What to sow for seedlings in February: don't miss the wonderful moment
With the onset of February, many summer residents begin the main sowing of seeds for seedlings.
During this period, vegetable, flower and ornamental foliage crops with a long growing season are sown.
Online publication expert Anastasia Kovrizhnykh said that it is time to sow seedlings.
Early February sowing makes it possible to obtain mass flowering and abundant fruiting of plants throughout the entire gardening season.
First of all, in February, strawberries are sown, both small-fruited remontant and large-fruited. The shoots of this crop appear approximately 2-4 weeks after sowing. And by the time the seedlings are planted in the ground, strong bushes are formed, capable of bearing fruit already in the current season.
You can sow remontant strawberries with seeds of several varieties, and then in the summer choose the ones that are most suitable in terms of taste.
From the beginning of February, you can sow bush petunias. This plant is resistant to cold and sudden temperature changes, so the seedlings can be planted in flower beds as early as the beginning of May.
Seeds of bush petunia are sown on the soil surface, without covering with soil. And the first shoots appear already on the 4-5th day from sowing.
In February, you can sow leeks, onions with seeds, and root and stalk celery for seedlings. If the growing region has a short summer, it is better to choose those varieties and hybrids of celery whose vegetation period is less than 150 days.
The seeds of this crop germinate quite slowly, and the shoots develop very slowly. Celery seedlings can be planted in the ground in about 2 months, when a full-fledged rosette is formed.
Late and mid-season varieties of eggplants are sown in early February. Such plants begin to bear fruit on average on the 120-140th day.
After planting in the ground or greenhouse, eggplant seedlings always need time to adapt. And if late varieties are sown towards the end of the month or in March, they will not have time to fully yield a harvest.
From the second half of February, you can sow tall, late-ripening tomatoes with a ripening period of more than 100 days.
The seedlings of these tomatoes will be ready for transplanting approximately 2 months after germination. The remaining tomatoes are best sown in early March.
Sweet and hot peppers can also be sown for seedlings in February. They can be planted in a permanent place 65-75 days after germination.
At the beginning of the month, partial sowing of peppers for subsequent cultivation in a heated greenhouse is usually carried out. And mass sowing for open ground or an outdoor greenhouse is carried out from the end of February to mid-March, depending on the growing region.
In mid-February, you can sow basil seedlings. Then, by the beginning of the warm period, well-developed bushes will be ready, which can be transferred to the site. Rosemary or thyme can also be sown in February.
The seeds of these spicy plants take a long time to germinate, as they contain essential oils. To speed up germination, they need to be soaked before sowing. Moisture destroys the seed coat and improves the quality of the shoots.
Earlier we talked about how to properly feed seedlings with iodine.
