Gardeners' World: Monty outlines how to rearrange geraniums
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A hardy annual is a plant that goes through its entire life cycle in one season and which can be sown outside in the garden where it is to flower. By harvesting the seeds, gardeners can grow them year after year. Some examples of hardy annuals include pot marigolds, cornflowers, cosmos as well as poppies and sunflowers. Gardeners’ World said sowing seed straight into the ground is a “great way” to raise plants if gardeners do not have anywhere under cover to sow them.
Some hardy annuals, such as poppies, sunflowers and dill actually benefit from being sown direct.
Gardeners’ World said: “A fine-textured soil is crucial when sowing seed, as most seeds contain only limited energy reserves to fuel their development.
“Once they start to germinate, the seedlings need to break through the soil surface to reach the light quickly, so the green shoots and leaves can photosynthesise to provide more energy.
“If the soil contains big lumps of earth’s, the emerging shoots have to divert around the obstruction.
“This wastes energy and could kill the seedlings before they reach sunlight.
“By contrast, when seeds are sown into fine, crumbly soil, the shoots are able to push straight up and out into the light.
“As a rule, the larger the seed, the more energy reserves it contains and the coarser the soil texture it can cope with.”
To sow seeds, gardeners will need a fork, rake, trowel, seeds as well as line and reel.
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To start, prepare the bed before sowing on a dry day, breaking down the soil using the back of a fork.
Any weeds should be removed as well as any large lumps of earths and stones.
They could “hinder” the progress of emerging seedlings.
Gardeners’ World added: “Create drills using a trowel.
“Neat sows of seedlings are much easier to weed, so create straight dills, using a line and reel, or attach a length of string to a cane at either end of the row.
“Water the soil lightly before sowing, using a watering can with the rose attached.”
Next, space the seeds according to the instructions on the packet.
It is much easier to tip them into your hand first and then sow them individually or in small pinches.
Lightly cover the soil or leave the seeds on the surface, depending on the packet instructions.
Annuals can suffer a variety of problems including damage from slugs, snails and aphids.
They can also suffer problems from damping off when first sown.
This is a disease caused by several different fungi.
Luckily, this can be prevented by sowing seedlings thinly, using new pots and trays, as well as raising seedlings in commercial growing compost.
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