Calibrachoa - growing and care at home

Growing Calibrachoa seeds at home

Many gardeners try to propagate Calibrachoa using cuttings, since growing this flower with seeds is a very difficult and time-consuming process. First of all, this is due to the fact that not all seeds germinate well, and the seedlings require constant attention and careful grooming. However, if the love for this plant is great, then you can safely start sowing seeds, but do not forget to adhere to the recommended rules.

1. Soil preparation.
   Calibrachoa prefers loose, nutritious soil. It can be purchased in a specialized store, but it is better to prepare it yourself in the fall. The soil mixture consists of humus, garden soil and sand (1: 1: 2). Fill containers with the resulting composition, remove them in a cold room so that the soil is frozen. A few days before sowing, containers are brought into the house. The thawed soil is first fried in the oven, then spilled with a solution of potassium permanganate. This procedure will protect Kalibrachoa seedlings from fungal diseases. To neutralize the acidity of the soil, you need to add a little chalk or lime to it.
2. Seedling container.
   You can sow seeds in seedling boxes, plastic containers, cups. However, experienced gardeners advise using peat tablets. In this case, you will not have to dive the seedlings, which means, injure the fragile, capricious sprouts. At the bottom of the container, be sure to lay a small layer of pebbles or expanded clay - they will serve as excellent drainage.
3. Sowing seeds.
   Calibrachoa seeds are very similar to Petunia seeds - just as small, difficult to plant. In order for the seed germination to be high, it is recommended to dip them for a while in growth stimulating preparations, for example, "Epin" or "Zircon". They should be sown according to the following scheme: spread evenly on top of the soil, previously moistened and fed with mineral fertilizers. To distribute the seeds neatly, they can be mixed with sand or snow. Do not sprinkle the seeds with soil. Moisten the soil again with a spray bottle, cover the container with foil or glass.
4. A place to place seedlings.
   In order for the seeds to germinate, they need as much light and heat as possible, and therefore containers with seeds are installed in the brightest place, the optimum air temperature should be at least + 22 ° C.

If these conditions are met, the sprouts will appear in about a week. During this time, remember to air and water the seeds.

Calibrachoa: growing from seed

If you decide to grow calibrachoa from seed, instead of purchasing seedlings, carefully follow all instructions. Although it is difficult to call this flower very moody, at a young age, when its seedlings still do not have enough vigor, it is incredibly vulnerable, so it is extremely difficult to grow calibrachoa.

1. Firstly, seeds hatch with a great delay and not all - gardeners often stimulate their germination with the help of a variety of drugs, among which Epin, as well as Zircon, or a simple solution of potassium permanganate of weak concentration, are especially fond of. It is necessary to keep the seeds in liquid for at least 24 hours, after which they must be dried on a paper towel or thin cloth. But even this kind of preparation does not guarantee that climatic conditions will not spoil the whole process of growing calibrachoa.
2. Secondly, although this plant is flowering, and not fruitful, it needs a very nutritious substrate.In addition to the fact that peat and compost are necessarily present in it, diluting ordinary garden soil, mineral fertilizer is introduced into the soil before sowing, and in the process of working with seedlings until their picking, several dressings are carried out, combined with watering. Additionally, coarse sand and perlite are introduced into the earthen mixture so that it does not get knocked down in lumps, but conducts air well. In addition, it is possible and necessary to lower the acidity of the substrate by adding lime to it. At the bottom of the boxes, where calibrachoa will be sown, pebbles are scattered in a thick (4-5 cm) layer, which is also covered with a layer (0.5-1 cm) of sand. And only on this drainage litter the main earthen mixture is laid. As for feeding an already adult plant, regardless of its location - a garden or a separate container - it will not appreciate organic fertilizers, especially if it is fresh manure, which provokes fungal diseases of the calibrachoa root system. It is better to add liquid mineral mixtures, potassium-phosphorus fertilizers, as well as ordinary compost to the ground. And in the spring, it is necessary to introduce nitrophoska in order to prepare the plant for the growing season.
3. Thirdly, since the germination of seeds is low, they are rather densely distributed over the soil - there are up to 50-70 seeds per 10 by 10 cm area. Therefore, it is better to buy several packages of each calibrachoa beforehand, so that you do not have to think about how to compose a composition from a small number of bushes. True, this density calculation is more relevant for cases when the flower is sown in boxes suspended from the ceiling or displayed on the balcony. If you plan to subsequently dive the calibrachoa and take it out into the open ground, you do not need to calculate the number of seeds - all the same, the seedlings will be relocated to another site.
4. The last important point in growing calibrachoa seedlings is maintaining high humidity, for which it is not only required to tighten the containers with film and place them near the window, but also to spray the ground up to 3 times a day, and, subsequently, the seedlings, with warm soft water. Up to 4 times a month, seedlings are necessarily fed with liquid fertilizer, and half of these dressings should also occur through spraying. When 3-4 leaves appear on the seedlings, they can be taken out to the balcony, where a window will open. And if the weather is already warm (from 22 degrees) on the street, you can attend to transplanting the calibrachoa into the open ground. Or continue to grow the flower in boxes, but in the fresh air: a loggia or an external window sill.

