Hydrangea seeds - what they look like and is it possible to grow seedlings from them at home
Content:
Many flower lovers are happy to grow hydrangeas; the plant has very spectacular inflorescences that look like bright caps. Despite the fact that the crop requires careful care, it is necessary to provide special conditions for growth and development, in general, agricultural technology is unlikely to scare an experienced gardener. But getting planting material for the first time is sometimes not easy, especially when it comes to rare varieties. And few people realize that you can order hydrangea seeds on the Internet, even on Western sites.
Is it possible to grow a hydrangea from seeds
Hydrangea reproduces both seed and vegetative. For seed, it is recommended to contact the nursery. This is where it is easiest to find various varieties from well-known producers.
Seed material
What seeds look like
If the gardener still does not even know what hydrangea seeds look like, it is worth reading the description:
- color - dark brown;
- shape - elongated with a sharp end;
- size - small;
- the shell is embossed.
When and how to pick hydrangea seeds
Some gardeners prefer to self-collect future planting material.
You need to go for hydrangea seeds after the flowering of the culture ends, and dry weather sets in the street. The seeds are found in fruits that look like small bolls. To extract the seeds, the fruit must be carefully opened.
Seed storage
Before sending hydrangea seeds for storage, they need to be slightly dried in a room with room temperature.
Small paper bags and a dry place out of the sun are ideal for storing seeds. Leaving the material for a long time is not recommended, since the highest percentage of seed germination occurs in the next few months after harvesting.
And now it's worth talking about how to grow a hydrangea from seeds at home.
How to choose hydrangea seeds for sowing
There are no particular difficulties in choosing planting material, the main thing is to follow 3 simple rules:
- Seeds are purchased only from trusted producers. It has already been said above that preference should be given to grains from China or Japan.
- High-quality material should not have stains, extraneous traces, damage, lethargy.
- Also, the seeds should match their appearance. How the seeds look is described just above.
That's actually all that a florist should know.
Harvested Seeds
How to plant hydrangea seeds at home
After high-quality seed material is selected, it is necessary to understand the technology of planting this culture at home. How to plant hydrangea seeds? This is detailed below.
Optimal planting time
The second half of winter is the time for planting seed. By the time summer comes, the seedlings will already have a few leaves, and they will be fully prepared for transplanting into open ground.
To grow seedlings, you need a pot of the right size and light, loose soil. Proper preparation can speed up the seed germination process. However, first things first.
Seed preparation
Before engaging in planting work, the seeds of large-leaved hydrangea are prepared according to the following scheme:
- Choose quality seeds.
- Prepare a manganese disinfectant solution (it should be pink). Soak seeds for 30-40 minutes.
- Prepare a damp cloth where the seeds will be transferred after disinfection.
- In a few days, the grains should swell and give small sprouts. This takes 2 to 5 days.
- It is important to remember that the fabric should not dry out, that is, it should be periodically moistened.
Preparation of containers and land
Hydrangeas require a special soil that will have good moisture and air conductivity. In addition, it must contain a sufficient amount of useful elements so that the sprouts can develop normally. The soil is prepared from the following components:
- leaf land - 1 part;
- sand - 1 part;
- peat - 1 part.
This mixture is filled in a container for planting and spilled with hot potassium permanganate for disinfection. After the soil has cooled, a small amount of warm water is added.
Leaf land
Landing procedure
Difficulties in planting seeds should not arise. Everything is done according to the following instructions:
- Place the seed on damp ground and press in a little.
- Use a small amount of sand to powder.
- Spray the planting site with a spray bottle.
- To create a greenhouse effect, cover the pot with foil or glass.
- Place in a warm, sunny place (+20 ° С).
- Covering material is removed every day for ventilation. The soil is sprayed as needed.
- After the sprouts appear, the glass or film is removed completely.
Features of planting hydrangea seeds in open ground in spring
It is convenient to plant seeds directly on the garden bed. The matter remains with the right choice of location. It should be slightly shaded so that young plants do not get burned under the scorching sunlight. Planting is carried out in late April - early May.
On formed high beds fertilized with humus, seed is sown in a chaotic manner and buried a little in the ground.
How to grow hydrangea seedlings
It will take some effort to get strong seedlings.
Watering mode and humidity
Without a sufficient amount of moisture, not a single plant will survive and hydrangea is no exception here, but you need to know when to stop in everything. Description of watering:
- in the spring-summer period, as the top layer of the soil dries up, watering is carried out using settled water. If it is cold outside, then the ground must be kept in a slightly damp state;
- morning or evening hours are suitable for watering, when the sun is not too strong;
- once a month, the water for hydrangea is slightly acidified to increase the acidity of the soil;
- if necessary, seedlings are sprayed.
Lighting and temperature control
In the place where the seedlings are standing, it should not be very hot, and the presence of a draft and the proximity of heating devices is also not allowed. The plant should have enough light so that the shoots do not stretch out due to lack of lighting.
Seedling hydrangea
Top dressing
Young plants will not refuse additional nutrition.Fertilizers are applied once every 14 days and only when the weather is warm outside the window.
Hardening
Before planting plants in the chosen place in the garden, it is necessary to carry out a hardening procedure. This has a beneficial effect on the immune system of the culture and enhances resistance to low temperatures. Hardening is carried out constantly, without taking breaks.
Containers with seedlings must be put outside for several hours every day, gradually this time is increased to a whole day, so that, as a result, the containers have to be removed only at night.
Picks
The procedure is carried out 2 times. The first is after the appearance of 2 large cotyledon leaves. Strong seedlings are planted in containers so that a distance of 10 to 12 cm remains between them.
The second time they dive in the last days of spring, when an active build-up of green mass in seedlings begins. Here you will already need separate pots for each plant.
Transplanting young plants into open ground
If we talk about a plant such as hydrangea, seedlings are planted according to the following step-by-step scheme:
- It is necessary to dig a hole that has a diameter 3 times larger than the roots of the plants.
- Drainage is laid at the bottom, in a layer of 10-15 centimeters.
- Then the fertile garden soil, a special soil mixture, is poured.
- The seedlings are positioned so that the root system is completely in the planting hole.
- It remains to cover with earth, tamp a little, make abundant watering and mulching.
Landing in open ground
If you plan to plant several hydrangeas, then the distance between the bushes should not be less than 100 cm.
Subject to all the recommendations listed in the article above, there should not be any special problems with how to grow a hydrangea from seeds. Of course, the method is not considered the best and easiest, but any gardener can cope with all the procedures. At the same time, you can purchase rare varieties and get a very beautiful, unusual plant.
