Seed Needs
With the arrival of spring, the gardener in us resurfaced and the desire to delve our hands into the ground is increasingly present.
The first step now is to know how to choose your seeds and what your seed needs.
Here are the main criteria to be considered for a wise choice of your seeds: 1 - The maturation period of the plant - Depending on the area where you live, the duration of the summer can be shorter or longer.
In a colder region, you could prefer a quicker maturation to enjoy your beautiful plants over a longer period.
2 - Productivity depending on the quality and type of soil - Plants adapt to their environment (up to a point) but they have their preference for the type of soil.
You have a clay soil, sandblaster, muck soil or a mix of all this? It will make a difference in the production of fruits and vegetables as well as the quality and beauty of your flowers.
3 - Resistance to disease, insects and drought - By knowing more about our soil and environment of our garden, we are able to make a logical choice.
The market has developed resistant cultivars at certain levels.
There are also coated seeds with some resistance to fungal diseases, for example.
But be informed if you want to organic gardening, unless otherwise specified, the coatings are not.
4 - The nutritional value according to the appearance, beauty and originality - An increasing number of cultivars are available to us now, we can test and see what suits us or refer to a garden center if you want to be sure of the result.
5 - Possibility to harvest your own seeds - At the end of the summer you want to harvest your own seeds of the most beautiful plants in the garden? Harvesting the seeds, ensures a good production next year because these are already adapted to your climate and environment! If you choose this option, make sure to store them in a dark and dry place.
The room seedlings Your seed needs a suitable environment for the room seeding is the basis of a beautiful culture.
14 to 16 hours of light per day is necessary for the growth of seedlings.
A room with large windows partially meets their needs because the photoperiod in the spring is too short.
Therefore, it is preferable to provide additional lighting.
A system with the right combination of fluorescent (cool white combined with a warm white, for example) or a metal halide lamp is also suitable.
The important thing is to recreate as much as possible the solar spectrum.
* Be aware that some seeds such as lavender need total darkness to germinate.
We could then apply wet newspapers over until the appearance of the first two leaves.
We must also be able to control temperature and humidity of the room.
The average optimum temperature for seed germination is 25 ° c.
(the specific temperature for each species is usually listed on the seed packet).
The humidity should be at 80% and 90%, which can be obtained by covering our trays with a transparent plastic lid or with plastic wrap.
For growth (the first 4 leaves out), it likes between 20 ° C and 22 ° C during the day and around 15 ° c at night.
Of course, even a small greenhouse is the perfect place to start seedlings.
To be considered! Containers and potting soil We usually grow seedlings in polystyrene containers, fiber or plastic, open or divided into cells that are reused year after year.
However, some species, such as members of the Cucurbitaceae family do not tolerate transplanting (meaning, change the seedling pot to a larger pot after onset of the first two true leaves).
Individual pots of 8cm to 15cm diameter are suggested, and they will remain there until planting in the garden.
For soil germination, the ideal is 30% mature compost and 70% perlite or vermiculite.
Another avenue would be greener 1 part sand to 9 parts mature compost which also gives good results.
See for yourself! Regarding the soil for growth, it is recommended that 50% of mature compost and 50% perlite or vermiculite.
We can of course mix the mature compost with sand as in the case of soil germination.
These recipes allow plants to grow without difficulty because they retain moisture while draining quickly.
Before sowing Here are some tips to remember before you start sowing; · Assess the right quantities, · Possess quality seeds (if your seeds have several years, it will affect the germination percentage) · Know the number of weeks in production before maturity, from one plant to another, this data can varied from several days · Treat the seeds (soaking, cold) if necessary, some seeds need a little alarm to open to life · Have a good quality soil And please, do not forget to moisten the soil before depositing your precious seeds! If you want to know more about organic gardening there is a Free eBook on our blog Also find some Original Seeds in our Boutique Good gardening! Patrick Lach
The first step now is to know how to choose your seeds and what your seed needs.
Here are the main criteria to be considered for a wise choice of your seeds: 1 - The maturation period of the plant - Depending on the area where you live, the duration of the summer can be shorter or longer.
In a colder region, you could prefer a quicker maturation to enjoy your beautiful plants over a longer period.
2 - Productivity depending on the quality and type of soil - Plants adapt to their environment (up to a point) but they have their preference for the type of soil.
You have a clay soil, sandblaster, muck soil or a mix of all this? It will make a difference in the production of fruits and vegetables as well as the quality and beauty of your flowers.
3 - Resistance to disease, insects and drought - By knowing more about our soil and environment of our garden, we are able to make a logical choice.
The market has developed resistant cultivars at certain levels.
There are also coated seeds with some resistance to fungal diseases, for example.
But be informed if you want to organic gardening, unless otherwise specified, the coatings are not.
4 - The nutritional value according to the appearance, beauty and originality - An increasing number of cultivars are available to us now, we can test and see what suits us or refer to a garden center if you want to be sure of the result.
5 - Possibility to harvest your own seeds - At the end of the summer you want to harvest your own seeds of the most beautiful plants in the garden? Harvesting the seeds, ensures a good production next year because these are already adapted to your climate and environment! If you choose this option, make sure to store them in a dark and dry place.
The room seedlings Your seed needs a suitable environment for the room seeding is the basis of a beautiful culture.
14 to 16 hours of light per day is necessary for the growth of seedlings.
A room with large windows partially meets their needs because the photoperiod in the spring is too short.
Therefore, it is preferable to provide additional lighting.
A system with the right combination of fluorescent (cool white combined with a warm white, for example) or a metal halide lamp is also suitable.
The important thing is to recreate as much as possible the solar spectrum.
* Be aware that some seeds such as lavender need total darkness to germinate.
We could then apply wet newspapers over until the appearance of the first two leaves.
We must also be able to control temperature and humidity of the room.
The average optimum temperature for seed germination is 25 ° c.
(the specific temperature for each species is usually listed on the seed packet).
The humidity should be at 80% and 90%, which can be obtained by covering our trays with a transparent plastic lid or with plastic wrap.
For growth (the first 4 leaves out), it likes between 20 ° C and 22 ° C during the day and around 15 ° c at night.
Of course, even a small greenhouse is the perfect place to start seedlings.
To be considered! Containers and potting soil We usually grow seedlings in polystyrene containers, fiber or plastic, open or divided into cells that are reused year after year.
However, some species, such as members of the Cucurbitaceae family do not tolerate transplanting (meaning, change the seedling pot to a larger pot after onset of the first two true leaves).
Individual pots of 8cm to 15cm diameter are suggested, and they will remain there until planting in the garden.
For soil germination, the ideal is 30% mature compost and 70% perlite or vermiculite.
Another avenue would be greener 1 part sand to 9 parts mature compost which also gives good results.
See for yourself! Regarding the soil for growth, it is recommended that 50% of mature compost and 50% perlite or vermiculite.
We can of course mix the mature compost with sand as in the case of soil germination.
These recipes allow plants to grow without difficulty because they retain moisture while draining quickly.
Before sowing Here are some tips to remember before you start sowing; · Assess the right quantities, · Possess quality seeds (if your seeds have several years, it will affect the germination percentage) · Know the number of weeks in production before maturity, from one plant to another, this data can varied from several days · Treat the seeds (soaking, cold) if necessary, some seeds need a little alarm to open to life · Have a good quality soil And please, do not forget to moisten the soil before depositing your precious seeds! If you want to know more about organic gardening there is a Free eBook on our blog Also find some Original Seeds in our Boutique Good gardening! Patrick Lach
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