Prepare your annuals now

Seeds of annuals are available all year round and in huge amounts. You can get a wide range of colours and types. Growing annuals is not difficult, but you need to think about it in advance. You can pre-grow annuals often during February, as many people do. You can also select the annuals you want to grow this year now.

How to choose the right annuals?

Naturally, you should choose annuals that fit your decorative purposes but you need to take into account the conditions these plants require. Do you want to plant annuals in a sunny location or in shaded location? Should they be able to withstand the hot midday sun? What kind of soil do they need? Most annuals need nutrient-rich soil because they have a short growing season and during the short time they need to grow as much as possible and that takes plenty of nutrients.

Photo: Pixabay

Geranium, begonias and petunias

You can pre-grow these balcony plants at home and it may be even cheaper than buying seedlings. You just need to put in the work…Seeds need to go in the ground already in February. The ideal temperature for germination is 25 °C, which may be a problem. You will also need enough space for transplanting. So, it is up to you whether you decide to invest in pre-grown seedlings, which usually go on sale around May, or sow.

Sowing

Annuals are usually grown in a flowerpot. So, fill the flower pot with a suitable soil – about 2 cm below the edge. Sow the seeds – you can give large seeds more space and less space to smaller ones. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil. Do not forget to check humidity of the soil – if your seeds dry out completely, you will not be able to save the plants. Try wrapping the flowerpot in a foil or place a glass lid on it. This creates ideal conditions for proper germination. The ideal temperature for growing should be between 20 and 25 °C.

Transplanting

As soon as the plants start to germinate you need to remove the cover as the cover may prevent seedlings from growing. As soon as you see the first real leaf, you may start transplanting. Shorten roots by about one third and plant seedlings about 3 cm apart. If you have stronger seedlings, you can put them in a flower pot and transplant them later to their final location.

Preview photo: Pixabay