Growing Iberis seedlings: bringing the flowering of a charming and fragrant plant closer
Iberis as a whole is a rather unpretentious plant: it grows well and grows when planted directly in open ground. But some growers prefer to cultivate Iberis seedlings first. This method allows you to bring its luxurious flowering closer for a month. In early summer, the plants sown in the flowerbed are just beginning to form a bush. But the planted seedlings by this time will have tied the buds.
When and how to sow seeds for seedlings
You can start sowing seeds for seedlings in the month of March. Do not do this before. Seeds sprout well, and if you overexpose the seedlings in the house, the bushes can begin to decay. Moreover, it is not always possible to provide additional lighting. Without it, early sowing will result in seedlings pulling out.
The soil should be loose, breathable. The best option is to purchase a ready-made universal substrate, to which you can add a little perlite.
It is not difficult to prepare a light soil mixture yourself by mixing:
- 2.5 shares peat;
- 1 share of sawdust;
- 1.5 shares of coarse sand.
To make home soil nutritious, you need to add a little mineral fertilizers (superphosphate, nitrate, ash, potassium) to it.
Iberis seeds are not very large, so you can sow them directly on the surface of the soil without falling asleep from above. It is enough to spray the crops well with a spray bottle. If desired, you can crush a little with fine sand. Then cover the container with a transparent lid or foil and put it in a bright and warm place.
To make the seeds "wake up" faster, spraying can be done with hot water.
Growing Iberis seedlings: caring for seedlings
Until shoots appear, the greenhouse with crops should be aired daily. If this is not done, accumulated condensation can cause rot and disease of the seedlings.
When all the seeds sprout, remove the film. Now the seedlings need good lighting and a temperature around 18 ° C. If the seeds have been sown shallowly, you may need to add some soil. Watering should be regular, because the loose earth dries out quickly. It is also better to carry it out by spraying, so that the delicate stems do not lie down and break under the pressure of water from the watering can.
It is undesirable to dive Iberis seedlings. The long stem can be easily damaged during this procedure. But if the seedlings have sprouted densely, it is better to carefully plant them out after the formation of a pair of real leaves. It is recommended to fertilize with a mineral complex before transplanting seedlings. In open ground, the bushes can be planted in mid-May, when the frosts pass.