If you want your garden to delight from the first days of spring, you should start working in January. This month is the best time to sow the first plants. This applies primarily to species that need to develop strong roots. One of such flowers is loved by Poles and can be found on many balconies and in many gardens.
Do you want to get ahead of the season and enjoy your flowery terrace or balcony or sooner than others? In January, it is worth sowing garden petunia – it is a beautiful plant, but it takes a long time to develop. It takes 12 to 16 weeks from planting it to producing flowers. Therefore, it is worth considering planting it now, so that it can be pleasing to the eyes after four months.
Home sowing allows the plants to grow peacefully and harden off before the summer heat. Thanks to this, the flowers will be stronger and the buds will appear earlier (compared to those available on store shelves). How exactly should you care for these plants and what should you remember?
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Growing garden petunia from seeds is a challenge for those who are patientbut the effect – your own, dense cascades of flowers – gives great satisfaction. The seeds of this flower are very small, so sowing them is time-consuming and must be done carefully. What exactly does this process look like?
The first and most important step is to prepare the appropriate soil. The best solution is a peat substrate enriched with perlite, which loosens the structure and provides the roots with access to air. In addition, petunia seeds should only be sown on the surface. They are scattered on level ground and not covered with soil – this is important because they need direct access to light to germinate. Moreover, it is better to forget about the traditional watering can. It will definitely work better a sprinkler releasing a very fine mist of water. This will moisten the soil without washing out the seeds or moving them deeper into the ground.
We also cannot forget about the appropriate conditions: for a garden petunia to develop well, it needs constant humidity and warmth. It is worth covering the pots or containers in which they will be sown with transparent foil or a dedicated lid. It should be removed once a day and the seedlings should be aired for about 30 minutes to prevent the appearance of mold. The temperature should be between 22 and 24 degrees Celsius.
After the first green dots appear, you should change your strategy slightly and move the seedlings to a cooler place – approx. 18 degrees Celsius. This will make them grow a little slower, but they will become stronger. In winter, the days are very short, so petunias can be illuminated using lamps.
The next stage occurs after the first leaves appear (2-3 excluding the germ layers). Then you should too transfer the plants to separate pots with a diameter of approx. 8 cm. Quilting will allow them to develop a strong root system. Before petunias go to the balcony or garden (around mid-May), they must undergo a hardening process. Two weeks before planting, it is a good idea to take them outside for a few hours, avoiding direct sun and strong wind.
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January is a busy month for gardeners planning summer flower beds. In addition to the above-mentioned petunia, it is worth preparing seedlings, among others: begonias, which needs a very early start so that it can fully bloom before summer arrives. In addition, you can plant Cape lobelia, which is also not a fast-growing flower.
Geraniums, Mexican ginseng, carnation, glossy sage and ash elderberry also develop for a long time. It is worth thinking about the garden season in January so that in a few months you will have the most beautiful flower beds.
