How to grow verbena from seeds at home?

More than two hundred species of verbena grow in vast territories of the Americas, Europe, the Far East and Central Asia. Among them there are medicinal and even magical plants: in folk traditions, drugs made from verbena strengthen health, serve as a love potion, scare away vampires and other evil spirits.

Verbena growing from seeds at home

Most attractive cultivars, adorned with bright buds on faceted stems with scalloped leaves, come from the thermophilic American species. The minimum temperature that their perennial rhizome can withstand is minus 3 ° C. Therefore, in the open ground, verbena winters only in the southern regions, and in the middle lane it is grown on the site as an annual or in a container as an indoor crop.

The only cultivated variety of verbena wintering in mid-latitudes is one and a half meter straight verbena:

One and a half meter verbena straight

This cold-resistant species in late autumn, cutting off the stems, is covered with spruce branches.

In general, these plants are unpretentious, hardy, drought-resistant, bloom for a long time from June to the first autumn frosts. The five-petalled flowers have a pleasant aroma.

Vervain is most often grown by seedlings from seeds, and then, if the resulting plants spend the winter indoors, propagation by cuttings and division of rhizomes is also used.

Verbena varieties

Thanks to long-term selection work, various variations of the original species have been obtained.

Seed selection

The successful cultivation of verbena is ensured by quality seeds. In the domestic market, deservedly The following suppliers have a high reputation:

• "Aelita";
• "Gavrish";
• "SeDec";
• "Search";
• "Russian garden".

Successful Verbena Growth Provides Quality Seeds

Plants in open ground often reproduce by self-seeding. From them you can also collect your own seed crop - however, in this case varietal characteristics are most often lost. To collect the seed, brown seed pods should be removed from the faded shoots, dried and the oblong seeds removed. Germination harvested "crop" persists for 3-5 years.

Collecting verbena seeds

Sowing dates for verbena seedlings

Optimal time germination of verbena seeds - second decade of March... Earlier sowing requires intensive additional lighting, but even additional lighting does not guarantee the rapid and friendly development of seedlings. Sowing later, in the first half of April, produces plants that bloom only in July.

According to lunar calendar 2016, the best time for sowing verbena:

• in March - 14, 15, 20, 21, 22;
• in April - 10, 11, 17, 18.

Container and soil

For germination of seedlings use shallow containers with drainage holes, which in the future will be convenient to cover with glass or transparent plastic wrap.

For germinating seedlings, use shallow containers with drainage holes

Priming must be loose, not too fertile and permeable.

ATTENTION: For vervain at all stages of development excess and stagnation of moisture is extremely dangerous in the soil.

You can use a ready-made universal soil with a generous addition of sand or vermiculite, or prepare a mixture of equal amounts of peat, garden soil, sand and a small amount of wood ash. Before use, the soil mixture is steamed or treated with a fungicide in order to exclude damage to the seedlings by the "black leg".

Seed preparation and sowing

Since verbena seeds sprout unevenly, it is useful to treat them with a growth stimulant or stratify them (exposure to cold): spread them on a damp cloth, pack them in a plastic bag and place them in the lowest compartment of the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

Preparing seeds for planting

Spread the prepared seeds evenly, without deepening, on the surface of the moistened soil.

Sowing verbena seeds for seedlings

Cover the seeded container with plastic wrap and place in a warm (+ 25 ° C) place. In this case, the illumination may be low.

Creating a greenhouse effect for verbena

Seedling care

When warm, oblong seeds germinate within a few days. After they hatch, the container with the sowing is transferred to a cooler (+ 15-17 ° C) and very bright place.

The film is regularly lifted for ventilation and excess moisture is removed from its inner surface.

ATTENTION: Moisten the soil very carefully, spraying its surface with a spray bottle.

The earliest shoots form in 7-10 days, but some may be delayed in development for up to three weeks.

After the first pair of real leaves appear, the coating is removed.

