Flowers are a real decoration of a personal plot and an integral part of it. It is difficult to imagine a garden without flowers. In mine, for example, both perennial and annual plants grow. I plant some of them in the fall.
Benefits of planting annual flowers in the fall
As soon as I have prepared the garden and vegetable garden for the next season, I start planting annuals. For myself, I highlighted several advantages of this period:
- In spring, seedlings appear early - as soon as the snow melted and the soil warmed up.
- Seedlings planted in September are naturally hardened. The resistance of plants to various viral, infectious diseases, weather extremes increases.
- Flowering begins 14 days earlier than those planted in spring.
However, there are also certain disadvantages:
- Frost-resistant varieties are suitable.
- Seeds have to be taken by 1/3 more than when sowing in spring.
- Not all seeds can withstand frost.
Optimal planting time
The success of the event directly depends on the correct timing for landing. At home, in the middle lane, I start the procedure in late October - early November. I focus mainly on the weather:
- the air temperature should not exceed +5 ° C during the day;
- slight precipitation;
- before frost no more than 14 days.
These conditions are important, because if the weather is too warm, the seeds can sprout, which will die at negative temperatures.
If, on the contrary, it is too cold, and the ground is frozen, the seeds will not have time to adapt.
In the southern regions, I recommend starting sowing annuals no earlier than mid-November.
In the north - at the end of September.
Landing space
In the fall, I sow annuals not only on a permanent bed, but also on seedlings. I choose an open place so that the spring sun rays warmed and illuminated the flowerbed better. On a hill - so that there is no stagnation of melt water, in such conditions the seeds will rot.
I recommend preparing the site in advance:
- Dig up on the bayonet of the shovel.
- Carefully select weeds, grass residues and roots. The first flowers can sprout in spring along with weeds.
- I loosen the soil with a rake.
- I bring in complex mineral compositions with a high content of potassium and phosphorus.
- I level the soil.
In my flower beds, I plant annuals in such a way that in the spring they turn into a drawing. To carry out my plan, first of all I draw a sketch on paper. Then, using a hoe, I outline the drawing directly on the soil.
Withstand the depth:
- for small seeds - maximum 1 cm;
- for medium - 2 cm;
- for large - 3 cm.
Winter planting of flowers
Sowing is carried out as soon as stable frosts are established. The seeds do not require preliminary preparation, I immediately sow them into the soil. The procedure is carried out in dry weather.
I sow the seeds densely enough so that no empty places form, if not all of them sprout. I cover the top with a little earth.
I mulch the planting with one of the materials:
- wood sawdust or shavings;
- spruce branches;
- straw;
- peat.
I must remove the mulch immediately, as soon as the snow begins to melt, so that the seeds do not spray, and so that the soil is saturated with melt water.
Flowers suitable for winter sowing
In the fall, I try to sow flower varieties with high frost resistance or those that have a short development period from sowing to flowering.
I prefer these annuals:
- agrostemma;
- Adonis;
- aster;
- cornflowers;
- Carnation;
- delphinium;
- calendula;
- cosmeya;
- cochia;
- lupins.
These flowers are highly resistant to weather fluctuations, sprout early and delight the eye with their variegated flowering.
Every year I resort to podwinter sowing of annuals to enjoy beautiful flowering in early spring.
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