We grow gloxinia with seeds: sowing features
The beauty of gloxinia is beautiful in any form - surprisingly beautiful simple varieties of a flower, and it is simply impossible to take your eyes off varieties with full inflorescences. Rare plant species can be grown independently in seedlings, because not always there are ready-made bushes in stores. In addition, with the help of seeds, it is easy to breed new varieties, and then friends will only be envious.
How to grow gloxinia from seeds and when to start sowing, experienced flower growers who breed indoor plants know.
When to sow?
If the farm has special lamps for additional illumination, you can sow seeds all year round, because in order for the seedlings to quickly sprout and develop actively, they need a lot of light, otherwise they will stretch out and fall.
Gloxinia, sown for seedlings in January, blooms in mid-summer.
In natural light, seed sowing is usually done at the end of February.
Where to sow?
For seedlings, you should take wide bowls, in which there must be holes for the drain of excess water. It is better not to use deep dishes - seedlings in it can rot, besides, they still need to be transplanted several times.
Since it will be necessary to create a greenhouse environment, small plastic containers with a lid will do.
The soil for growing seedlings is selected very light and nutritious. You can use commercially available peat soil by adding a little fine charcoal and vermiculite to it. Also, seedlings grow well in a mixture of deciduous and coniferous soil (in equal parts), but in this case the soil must be disinfected with potassium permanganate.
Sowing features
Before sowing, the soil must be moistened abundantly. Then carefully scatter the seeds over the surface of the soil and spray again with a spray bottle. You do not need to water so that the seeds do not go deep into the water.
Have gloxinia very small seeds that germinate in the light, so they are not covered with earth from above.
Cover the container with seeds with foil and place in a warm (22-26 degrees) and well-lit place. Periodically ventilate the nursery. When the sprouts hatch, the temperature must be reduced to 18-20 degrees and the film must be removed.
How to care for seedlings?
To prevent stretching of fragile shoots, daylight hours should consist of 14 hours. This is achieved with the help of additional lighting. Regular plantings need to be sprayed, preventing the substrate from drying out.
A feature of growing gloxinia seedlings is multiple picking of seedlings. In total, you will need to make three transplants:
- At the stage of formation of the first pair of true leaves (one month after germination). Plant dense plantings, leaving 2 cm between the bushes. Plant no more than 10 pieces in one container.
- When the seedlings have 4 leaves (two months after the seeds germinate). When transplanting, double the distance between the seedlings, planting 5 bushes each or immediately in a separate bowl.
- When formed from 6 true leaves, plant the seedlings in separate pots (wide and shallow).