Video - Sowing verbena seeds

Picking and growing

At the stage of 2-3 leaves young vervains are seated in separate pots with an obligatory hole in the bottom, a drainage layer of small pebbles, expanded clay or ceramic battlefield and optimal soil. Wherein deepen plants to cotyledon leaves, carefully compact the soil, and then moderately water the "new settler".

Picking verbena seeds

In two weeks after a pick, carry out the first top dressing with complex mineral fertilizer... In the future, growing vervains are fed twice a month.

Picking verbena seedlings into separate pots

Landing in a permanent place of verbena

Vervains develop compact rhizomes, so they are successfully grown not only outdoors, but also in containers, including suspended ones.

Verbena, as a decoration of a summer cottage

If the plant is destined for container landing, it is placed in a fairly spacious container with a mandatory drain hole. A layer of small pebbles or expanded clay is poured at the bottom, and then a layer of prepared soil. Transfer the seedling, keeping an earthen lump, fill up the soil to the required level, compact and water it moderately.

Indoors, verbena retains its decorative effect for eight to ten years., but it will need to be transplanted annually. In this case, the plant can be propagated by dividing the rhizome.

In the open ground of the middle lane developed mature seedlings are sent in the third decade of Maywhen the threat of frost has finally passed.

Planting verbena in the ground

For landing choose well-lit place, sheltered from the wind... The soil should be neutral, without excess peat and humus.

ATTENTION: If priming It has sour reaction, his neutralize wood ash or dolomite flour.

Deacidification of the earth with wood ash

At the bottom of the planting holes, located 20-25 cm from each other, a drainage layer of pebbles or brick battle is placed. If the soil is dry, pour water into each depression and plant the vervains in a moist earthen slurry. The planted plants are moderately watered and mulch the soil with fallen leaves or decorative materials.

Verbena care

Further, under any growing conditions, verbena watered carefully, avoiding stagnation of water. If a crust forms on the surface of the soil, loosening is carried out.

Vervains are watered carefully

Single vervains in the open field need weeding.

They are fed once or twice a month mineral complex without excess nitrogen, so that the leaves do not grow to the detriment of flowering.

Dried inflorescences are removed, stimulating the formation of new buds.

After the first frost, the plants are harvested.

Well developed bushes can be dug out of the ground with a lump of earth and transfer for the winter indoors with a temperature not higher than + 10 ° C.

Loosening the earth with verbena flowers

In early spring, in February-March, from such a mother plant, cut apical cuttings with four to six pairs of leaves. The sections are treated with crushed charcoal, the lower leaves are removed.

Cuttings are planted in a wet mixture of peat and sand in equal proportions, deepening to the first lower node. The planting is covered with plastic wrap, ventilated, moistened and kept at a temperature of about 20 ° C. The root system of cuttings develops within three to four weeks. Subsidiary plants completely retain the varietal characteristics of the original verbena.

The main tasks when growing verbena from seeds: to provide good lighting and prevent stagnation of water in the soil.

The resulting seedlings can be planted in the future on a site or in a container, grown as an annual open ground or perennial indoor culture, propagated by cuttings and dividing the rhizome.

In any case, a verbena that has developed from a small oblong seed is capable of giving both sowing and planting material for new generations of beautifully flowering unpretentious plants.

There is an old legend about the origin of this flower, which says that a plant grew from every drop of the blood of the crucified Christ. His name is verbena. In the Middle Ages, a witch's potion was prepared from it, but we just decorate flower beds with it and admire the lush flowering.

Verbena: popular species and varieties

Verbena is a native of the tropics and subtropics of America. The Verbenov family includes about 200 species, some of which have pronounced medicinal properties. Different types of verbena are annuals and perennials, have different heights and are very different in appearance.

