Podzimnie crops and planting flowers. How to sow flowers before winter? Autumn crops of garden crops

Autumn has already come into its own, the gardens are filled with bright colors of the new season - asters, chrysanthemums and dahlias are blazing with bright colors, the leaves are turning yellow ... real cold is just around the corner, and with them - and the end of the next gardening season.

However, experienced gardeners know that autumn is a time of many worries and troubles necessary to prepare for the next season. Among them are autumn crops.

Winter sowing of annual and perennial flowers means planting already on frozen ground - in late October - early November, or even on snow - in December - January. However, you need to start preparing for the winter sowing of flowers right now: prepare the soil, ridges and, of course, stock up on seeds.

If you have never sowed before winter, the very thought of such a method of growing flowers can make you shiver: but how can you throw them, tender ones, right into the snow? In fact, it is the winter sowing of many flowers that often gives the best results.

Pros and cons of winter crops

So, why do you need to sow flowers in cold weather?

In their natural habitat, flowers, as a rule, reproduce quite independently. Seeds after ripening fall into the soil, spend the winter under the snow and begin to germinate with the first spring rays of the sun. That is, such sowing creates natural growth conditions (of course, we are talking mainly about frost-resistant plants).

In this situation, plants harden off and grow stronger and more resilient than when grown in greenhouse conditions. They are quite capable of withstanding spring frosts, are disease resistant and grow well. In addition, hardened plants develop healthier, deeper root systems that allow them to draw water from deeper soil layers. And this, in turn, means better resistance to drought and weeds.

By the way, annuals sown in autumn usually bloom about a week earlier than their counterparts sown in spring.

In addition, in the spring you do not have to worry about whether the earth has already warmed up enough for planting. The plants themselves will germinate at the most optimal time for them. Hence, another undoubted plus: the release of your time in the spring and empty window sills! Podzimnie crops eliminate the need to mess with the seedlings of these crops.

As for the shortcomings of autumn sowing of annual crops, here we can first of all name the relatively low germination of seeds (when compared with the seedling method of growing). It is for this reason that during autumn sowing, seeds are usually sown much denser than in spring, and this, in turn, increases the consumption of seeds.

Winter thaws also pose a danger to winter crops. Seeds may awaken prematurely, in which case, of course, all sprouts will die in subsequent frosts.

And, of course, not all flowers can be planted in cold weather. Heat-loving exotics from the southern latitudes will simply die under the snow.

But plants grown in this way will be much stronger than seedlings, and as for germination, you can always notice in the spring those crops that have not sprouted or have sprouted poorly, and duplicate the sowing in a timely manner.

As for perennials, there are even more reasons to sow in the fall. The fact is that many types of perennial ornamental plants require cold treatment for seed germination. In order to grow these flowers in seedlings, soaked seeds are kept in the refrigerator for 2-3 months. However, it is much easier to sow these seeds in the ground before winter, and then the stratification will take place naturally without much effort on your part.

Most perennials develop much more successfully during winter sowing. And if you cover the seedlings with a film in the spring, you can often even achieve their flowering in the first year of life.

As for the germination of perennial seeds during autumn planting, it is much higher than that of annual plants.

Autumn sowing of annuals

The first rule when planting annual crops in the autumn is to sow in already frozen ground. Otherwise, the seeds may germinate prematurely and die at the first frost.

However, it is necessary to start preparing the soil in advance - in late September - early October, before the ground freezes. It is worth carefully planning the site for planting so that in the spring the seeds are not washed away by melt water.

To prepare the soil in the selected area, it is necessary to dig, fertilize and make shallow grooves or holes. The depth of the grooves is calculated based on the selected plant species: for large seeds, a depth of about 4-5 centimeters is needed, for medium ones - about 2, for small ones - no more than 1 centimeter.

In addition, it is worth stocking up in advance with a substrate for sprinkling seeds. Since during the winter the top layer of soil can be very compacted, which makes it difficult to germinate, it is recommended to sprinkle the crops with a thin layer of peat, humus or a light soil mixture of compost, peat with sand or humus with sand.

The actual sowing can be started in two terms: in November-December, when the topsoil freezes, or in the snow, in December-January. In any case, the seeds should be sown thicker than in spring.

When sown in late autumn, the seeds are placed in grooves and sprinkled with prepared soil mixture. From above, you can additionally cover the crops with a layer of fallen leaves.

