Any experienced gardener recommends purchasing planting material in the garden in the fall. But it is not always possible to plant the purchased goods, many different factors can affect this, which can not always be changed. Bad weather also refers to them, because it is known that the root system develops well only in warm earth. So how to save seedlings until spring? In order for frosts not to damage fragile plants, and seedlings wait for spring, there are several ways to protect.
Options for preserving seedlings
Digging in the garden is one of the ways to preserve seedlings in winter. This is a trench pit dug in the east-west direction. Its size depends entirely on the covering plant: the larger it is, the longer the pit should be. A sunny and dry, well-ventilated place is chosen for it, it is advisable to avoid the proximity of underground water. Such a neighborhood reduces the success of your event by more than half.
The length of the pit is calculated as follows: twenty centimeters, plus the same amount of additional free space, are relied on each plant. This will determine the state of the soil in spring. Depth - a little more than half a meter. Width - no more than thirty centimeters. On the south side, the trench has a wall with a slope of 45 °, and the north is completely vertical. When solving the problem of how to preserve seedlings until spring, do not forget about the composition of the soil. If it is heavy, add peat or sand to make it light. The roots can begin to develop and grow, so this land will allow them to be removed without difficulty. We cover the bottom of the pit with needles or coniferous sawdust, with moss, 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 for wintering plants
On the question of how to preserve seedlings, one should not miss the nuance of their proper preparation for wintering. Plants should be freed from leaves and placed in clean water in an upright position for five hours. If the roots are dried, leave in the 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 layout will protect the plants from strong winds or the sun. Twenty centimeters of earth are poured from above and watered abundantly. A little later they add the same amount of land. When night frost approaches, the trench is completely buried so that there is a mound from above. Do not forget to protect plants from attacks and damage by rodents.
Preservation of seedlings in the winter
But how to preserve seedlings until spring, if there is frost on the street? There is a good, and most importantly, proven way to do this - snowing. At a time when there is not enough snow, the shrub can be stored in a cool place, however, in a prepared form. We need - sawdust, rags, moss, sand and packaging (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, mix, 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. Do this so that the soil fills the entire space between them, leaving no room for air. This will keep the roots from drying out. Further, when deciding how to preserve seedlings until spring, we determine the storage location. If it is a basement, only the underground part and slightly root neck are wrapped tightly. If the plantings will be in the refrigerator, the seedling is wrapped with a film completely until it branches. At the bottom of the package, several small openings are made for air access. When there is enough snow on the street (the layer height 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 save snow in warm weather and save from temperature changes.