Content
The plans of many gardeners for the end of winter include growing salpiglossis from seeds at home so that by mid-May the seedlings of this unusual elegant flower can be planted in open ground. Bright, colorful gramophones with an elegant pattern of mother-of-pearl veins, as if drawn with a thin brush on the inner surface of the petals, invariably delight and fascinate.
It is not surprising that everyone who happened to see salpiglossis during its flowering period definitely wants to “invite” this miracle into their own garden. This is not so difficult to do, because this plant reproduces by seeds. If the climate allows, you can wait until the end of spring and plant them directly in the open air. However, it is better to put in a little effort and take care to grow the seedlings. The trouble will be worth it: in this case, salpiglossis will bloom earlier and last longer.
Description of salpiglossis seeds + photo
The seeds of this plant ripen in autumn.After the end of flowering, in place of the wilted heads of salpiglossis, fruits are formed in the form of oval-shaped boxes with two compartments. Each of them contains up to 6,000 small dark-colored seeds.
Each fruit - a box of salpiglossis contains a large number of small dark seeds, which, if properly stored, sprout perfectly within 4-5 years
As a rule, if a gardener wants to obtain seed material for a particular variety of salpiglossis from his plot, he removes most of the faded buds, leaving only a few of the largest inflorescences. From these he will subsequently collect seeds.
If you do not do this, simply leaving all the boxes on the bush, then under favorable conditions the plant can reproduce by self-sowing. It is likely that, once on the soil surface, some of the seeds will successfully overwinter and germinate the next season.
The nuances of growing seedlings
Growing salpiglossis from seeds at home requires knowledge of some features that may be useful.
In particular, you should keep in mind the following important nuances:
- Sowing salpiglossis directly into open ground is possible only in southern regions with a warm and mild climate. This should be done before winter or spring (late April or early May). In the middle climate zone, it is more advisable to sow salpiglossis seedlings at the end of winter in order to transfer already grown and strengthened plants to the site in the spring.
- This flower is very sensitive to transplants. This should also be taken into account when caring for seedlings.Picking seedlings is carried out early in order to injure the vulnerable roots as little as possible. The transfer of plants to a flower bed or bed is carried out carefully, they are immediately placed in a permanent place and planted together with a lump of earth.
- Flowering of salpiglossis cultivated by seedlings begins earlier and lasts longer than for specimens sown directly in open ground.
- The seeds of this plant do not require stratification, soaking or any other pre-planting preparation. High resistance to fungi and pathogenic microorganisms is inherent in them by nature.
Rules for sowing salpiglossis for seedlings
Growing salpiglossis from seeds to seedlings follows the rules. By providing a favorable environment and organizing care taking into account the plant’s preferences, you can easily obtain strong and healthy seedlings for your own plot.
You can sow salpiglossis seedlings either in individual cups or in wide containers filled with a light, nutritious, non-acidic substrate.
When to sow salpiglossis for seedlings
The timing of planting salpiglossis seeds directly depends on the expected time of transferring the plants to open ground. Since seedlings of this flower are usually rooted in a permanent place in the garden in mid-May, it must be sown as seedlings no later than the end of March or the beginning of April.
Selection of container and soil preparation
A suitable container for germinating salpiglossis seeds can be a wide shallow container, small pots or cups, or peat tablets.
A suitable soil mixture can be purchased at the store; it is important that it is loose, light and nutritious. However, it will not be difficult to prepare the substrate yourself. To do this, you need to mix the following ingredients:
- turf soil (4 parts);
- fine river sand (2 parts);
- wood ash (1 part).
Before sowing seeds, the soil should be disinfected by choosing one of two methods:
- heat in a water bath for 1 hour;
- bake in the oven for 40-60 minutes.
If the seeds were planted in individual containers, they will not require picking
Sowing salpiglossis seeds for seedlings
The procedure for planting salpiglossis seeds for seedlings is as follows:
- A drainage layer (small pebbles, expanded clay, foam chips) is placed in the prepared containers. Fill the top with substrate and moisten it from a spray bottle with warm, settled water.