For winter (in December-January, when the snow layer is at least 25 centimeters) sowing, the soil is prepared in exactly the same way (digging, fertilizing), but there is no need to make grooves in the ground, since the seeds are sown directly into the snow.

Snow is trampled down, grooves are made in it, seeds are placed in them. From above, the crops are sprinkled with a layer of prepared (non-frozen) soil mixture or peat and, additionally, with a layer of snow.

In the spring, seedlings will need to be thinned out.

Some of the annuals suitable for winter sowing: dimorphotheca notched and rainy, bitter and umbrella, collinsia variegated, double-pinnate and sulfur-yellow, keeled, sowing and crowned, seaside malcolmia, Drummond, .

Autumn sowing of perennials

The soil for the autumn sowing of perennial flowers is prepared in the same way as for annuals: they dig up, fertilize and make grooves. Sowing begins from mid-October to early November. Seeds are also sprinkled with a thin layer of prepared soil mixture.

In the spring, after the snow melts, it is advisable to cover the seed bed with a film. Thus, you will accelerate the flowering of perennials, and at the same time protect the seeds from birds and spring rains. After the shoots appear, the film should be removed.

Ph.D., Art. scientific collaborator Federal Scientific Center for Horticulture named after I.V. Michurina, Scientific Secretary of the Academy of Non-traditional and Rare Plants, member of the All-Russian Society of Geneticists and Breeders of the Russian Federation

Do you want your garden or patio to light up with bright colors in early spring? Do you want to mess around in the beds, occasionally glancing at a chic flower bed full of flowering plants when the neighbors are just planting seedlings of flowers? Do you want to get strong flower plants with maximum immunity? Then you definitely need to read this article and make winter crops of flower crops. About how to do it, what crops to use, when to sow - now we'll tell you everything!

But, before we start a fascinating story about how to correctly and when it is most correct to lower the grains into the soil, let's talk about the advantages and disadvantages, the pros and cons of winter crops of flower crops.

When there are two pieces of news, I always prefer to start with a good one, so let's start with the benefits of planting flowers in the fall.

Well, of course, this is the very first, earliest spring flowering, days or even weeks earlier than the “neighbors”, and if you build a small greenhouse and cover the seedlings, it will be absolutely great!
The second plus is the full use of spring melt water accumulated in the soil from melting snow, so that a dry spring will not threaten you for sure, especially those who break up the most luxurious flower beds in their summer cottages.
Plus the third - natural stratification, or hardening. “If you want to be healthy, temper yourself,” this also applies to seeds. During the winter, a kind of natural selection will take place, and the strongest and strongest seeds will give powerful shoots, which will not be afraid of either the vagaries of the weather or diseases with pests.
Plus, the fourth - since the plants are powerful and strong, which means they are resistant to frost and return cold, and this cannot but be to our advantage.
Fifth plus. Suppose every year we sow only seeds collected by our caring hands - thus, using winter crops, we ourselves, without knowing it, can get elite seed material, simply ideally adapted to local climate conditions. And each year will be better than the previous one, both in strength of growth and in the degree of flowering, coupled with duration.
The sixth plus is a small head start, a drop of time that can be spent in the spring not on sowing seeds, but on something else.
Well, a couple of not pluses, but pluses - this is the ability for plants to form more developed roots, and, consequently, we should pay less attention to them in the future in terms of care; and cats will bask in the sun on our window sills, and not seedlings will stand (although this is an amateur).

But there is also bad news, or rather, the disadvantages or risks of winter sowing of flower crops. There are significantly fewer of them, but, nevertheless, there is always a risk that you will incorrectly determine the timing of sowing, it will get warmer, the seeds will sprout and die.

Early thaws - the same picture, a provocation, the seeds "think" that it is spring, but no, then a serious frost and again a bunch of attacks.

Well, it’s a sin to hide, annuals during the winter sowing sprout much worse than if you dispersed the cats from the windowsills and started growing seedlings, like this ...

But we are residents of the 21st century, and therefore we need to somehow change the usual foundations, boldly sow annuals before winter.

Sowing annuals

The very first and most important rule is that the seeds of annual crops should only be sown in already frozen soil, otherwise they will sprout and die. Around the beginning of October, prepare the soil well, select a site such that meltwater cannot wash away the seeds, and so that it is more convenient for you to contemplate future beauty, and for future beauty to contemplate the world around.

Dig up the soil, add 300 g of wood ash per sq. meter and make holes or grooves. As for the depth of these same holes or grooves, it must be calculated based on the size of the seeds, but usually the largest seeds are not immersed by more than 4 cm, and the small ones by less than a centimeter (winter is ahead).

