Every modern apartment and house has indoor flowers. Their presence in the room not only creates a pleasant and comfortable atmosphere, but also promotes well-being. This is due to the properties of plants, the main of which is the release of oxygen. The assortment and selection of indoor plants is quite wide and varied today. On the modern market, there is a huge number of both familiar to us and exotic plants. A very popular evergreen flower, which is preferred by many growers today, is myrtle.
How to grow: secrets
Myrtle is a unique plant that not only amazes the imagination with its beauty, but can also be used as a medicinal. It belongs to evergreens and is a member of the myrtle family. In the natural habitat, myrtle can reach 3 meters in height, but a room specimen in rare cases can grow up to 1 meter. All gardeners know that myrtle can be propagated at home using both cuttings and seeds. Reproduction by cuttings is more often used, since it is easier, faster and you do not need to wait long for the flower to give the first color.
Growing myrtle from seeds is a real art. This is a rather cumbersome and laborious process, but it will make it possible to understand the plant, to study its habits. Having decided to plant the seeds of this plant, you need to understand that such a flower will not bloom soon, it may take 5 years before the first bud appears.
Professional gardeners recommend buying and planting only proven seeds from well-established companies. For sprouting myrtle at home, "Hymen" and "Healing Aura" are perfect.
Planting myrtle seeds occurs in spring or summer. Let's take a closer look at the instructions.
- Of course, the first thing to do is to select and purchase quality seeds. Be sure to pay attention to their shape and integrity. It is advisable if the date is indicated on the package: you need to be sure that the seeds are not old. If you come across old seeds, you need to perform pre-sowing preparation. We will talk about exactly how the pre-sowing preparation of old seeds should take place later in the article.
- Be sure to prepare the soil for planting. You can prepare the mixture in which you will plant the seeds yourself. To do this, mix equal amounts of earth, humus and sand. If there is no opportunity or desire to prepare it, you can buy ready-made sowing soil in a specialized store.
- Next, you need to prepare the container. You can use a special container, the depth of which will be at least 10 cm. You can also plant seeds in plastic cups, provided there is no other container.
- The container is filled with a prepared soil composition , then the seeds are planted to a depth of no more than 5 cm. When they are immersed in the ground, they must be covered with a ball of a special substrate on top. Further, experts recommend covering the container with the planted seeds. You can use glass, plastic or film. Before the seeds germinate, the covered container should be kept indoors, the air temperature in which should be at least + 20 ° C.
If the planting technology has been followed, then in 2 weeks the seeds will germinate, and you will be able to observe the first shoots.
Making a pick
So, two weeks have passed, the seeds have sprouted, and the first two leaves are already clearly visible. This means that it's time for a dive. The picking process is the transplanting of the plant into another, more suitable container for its further development. The plant is transplanted into a pot, which must be large enough for the myrtle to develop well and the root system can form. In most cases, after transplanting, the flower can stop growing, but this is normal: it gets used to the new environment.
If the care of the myrtle is correct, then soon its growth will resume, and by the first year of life it will grow to 15 centimeters.
Young plant care
While we're on the subject of proper care, let's take a look at the following key points that have a profound effect on a plant:
- myrtle needs to be constantly sprayed, he loves moisture;
- you can start feeding the flower after the pick; for a start, the most common fertilizer for flowers is suitable;
- the flower constantly needs fresh air, so try, if possible, to ventilate the room in which the flower stands;
- avoid getting drafts and direct sunlight on the flower;
- myrtle is a thermophilic plant, but the air temperature should not exceed + 20 ° C.
Useful Tips
And also it is worth paying attention to the following useful tips that will help in the cultivation and reproduction of myrtle:
- so that the seeds germinate faster and better, vermiculite can be added to the sowing soil; this component will also help keep humidity under control;
- after planting the seeds, give them air baths - open the container at least once every 2 days so that the soil and seeds breathe; as well as airing will reduce the likelihood of mold;
- after you have completed the pick, carefully monitor the plant, because experts say that the flower is prone to stress during this period, which can affect its condition;
- pay special attention to watering a young plant, do it exclusively with settled water, into which you can first add lemon juice.
Presowing preparation of old seeds
Earlier we talked about the need to prepare seeds for sowing. Let's take a look at what this preparation is.
- Calibration in progress. This process makes it possible to assess the condition of the seed. To do this, you need to place the seeds in a container with water, stirring and standing for 5 minutes. After that, the seeds that have floated up can be thrown away - they are no longer suitable for sowing. And those that ended up at the bottom, drowned, need to be washed and dried.
- The seeds must be degreased. After calibration, the seeds that have passed the test can be defatted. To perform this procedure, you need to dilute 5 grams of potassium permanganate in 1 liter of water and soak the seeds in this solution for 20 minutes.
Important! After all treatments, the seeds of common myrtle should be planted immediately, not postponed.
You will learn how to care for myrtle in the video below.