How to independently propagate melissa seedlings - the method "from scratch". Details on the cultivation of spicy grass

There are several options for breeding lemon balm: cuttings, layering, dividing the bush. All of them are relevant in the event that there is access to the already growing spice bush.

But before the cultivation process, it is better to become familiar with some of the features of planting and caring for the plant in order to get a big harvest at the exit.

And how to grow such a useful grass with your own hands, what is called "from scratch", what nuances should be taken into account when starting the growing process? We will try to describe this in detail in this article.

Preliminary work and landing

Choosing a place

For growing seedlings need to prepare a place where there will be containers. Most often, gardeners use eastern, south-eastern and south-western windows for this purpose, and in winter they use additional lighting (the total duration of the day should be 8 to 10 hours). Not superfluous for those who want to engage in the cultivation of seedlings will purchase phytolamps.

Soil composition

When planting plants in the pot, you can purchase a universal substrate for indoor plants in a specialized store, and you can cook it yourself, mix:

• 1 part of the humus;
• 1 piece of land;
• handful of sand;
• a glass of wood ash.

The soil must undergo preliminary training.:

1. The soil can be ignited in the oven (+ 180С - + 200С for 30 minutes).
2. Spill boiling water or hot pink solution of potassium permanganate.
3. To process fungicides according to the instruction.

All these steps are being taken to ensure that future seedlings do not become infected through the soil with infectious diseases.

Capacity Selection

As capacity for growing melissa seedlings you can use a regular container, which can be purchased at a specialty store (its height should not exceed 10 cm). Instead of such a container, you can use the available tools:

• plastic food containers, plastic trays;
• you can make a box with your own hands from planks, plywood;
• Seed cassettes, peat or cardboard cups can be purchased for this purpose.

But all of these containers must be made at the bottom of the hole, which will ensure the outflow of excess fluid in order to avoid rotting of the balm roots.

Some gardeners practice sowing seed seeds for seedlings in the so-called "diaper": the orderly arrangement of seeds on the edge of moistened toilet paper, wrapped in the form of a roll, along with plastic wrap.

This method gives good results, although so far with great caution perceived by the majority of summer residents. If the choice still fell on a container or tray, then it must be pre-treated with alcohol or some fungicide to avoid contamination of the soil and future plants with some infectious diseases.

Seed preparation

The seeds of lemon balm are very small, each seed does not exceed 1 mm in size. Often, in order to make it easier to keep track of them, they are mixed with sand or with seeds of other crops (lettuce, radish), which after germination are removed or dive into another container. Melissa seeds do not need pre-soaking.

Before sowing, they are simply disinfected, immersing for 20-30 minutes in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate (1 gram of potassium permanganate per 100 milliliters of water), in order to avoid contamination of infectious diseases of the soil and future plants. After the disinfection procedure, the seeds are washed with running clean water and dried. So that small seeds are not washed, they should initially be placed in a tissue napkin, which should be tightly tied.

Sowing

Sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out from mid-March to mid-April.It all depends on the estimated date of landing in open ground. If you plan to grow lemon balm in a room, then you can sow at any time.

1. Drainage should be filled to the bottom of the container:
   • Expanded clay.
   • Gravel.
   • Crushed stone
   • Broken bricks, etc.
2. Then the ground, which should be moistened with an atomizer.
3. Seeds of lemon balm mixed with sand or other seeds and shallowly embedded in a moist soil (0.5 - 1 cm). You can use a pencil to make uniform grooves and gently distribute the seeds over them.
4. Once again, moisten all of the spray.
5. Top container covered with glass or tightened with plastic wrap, which can be removed with the appearance of the first shoots.

Growing up

After how many days do the seeds sprout?

As already noted, lemon balm seeds are very small, they require a long enough time to germinate: this period can take up to a month. Shoots of spicy grass are small white-lettuce, and after - a rich green sprouts, which have 2 seedbed rounded leaves, located opposite each other.

What do the shoots look like in the photo?

Next in the photo are the shoots of the plant.

What to do if there are no germs?