Of the wild-growing vervains, the following are the most significant:

• Verbena is marsh or finely dissected. It can bloom already in the seedling period, its flowers with an "eye", white or lilac-bluish, are collected in inflorescences-balls that bear long peduncles.
• Verbena officinalis.It does not differ in particular decorativeness, but it has healing properties. Its root system is powerful, the stem has branches, on which there are peduncles with very small lilac flowers.
• Verbena is beautiful. The plant is distinguished by long thin branching shoots, it can be a ground cover or ampelous. Inflorescences are globular, composed of purple-purple flowers.
• Canadian verbena and double-pinned verbena. The leaves and flowers of these species are larger, their color is pink, white-pink or pinkish-lilac.
• Verbena is tough. Its flowers are small, bluish purple. She winters well in regions with a mild climate. If you put the rhizome in a box of wet sand, it will survive well into spring when kept in a cool basement.
• Verbena Argentinian. One of the tallest species, it reaches a height of one and a half meters. In nature, it is a perennial plant, in the middle lane - an annual. The bush of such a verbena is branched, with numerous shoots, at the ends of which are inflorescences of purple or lilac flowers.
• Verbena is spear-shaped. Another tall species that can grow up to one and a half meters. On erect stems, spike-shaped multi-flowered inflorescences of small lavender-blue or purple flowers are found. The species is frost-resistant, and therefore this perennial verbena may well winter outdoors in the middle lane.
• Verbena is lemon or fragrant. Representative of medicinal vervain. These are tall plants up to 2 m tall with lilac flowers, collected in spike-shaped inflorescences. Oil is made from it, which has pronounced antiseptic properties.

In decorative floriculture, the "palm" belongs to hybrid varieties. Breeders have created many vervains, differing in height, size of flowers and their color.

Large-flowered varieties:

• Etna. A plant up to 50 cm high already in May is covered with red flowers with a white "eye".
• Yulia. The beginning of flowering is June. The flowers are purple-purple in color and have a white "eye". Height - 40 cm.
• Cardinal. Flowering begins in July, the flower is red. Height - 40 cm.
• Defiance. Ground cover form, the length of the shoots is up to 30 cm. Red flowers have a carmine shade and a greenish "eye", surrounded by an openwork white border.

Compact varieties:

• Amethyst. Blooms in July with blue flowers. Does not grow taller than 30 cm.
• Crystal. Its white flowers can be seen as early as the end of June. Height - 20 cm.
• Splendor. Starting in July, purple-violet flowers, decorated with a white "eye", bloom. The bush is no higher than 20 cm.

Growing verbena from seeds at home

Verbena reproduces vegetatively - by cuttings and sowing seeds. The time interval between shoots and flowering is from 50 to 70 days. Because of this, seedlings are preferred.

Dates for planting seeds for seedlings

When to sow verbena? You can sow seeds for seedlings from the beginning of March until the end of its second decade.

Plants sown at the beginning of the month will need backlighting. If sowing is carried out in the second decade of March, the seedlings will do well with natural light.

Preparation of soil and containers for cultivation

Verbena is grown with a mandatory pick, so any container with a height of no more than 8 cm is suitable for sowing. Holes must be made in its bottom for water to drain.

The soil for verbena must meet the following requirements:

• it is good to let water and air pass through;
• have a neutral soil reaction;
• be loose.

Fertility in this case is not necessary. You can use ready-made store-bought soil, adding well-washed sand there for looseness. In order for the acidity to correspond to the norm, add half a glass of ash for every 2 liters of soil mixture. After that, the soil is sieved. You can prepare the soil yourself.

It should have the following composition:

• 2 parts of peat;
• 1 piece of garden land;
• 0.5 parts of sand.

To destroy weed seeds and pathogens, the soil is steamed for about an hour. To ensure good moisture content and air permeability, half a glass of perlite is added for each liter of seed mixture. It will not be superfluous to disinfect the soil with a fungicide solution. "Maxim" or "Fundazol" will do. The solution is poured into the soil already placed in the container.

How to sow verbena seeds correctly?

Verbena seeds remain viable for 3 to 5 years. In different species, their germination is not the same. In hybrid verbena, only a third of the sown seeds will sprout, and in some plant species, a dense shell interferes with seed germination. They require stratification. To awaken the seeds, they must be wrapped in a damp cotton cloth, placed in an opaque polyethylene bag and kept on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days.

For uniform and friendly shoots, the seeds can be additionally soaked in a growth stimulant solution according to the instructions.

