How to grow mimulyus from seeds through seedlings

Mimulus - Ornamental, very popular with gardeners, also known as the gubastik flower. Mimulus is grown from seeds in open flower beds and as an indoor flower.

The most popular are the two types of mimulyus - leopard and winter sunset. The first is distinguished by very beautiful velvet bright yellow flowers, covered with maroon spots on the edges, similar to a leopard skin.

At winter sunset, flowers are covered with luxurious dark pink spots on a light background.

Growing mimulyusa through seedlings

Mimulus - perennial plant, however, it is usually planted in the middle lane every year. Seeds of mimulyus very small, almost like dust. In one gram can be counted up to seven thousand tiny seeds. They may be dark or light.

Sowing seeds mimulyusa possible in two ways - through seedlings or directly into the open ground.

When to sow seeds for seedlings

Planting mimulyusa on seedlings is carried out in special cells for seedlings, which are subsequently installed on the windowsill, on the balcony or in a heated greenhouse.

When to start sowing mimulyus to seedlings, depends on the climatic zone and weather conditions: in southern latitudes, it is safe to begin sowing as early as the end of February, in colder areas, it is better to postpone the sowing of gubastik until the end of March or even until the beginning of April,because when the time comes to plant the seedlings in open ground, it should not be too high, otherwise the plant will be much harder to take root.

We select the soil

Mimulus grows well on the soil rich in organic fertilizers, so the soil for seedlings should be selected nutrient with low or neutral acidity (pH from 5.5 to 5.8). You can use the universal soil from the store, but it should be added sand, because the plant prefers loose soil, as well as peat, humus or other organic matter.

The ideal soil for seedlings mimulyusa is considered a mixture of turf and leaf soil, peat, sand and humus in the ratio of 1: 2: 1: 1: 3. In any case, the ground in the container for seedlings should be soft, moist and breathable. Also, do not forget about a good drainage layer.

How to sow small seeds mimulyus

Microscopic sizes of mimulus seeds determine the sowing technology.

After sowing the seeds in prepared cassettes, cover them with glass or film so that the earth does not dry out.For this you can also use transparent disposable cups, if necessary, pre-cut to the desired height.

How to care for the first shoots

If the seeds are sown correctly, the first shoots may appear within a week. At a cooler room temperature (up to 18 ° C), the seeds will emerge somewhat later. Watering the ground at this time is not allowed. - mimulus seed is very delicate, it can be damaged even by a slight pressure of water. To keep the earth moist, it needs to be tidy spray.

When the first shoots of mimuly appear, control over soil moisture needs to be strengthened - on the one hand, gentle shoots require a soft and not dried soil, on the other hand, an excess of moisture can lead to plant rot and the formation of an unpleasant fungal disease called "black leg".

After the seedlings form the seedlings, the containers are moved to a cooler place (10-15 degrees) so that the seedlings do not develop too quickly. At the same time it is necessary to reduce the intensity of watering, too wet soil is detrimental to seedlings. For the normal development of seedlings mimulyus lighting should be good enough.

Dive seedlings in separate containers

Two weeks after the emergence of seedlings, when the seedlings designed 2-3 true leaves, it should be swoop down. Too small seeds of sponge do not allow them to be sown evenly, therefore the seedlings are very crowded. In such conditions, plants can not grow normally and interfere with each other.

Correctly chosen time for picking - the appearance of the first roots of seedlings from the bottom opening of the container. With the right timing for sowing and normal germination at this point, the seedlings need to be indoors for about one and a half months, and not in open ground. But too small a container and an abundance of neighbors will have a bad effect on growth.

Therefore, at this moment the plants should be transplanted into larger containers so that the seedlings have enough space for further development. One-time paper, peat or plastic cups of 150-200 g are good for transplanting.

In each such glass you can carefully transplant four plants.

Before picking, seedlings should be watered well and left for a few hours so that the earth is sufficiently moist. Each seedling should be picked up with a small spatula, a pencil or a sushi stick, but it is better to keep the surface flat.You cannot take a sprout by the foot, you can only support it for the seed-leaves.

Getting a seedling, you need to carefully to pinch its main spineto stimulate the development of the root system. Then the seedling is immersed in the prepared recess in the soil of the new pot just below the point of growth. This method speeds up the rooting process and facilitates the subsequent major transplant.

The landing of the grown seedlings mimulyus on a flower bed

The seedling of mimulyus is very gentle and fragile, however, it has one indisputable advantage: with proper planting and caring for seedlings, the plant develops very quickly. Due to this feature, young plants begin to bloom at the end of spring, it is important to have time to plant the seedlings on the flower bed.

When to plant seedlings

If the spring was warm enough, and the sowing of seeds for seedlings was carried out too early, the seedlings of mimulyusa can be planted in a flower garden without prior picking. However, in normal conditions, sprung seedlings are planted in a flower bed at the end of May.

