If the chess flower feels comfortable in its location, it often self-extracts and forms dense carpets of flowers over the years. But you don't have to leave the sowing to nature and you can propagate the plant yourself in this way.
After flowering, the seeds of the checkerboard flower can be harvested
harvest seeds
You can get the seeds of this attractive early bloomer from any well-stocked garden store. Alternatively, you can harvest them yourself. Allow the flower heads to fully mature and then carefully remove them.
sowing time
The best time for sowing is between August and February. Depending on the time of sowing, the small plants are cared for indoors after they have germinated and are not planted outdoors until next autumn.
Stratification of the cold germ
The checkered flower is a cold germ, so the seed must first be stratified. This means that the seeds must be exposed to cold stimuli before germination.
Follow these steps:
- Fill a plastic bag with some damp sand.
- Put seeds in the bag and mix well.
- Leave in a warm place for a few days.
- Do not close the bag completely to prevent mold growth.
- Then put the bag in the fridge for four to six weeks.
- Never put seeds in the freezer, it's too cold here.
sowing
Since the fine roots of the seedlings are still very sensitive, it is advisable to use special potting soil. Fill the seed trays with the substrate and spread the sand-seed mixture flat on the ground. Since the checkered flower germinates both in the light and in the dark, it is sufficient to cover the seeds very thinly with soil.
Then water well with a sprayer. Cover the seed trays with a hood or clear plastic bag to create a greenhouse climate. Don't forget to ventilate every day to prevent mold growth.
After sowing
Place the trays in a bright but not full sun spot where the temperature is around twenty degrees.
Make sure that the seed does not dry out. If necessary, water the small chess flowers carefully with a sprayer, but avoid waterlogging which promotes rot.
pricking
As soon as the small plants are about ten centimeters tall, they are isolated. Continue caring for the small checkered flowers in a sheltered place on the balcony or terrace until early autumn. Only then is the offspring transplanted into the bed.
tips
Chessboard flowers can also be propagated by bulbs. Carefully dig up a bulb after the plants have lost their foliage. You can now separate the tiny daughter bulbs from the mother bulb and put them back in another place.