How to sow seeds:

• fill the container with soil, level it and slightly compact it;
• we take a piece of paper, bend it, pour the seeds into the recess and gently move them, distribute them over the soil surface (you can do this just by hand);
• vervain is sown superficially, so you do not need to sprinkle the seeds with soil, you just need to moisten them with water from a spray bottle;
• we mark crops with a label and place the container in a mini greenhouse;
• you can cover it with glass or put a plastic bag on the container.

Seedling care at home

During seed germination, light is not required for crops. But to speed up the process, you can hold the container for several days by the heating radiator - this way the shoots will appear faster.

The seed container should be placed on a well-lit windowsill. The temperature at this time is required from 15 to 17 degrees. Water the seedlings sparingly.

Seedling picking

They start picking when young Sentsy have 3 - 4 true leaves. Verbena tolerates transplantation well, but in order for the plants to quickly take root and start growing, you should try to preserve the root system as much as possible.

Plants can be transplanted into a large common box, but it is much better to transplant them into individual containers. Then, when transplanted to a permanent place, they will take root more easily.

After a dive, young vervains require a more fertile soil of the following composition:

• two parts of garden land and peat;
• 0.5 parts of sand.

The soil will be fertile by adding a glass of ash and a tablespoon of full fertilizer to 3 liters of the mixture.

When picking, the plants must be deepened to the level of the cotyledonous leaves. In the future, the seedlings need watering as needed, and feeding every 14 days with a special fertilizer for seedlings. If the variety is ampelous, it must be pinched by removing the top above the fourth pair of leaves.

Plants need to be hardened before planting. Hardened seedlings are not afraid of frosts down to -3 degrees.

Planting seedlings in a permanent place

Planting verbena in a flower garden can be carried out after May 15, as it is a cold-resistant plant. For her, you need to choose a well-lit place with fertile soil that has a neutral reaction. The distance between plants is respected in accordance with the varietal characteristics. Usually, a distance of 30 to 40 cm is maintained between the bushes.

It is not recommended to thicken the planting of verbena, otherwise in a damp summer it can get sick with powdery mildew.

• Before planting, the earth is dug up, adding one and a half tablespoons of complete mineral fertilizer to each square meter.
• Plants are planted in holes well watered with water.
• After planting, the soil is mulched with peat.

Outdoor care for verbena

Growing verbena is easy. Caring for her is quite simple. You just need to take into account the requirements that the plant makes to the environmental conditions.

The nuances of watering verbena

Verbena is a drought tolerant plant.It requires moderate watering. If there is excess moisture, the verbena flower can be affected by fungal diseases. Lack of moisture is also undesirable. The plant perceives it as a signal to stop flowering and set seeds. Therefore, when watering, you need to observe the golden mean.

Top dressing and fertilization

With an excessive amount of fertilizers, especially nitrogen fertilizers, the bushes grow vigorously, but they bloom poorly. Organic fertilizers are not suitable for verbena for the same reason.

• In the first half of the growing season, the bushes are fed with solutions of complete mineral fertilizers.
• Starting from mid-July, there should be no nitrogen in the dressing, but only phosphorus and potassium fertilizers.

During the season, vervains should receive 3 to 4 feedings.

Care during and after flowering

In order for the flowering to be plentiful, the shoots spread out and lying on the ground can be pinned. They very quickly start up roots, from which the bushes become even more magnificent.

An important point is the removal of inflorescences from which the petals have flown. If this is not done, seeds will begin to form. Flowering will not be so abundant. If you want to collect your own seeds, some of the inflorescences are not removed.

Diseases and pests of verbena

If the plant is properly looked after, the verbena will not hurt - it is extremely resistant to diseases.

• If damp weather is added to the errors in care, then an outbreak of powdery mildew is possible. Verbena is treated with fungicides: colloidal sulfur, Fundazol.
• In case of an aphid or spider mite invasion, the use of insecticides or insectoacaricides will be required.
• So that verbena does not have various rot, it is necessary to strictly observe the regime of supplying plants with water and not flood the bushes.

