When to sow bacopa seedlings - the subtleties of growing an ampel flower
Lovers of ampelous plants and owners of "flower" balconies know everything about Bacopa. This is the most suitable flower for growing in hanging pots, balcony containers, and just in a flower bed as a ground cover. Long shoots with small leaves form a lush bush or crawl along the ground, covering it with an abundantly flowering carpet. Perennial Bacopa is most often cultivated as an annual, because the thermophilic flower is not adapted to wintering at low temperatures. If there is an opportunity and a place, flower growers bring pots into the house for the winter. Bacopa is propagated by new cuttings in the spring. But most often the plant is grown through seedlings. Although the method is rather troublesome, you can get many copies this way and there is no need to rush around with pots. All you need to know is how and when to sow bacopa on seedlings. Adhering to practical recommendations, it is not at all difficult to grow an ampelous flower.
When to sow bacopa seedlings?
Early, February, sowing will bring the flowering of Bacopa closer. But it is possible only with additional lighting. Otherwise, the seedlings will grow frail, stretch out, which will affect both the appearance and the quality of flowering.
Growing seedlings: from sowing to picking into a pot
The subtlety of the seedling method is that the bacopa seeds are very small. It will be more convenient to purchase pelleted planting material. If the seeds are in bulk, they should be mixed with sand before sowing. So crops will be less frequent, and less need to thin out.
For small seeds to grow, the seedling soil must be very light but nutritious. Growing up to the first pick in the compost gives a good result. You can also prepare a loose substrate yourself by mixing:
- 2 shares of humus;
- 1 share of sand, deciduous soil and peat.
The sowing process itself is simple, but taking into account the size of the seeds: they need to be scattered over the surface of the soil and sprayed abundantly. It is not necessary to fall asleep from above - they may not ascend. It is much more important to create high humidity and warmth, that is, a greenhouse. To do this, before germination, the crops should be kept under a film in warmth and in the light.
In the phase of two leaves, seedlings should be dived, continuing to maintain the same temperature regime. When the bushes reach 10 cm, a second pick is carried out, already in separate pots. At the same time, pinch the tops of the shoots for greater branching.At this stage, growing should already take place in cooler conditions: during the day - up to 20 ° C, at night - up to 15 ° C. When the frost has passed, bacopa seedlings can be planted in the ground or in street pots.