Why sometimes does not go up? The fact that there is no germination may be to blame for the wrong conditions of the plant. Most often, the seeds do not have enough heat and moisture, so it is advisable to adjust the temperature and irrigation scheme. The seeds may have been too deep.

To test this version, you can undermine a small area and make sure that there are some "shifts" in the appearance and development of the future plant. If the seeds do not show any "signs of life", then, most likely, they will have to repeat the sowing, having first made sure of the validity of the seed (shelf life, date of harvesting, etc.).

Care

1. The container with sown seeds is placed in a warm and bright place (+ 20С - + 25С).
2. Every day, glass or film must be opened to ventilate, as well as to remove condensate, which can lead to decay of future plants.
3. The surface of the substrate needs to be systematically irrigated (1 time in 2 days) from a spray bottle so that the water jet cannot wash out the top layer of soil and “clog” weak sprouts.
4. With the appearance of the first shoots, the amount of light must be increased by using additional sources of illumination in the evening.
5. When the seedlings grow to 3–5 cm and I’ll count 2 true leaves, they are planted in separate containers (5 shoots can be in a 15 cm pot) or simply thinned out in a common container, removing the seedlings of other plants (the optimal distance between seedlings is 5 cm ).

Also, seedlings need constant irrigation from a spray gun and watering (3-4 times a week). When the seedlings grow to 10 cm in height, they should pinch the top for future branching of the plant.

10 - 15 days before planting in the open ground, seedlings should begin to harden: take out for a few minutes to open air (not below + 10C), gradually increasing the residence time. On the last day, young plants can be left to sleep in the open..

When to move to a permanent place?

In May, after the threat of returning frosts has passed, young plants whose age is 40 to 45 days can already be planted in open ground.

But everything depends on the region (in some such conditions are possible only at the beginning of June) and weather conditions (if it is too cold outside, then it is better to postpone the landing).

Melissa seedling is considered healthy if it looks strong and stockyWith a well-developed root system and a thick, durable stem. Also, healthy seedlings are distinguished by a bright, saturated color, characteristic of a particular variety (from dark green to golden-salad).

Transfer

In the pot

Consider how to plant in a pot.

1. In a pot with a diameter of 15 to 20 cm, and a volume of 1.5 to 2 liters, pour a layer of drainage (2 to 3 cm), then a substrate (garden soil, sand, humus in the ratio 1: 1: 1).
2. In the substrate it is necessary to make a groove in which the spice seedling should be placed, gently straightening all its roots. In one pot you can plant 2 - 3 plants at once.
3. All voids are filled with soil.
4. The soil is pressed by the hands, especially around the stem of the plant for its secure fixation.
5. At the end, you must carefully pour the contents of the pot of watering can on the edge of the container.

In open ground

1. In the previously prepared area (the ground has been dug up, loosened, fertilized and mixed with sand in equal proportions), the holes are dug out, the distance between which should be about 40 cm, between the rows - 45-60 cm.
2. The wells should be shed with water, allowing moisture to be absorbed.
3. Plants together with the earthy clod are extracted from the containers and placed in the wells. The root neck of the lemon balm should be flush with the ground.
4. Hollows are filled with soil, the surface of which should be tamped for better fixation of plants.

Can I buy ready-made material?

If there is no time to “bother” with the cultivation of seedlings, then you can buy ready-made in specialized and online stores. This plant is quite unpretentious, so its seedlings can, without fear for their future development, even be bought on the market.

When buying, pay attention to the state of the root system: it must be strong and without visible damage.

It should not be preferred mature enough seedlings, since it is these seedlings that transfer the adaptation process more difficult. A healthy plant is a stocky one (its height depends on the variety), strong, with a thick stalk, without dry leaves and other shortcomings.

The average price of lemon balm seedlings in Moscow ranges from 120 rubles per plant to 230 for 6 pieces. In St. Petersburg, one young plant is paid from 150 rubles and more.

Tea and other culinary delights with melissa grown from the seed with your own hands, will be much tastier, more fragrant and more beneficial than with the purchased plant. Do not be afraid to experiment: it can bring a lot of pleasant and useful minutes.

Watch the video: How to Cut Up a Whole Chicken. Melissa Clark Recipes. The New York Times (December 2024).