- If one wide container is selected, then the seed is evenly distributed over the surface of the soil using a toothpick dipped in water. In the case when individual cups or small pots are prepared, 2 to 5 seeds are placed in each of them. They cannot be buried; they should only be pressed lightly to the surface of the earth.
- At the end of sowing, spray the soil again with warm water.
- If the containers are individual, for convenience they are placed together on a wide tray or pallet.
- Cover the salpiglossis crops with film or glass and place them in a warm (+ 20-22 °C) place with moderate lighting.
The video contains practical recommendations on how to properly sow salpiglossis for seedlings and how to care for it at the initial stage:
How to grow salpiglossis from seeds
From the moment of planting seeds to organizing the transfer of plants to the beds, a key role in obtaining healthy salpiglossis seedlings belongs to caring for them. It is not complicated, but must be organized correctly.
Microclimate
At the initial stage, plant seedlings need a moderate amount of diffused light. Direct sunlight is harmful to salpiglossis. 10-15 days after the emergence of seedlings, the seedlings are given additional illumination using a phytolamp, extending their day to 12-14 hours a day.
It is advisable to maintain the room temperature at 20 °C.
Watering and fertilizing schedule
Watering salpiglossis seedlings should be moderate. It is advisable to carry out this with settled water at room temperature, spraying moisture over the surface of the soil using a spray bottle. It is necessary to ensure that the soil in the greenhouse does not dry out and promptly remove drops of condensation that form on the inside of the glass or covering film.
It is most convenient to water seedlings at first using a spray bottle.
At the stage of growing seedlings, it is not necessary to fertilize salpiglossis.In the future, after planting in the ground, it is advisable to feed it a couple of times a month with a complex mineral composition for flowering plants. Ash can be used as an organic additive.
Picking
Picking salpiglossis seedlings into individual containers is carried out early - at the stage of formation of their first pair of true leaves. It should be noted that the roots of young plants are very delicate and fragile, so the procedure should be carried out very carefully, digging out and transferring each sprout into a glass or pot along with a lump of earth. Successfully carried out picking contributes to the strengthening and further development of seedlings.
As a rule, after this, a support is installed for each of the small plants so that the stem growing the leaves does not break under its own weight.
Salpiglossis seedlings are picked early - at the stage of formation of their first pair of leaves
Pinching and hardening
An important stage in the formation of a beautiful bush in the future is pinching out the salpiglossis. It begins to be carried out already at the seedling stage, when the length of the shoots reaches approximately 10 cm. The tops of the seedlings should be carefully broken. Before transferring plants to open ground, it is advisable to repeat this procedure 2-3 times, and then carry out it on a regular basis, at the same time getting rid of faded heads and wilted shoots.
Before planting salpiglossis grown from seeds in a permanent place in the open air, it needs to be hardened off. This is done gradually. In the first couple of weeks after sowing, the “greenhouse” is removed for 10-15 minutes a day, ventilating the seedlings and removing condensed moisture.After the salpiglossis seeds germinate, their time in the fresh air is gradually increased, and then the shelter is removed completely.
Transplantation into the ground
Seedlings are transplanted into open ground in mid-May, after the threat of return frosts has completely passed. Young plants are planted in a prepared area at a distance of 25-30 cm from each other, transferring them into the holes along with a lump of earth on the roots. Then the bushes are watered, supports for the stems are installed and the soil is mulched with grass compost.
Conclusion
Growing salpiglossis from seeds at home is not as complicated a procedure as it might seem at first glance. The seed material of this plant does not require preliminary preparation and retains high germination capacity for 4-5 years from the moment of collection. It is important to plant the seeds in time in loose, nutritious and non-acidic soil, provide them with a warm and sufficiently lit place, and also protect them from the bright rays of the sun and fresh air at first with a homemade “greenhouse” made of dense transparent material. Subject to regular moderate watering, gradual hardening and properly carried out picking, by mid-May the gardener will have strong, healthy and beautiful seedlings at his disposal, which can be successfully transplanted into a flowerbed and admire the flowers in about a month.
