How and when to sow petunia seeds in peat tablets?
Often, when growing petunias in containers with their further transplant immediately into the open ground, more than half of the seedlings die. This is due to the fact that petunia is very demanding on the soil. An alternative is to plant petunia seeds in peat tablets.
Benefits of peat tablets and features of sowing seeds
Peat tablets - this is specially pressed peat, placed in a shell of a fine mesh. Since peat has good air and water permeability, the root system of petunias has ideal conditions for development: water will not stagnate and the roots will grow faster. The special composition of the soil also contributes to obtaining a lush flower, because peat contains all the elements necessary for plants. In addition, petunia grown in tablets can be transplanted into a flower bed or into a pot without picking.
Petunia seeds are sown in January-February, while it should be borne in mind that early planting requires additional lighting. If you do not plan to do the backlight, you can sow flowers to sow later (in March).
The tablets should be taken with a diameter of 3-4 cm so that the seedling has enough space for development. Before sowing, peat tablets should be prepared: place the tablets in a low container and fill with water to swell (you can add a little potassium permanganate). It is not necessary to fill them in so that they can swim, it is better to add a little water over time.
Experienced flower growers recommend using tablets with a mesh, because when the tablets are soaked without a shell, the peat will simply crumble. And so that in the future the mesh does not interfere with the grown roots, when the petunia is transplanted into the ground, it is simply cut off.
After the tablets increase (only in height, while maintaining the same diameter), drain the remaining water.
Next, pour the petunia seeds onto a plate, moisten the tip of a match and pick up a grain with it. Each tablet has a hole, and here you need to put a seed there according to the principle: one tablet - one seed.
To facilitate the planting process, it is more convenient to use pelleted seeds - a grain placed in a shell is larger than ordinary seeds and is easier to pick up. In order for such seeds to sprout quickly and amicably, after planting it is recommended to sprinkle them with water and the shell will get wet.
Rules for caring for crops of petunia in peat tablets
Swollen pills with seeds should be placed in a plastic container, covered with foil and placed on a windowsill. The air temperature for rapid germination should be at least 25 ° C, and when the first shoots appear, it is lowered to 20 ° C.
Watering peat tablets must be carried out strictly in the pan. The tablets should always be swollen, while excess water is drained to prevent the cylinder from completely soaking and the appearance of rot.
To create an optimal level of humidity, the container with tablets is periodically ventilated, and the condensation formed on the lid is wiped off.
After 2-3 leaves grow, remove the lid from the container.When the roots creep through the shell of the peat tablet, the seedlings are planted in a permanent place in a pot or open ground.