We grow Heuchera seedlings at home
Among herbaceous garden perennials, Heuchera attracts attention due to its spectacular decorative appearance. Its colorful leaves, painted in almost all colors of the rainbow, look very beautiful on the flower bed and focus on small but beautiful bushes.
Geuchera leaves in their shape resemble geranium leaves, only they are denser and not monochromatic, but painted with different patterns and spots. Probably for this reason the flower is also called "spotted geranium".
Heuchera propagates both vegetatively and by seeds. The first method is used mainly for varietal specimens, since new plants retain all parental characteristics. However, seed reproduction also gives good results: although the varietal characteristics are not preserved, it is possible to get a new hybrid with an individual color.
Growing geyher from seeds can be carried out both by sowing them in open ground in the month of May, and in early spring for seedlings. The latter method is preferable, because at the end of spring, when the seeds are just sown on the flower bed, the seedlings have already grown, matured and are ready for transplantation into the soil.
Soil preparation
For growing Heuchera seedlings, you can purchase a ready-made universal substrate and mix it with a small amount of sand (10: 1). If you wish, it is quite possible to make the soil mixture yourself by mixing:
- 2 parts of sod land;
- 1 part peat;
- half of the sand;
- Little ash.
The home substrate must be calcined in the oven or spilled with potassium permanganate in order to disinfect. In the same way, it is necessary to process the sand that is added to the store soil.
Seed preparation and sowing
To speed up germination, it is better to soak the seeds for a couple of hours before sowing, and then let them dry so that they do not stick together.
When buying planting material, you need to carefully look at the timing: heuchera seeds, packed in paper bags, remain viable for only 6 months. Seeds in foil can be stored for a year longer.
To grow seedlings in a fairly high container (at least 5 cm high), fill the drainage and fill it with earth almost to the top. Mix dried seeds with a small amount of sand and sprinkle freely over the surface, sprinkling on top with a thin layer of sand. Moisten the crops well, cover with foil and put on a light windowsill.
After the seeds germinate, the film can be removed and the seedlings can be grown like this, and when they have 3 leaves, dive into a separate dish. From the second half of May, the seedlings must be gradually accustomed to fresh air. Seasoned Heuchera is planted in a flower bed in early summer.