How should flower seeds be treated when planting flowers?

Many people today are starting to grow flowers, and some do it by sowing seeds. Growing them from seed yourself is a relatively difficult method. How do you treat flower seeds when planting flowers?

1. Seed treatment is not done properly. Seeds of different flowers should be treated in different ways. Seeds that germinate easily can be soaked, such as scarlet sage seeds, which can be soaked in warm water at room temperature of 40°C for a day and a night, then rinsed clean and sown. For hard seeds, such as asparagus fern, tree peony, orange jasmine, crape myrtle, and winter daphne, first soak them in hot water at 40°C for about 48 hours, then sow them in potting soil, and after 20 to 30 days they will sprout and grow. For species with a short dormancy period that germinate easily, such as pearl bush and redbud, soaking the seeds in warm water at 40°C to 60°C for 24 to 48 hours allows them to be sown directly. Some flower seeds need a certain period of low-temperature treatment to promote after-ripening and break the dormancy of the seed embryo so they can germinate, such as lilac, wintersweet, and some herbaceous flowers sown in autumn. Some flowers have the characteristic of double dormancy of the radicle and hypocotyl, meaning their radicle needs to go through a high-temperature stage of 25°C to 32°C for 1 to 2 months or longer before dormancy can be broken, such as the seeds of fringetree, viburnum, and Chinese peony.

2. Ignoring the optimum germination temperature for seeds. In addition to having certain moisture conditions, the germination of dry seeds must also have a certain suitable temperature. For example, the optimum germination temperature for sweet alyssum of the cruciferous family must be 5°C to 20°C, the optimum germination temperature for African daisy must be 20°C to 25°C, and the optimum germination temperature for primrose must be within the range of 15°C to 18°C. Too high or too low a temperature will affect the seedling emergence rate of flowers and may even cause seeds to rot, greatly reducing the germination rate and the rate of successful seedling establishment.

3. The sowing period is unreasonable. Seeds that are large, have a hard outer coat, or contain oil, such as the seeds of Chinese rose, rose, pomegranate, kumquat, and southern magnolia, are suitable for sowing in autumn. Seeds that are smaller and have a loose, thin outer coat, such as chrysanthemum, asparagus fern, garden balsam, crape myrtle, and Chinese trumpet creeper, are suitable for sowing in late spring. Seeds that need high temperatures to germinate should be sown promptly after they mature; for example, cyclamen, cineraria, and amaryllis should be sown in early summer.

4. There are problems with sowing quality. Flower sowing has two forms, open-field sowing and pot sowing. Either way requires loose, well-aerated soil with fine particles and good drainage. Using fertile soil rich in humus nutrients with moderate acidity and alkalinity is better and helps the seeds emerge. Specific sowing methods include broadcast sowing, row sowing, and hole sowing. Before sowing, water thoroughly, and after sowing cover with plastic (10760255.002.43%) film to prevent the soil from becoming too dry, which would affect seed germination and seedling emergence. The sowing depth is generally preferably 2.5 times the diameter of the flower seed.