Sowing subtleties

You don't need to use seedlings to grow calibrachoa in your garden. Planting is no less effective, during which seeds are used. It should be planted step by step, according to the instructions. Seed germination occurs over a long period, and not all of them successfully germinate. To get the best option, experts use stimulants such as Zircon and Epin.

Alternatively, you can use a weak solution of the usual potassium permanganate. The seed is kept in the prepared preparation for 24 hours, after which it is transferred to paper napkins or a thin towel until completely dry. The soil mixture for the plant should be moderately nutritious. If it is compiled independently, then compost, peat and ordinary garden soil are taken.

Since the substrate should still be loose, it is worth adding coarse sand to it. In this case, the soil will be able to pass air without problems. It is best to adjust the acidity by adding a little lime. Of course, you cannot do without drainage, usually taking from 4 to 5 centimeters. For this purpose, it is customary to use pebbles, on top of which about 1 centimeter of sand is poured. Alternatively, the seeds can be sown into convenient peat tablets.

The seeds are quite densely placed on the ground, usually according to a certain pattern. This means that for an area of ​​10 by 10 centimeters, 50 to 70 centimeters are applied. This planting is especially relevant if sowing is required in boxes placed on the loggia or suspended from the ceiling.

While the seedlings are forming, it is important to irrigate regularly and maintain the required moisture level. Calibrachoa is sprayed three times and poured with heated settled liquid

In the first month, liquid fertilizers are applied during watering approximately once a week. When about three full-fledged leaves appear on the sprouts, the seedlings can be transferred to the loggia with an open window.

As soon as the daytime temperature reaches a constant level of 22 degrees Celsius, it is time to transplant the calibrachoa to a permanent habitat. When the plants remain in the boxes, they still need to provide fresh air, for example, by hanging them on the other side of the window. The version with room-balcony growing is more suitable for difficult climatic regions, for example, Siberia.

Regardless of where exactly the bush will develop, the place should be well lit. In addition, regular watering is also important - it is they that allow you to feel good even with direct exposure to ultraviolet radiation.

Outdoor and home care for calibrachoa

The main thing is the location. The flower can feel satisfactorily not only in the pots, but also in the ground.

Important! There is a certain nuance for growing a flower. The bright light from the sun in summer can easily ruin a flower, you need to be careful with it, because it is like silk

The calibrachoa ampelous flower requires proper care: you need to make sure that in the morning it "bathes" in the sun, and in the daytime it is in the shade. If handled incorrectly, this can lead to dullness of the flower.

Also, bushes can be grown in pots. For good growth, 3-4 kg of soil are taken per flower. The plant requires loose soil. Haveflower should be constant watering, but not very frequent. If it is too abundant, it can be poured, and the calibrachoa will disappear.

Features of caring for calibrachoa in winter

The bush can endure the winter safely. When spring comes, the plant rehabilitates very quickly and begins to bloom.

There are various ways to store calibrachoa cuttings:

In fridge. This method is intended for gardeners who do not have a cellar and grow flowers on a sufficient scale. After the refrigerator, when the plant returns to the planting site, it will shed shoots and begin to build up mass.