Collection and storage of verbena seeds

The vast majority of verbena species cannot survive our winter. But seeds can be collected from dead plants. They will not retain the varietal characteristics of their parents, but the plants obtained from them will be no less interesting from this.

If a particular variety is chosen for planting, it is better to purchase seeds in the store. But in all other cases, you can not spend money and prepare your own raw materials.

To do this, we follow the following algorithm:

1. We collect boxes when they turn brown.
2. We lay them out on paper to dry well. The layer of boxes should not be thick, so that they do not mold.
3. Seed material is often mixed.
4. We release the seeds from the dry boxes and put them in a paper bag.

In order not to guess what is in it in the spring, the package must be signed.

The beautiful and unpretentious verbena plant has been known since ancient times. In Greece and the Roman Empire, wreaths were made from verbena for rulers and officials, and in Egypt it was valued for its medicinal properties. Nowadays, a plant with a long history is used for decorative purposes. Verbena is valued by gardeners for its bright and elegant flowers that bloom all summer until the frost.

Verbena: description and varieties

Verbena is considered a herbaceous plant, but it can also grow as a bush. Depending on the variety, it can grow from 8 to 50 cm... The green thin leaves of the plant are lanceolate. They are located on both sides of the stems. Verbena has small flowers. They have five petals and can be purple, apricot, red, lilac, pink, or white.

Verbena is popular as an annual garden plant that is used in rock gardens, curbs and ridges. The bushes planted in hanging baskets are ideal for vertical landscaping.

Wild verbena is used in folk medicine to treat nervous disorders and fever, and is used to make perfumes and relaxing teas.

Of the approximately 250 varieties of verbena, few are used for decorative purposes.

Verbena species

Verbena rigid differs in creeping or ascending branched stems.On her wedge-shaped hard leaves convex veins are located... Complex inflorescences are collected from lilac and lilac flowers and have a diameter of 3.5 cm. The collected plant seeds do not lose their germination for five years.

Verbena canadensis is a thermophilic perennial, growing up to 15-20 cm. On its thin stems there are oval deeply divided leaves with sharp tips. The umbrella-shaped inflorescence consists of many flowers of pink, white, purple or lilac color. The plant reproduces by self-seeding. The collected seeds remain viable for three years.

Verbena of Buenos Aires is heat-loving bush plant, growing up to 120 cm. It has a pronounced main stem, from which lateral shoots grow. Elongated lanceolate leaves have serrated edges. Collected in spikelets, small amethyst flowers form umbellate inflorescences. Buenos Aires verbena blooms for a long time and abundantly.

Verbena straight is the only perennial of all types of verbena, which is grown in the middle lane. It grows up to one and a half meters and is distinguished by grayish-green sessile leaves 9 cm long. On an inflorescence 40 cm long, violet-blue flowers are collected. This type of verbena does not bloom for very long.

Hybrid verbena is the most popular type of verbena among gardeners. The plant grows up to 20-50 cm, and has erect or creeping highly branching stems. Oblong or elongated triangular leaves are pubescent with bristles. Collected in umbrella-shaped inflorescences, fragrant flowers can be purple, dark purple, white, pink and other colors. Verbena hybrid can be large-flowered or low compact. The most popular plant varieties:

1. Moon River is an ampelous plant with shoots up to 45 cm. Inflorescences are densely covered with lavender flowers.
2. Imagination is distinguished by branching shoots that grow up to 150 cm. Violet-lilac flowers form inflorescences in the form of a ball. It is used as a ground cover and ampel plant.
3. The Spectrum Mouth is a low, compact verbena species. It grows up to 25-30 cm, and has dark scarlet velvet flowers. Dense inflorescences can be up to 6 cm in diameter.
4. Ruby is a plant, which is a hemispherical bushes, growing up to 20-25 cm. Dense inflorescences are collected from purple-red flowers up to two centimeters in diameter.
5. Etna belongs to the large-flowered or mammoth verbena species. It grows up to 40-45 cm, and blooms with scarlet-red flowers with cream-colored eyes. One inflorescence can contain about 50 flowers.
6. Cyclops is distinguished by its dark blue flowers with a white eye. The height of the inflorescence is about 7 cm, and the bush itself grows up to 30-40 cm.

How to grow verbena from seeds?

Most often used to decorate a personal or suburban area verbena hybrid... Growing this plant from seeds at home is not a big deal, but some recommendations must be followed.

Sowing seeds

Some gardeners are advised to start growing seedlings from seeds as early as January. For landing in the ground, it will be ready in March, that is, when there is still snow in the yard. Therefore, in most regions of our country, it is recommended to plant verbena seeds in March or April.

For sowing seeds, you need to prepare a shallow container and light humus soil... Some verbena seeds are covered with a very dense shell, so it is recommended to cold process them before sowing, that is, stratify them. To do this, the seeds wrapped in a damp cloth and a plastic bag are placed for four days in the vegetable section of the refrigerator.

Seeds ready for planting are sown in moistened soil and sprinkled with a thin layer of earth. The boxes are covered with glass or polyethylene on top. As a result, greenhouse conditions are obtained for seed germination, in which they will grow together.Seedling boxes are placed in a shaded place with an air temperature of 18-25 degrees.

When the first seedlings rise, the containers will need to be rearranged to a cooler, but well-lit place without direct sunlight.

Growing and caring for seedlings

Seedling care is in timely watering and feeding... The first time you need to fertilize the seedlings is two weeks after the emergence of shoots. For this, special complex fertilizers are used.

When the first pair of true leaves appears on the seedlings, they will need to be planted in separate pots and sprayed with Epin solution for the best adaptation. A few days after transplanting, the seedlings are fed with mineral fertilizers.

In order for the plants to bush well, their tops are pinched over the fifth leaf. It is not necessary to pinch undersized varieties.

With the onset of warm days, the grown seedlings should be hardened by taking flower pots out into the open air. They need to be shaded from direct sunlight.

Planting seedlings in open ground

After warm weather is established, seedlings can be planted in open ground. The plant loves well-lit areas. The hardened bushes can even withstand direct sunlight.

When preparing a place for growing verbena, you need to dig up the soil and add fertilizer to it. For 1 sq. meter of land is added:

• ½ bucket of humus;
• 50 g of ammonium nitrosphate;
• 1 glass of ash.

The distance between the holes depends on the plant variety being planted. It should be at least 25 cm. The bushes should be planted together with a lump of earth. The planted plant is watered, and the earth around it is sprinkled with mulch.

Growing verbena from cuttings

Since the plant is a perennial, it can bloom next year. However, verbena does not tolerate cold winters well, therefore, in order to preserve the plant, the bushes are dug out.

The plant dug out together with a lump of earth is stored in a room with an air temperature of up to +10 degrees until spring. In the spring, cuttings are cut from the bushes. To do this, the tops of the shoots are cut off, on which there should be at least four pairs of leaves. The lower leaves break off, and the cuts sprinkled with crushed coal.

Prepared cuttings are planted in containers filled with a mixture of peat and sand. Seedling boxes are covered with foil and placed in a warm room in a well-lit place. After the seedlings have taken root, they need to be transplanted into separate pots. Overgrown bushes are planted in open ground at the end of May.

Flowers dug up in the fall can be kept at room temperature, without forgetting to water and feed them. In this case, cuttings can be carried out at any time of the year.

Growing verbena outdoors

It is not difficult to care for verbena, but its cultivation requires compliance some simple rules:

1. During flowering and active growth, the plant is regularly watered.
2. After abundant watering during extreme heat, the soil under the bushes must be loosened, while removing the weeds.
3. Between the plants grown by the group, weeds are removed only for the first time. After the bushes have grown, there will be practically no weeds between them.
4. Organic fertilizers need to be applied once a season. It is impossible to feed organic matter more often, since an excess of nitrogen leads to the proliferation of leaves, and the cessation of flowering.
5. Bushes are fed with complex mineral fertilizers three or four times per season.
6. Faded and wilted flowers should be removed regularly. This will help prolong the flowering of the plant, which will last until frost.

