One of the most fragrant symbols of spring, lily of the valley is a beautiful small docile perennial plant that is very easy to grow in gardens. This low-growing plant appreciates partial shade, does not require maintenance, spreads quickly and widely, is ideal for creating flower carpets in shady places of the garden.
Growing lily of the valley seedlings from seeds requires a lot of time and patience.
Before sowing, the seeds need to be stratified. Such cold preparation should last at least 2 months. We pour the seeds into a bowl, and then fill it with snow and take it out into the cold. If there is no snow, you can replace this process with a simple hardening in the refrigerator.
It is best to sow cold-prepared grains in the purchased soil for seedlings of ornamental crops with a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction. You can add overripe forest litter to it. But before mixing it into a store-bought soil mixture, it is desirable to calcine it in the oven to exclude infection of lilies of the valley with soil pathogens.
In a container with earth, it is enough to make grooves 2 cm deep, the distance between them is about 15 cm, pour them with water from a watering can with small holes, spread out the seeds and cover with moist (but not wet!) soil. By the way, if it is consistently warm outside, seeds can be sown in an open area, having previously moistened and leveled the ground on it. Whenever it dries, you should remember about the watering can. Watering the lily-of-the-valley seedling should be very careful, otherwise the earth will pull the crops deep, and the seedlings may not appear at all.
All subsequent care of seedlings is standard – watering if necessary, protection from drafts, weed destruction if it grows in an open garden.
When choosing a plot for planting lilies of the valley, it is necessary to take into account some criteria:
-Lilies of the valley prefer a shady place, but the complete absence of sunlight can negatively affect their growth.
The territory that is located under the trees is suitable, they let the sun's rays pass well and at the same time give shade.
-Winds and drafts will negatively affect the growth and flowering.
-The soil for lilies of the valley should be well moistened and enriched with organic matter.
Lilies of the valley are extremely beautiful flowers that can give a fabulous, magical look to your garden. Since ancient times and still lilies of the valley are a symbol of purity and there is a belief about their protection of the family from bad energy. Plant lilies of the valley on the plot under the windows or at the entrance to the plot, and happiness and peace will reign in your family.