Watering

• In the basement. With the arrival of the first frosts in the fall, adult bushes are thrown away. To store it in the basement, you need special conditions and a certain temperature (not lower than 10 ° C). Plant storage is carried out until February.
• On the windowsill. If the first frosts have already appeared on the street, and the flower continues to bloom, in order to preserve it, you need to bring it into the house and put it on the windowsill and continue with the usual care.

For your information! In the conditions of Central Russia, it is very difficult for a bush to survive, it may not winter. Basically, gardeners purchase cuttings in advance every new season.

Watering and humidity

Calibracho-ampelous is rather sensitive to soil moisture. Water only when the crust is dry. Hot water in the sun is recommended for proper watering. In summer, water several times a day.

Important! When leaving, the soil should always be slightly moist. This flower especially loves to be sprayed during the day.

Choosing a landing site

The bush can take root in the ground, at home on a loggia or on a windowsill on a balcony, the most important thing is that the windows face sunlight. At home, he will not be hindered by weather elements that can harm him.

Flower on the balcony

Difficulty growing calibrachoa seedlings

Growing calibrachoa from seed, gardeners often face a number of difficulties.

So what do newbies have to face?

1. The seeds of this plant germinate very poorly. Experienced gardeners resort to various tricks and soak them in a solution of potassium permanganate. You can use drugs like "Epin" or "Zircon". Planting material is soaked for more than a day, after which it is dried on a cloth. But even such treatment does not guarantee that germination will increase.

2. Calibrachoa blooms poorly. The soil for planting should be as nutritious and loose, breathable as possible. To do this, it is not only diluted with humus and sand, but perlite is also added. In addition, every week the plant is fed with preparations with a high content of phosphorus and potassium.

3. Seedlings grow poorly and wither. An important point in growing calibrachoa seedlings is maintaining high air humidity around the plant. For this purpose, the pots are covered with a film or a bag, the flower is regularly irrigated from a spray bottle.

Diseases and pests

If you violate the conditions for caring for a flower, then there is a high probability of encountering such a problem as black leg - a fungal infection, in the fight against which it is necessary to use drugs containing mancozeb and oxadixil.

If ordinary garden soil is used for growing calibrachoa, then this can be fraught with a number of consequences, for example: death due to root rot; the development of chlorosis (symptoms: a weakened plant with pale yellowed leaves).

Chlorosis treatment begins with reducing the amount of watering and treating the entire flower with iron chelate preparations.

Ask your grower about how to decorate your winter garden or terrace. The answer is obvious: take a petunia. An unpretentious ampel-type plant blooms profusely, which delights not only the owner himself, but also the guests. But few people know what is very similar to him a plant that can become a worthy competitor - calibrachoa. Growing from seed and care this plant is the subject of today's article.

What do you need to know about seeds?

F1 hybrids

When buying your favorite calibrachoa variety, it is important to study the explanatory labels on the packaging. So, for example, the symbol "F1" warns that the plant is a hybrid

The seed will grow the variety that is declared by the manufacturer, but it will not give identical generations. In fact, this flower is an annual. Subsequently, it will not be possible to propagate it by seed or cuttings. Nobody knows how the second generation calibrachoa will grow.

Why do breeders develop varieties that are not resistant to the transfer of morphological traits? The question is philosophical. As a rule, hybrids take the best qualities from their parents. This means that they germinate better, bloom more abundantly, grow faster, and are more resistant to pests and an aggressive climate. Conclusion: calibrachoa - an annual definitely has a right to exist.

If desired, the grower will divide the seed package for 1-3 years and admire the lush bushes for 2-3 seasons.

Plasma Seeds

Plasma technology advantages:

1. loosening and warming up the seed coat, which contributes to rapid germination when it enters the ground;
2. destruction of many harmful microorganisms (viruses, bacteria) that cause various plant diseases;
3. an increase in the immunity of young calibrachoa, which means an improvement in their development in difficult climatic conditions (during drought, in cold weather).

Among amateur flower growers, there is an opinion that plasma processing is just a marketing ploy designed to increase product sales. The statement is partly true. Practice shows that the germination rate of plasma seeds calibrachoa increases by 10 - 20 positions (for example, from 75 to 90%), but does not give a 100% result.

