Seeds sowing step-by-step instruction
1. Add soil into a container, water it to make sure it is moist enough, add vermiculite with approximate ratio (1 part of vermiculite to 5 parts of soil) and mix it thoroughly. Slightly press the soil mix to remove voids, especially around the edges. Don’t press too much, the soil should not be too dense. The soil mixture level should be at least 2 cm below the edge of the container. 2. Prepare the rows in your container depending on the seeds size and light requirements. Place the seeds in rows at a distance of about 1 cm one from another. If these are large seeds, then lay them down by hand; for small ones you can use toothpick. Cover the seeds with soil according to the rule: the seed depth is twice the size of the seed. Small seeds (e.g. antirrhinum, foxglove) should be covered only with a thin layer of vermiculite. 3. Water carefully. Seeds need moisture environment to germinate. Large seeds can be watered from a can with a thin spout. Small seeds - with a spray bottle. 4. Indicate on the tag-plate the name of the plant variety, the date of sowing and the number of seeds sown. 5. Cover your container with a mini-greenhouse lid or cling stretch film. 6. Place the container in a warm place, with a temperature about +23-25 ⁰C and check if the soil is moist enough every day. 7. We also install additional lighting (e.g., LED-lamps) if you sow early in the season as some seeds require light to germinate. Use LED-lamp to make sure seeds receive additional lighting for 16-14 hours a day. 8. As soon as seeds germinate and seedlings appear, we remove the film or lid cover, monitor the soil moisture and lower the air temperature to +20-22 ⁰C to prevent plants from stretching. 9. When first true leaves appear and evolve, transplant the seedlings in individuals cells (it can be a small pot or cassette) 10. Continue monitoring soil moisture, use additional LED-lighting to avoid stretching, make sure that there are no pests which can damage young seedlings quite easily. |
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