Sow a handful of seeds after early autumn arrives, and the flowers will bloom in such a big patch that even the balcony can't hold them all

These herbaceous flowers must not be covered, otherwise they won't sprout

Why can't they be covered?

Many people cover the seeds with a layer of wet paper towel to speed up germination, or cover them with a layer of soil after sowing, not realizing that some tiny herbaceous flower seeds simply cannot be covered. Once covered, they actually fail to sprout.

Which seeds cannot be covered?

Herbaceous flowers like petunia, baby's breath, Lisianthus, lobelia, and campanula have very tiny seeds, and germination requires light, so they cannot be covered when sowing.

In addition, pelleted seeds also cannot be covered. What is pelleting? It's when several tiny seeds are wrapped together with medicinal powder, called pelleting. Pelleted seeds are still smaller than a sesame seed.

Note: When buying seeds, you must be careful not to buy fake ones. Seeds of lobelia and baby's breath are so small you can't even pinch them, almost like dust. Anything with large seeds is fake.

Sowing method (using petunia as an example)

1. Preparation: Put loose, fertile, well-draining, slightly acidic sandy soil into a seedling tray.

2. Sowing: Scatter the seeds directly on the soil surface, water thoroughly, keep it completely moist, and place it on a well-ventilated windowsill!

3. Sprouting and rooting: They will sprout in about a week. After sprouting, mist with water daily, maintain ventilation and indirect light, and in about 20 days white roots will grow.

4. Pricking out: The seedlings are tiny and cannot be planted directly into a large pot. Pricking out greatly improves the survival rate. Move the seedlings together with the soil into a small flowerpot or a disposable paper cup, water thoroughly, keep ventilated, give plenty of light every day, and mist in the morning and evening.

5. Transplanting: When the seedling leaves fill the rim of the cup, they can be transplanted. Use a flowerpot of 20cm or more. The soil can be a mix of garden soil, perlite, and coal.

Tear the paper cup open directly and plant the soil and seedling together into the prepared potting soil. After transplanting, first place in a shaded spot for 1~2 days, then place on a balcony with ample light, and pinch off the growing tips regularly.

6. Care: In the early stage, apply a dilute nitrogen fertilizer solution every 10 days. Before flowering, apply some monopotassium phosphate. Remember to apply thin fertilizer frequently.

These herbaceous flowers need seed soaking to sprout vigorously

Seed soaking to speed up germination

Some flower seeds have thicker coats and a long dormant period, making them hard to germinate. Before sowing, they need to be soaked to speed up germination, such as lavender, salvia, and water spinach.

Seed soaking technique

Soak the seeds in warm water for 12 hours, then soak them in 20~50ppm gibberellin for 2 hours.

Sowing method (using lavender as an example)

1. Put loose, breathable nutrient soil into a small pot, fill it to 8 parts full, water thoroughly, then scatter the seeds.

2. After sowing, there is no need to cover with soil, but you can cover with a layer of plastic film to retain moisture. Poke a few holes in the film for ventilation, and they will sprout in about 2 weeks.

3. During the seedling stage, mist frequently, gradually increase light, and fertilize mainly with nitrogen and phosphorus. When the seedlings grow to about 10cm, they can be transplanted.

These herbaceous flowers need a light covering of soil, giving a high germination rate and easy survival

Herbaceous flowers like geranium and viola have slightly larger seeds and do not need light to germinate. A light covering when sowing can improve the germination rate.

Sowing method

1. Prepare loose, fertile garden soil, water thoroughly, scatter the seeds, then lightly cover with a layer of soil on top. Water daily to keep moist, and they will sprout in about 10 days.

2. After the seedlings produce 2 leaves, you can move the flowerpot into the sun, appropriately increase the watering amount, and maintain ventilation.

3. When the leaves fill the small pot, they can be transplanted into a larger pot. During this period, you can apply a little thin nitrogen fertilizer.

4. During care, pinch off growing tips and prune at any time, and in 3~4 months they will bloom into a big flower ball.

After spring sowing, geraniums are rather difficult to get through the summer, so now is the perfect season for sowing.

Besides those mentioned above, there is another type of flower - nasturtium. Its seed coat is rather wrinkled, so it needs to be soaked first, the soft skin peeled off, then sprouted using vermiculite or a wet paper towel, and transplanted into a pot after new sprouts appear.