Lavatera, growing from seeds: when to collect seeds and how to prepare for planting
Lavatera is one of the beautiful and unpretentious plants that are popular with many gardeners. The flower belongs to the mallow family varieties. Even novice gardeners can grow this plant from seeds in their garden plot.
Content:
- Lavatera: description of the plant and collection of material
- Features of preparing soil and seeds for planting
- Planting method
- Caring for seedlings and adult plants
Lavatera: description of the plant and collection of material
Lavatera varieties can be either annual or perennial. Flowers in the form of a racemose-paniculate inflorescence, depending on the variety, are of different shades: light pink, crimson, red, yellow, snow-white, blue, lilac, etc. They can be about 7-12 mm in diameter.
The leaves are alternate, three- or five-lobed. Lavatera is highly valued for its decorative, delicate and bright flowers. The plant can grow up to 150 cm in length. Lavatera goes well with other plants.
It can be planted in flower beds, balconies and rooms. Plant varieties are distinguished: Lavatera Three Months, Lavatera Thuringian, etc. Lavatera seeds for planting begin to be collected in early autumn.
During this period, the inflorescences become dry and after falling off, the boxes remain. At first they are bright green, and are a signal that they can be collected. seeds The color of the boxes will turn brown.When ripe, the seeds become brown with a grayish tint. At the same time, they can easily spill out of the box.
To collect lavatera seeds, you need to carefully cut off the capsules and pour them onto white paper. Next, dry them in a well-ventilated area. You can store planting material in a paper bag or fabric bag. When purchasing planting material, you must adhere to the following recommendations so as not to purchase seeds of poor quality:
- View expiration date
- Study plant data and cultivation requirements
- Find out about the timing of sowing seeds
- Buy only certified seeds
It is not recommended to buy seed material from unfamiliar sellers and in suspicious packaging.
Features of preparing soil and seeds for planting
Immediately before planting, the seeds need to be prepared and processed. The seeds are laid out on a clean surface. Next, dip them in a saline solution. Healthy and undamaged seeds will settle to the bottom, while empty ones will rise to the top. Rinse the seeds that have settled to the bottom with cold water and then place them in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. The soil for lavatera should be nutritious and light.
It is recommended to grow in a windless area. Just like seeds, the ground for planting needs to be prepared. It should be dug up to a depth of 30 cm and during this event it should be added fertilizers: mullein solution and one teaspoon each of phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium. To this composition add 5 kg of compost per 1 sq.m. Next, level the ground with a rake and dig grooves. After this, you can start sowing the seeds.
Planting method
Lavatera can be grown in two ways: the seedling method and sowing seeds in open ground.The first method of growing lavatera is used in large agrotechnical companies, but many gardeners also successfully use it. When growing seedlings at home, it is necessary to determine the timing of planting the lavatera in the flowerbed.
If you plan to plant the plant in open ground in May, then it is recommended to plant the seeds for seedlings in March. Seeds can be planted in any container: wooden boxes, flower pots, plastic glasses, etc. Regular soil is suitable for planting. It is important not to forget to place a drainage layer on the bottom. After sowing, cover the container with film and place in a well-lit place.
Shoots should appear after 2 weeks under normal lighting and optimal temperature. Periodically, the seedlings need to be watered and turned with different sides to the sun. Disembarkation in open ground is carried out when warm weather sets in. When transplanting seedlings, you must adhere to the 20x25 pattern. This distance between seedlings will allow you to grow lush flowers.
Sowing seeds can be done directly into the ground. This method is only suitable for regions with warm climates. The optimal time is early May. Planting is done under covering material. In the area where the lavatera will grow, it is necessary to make grooves. Next, the seed is laid out in furrows to a depth of about 1 cm. Cover the top of the soil with a mixture of humus and garden soil. Then pour generously and cover with film. The covering material is removed as soon as the seedlings grow 4-5 cm. Seedlings are picked when 2-3 leaves appear.
Caring for seedlings and adult plants
After removing the film, loosen the soil and add minerals. fertilizers. Flowering of lavatera begins a month after germination.When grown in seedlings, you also need to care for the lavatera. Feeding is done every 2 weeks and only 3 times. The first fertilizer is applied 10 days after picking.
Further care consists of watering and fertilizing. Water the flower once a week, but in case of drought, watering is increased up to 2 times. The required amount of water per bush is 20 liters. In case of drought, the plant should be sprayed. During the procedure, you need to make sure that water does not get on the buds. Otherwise they will get wet and wither.
Feeding of adult plants is carried out before the appearance of buds and after their formation. When applying fertilizers immediately before planting, for feeding, take one tablespoon of urea and nitrophoska and dilute it in a bucket of water. If fertilizers have already been applied to the ground, then fertilizing is done when buds form: a tablespoon of potassium and sodium sulfate per bucket of water.
Lavatera grows up to 1.5 meters in height. The plant branches well, but its stems are not strong enough. To prevent them from breaking, it is recommended to tie them to a support. For this purpose, drive stakes about 80 cm long into the ground and tie them up. Loosening is carried out once a week until the lavatera reaches a height of one meter. After this, this activity is not carried out, as the roots can be damaged.
It is necessary to remove weeds in a timely manner, otherwise they will interfere with normal development. In mature plants, there is no need to remove weeds, since they do not grow together. It is important to remember to prune faded flowers. If there are dried and damaged branches, they are also removed. Lavatera does not require special care, however, to achieve abundant flowering, you should follow all care recommendations.
Video about growing lavatera in the garden:
