Care instructions: Sowing seeds, vegetable plants & chayote | Plant worlds

Care instructions

Applies to all plants:

After receiving the plants, allow the package to acclimatize at room temperature for two hours.
Then open it promptly and carefully remove the packaging material.

1. Chili and Pepper Plants in Spring:

Always keep the substrate slightly moist and ensure good ventilation.
Ideally, place plants in a very bright location at 18°C or above.
If plants start to etiolate due to lack of light, move them to a cooler spot.
When outdoor temperatures reach approx. 14°C, plants can be slowly moved outdoors and carefully accustomed to the sun.
Bring them back inside in the evening.
They can stay outdoors permanently after the last frosts.

2. Tomato and Cucumber Plants in Spring:

See Chili and Pepper
These plants can be kept a little cooler indoors after receipt.

3. Sowing Seeds:

Generally, a germination temperature of 22-25°C applies, with a sowing depth of 0.5cm. However, at least cover with a substrate layer that is double to triple the size of the seed.

Keep the substrate moist, not wet. The cultivation should take place covered in humid air to prevent the substrate from drying out. Briefly ventilate once a day.

Seeds should be stored cool and dry until sowing.

Specifics are listed below:

Kenaf/Roselle (Hibiscus cannabinus): Germination temperature 18-22°C.
Tobacco (Nicotiana): Germination temperature 18-20°C, just scatter seeds and press down (light germinator)
Native Sundew species (Drosera), Columbine (Aquilegia): These seeds require winter before they germinate (stratification). Ideally sow before or during winter in place, or in pots.
Opium Poppy (Papaver somniferum): Can be sown outdoors as early as September. This gives it a head start for the next year.

4. Planting Chayote Fruits:

The special thing about chayote (Sechium edule) is that the seed is still surrounded by the fruit when it germinates. This ensures that the seedling is supplied with nutrients and moisture before it takes root.

When planting, proceed as follows:

Chayote needs a nutrient-rich and well-draining substrate.
For growing the sprouting fruits, a slightly less nutrient-rich substrate is beneficial for root formation, but not strictly necessary.
For planting, fill a pot with substrate and press it down. The pot can safely be chosen a little smaller for the initial rooting. This saves space on the windowsill. Then refill it to the rim and carefully and slightly diagonally press the fruit with the vertical germination cleft (picture) into the substrate until the sprouting shoot is covered with about two centimeters of substrate (picture).
Then water and keep the substrate only slightly moist thereafter. (Water when the top layer has dried out)
Place the pot in a bright spot.
Can be kept cooler at approx. 15°C if you are concerned that the plant will grow too large before it can be moved outside.

Note: Some people report that the plants grow profusely throughout the year, but do not produce flowers or fruits. When fertilizing chayote, which should ultimately bear many fruits, I recommend paying attention to a balanced ratio of nutrients. I assume that an excessive input of nitrogen strongly promotes growth, but fruit formation may not occur at worst. For this, I recommend special fertilizers for vegetable and fruit plants, which are conditioned to promote yield.

The fruit can form roots at any point. Mainly, however, on the shoot itself. The described position ensures that the shoot has space upwards, but the roots also have space downwards. This ensures that the plant stands stably in the substrate after the fruit dies off.

5. Moonflowers (Ipomoea alba):

The plants like it very warm and sunny
A south-facing window is ideal
Happy outdoors in summer
Bring indoors during prolonged cool weather (observe growth)
The roots are relatively sensitive. When repotting, ensure the old pot is fully rooted. Do not damage the root ball.