (no more than four) seeds in one small pot. Then the lobelia bushes will turn out stronger and more lush.
Flower - lobelia
Marigold
Tagetes are also grown by sowing directly into the ground, but obtaining seedlings allows you to have flowers a month earlier, so most gardeners prefer to propagate these cheerful and cheerful yellow-orange-red flowers with seedlings.
It is better to sow in boxes. Furrows are made in them and seeds are sown in increments of three centimeters. The depth of the furrows is 1-1.5 cm. The crops are covered with a mixture of peat and sand.
Marigolds are very beautiful flowers
Marigolds sprout quickly - sprouts will appear within 5-6 days. Sprouts immediately after their appearance require additional lighting for at least 12 hours. You can also plant marigolds in boxes, but bigger size and in increments of 7 cm. This is done when two true leaves appear on the plant. After a month, you can re-pick. They pick up perfectly, even with blooming flowers. In the flowerbed, these unpretentious and not capricious flowers also take root well. That is why they gained fame and love from flower growers.
Video - what can be sown in February and early March
Growing flower seedlings is a low-cost way to obtain a wide variety of flower crops, from which you can create stunningly beautiful compositions in your summer cottage. Try to grow seedlings of your favorite flowers yourself, following the recommendations for choosing soil, containers, seeds, varieties, preparing seeds, sowing rules, and caring for seedlings. You will definitely like the result.
Spring has not yet arrived, but many summer residents and flower growers are already starting to think in February about what flowers can be planted as seedlings. By sowing early, plants with a long growing season can prepare for summer flowering. In February, you can plant seedlings using annual, biennial and perennial flowers. Let's take a closer look at which flowers are suitable for sowing as seedlings in February.
Petunia
This flowering plant, like, today can be seen in the flowerbed of every gardener or florist. The peculiarity of petunia is its unpretentiousness and endurance. Today this type of plant has a huge number of varieties and colors. Thus, everyone can choose an option to create their own unique flower arrangement.
Hybrid petunias can take on different sizes and unusual colors, while being weather-resistant. Some varieties of petunias lose their attractive appearance over time if they are exposed to rain or strong wind. But for resistant hybrids such tests are not scary.
There are certain varieties of petunias that have long shoots. Their length reaches 150-180 cm. They have a very attractive appearance if planted in hanging baskets or balcony boxes.
In this case, you need to choose a place that can protect the plant from the wind. The fact is that such petunia has fragile branches that are very easy to break.
In the video - growing Petunia flowers:
It is necessary to sow petunia in late February - early March. The seeds of the plants are very small, so sowing should only be done on the surface of the soil. You should not deepen the seeds. Shoots form quickly within 10-14 days. Grown seedlings must be planted in separate containers. Better development of seedlings can be achieved if they are replanted 2-3 times at the time of growth. At the same time, the volume of the pot is gradually increased. Already in mid-May, the grown seedlings can be planted in flower beds. At this point, the plants have already formed buds, and some varieties may even bloom.
Lobelia
This plant is loved by many gardeners because of its charming appearance. It can be used to create absolutely any composition. When lobelia blooms, it is impossible to see its leaves. This is due to the great abundance small flowers. They all have bright and interesting colors.
Among the wide variety of varieties, ampelous and compact cushion-shaped lobelias are in great demand. Their flowers can take on bright blue, light blue, pink, and white colors. You can see the first flowers in June, and flowering lasts until frost. In summer, lobelia can stop flowering. During this period, it is necessary to prune it heavily and water it abundantly. Then she will again delight everyone with her unusual and bright flowering. It will also be useful to learn about how flowers are grown.
Lobelia belongs to ground cover and hanging plants. It can be planted near borders or in a regular flower garden. Lobelia is also great for filling the space in a ball where tall crops are located.
Sowing lobelia should be done in late February - early March. Roll the crops a little, but do not cover the seeds with soil. Be sure to moisten with a spray bottle. The first sprouts can be detected after 14 days. Seedlings must be picked and placed in a bright, well-ventilated place. Already from mid-May they can be sent into the soil.
In the video - growing Lobelia:
Carnation Shabo
This type of plant must be sown at the end of February, since 5-6 months must pass from the moment of planting for it to bloom. Not so long ago, white and red carnations were considered a necessary attribute of various events. Today, the number of varieties is so large that sometimes you don’t immediately understand what exactly is suitable for creating a particular flower arrangement. Moreover, they are all incredibly beautiful and are presented in various color solutions.