By this time, the plant should already grow well and get stronger. The ideal age of seedlings before planting is 6-8 weeks.

Planting plantation seedlings

The mimulus is planted in loose and pre-fed soil with humus and peat in a place that is not too sunny, as this plant can burn and die under the scorching rays. Planting seedlings need not too heap, the distance between individual instances should not be less than 20 cm.

Good news for those who are interested in how long after planting the mimulus blooms: If you grow a plant in a seedling way, you can admire flowering in mid-May.

Other ways of planting and breeding mimulyus

The most common method of breeding mimulyusa is growing seedlings, but other options are possible.

Planting seeds immediately in open ground

If you do not want to potter with seedlings, you can sow the sponge directly on the flowerbed. The negative side of this method in the first place is later flowering, at the end of May or in June, when the transplanted seedlings are already in bloom, sowing the mimulus in open ground can only be started.

In the mimulus, sown directly on the garden bed, the flowering period is postponed to the end of summer or even the beginning of autumn.

In addition, the mimulus sown in the open ground is usually weaker, with early sowing the seedlings may freeze, and with late sowing, on the contrary, it may burn in too hot sun, therefore this method is not considered effective.

The temperature for planting mimulyusa in the open land should steadily reach 15 degrees of heat, preferably, even the air warmed even more. Sowed seeds must be immediately covered with foil.

Sowing depth, as in the case of seedlings, should not be too large. After the emergence of seedlings, when they are already quite strong, the plants must be arranged to the width, on which the seedlings are planted in open ground (20-30 cm between the specimens).

Cuttings

Vegetative methods of reproduction of mimulus are considered more effective compared to sowing in open ground. So, in the spring this plant can be propagated by dividing the bush, and in the summer - with the help of green cuttings.

This method is also preferable for the reproduction of valuable species of mimulus, since the seeds obtained from the mother plant do not always preserve the breeding qualities.

From an adult plant, after it has faded, a cutting is cut off, on which there must be at least two internodes. Such a stalk can be planted in the sand or agroperlite-peat mixture, covered with a film in order to avoid drying. In just three weeks, such a stalk takes root, after which it can be carefully transplanted to a permanent place.

Proper care of the flower bed mimulyus

When caring for mimulus, good lighting is not so important (the plant may well be content with penumbra), as formation, watering and fertilizer.

Pinching the top - is it necessary?

Young seedlings gubastik need as early as possible pinch - This will provide the plant with good branching. The buds of the mimulus grown from seedlings appear soon after planting (two or three new leaves - and the plant begins to bloom), so you should not miss the moment of pinching so that you do not have to tear the young buds.

The formed bush looks much more elegant, it is very thick and grows quickly, and the flowers on such a plant are much larger than on the one that was not cut. In order for a puff better to form and bloom more abundantly, it is also necessary regularly trim drying shoots.

Watering and feeding

Watering mimulyus it is very important to carry out regularly in hot weather in order to prevent the soil from drying out. Feed the plant to start in the seedlings: As soon as the sponge forms the first true leaf, it is necessary to add nitrogen and potash fertilizers to the water for irrigation.

After planting mimulyus in open ground, starting from the third week, it is necessary to feed the sponge with mineral fertilizers for flowering plants, repeating the procedure 1.5 - 2 times a month.

In order for the mimulus to better blossom, it can be fertilized once or twice with magnesium sulfate.

Diseases and pests

Mimulius sometimes suffers from snails and slugsbut it comes from the over-wetting of the earth. If the place where the sponge is growing turned out to be too wet, the plant should be mulched, using sawdust or straw for this purpose.

In addition to the above "black legs"which also arises from excessive irrigation, the mimulus often strikes powdery mildew. To combat the disease is necessary with the help of fungicidal drugs.

The use of mimulyus in landscape design

Mimulius is a very beautiful ornamental plant. It is widely used in flowerpots, planted along the paths, and also included in the landscape of alpine hills. Sponge can be planted to fill the bare spots on the site. Bright and beautiful flowers mimulyus luxuriously look alone, without additional "support". Nevertheless, the gubastik looks as good surrounded by plants such as buttercups, periwinkles, saxifrage, and also phlox, rusp, astilba, ageratum.

Landscape designers are very fond of mimulus for the fact that it serves as a good decoration of wet areas, artificial ponds or just shady areas of the garden where other flowers feel uncomfortable.

There are specially bred varieties of mimulyus, the stems of which, covered with luxurious flowers, hang picturesquely from a hanging pots. This is a real decoration not only of the open terrace, but also of the usual balcony in a city apartment.

Finally, certain types of sponge (red and copper-red) grow right in the water.Containers with these plants are lowered to the bottom of the reservoir (not deeper than 10 cm), and gorgeous flowers bloom on the surface.