To get a verbena rug in your garden, shoots plants need to be bent to the ground, and with the help of wire or pins fix in several places. Where the shoot touches the ground, a root system will begin to develop. Over time, the plant will take root and grow into a spectacular rug.

Pests and diseases

Verbena practically does not suffer from pests and viral diseases. but with improper care, problems can still arise:

1. Aphids or spider mites attack the plant due to improper watering or fertilization. When they appear, the bushes need to be sprayed with special chemicals.
2. Powdery mildew in the form of white spots on the leaves appears with excessive watering. It is best to remove bushes completely so that they do not infect other plants.
3. Tospoviruses are carried by thrips. Leaves are deformed, flowers slow down growth. In this case, it is also better to remove the plant, since it is practically useless to treat this disease.

Following the suggested guidelines for growing and caring for verbena, it will not be difficult to grow a plant. And the presence of heat, sunlight and the absence of excess moisture in the soil will help to get a beautiful bush covered with flowers, which will decorate the garden for a long time.

Question growing verbena from seeds worries very many, tk. many gardeners like this flower very much.

Verbena is a thermophilic flower. It was brought from the territories of South and Central America. In our strip, it is customary to grow it using seedlings. Seeds are sown at home, and then young seedlings are planted in open ground.

Growing seedlings from seeds

Verbena seedlings before planting in open ground

Cultivation can be started in late February or early March.

The more attention is paid at this stage, the more likely you will get a healthy, developed plant.

First, a container is prepared for growing seedlings. Most often, peat pots or simple wooden boxes are used.

Loose and fertilized soil will do. It needs to be warmed up well.

First, it is recommended to wrap the seeds in a napkin or soft toilet paper, soak in water and leave for two hours. You can soak the seeds in a growth promoter to sprout faster.

Sowing should be shallow. The seeds are not buried in the soil. From above, you can sprinkle them a little with fine river sand.

Better to throw two seeds into the ground at once. This will give a higher percentage of seedlings. The sprouts can be thinned out.

Cover the container with glass or a thick film and put the seedlings in a warm place, protecting them from temperature extremes, dampness and drafts.

The room temperature should be around 19-23 degrees.

Watering must be done very carefully. It is recommended to do this in small portions no more than once a week. The water needs to be defended so that the lime can settle to the bottom and the chlorine evaporates.

Tap water cannot be used.

After the first shoots

There are different opinions regarding the timing of the emergence of the first shoots. Everything is individual and depends on the soil, the storage period of the seeds, temperature, etc. On average, 2-3 weeks.

Then the glass (or film) must be removed and the plants rearranged closer to the window.

If you grow low-growing verbena, it will start branching without pinching. Only in ampelous verbena should the top of the main stem (above the fifth leaf) be pinned.

Plants now need to be cared for before planting in the garden. Don't forget to water them.

In warm weather, you can take it out into the open air so that young shoots can breathe oxygen. They need to be protected from cold, drafts and given more sunlight.

Landing in open ground

The best time to plant in your garden is mid-May or early June. The main thing is that there should be no frosts at night, and sunny, warm weather during the day.

Verbena loves warmth.

Landing is not difficult.

Plants should be placed so that the distance between them is about 25 cm. They plant them in dug holes and sprinkle them with earth and press them with your fingers.

A warm, well-lit place is chosen. Verbena loves the sun.

Soil preparation

It is recommended to fertilize the soil before planting. Based on 1 sq.meter, you need to pour out the top dressing, which consists of a glass of ash, 50 grams of ammonium nitrosphate and half a bucket of humus.

If the planting is done on a rainy day, you do not need to water the seedlings. If the ground is dry, pour 2 glasses of water into each dug hole for planting. The plant is planted in the hole only after all the water has been absorbed.

Verbena care

Caring for vervain is not difficult at all. She only needs correct and timely watering, light tillage and top dressing for good growth and development. The flower is rarely susceptible to disease.

Tillage

If the summer is hot and dry, it is recommended to loosen the ground from time to time. This will help the oxygen flow to the root system and the soil will be better saturated with moisture.

As a rule, vervain is planted singly or in bushes (in a group).