The process of growing Shabot cloves is not complicated. The main thing is not to miss sowing time. Otherwise, the plant does not require increased influence, although it develops best on fertile soil.
When the carnation blooms, it has an expressive color, so it needs to be placed in the flowerbed so that it is clearly visible. The plant is light-loving, cold-resistant and drought-resistant.
After sowing has been done, store the containers at a temperature of 23-25 degrees above zero. When the first shoots form after 7-10 days, proper lighting must be provided. So you will have to make a pick, distributing the seedlings into separate pots. This way they won't obscure each other. To prevent the carnations from stretching, it is necessary to provide them with a lot of light and coolness. Watering should be moderate. Here's how it grows Turkish cloves from seeds, information from this will help you figure it out
The video shows how the sowing and growing of Shabo Carnation occurs:
Begonia everblooming
This plant differs from others in its unpretentious care and incredibly amazing appearance. Begonia can be placed in the garden different ways. You can use it like hanging plant or create a flowering border from it. It is planted in containers for balconies and terraces, and also formed into carpet paths.
Depending on the variety, ever-flowering begonia may have green or bronze leaves. But the flowers take on white, pink or red colors. But that's not all, as today you can see two-color varieties. There are low-growing plants, the height of which does not exceed 20 cm.
Begonia seeds should be planted in February, as they take a long time to germinate. Place the seed on the surface of the soil and press down slightly. This will increase the area of contact between the seed and the soil. After planting, moisten the soil.
For seeds to germinate, it is necessary to create temperature regime+20 degrees. After 45 days, young seedlings are planted in a separate container. In early June, the plant is ready for planting into a bud. You may also be interested in information about what it looks like
Lavender angustifolia
This plant is characterized by its amazing aroma. It grows well even in winter conditions. Thus, you can grow angustifolia lavender on a terrace or balcony. In a flowerbed, its neighbors can be roses and herbs.
The seeds of the plant in question need stratification. Due to this, its early sowing occurs. Send the seed into the soil to a depth of no more than 0.5 cm. In this case, it must be pre-moistened. Cover the container with seedlings with film or glass and then place it in the refrigerator. The duration of stratification will be 3 months.
In the phase of 2-3 pairs of leaves, the plant must be pruned. Planting into the soil occurs after frosts have passed. Compared to mature plants, young plants are not very resistant to cold. And from this, you can highlight more information on how to grow lavender.
Salvia
This plant loves warm climates. Another name for salvia is sparkling sage. Most often the plant blooms with red flowers, but today breeders have been able to develop varieties with purple hues. Most often, salvia is used in group plantings. It will attract attention with its brightness and juiciness if salvia is planted over a large area. The plant can also be used for planting in containers.
The seeds of the plant are sent to the ground in late February - early March. They don’t need to be deepened very much, just sprinkled with soil is enough. Picking occurs in phase 4-5 of the true leaf. The crop can be planted in open ground at the end of May - beginning of June. It is better if it is a sunny place. You may also be interested in information about how cultivation occurs
Viola
In order for this plant to delight you with its unusually beautiful flowering throughout the summer, you need to sow its seeds for seedlings at the end of February. Viola is a very popular plant. This is a biennial crop that gardeners actively use when creating various flower arrangements.
The peculiarity of Viola is that it blooms for a very long time. In addition, its flowers can be presented in various colors. The culture is unpretentious in care and can easily tolerate transplantation even when it is blooming. It grows well, so it can be grown both in flower beds and in various containers. But how Violla is grown from seeds to seedlings is described in great detail in this
After planting the seeds, the grown seedlings are picked, planted in various containers. For the full development of viola, it is necessary to grow seedlings in a cool room, where the air temperature is 14-15 degrees above zero and there is good lighting.
The culture in question loves warmth and sun. It is also demanding on soil quality. You can see the amazing flowering of heliotrope only if regular care. And although caring for a plant is difficult, when you see it bloom, you will understand that your efforts have not gone down the drain.
Heliotrome looks great in a flower garden when combined with bright orange flowers. There is also an option in containers.
It is necessary to sow seeds superficially, because they germinate only in the light. Press the seed onto the ground and cover it a little with soil. In a month, the seedlings will have grown up, so they can be sent to separate pots.
Will also learn about when to sow lawn grass in autumn or spring.
Have beautiful flower bed Almost everyone dreams of having a place near their home. Thanks to the beautiful and unusual flowering of plants, you can transform your home by making it appearance more presentable. But first you need to choose the right varieties of flowers and plant them for seedlings in February. This method will speed up the flowering process of plants and extend it until the first frost.
