Any experienced gardener recommends purchasing planting material for the garden in the fall. But it is not always possible to plant the purchased goods, this can be influenced by many different factors that cannot always be changed. These include bad weather, because it is known that the root system develops well only in warm soil. So how to save seedlings until spring? In order for frosts not to damage immature plants, and seedlings to wait for spring, there are several ways to protect.
Sapling conservation options
Dropping in the garden is one way to save seedlings in the winter. This is a trench pit dug in an east-west direction. Its size depends entirely on the covering plant: the larger it is, the longer the hole should be. For her, choose a sunny and dry, well-ventilated place, it is desirable to avoid the proximity of groundwater. Such proximity reduces the success of your event by more than half.
The length of the pit is calculated as follows: each plant relies on twenty centimeters plus the same amount of additional free space. This will determine the condition of the soil in the spring. Depth is a little morehalf a meter. Width - no more than thirty centimeters. The south side of the trench has a 45° wall, while the north side is completely vertical. Solving the problem of how to save seedlings until spring, do not forget about the composition of the soil. If it is heavy, peat or sand should be added to make it light. The roots can begin to develop and grow, so such land will allow them to be easily removed. We cover the bottom of the pit with needles or coniferous sawdust, moss, we make a litter ten centimeters high. Young plants are dug out of it only after the earth has completely warmed up, somewhere in mid-April.
Preparing plants for wintering
In the question of how to save seedlings, one should not miss the nuance of properly preparing them for wintering. Plants should be freed from leaves and placed in clean water in an upright position for five hours. If the roots are dry, leave in water for a day or more. A prerequisite is that water should not contain additives or fertilizers. After soaking, all unsuitable roots are removed from the seedlings. They are placed in the trench one at a time - the roots look to the north, and the tops to the south. This arrangement will protect the plants from strong winds or the sun. Twenty centimeters of earth are poured on top and watered abundantly. A little later, the same amount of land is added. When night frosts approach, the trench is completely buried so that there is a mound on top. Remember to protect plants from raids and damage by rodents.
Saveseedlings in wintertime
But how to keep the seedlings until spring, if it's cold outside? To do this, there is a good, and most importantly, proven way - snowing. During the period when there is not enough snow, the shrub can be stored in a cool place, however, in prepared form. We will need - sawdust, rags, moss, sand and containers (bag, polyethylene). Whatever substrate you choose, you will first have to steam it with boiling water. Close the vessel, let it brew and cool quietly, stir so that the moisture is evenly distributed. Water should not be very much, its excess will lead to disastrous consequences. The plant is placed in a bag, and on top, carefully, so as not to break the roots, the prepared mixture is poured. They do this so that the soil fills all the space between them, leaving no room for air. This will keep the roots from drying out. Further, when deciding how to store the seedlings until spring, we determine the storage location. If it is a basement, only the underground part and a slightly root neck are wrapped tightly. If the plantings lie in the refrigerator, the seedling is wrapped with a film completely before branching. At the bottom of the package, several small holes are made to allow air to enter. When there is enough snow on the street (the height of the layer will be 15 cm), you can dig the plants in it without removing it from the package. A ten-centimeter layer of sawdust should be poured on top of the snow. This will keep the snow warm in warm weather and save you from temperature fluctuations.