If the flowers are planted singly, you need to monitor the soil throughout the growing season. Verbena needs frequent weeding.

If the flowers are planted in a group, care will be easier. Weeds are removed only the first time. Bushes develop and grow very quickly, it will no longer be necessary to cultivate the soil.

Proper watering

Originally a tropical flower, this flower is drought tolerant. Water the plant sparingly.

Only the ampelous verbena variety requires more frequent and plentiful watering. An excess of moisture slows down its growth, prevents good flowering, affects the formation of a large number of shoots and shoots.

Top dressing of verbena

The flower loves fertilization and needs regular feeding. Complex, mineral fertilizers are best suited, which nourish the plant up to two or three times during the summer season.

Post-flowering care

Beautiful flowers of one of the types of verbena

In our climate, verbena is an annual plant.

When autumn comes and the time of flowering comes to an end, the flowers are destroyed, and the garden plot is dug up.

Although the seeds are more convenient to purchase from the store, many gardeners harvest them from their flowers to grow next year's flowers.

How to collect seeds?

When almost all the boxes turn brown and dry, you need to cut off the inflorescences and put them on a newspaper or piece of cotton cloth. From time to time they need to be turned over so that they do not become moldy.

When the flowers are completely dry, you can empty the seeds from the boxes and put them in a cardboard box or paper bag for the winter.

Do not forget to sign, otherwise the seeds may be confused with other plants.

Store seeds in a dry, warm place.

Remember, buying seeds from the store is not only convenient. Gardeners face the problem that the harvested seeds do not retain the varietal characteristics that their "parents" possessed. When making a purchase in a specialized store, you can be sure of the quality of the purchased product.

Growing verbena at home

Nowadays, not everyone has the opportunity to beautify a suburban area, take care of the summer garden. Verbena is wonderful because it can be grown at home.

Verbena on the balcony or loggia

You can use it to decorate a cozy loggia, balcony or apartment windows. If you take care of it correctly, it will delight you with beautiful flowering for 7-10 years.

Seedlings are grown in the same way as for garden flowers.

When the sprouts grow up and the time for picking comes, they are placed in a separate container. It can be a pot, flowerpot, basket, flowerpot. The container should be spacious and deep.

Drainage is poured at the bottom. A mixture of river sand with peat is suitable for the soil.

You can buy ready-made soil for indoor plants and add sand to it.

The flower is regularly watered and fertilized.

For good growth, it needs good lighting, but in hot weather it is recommended to make the lighting diffuse in order to protect it from direct sunlight and prevent burns on the leaves.

In the summer, it is recommended to ventilate the room more often, take the flowers out into the open air so that they breathe and are saturated with oxygen.

Once a year, it needs to be transplanted into a new container and the soil changed. You can separate the lateral shoots from the roots during transplanting and plant vervain. In this case, work with the seeds is not required.

Notes to the gardener

What to do to make the verbena bloom magnificently?

The flower definitely needs a pruning procedure. Dry inflorescences are regularly cut to about 1/4 of the shoot length. This will ensure abundant flowering throughout the summer.

How to protect from diseases and pests?

The main rule is not to allow the flower to grow on waterlogged and heavy soil. This will cause powdery mildew damage.

It is especially important to pay attention if vervain is planted in cold climates. It is best to do this in greenhouses.

Can verbena be grown as a perennial plant?

Although verbena is an annual flower in our strip, there is only one perennial variety - verbena straight.

It does not need to be dug out with the onset of cold weather. She can hibernate in cold conditions on the site.

When autumn comes, you need to cut the stems right down to ground level, and throw spruce branches over the rest of the bush. This will prevent her from dying if the winter is too cold. The next year, after the treatment of the verbena area, the straight line will begin to actively grow and bloom again.

Verbena is a beautiful, delicate flower preferred by many gardeners. Throughout the summer period, he is able to delight with bright colors of flowering. Verbena will become a real decoration of the garden area. The most important thing is to learn how to properly grow it from seeds and give it attention and care.

Be sure to share your impressions of this magnificent flower in the comments! Ask your questions!

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