Why seedlings?

Despite the bright pictures, inexpensive price, flower seeds in sachets are a lottery, which is not easy to win, because growing a full-fledged plant from a seed is far from easy in practice.

Therefore, more and more people are turning to buying seedlings, as this option promises a guaranteed result and early flowering.

Where to take?

Spring is the most favorable time to buy seedlings, as it is not far from planting, and the catalog is replete with all sorts of offers and vivid pictures. And if it’s not so difficult to decide on the assortment, then it can be difficult to choose a place to buy. More often, the main options are an online store, a market or a specialized nursery:

An online store attracts with cheapness and an abundance of goods, but no one gives guarantees of quality, especially if the plant has to cross almost the entire country to a new home.

Even if the goods are paid for at the post office, it is not known how the seedlings will behave in the ground and whether they will bear the promised fruits. The main drawback is acquaintance with the future acquisition through the image.

The market is a favorite place for gardeners and horticulturalists, where you can evaluate the offered assortment with your own eyes and hands. The choice is large, and the price does not repel exorbitant amounts.

The ideal option, of course, is a good friend or trusted supplier. In other cases, no one will give guarantees for a rich harvest, and it will be problematic to look for a negligent seller six months later.

Experienced specialists in gardening and horticulture advise one thing — to contact specialized nurseries, where really healthy and fruitful seedlings are hidden behind an inflated price. This option attracts with a higher guarantee for fruits and buds, but repels with possible obstacles.

Unlike local markets and bazaars, such places are located far from settlements, which requires transport and time. True, the «pluses» outweigh: advisory support, assistance in choosing a product and a wide range.

How to choose healthy?

On the seedlings, unfortunately, its future and current state of health are not written, so you will have to determine the quality of the seedling yourself and without outside help. Here are a few tips to help you with this difficult task:

• Evaluation of appearance, as the presence of dryness, decay or infection is usually noticeable;
• No damage, foreign growths;
• The development of the root system, as evidenced by its branching and the presence of small root nodules at the ends;
• Refusal to purchase shriveled plants with slimy spots, rotten areas;
• Roots should be clean and elastic;
• Unblown buds indicate a good condition of the plant. To verify this, tear off a kidney and open its contents: emptiness speaks of old age and necrosis, and hidden greenery speaks of youth and freshness;
• Information about the growing place is important, since it must be taken into account that the flower takes root only in the usual conditions and climate;
• Selection of goods in special containers.

Remember about the growth characteristics of individual plants. For example, gladiolus tubers are bought only when they are young and round, dahlia stems must necessarily have a root neck and several firmly attached bud tubers, and live buds are an accurate evidence of the life of astilba, host, peonies, phlox, monarda and dahlias.

quality rose

Rose bushes are a favorite decoration of any garden, but choosing rose seedlings is almost the most difficult thing.

First, we pay attention to age: a one- or two-year-old sprout is considered to be of high quality.

Secondly, we study a plant, where a good indicator is the presence of several lignified marsh-colored stems with buds and a branched root.

Thirdly, you should not save money and immediately purchase a seedling in a container, which minimizes the risk of damage to the flower.

Transport and storage

Having chosen a healthy plant, it is necessary to bring it safely to the house or cottage. So, immediately after the purchase, several actions should be taken: wrap the root in a cloth moistened with clean water and hide it in the shade from direct sunlight.

Further, after transportation, the seedling is placed in a darkened and ventilated space, dry branches are cut off and the rhizome is treated with a special solution with fertilizers («Skor», «Topaz»).

It is advisable to additionally leave the seedlings in a special solution that stimulates the growth of the root system, which can be purchased at any flower shop.

You should also take into account some features of individual varieties:

• The roots of flowers such as bergenia, liatris, brunner, rogers, astrantia are prone to rapid decay;
• Host, meadowsweet and astilba do not require special conditions;
• Buying phloxes in the spring is undesirable, as these plants are very capricious. To keep them until May (planting time), overheating should not be allowed by storing in a cool place such as a refrigerator, basement or cellar;
• Seedlings of perennial flowers, such as aconite, geyhera, echinacea, hellebore, geranium and delphinium, are also kept cool;
• Thermophilic yarrow, mallow and eryngium, which are temporarily placed in indoor pots on the windowsill before planting in the ground;

How to plant

It is better to relocate the seedling to the ground 2-3 days after the purchase, by performing several primary actions immediately after the purchase. In order not to get confused in the numerous varieties, it is proposed to attach photographs of future flowers to the seedlings.

Then the standard rules apply: prepare the land, fertilize the soil, moisten the plant abundantly.

Buying seedlings can stop being risky if certain rules are followed during the inspection and selection of plants. A flower always “speaks” about its health and youth, the main thing is to hear it and not damage it during further storage and planting.

Photo of flower seedlings