In the right place in the flower bed, the checkered flower self-seeds and forms attractive carpets of flowers over the years. If you want to support this, you can easily propagate the plant yourself by sowing.

After flowering, the checkerboard flower forms seeds and sows itself

The checkerboard flower is a cold germ

In order for the seed of the checkerboard flower to actually sprout, it must be stratified. This means that the seeds need a longer-lasting cold stimulus to open.

seed

You can obtain germinable seed from garden retailers. Alternatively, you can remove the seeds yourself in early summer. The harvested seeds have a natural germination inhibition and, stored in a dark and dry place, do not sprout before autumn.

Sowing in the flower bed

If you want to sow the chess flower directly into the flower bed, you should chop the soil thoroughly so that it is fine and crumbly. The seeds are sown widely and covered with a fine wire so that they are not eaten by hungry birds in the cold season.

Cold germination in the refrigerator

The natural cold stimulus can be simulated well in the refrigerator. You can either put the already sown pots in the fridge for four to six weeks or, alternatively, you can store a sand-seed mix in the fridge for some time.

  • Mix the seeds with a little moistened sand and place in a freezer bag.
  • Close bag tightly.
  • Place in the vegetable drawer of the fridge. It's about eight to ten degrees here.
  • Keep checking for germination over the next few weeks.
  • Since some moisture can escape through the tightly sealed bag, moisten the sand again if necessary.

After allowing enough cold to act on the seeds, do the following:

  • Fill bowls with growing substrate.
  • Spread the sand and seed mixture in a thin layer.
  • Cover with a thin layer of soil (dark germ).
  • Wet well with a sprayer and cover with a plastic hood or clear plastic bag.

The optimal germination temperature is 18 to 20 degrees. Place the seed trays in a bright but not full sun spot on the window sill where the seeds will soon dry out. As soon as the second or third pair of leaves appears and the small chess flowers have reached a height of about ten centimetres, the little plants can be separated.

tips

Slowly acclimate the seeds in the planting trays to the changed temperature conditions. First place the containers in a cool, darkened room for a week and then on the windowsill.

Category:

Herbs