Next, stock up on loose and fertile soil so that the holes or grooves are properly sprinkled later. To do this, it is ideal to use humus or a mixture of compost and river sand in equal proportions, or the same from river sand and humus.

Around November, you can safely start sowing annual flowers. At the same time, you can sow both in November and at the very beginning of December, trying to sow twice as thick as usual in spring.

After sowing, the seeds are sprinkled with the prepared mixture, and leaf litter is thrown on top, and so that it is not blown by the wind throughout the area, they are also covered with spruce paws (they chic hold the snow).

How to plant in the snow, you ask? But it’s simple - they trample it down well, crush it and place the seeds, and then sprinkle it with one of those mixtures that are described above, they are stored in our heat. From above you can sketch a snowball.

Proven annual flower crops that will definitely sprout in the spring are: summer adonis, sea alissum, Chinese aster, blue cornflower, Chinese carnation, large-flowered godetia, graceful gypsophila, annual delphinium, notched dimorphotheca, rain dimorphotheca, bitter iberis, umbrella iberis, calendula officinalis, clarcia marigold, escholcia Californian, collinsia variegated, kosmeya double-pinnate and kosmeya sulfur-yellow, keeled chrysanthemum, chrysanthemum sowing and crowned chrysanthemum, three-month-old lavatera, antirrinum, poppy self-seed, malcolmia maritime, matthiola bicorna, fragrant mignonette .

Sowing and perennials

The principle is the same: we prepare the soil well, dig a shovel on a full bayonet, remove all plant debris, weed rhizomes, add 350-400 g of wood ash or a teaspoon of potassium sulfate per square meter. Next, we make holes or grooves, in fact, as for annual flowering plants. Perennials are usually sown from the first decade of October to the beginning of November. The mixture needed to cover the sown seeds can be used the same as we described above. Choose the option you like and sprinkle, and most importantly, keep it warm so that it does not freeze by the time of sowing.

In autumn, you can safely sow such perennial flowering plants as aconite, alpine aster and New Belgian aster, buzulniki, species geyher, panicled gypsophila, dicentra, oriental poppy, euphorbia, rudbeckia, non-double varieties of nivyanik.

Inexperienced summer residents, as a rule, tend to end the summer season as early as possible, removing the entire crop and saying goodbye to the beds and flower beds until spring. At the same time, an experienced gardener knows that there is still a lot to do in the fall. You can now plan your work in such a way that it turns out to unload a very hot spring time. Such autumn work also includes sowing before winter. It is in late autumn that you can sow not only vegetable seeds, but also perennial and annual flowers. Such crops have significant advantages, in addition to saving time. They allow you to get high-quality hardened seedlings with minimal effort. How to sow flowers before winter, we will tell in this publication.

Why is it worth sowing flowers before winter?

Sowing seeds before winter has several important advantages.

Save time and space for plants in spring

Growing seedlings of flowers and vegetables is quite a tedious task, especially when there are a lot of seedlings. By sowing some of the plants before winter, you can allocate more space on the windowsill for heat-loving plants and pay more attention to this seedling. For someone else, another important factor in this case will be the fact that the seedlings do not need to be transported, they will already be at the landing site.

plant hardening

Another very important point is the hardening of plants. Seeds sown in autumn will give stronger and hardier seedlings. Such seedlings will be more resistant to spring frosts, pests and pathogens. For example, quite often inexperienced gardeners fail to grow an annual aster - it is often affected by fungal diseases. Winter sowing of asters allows you to get stronger seedlings that are resistant to diseases.

Flowers sown for the winter bloom earlier

Another factor is that flowers sown before winter bloom two weeks earlier. And if in spring the beds with crops are covered with covering material with the help of arcs, then the plants will bloom even faster!

Podzimny sowing - natural seed stratification

For many perennial flowers, sowing before winter is not only possible, but even necessary. The fact is that, getting into winter conditions, perennial seeds go through a stage of natural stratification, without which they simply may not sprout.

For the seeds of these plants to germinate, it is important to stay at low temperatures for some time. On bags with such seeds, manufacturers usually write that they must be kept in the refrigerator during spring sowing (each has its own stratification time).

If the expiration date of the seeds is running out

Another factor worth mentioning is that in the fall it is better to sow those seeds that are nearing their expiration date. Podzimny sowing allows you to make sure much earlier whether the seeds are viable or not. In the absence of seedlings, there will still be time to sow new seeds. Of course, only cold-resistant plants can be sown.

