The first autumn weeks - it's time to start laying down future flower beds. After all, decorative crops planted before winter will sprout and bloom much faster in spring. In addition, they are less likely to get sick and better tolerate adverse weather conditions. Autumn sowing is perfectly tolerated by both annual and perennial crops, it remains only to choose the ones you like and go to the country.
Advantages and disadvantages of planting flowers in autumn
After harvesting fruits and vegetables, gardeners have enough time to calmly choose seeds of ornamental plants, plan the appearance of the future flower bed and prepare the soil for landing. After all, planting flowers in late autumn has many positive aspects:
- The planting material undergoes natural hardening, due to which it receives a strong immunity to diseases and resistance to sudden temperature changes.
- Seedlings appear earlier, flowers bloom 1-2 weeks earlier than those sown in the ground in spring.
- The germination rates increase in comparison with the spring planting.
- Plants have a more developed root system, due to which they subsequently better tolerate hot and dry weather.
- High resistance to weeds.
- Spring frosts are better tolerated, which are not uncommon in our country.
- In late autumn, you can sow seeds that have an expiration date.
The autumn planting method has significant disadvantages:
- With early sowing and sudden temperature changes, seeds can begin to germinate and then die with the onset of frost.
- If the seeds are too close to the surface of the soil, then with severe frosts and a small amount of snow, they also risk dying.
Planting flowers before winter
Planting flowers in autumn is almost no different from the spring procedure. If everything is done on time, the work will not take much time, and next year it will be possible to admire the beautiful flower garden earlier than usual.
Pick-up location
Planting before winter can be carried out immediately in the open ground or in a special seedling school. If you do not want to transplant plants from place to place, then the flower bed is prepared in the fall. To do this, you need to weed, dig up and loosen the selected area. After that, it is leveled with a rake. On a flat area with a hoe, they outline a drawing of a future flower bed. You need to try to make it clear and deep so that the pattern does not blur from the autumn rains. After that, holes are made for seeds. It is necessary that they be 2 times deeper than usual, since in winter the earth is compacted and sagged.
If the site for the flower bed has not yet been selected, the seeds can be sown before winter in any garden bed or in a greenhouse. When planting in the open air, it is advisable to enclose the place with boards so that the seeds are not washed off during rains and melting snows. With the help of plywood, slate or other sheet material, the bed is divided into small areas for different types of flowers. It is advisable to drive a nameplate into each cell so that nothing is confused in the spring.
The prepared area is left until stable frosts arrive.
Soil preparation and planting
Soil preparation begins in late September or early October. If a dry and warm autumn is established, the land can be prepared at any convenient time.
You should take care of the seed bed in advance. You need to mix 1 part garden soil, 2 parts peat and 1 part sand. You can also use ready-made seedling soil, which is sold in specialized stores. It is advisable to store the substrate indoors before planting so that it does not harden from the cold.
When frosts set in, and there will be no thaws in the forecast, you can start planting. In autumn, seeds are planted 2 times thicker than when planting in spring. They are scattered over the holes and covered with a prepared substrate.
What flowers can be planted before winter
Not all flower crops are suitable for planting before winter. But still the list is quite extensive.
Annuals
In the spring, you usually have to tinker with the seeds of annuals. Many varieties require stratification. To do this, before planting, the seeds must be kept in the refrigerator for some time. Planting before winter solves this problem. In this case, stratification occurs naturally.
The following types of annual crops are recommended for podzimny planting:
- Chinese aster;
- aquilegia;
- buzulnik;
- dimorphoteka;
- marin root;
- Snapdragon;
- fragrant mignonette;
- phlox Drummond;
- Chinese carnation;
- self-seeding poppy;
- Adonis;
- cornflower;
- gentian;
- Gaillardia;
- calendula officinalis.
Seeds can be used both purchased and those that were collected with your own hands. It is desirable that the planting material is as fresh as possible. The longer the seeds are stored, the worse their germination ability. During the purchase, it is worth giving preference to garden centers and specialized stores, as they monitor the quality of incoming products.
Perennials
Among perennials, there are also quite a few flowers that respond well to autumn planting. It is during the winter sowing that it turns out to get strong plants with strong immunity. In some cases, even those crops that usually bloom only in the second year bloom next year.
The following perennials are best suited for autumn planting:
- lavender;
- yarrow;
- arabesque;
- geychera;
- gypsophila;
- shaved;
- nasturtium;
- doronik;
- shaved;
- hellebore;
- Carpathian bell.
If you follow the planting technology and timing, the seeds overwinter without problems in the ground, and in the spring they will begin to actively grow. In the summer you can enjoy the great view of the beautiful flowers that adorn the garden.
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