In autumn, it is better to sow those flower seeds that have an expiration date. © ruyameali

Cons of winter sowing flowers

Like any other technology, sowing seeds before winter has negative aspects that must also be taken into account.

Firstly, unpredictability and sudden changes in weather can lead to the death of seedlings. Sustained frosts can be replaced by thaws, seeds can begin to germinate, and after another change of weather they can die.

It is precisely because of such sudden changes in the weather that it can be quite difficult to determine the exact time of sowing seeds. In any case, any technology has its pros and cons, knowing about the negative aspects of winter sowing, you can play it safe: sow only part of the seeds. If a variety is valuable or rare, some seeds can be left for the spring.

Another point that must be taken into account when sowing before winter is that if the site is very heavily littered with weed seeds, in the spring they will sprout simultaneously with cultivated plants. And the bed will definitely need to be weeded, which is not so easy until the seedlings are small. In this case, it is better to abandon any crops before winter.

Terms of sowing flowers before winter

The optimal time for sowing before winter is the establishment of stably low, but not yet sub-zero temperatures. In many regions, this time comes in late October-mid-November.

It is important not to rush into sowing, otherwise seedlings may appear prematurely and then die. More precisely, you can determine the time by a stable decrease in air temperature to zero degrees. At this time, the soil is already quite frozen, but not yet covered with a layer of snow. If weather forecasters do not promise warming, you can start sowing.

Although it is possible to sow much later - before the permanent snow cover falls. As a rule, the topsoil is already frozen at this time. This will not affect the seeds in any way, the main thing is to prepare the bed in advance. On the very day of sowing, this is unlikely to succeed - the earth will already be frozen. In this case, you need to fill the seeds with dry, not frozen soil. It will need to be prepared in advance, closed from moisture and freezing.

How to choose a place and prepare a bed for sowing?

For winter sowing, it is very important to prepare the beds in advance and make grooves so that at the right time it remains only to sow the seeds and cover them with dry soil.

A place for sowing should be chosen protected from the winds, preferably on an elevated place so that there is no stagnant water, otherwise the seeds may rot. The ideal option is a raised bed with sides so that the seeds are not washed away from the bed with precipitation. The height of the optimal bed is 15-20 cm. In the spring, there will be no excess moisture on such a bed, it will warm up quickly, which means that the seeds will begin to sprout much earlier.

Before sowing, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with the growing conditions of each selected plant. There are cultures that easily tolerate transplants. And there are those that, when transplanted, take root with difficulty, they must be immediately sown in a permanent place.

The place under the bed must be freed from weeds and dug up. Especially carefully you need to remove the roots of perennial weeds. Otherwise, in the spring they will quickly germinate and kill the seedlings of flowers.

Under digging, you can make humus 4-6 kg per 1 sq. m. If the earth is dense, heavy, then you need a baking powder, for example, river sand. From mineral fertilizers, you can scatter phosphorus-potassium (15-20 g per 1 sq. M) or special autumn fertilizers.

How to sow flower seeds before winter?

The winter sowing of seeds has its own characteristics. It is very important to work in dry weather. Seeds cannot be soaked and germinated - sowing can be done only with dry seeds, so as not to provoke their premature germination.

Due to the possible death of some seedlings, the seeding rate is usually increased by 25–50%.

During the winter, the soil layer is compacted. So that the seeds can break through to the surface in the spring, it is recommended to sow them at a shallower depth compared to sowing in the spring. That is why it is advisable to sprinkle the seeds sown before winter with a small layer of humus, peat or a mixture of peat, sand and humus.

The soil must be prepared in advance so that it is dry and loose. After sowing, the bed is not watered so that the seeds do not germinate prematurely. To protect against severe frosts, the bed can be covered with fallen leaves, spruce branches.

How to care for winter crops in spring?

In the spring, as soon as the snow melts, the mulching material must be removed. At first, crops do not need watering, they have enough moisture from melted snow. It is desirable to install arcs with covering material on the bed. This will save moisture, protect crops from temperature extremes.

If the seedlings sprout very densely, they must be thinned out or planted. Later, as the plants grow, they can be planted in a permanent place.

So, as you can see, there are no particular difficulties and a large number of manipulations when sowing flowers before winter. The main thing is to prepare the bed in advance, the soil for powdering the crops and sow the plants in time.

What flowers can be sown before winter?

In winter, you can sow both annual and biennial, and perennial flowers.

Letniki

Before winter, cold-resistant annuals are sown with a short period of development from germination to flowering.

They can be sown both on a seedling bed, and immediately on a permanent place. In this case, you need to choose a place for sowing in accordance with the preferences of plants and carefully prepare the soil. For plants with a tap root system, planting in a permanent place is more preferable, as they do not tolerate transplanting well. These plants include delphinium, poppy, escholcia.

If desired, you can immediately sow the seeds in containers or pots. But they will have to be buried in the ground for the winter; before sowing, a drainage layer must be put on the bottom of the pots to avoid stagnant water in them.

Before winter, annuals, biennial and perennial flowers can be sown. © Ogrody Porosa

Perennial and biennial flowers

Among perennial plants, there are those that require cold stratification for germination. Among them: aquilegia, gentian, delphinium, lavender, primrose. If you are unable to grow seedlings of these flowers, be sure to try sowing them before winter.

And there are also perennials that can be sown either before winter or in spring. But, as practice shows, seedlings obtained from winter crops will sprout more amicably and will develop much better.

These plants include: arabis, gaillardia, viola, carnation, doronicum, peach-leaved and Carpathian bells, lychnis, lupine, small-petal, chamomile, obrieta, yarrow, etc.

Many gardeners use winter sowing flowers from seeds. This method has many advantages.

First - this method allows you to get the earliest flowering. Secondly, this method of sowing saves a lot of time in the spring, because no one cancels seating and picking, but the place on the windowsills occupied by seedlings will definitely free up. Third - plants that are planted in this way will be more "hardened", resistant to diseases and adverse conditions.

What flowers are best grown in this way, sowing them before winter? There are a lot of them. These are asters and delphinium, iris and calendula, kandyk, cosmea and clematis, buttercup and bathing suit, hellebore, poppy, peony, corydalis and primrose, evening primrose, violet, escholcia, ash tree.

I would like to say about one more advantage of winter sowing. For some plants, for example, hellebore, delphinium, primrose, stratification is needed for seed germination - what does this mean? And this means that the seeds of these plants need cold treatment. Therefore, with winter sowing, this procedure is not necessary, as with spring sowing.

The timing of winter sowing may be different - from October to February, depending on your climate zone. The main thing is to comply with the condition - at the time when the sowing occurs, stable cold must be established. If the sowing is done in too warm weather, the seeds will germinate, and winter frosts will kill them. In the cold, the seeds should go swollen, but in no case sprouted. Given that in recent years, even in central Russia, warm October and even November are not rare, the sowing time can only come at the end of November.

If you plant seeds directly in the beds, then you need to take care of their preparation and creation in advance, when the ground has not yet been frozen by frost.

It is very convenient to sow seeds in plastic containers or pots. In the spring, it will be easier for you to find seedlings. On your site, choose a place protected from light and wind, lay a non-woven material, if the snow has already fallen, rake it. Then install the boxes, and in them containers with crops. Place another layer of non-woven fabric on top and cover with snow.

The depth of winter sowing of flowers should be the same as during spring sowing or a little less. If you are already sowing in frozen ground, then the grooves can be sprinkled with pre-prepared soil. It is not necessary to water the sown seeds.

In the spring, on the contrary, make sure that the seedlings do not dry out, carry out snow retention, and when the snow melts, it is time to water the seedlings. Sprouted shoots dive and plant in the ground.

Winter sowing of annual and perennial flowers implies planting already on frozen ground - in late October - early November, or even on snow - in December - January. However, you need to start preparing for the winter sowing of flowers right now: prepare the soil, ridges and, of course, stock up on seeds.

Planting flowers before winter in November 2019: rules for sowing annual and perennial flowers in autumn

If you want to see your garden beautiful and even colorful already in the spring, start the new summer season in the company of green strong shoots pleasing the soul, and then surrounded by bright early flowering, then the autumn (winter) sowing of flowers is just for you!

Yes, this is not a joke or a mockery! It is in the fall, before winter, that many flowers (and not only flowers!) can and should be sown in the garden.

Benefits of autumn (winter) sowing flowers

the possibility of obtaining bright spring flowering much earlier than with spring sowing, and covering the crops with a film gives even greater acceleration;
full use of spring moisture from snowmelt by crops, i.e. eliminates the risk of "dry spring";
the passage of the hardening process by seeds under conditions of natural selection: the weak ones died, the strong ones will give strong and healthy seedlings;
obtaining frost-resistant, disease-resistant seedlings and plants, and the absence of pests at this time will give additional strength for development at the initial stage of development;
if from year to year you use exclusively your seeds obtained from plants that have passed natural selection in this way, then over the years you can get new varieties adapted to local winter conditions, improving the result every year;
getting a certain amount of free time to use it for other spring work, since part of the work on preparing the beds and sowing has already been completed in the fall;
the ability to form a more powerful, deep and healthy root system, allowing the use of moisture from the lower layers of the soil;
the opportunity to leave the window sills free in the spring.

Possible risks of autumn (winter) sowing of flowers

the difficulty of determining the timing of sowing: if you do not guess with the timing of sowing, the seeds will hatch in the fall and freeze in the winter cold;
the danger of early thaws: if the seeds begin to hatch from temporary warming, then the return of severe frosts will also lead to their freezing;
relatively low germination of annuals in comparison with the seedling method of growing flowers;

Terms of autumn (podzimnego) sowing flowers

Autumn (sub-winter) sowing of flowers can be started only after the onset of a stable, stable cold snap and frost.

In many regions - this is the end of October - the beginning-mid-November. To start sowing, the soil should freeze to 2-4 degrees, the air should not exceed 0 degrees during the day. If there is a possibility of an increase in temperature, then you should not rush with crops, because. thaw after sowing is highly contraindicated. Here the main indicator is the frozen topsoil.

Lunar calendar 2019

Auspicious days for sowing and planting flowers

Preparation of beds for autumn (winter) sowing of flowers

The most important thing here is the right choice of a place for crops.

The correct choice would be a sunny, sheltered from cold winds, well-heated and drying place, not flooded in spring, on the southern slopes and hillocks.
With a low-lying location of the site and surface groundwater, the beds are made raised (15-20 cm high), or high (30-40 cm high).

It is advisable to prepare the beds in advance, the best time for this is September, early October.

The soil must be dug up and fertilized: basically, it is compost or humus, in some cases, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.
The soil should be light and fertile, because. heavy over the winter has time to strongly compact.

for small seeds - 0.5 - 1 cm deep,
for medium - 2 cm deep,
for large seeds - 4-5 cm deep.

The beds with grooves are covered with a film to keep the soil dry so that autumn rains and weed seeds do not fall into the grooves.
Also, you need to take care of the preparation of dry soil and mulch (sand, compost) in advance, put it in a dry place before sowing the seeds.

Podzimny sowing seeds

Completely dry seeds are sown in grooves, sprinkled with a layer of 1.5-2 cm prepared in advance with dry soil, and an additional 2-3 cm layer of mulch on top.

Podzimny sowing seeds of annual flowers can be done in two terms:

late autumn (end of October - beginning of November) and
at the beginning of winter (December - January).

At the same time, the sowing technology for these two terms is different.

Sowing seeds in late autumn (late October - early November)

Podzimny sowing late autumn you can start only after the onset of a stable, stable cooling and frost:

The topsoil must be frozen and the flower seeds must lie dry in the soil so that they do not have time to germinate in the fall.
When such a time comes, the topsoil is frozen, there is no threat of warming, then completely dry seeds are sown along the grooves and nests in previously prepared areas, then they are sprinkled with a layer of 1.5-2 cm prepared in advance, dry soil, with an additional 2-3 layer of mulch on top. cm.
Mulch is used to prevent crusting on the soil surface and to maintain negative temperatures in the soil during occasional autumn warming and early spring thaws.
And this factor is very important and must be observed, otherwise if the seeds begin to hatch from temporary warming, then the return of severe frosts will lead to their freezing.
Seed consumption during autumn (winter) sowing of flowers increases by 1.5 times.

In the spring, the first thinning of seedlings is done after the appearance of the third leaf,

the second thinning - 2 weeks after the first, already finalizing the desired scheme for each type of plant.

Sowing seeds at the beginning of winter (December - January)

The sowing of flower seeds at the beginning of winter is started after the formation of a snow cover of at least 25 cm.

On a site prepared in advance in autumn, snow is trampled down, grooves are made directly on it, and seeds are sown in them, also spending 1.5 times more seeds.
The seeds are sprinkled with a layer of 1.5-2 cm prepared in advance with dry soil, and snow is thrown on top and compacted well to protect the seeds from mice.
In the spring, two thinnings are made according to the method described above.
Most annuals do not tolerate transplanting well, and therefore it is better to sow such species immediately in flower beds to a permanent place.