First of all, it is worth contacting a trusted supplier, a manufacturer with a well-known name. This will minimize the risk of purchasing a counterfeit product.

Secondly, it is better to choose "fresh" seeds, which have not expired even half of their shelf life at the time of purchase.

If the package with calibrachoa contains about, this means that 1 dragee contains 3-6-9 seeds and when planting, the granules should be laid out less often than usual.

4 Care for diseases and pests

Calibrachoa can be attacked by pests such as aphids and thrips. They are considered the most common parasites. The flower can be affected by spider mites and whiteflies. To get rid of such parasites, you need to use special insecticidal preparations. Fitoverm, Aktara, Sunmight, Aktellik will do. It is recommended to do 2 or 3 treatments. There should be a weekly interval between them.

The most common diseases are the following:

1. 1. Black leg. A characteristic symptom is darkening and loss of tone on the stem in the root zone. The reason is the density of the location of the shoots, the wrongly chosen substrate, and frequent overflows. To eliminate the problem, it is necessary to pull out the affected shoots together with the soil, and treat the rest with a fungicidal preparation. Monitor the frequency and volume of watering.
2. 2. Powdery mildew. The cause is fungus. A whitish bloom is visible on the leaves. The affected areas are supposed to be removed, and the rest is recommended to be treated with sulfur.
3. 3. Chlorosis. Because of this, the plant blooms less often, the leaves become pale. Reason: high concentration of calcium and iron deficiency. It is imperative to use fertilizers.

The plant may have other problems:

1. 1. Leaves turn yellow. This is due to a lack of iron in the soil, low air temperatures, or overflows.
2. 2. Leaves curl and dry. This is due to insufficient lighting or excessively dry air.
3. 3. The lower leaves begin to turn yellow. In most cases, nitrogen deficiency is the cause. But there may be other factors: insufficient amount of soil, overflows.

Plants that have bell-shaped gramophone inflorescences are popular with many people. One such example is ampel gauge. It looks very much like a petunia, but they are completely different. In order for the calibrachoa to please with a beautiful flowering, it is necessary to follow a number of planting rules and plant care.

Calibrachoa: growing from seed

In order to grow calibrachoa on your site, it is not necessary to purchase expensive seedlings. This method can effectively replace sowing seeds. The main thing is to follow all instructions exactly. This plant cannot be considered too whimsical, however, at a young age, like any seedling, it is very vulnerable

Therefore, at this stage of growing calibrachoa, special attention should be paid to

Immediately you need to prepare for the fact that it will take a very long time to wait for seeds to germinate. Moreover, only some of them will hatch. In order to increase germination, experienced gardeners resort to various stimulants. Among them, Epin and Zircon are quite famous. If they are absent, they can be replaced with an ordinary solution of potassium permanganate of low concentration.

calibrachoa is a flowering plant, therefore, first of all, it especially needs a nutritious substrate. To prepare it, you must use peat and compost in combination with ordinary garden soil. Mineral fertilizers are added to the soil immediately before sowing. During the cultivation of seedlings of calibrachoa, until the moment of picking, it is necessary to carry out several dressings, combined with watering;
in addition, coarse sand must be added to the soil to give it a loose structure. This will provide better breathability

Also, attention should be paid to the acidity of the substrate, for which you need to add a small amount of lime. As a drainage, I put pebbles in the boxes with a layer of 4-5 cm, and sand is poured on it with a layer of 0.5-1 cm

When the bottom of the boxes is filled with a similar drainage mat, start adding the basic earthen mixture;
the fertilizer for the calibrachoa must be chosen very carefully after the seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place in the garden. You should not immediately use fresh manure for top dressing, since it creates good conditions for the development of fungal diseases of the root system. It is recommended to replace it with mineral mixtures, potash and phosphorus fertilizers or regular compost. The first feeding is carried out in early spring using nitrophosphate. From it, the plants will receive the necessary amount of fertilizer to enter the growing season.

Given that a small number of seeds emerge during sowing, it is very important to distribute them as densely as possible over the soil. To do this, follow the scheme - on an area of ​​10 x 10 cm, it is necessary to sow up to 50-70 seeds

Therefore, you need to purchase several sachets of each calibrachoa in advance. Otherwise, by the time of transplanting into open ground, you will have a very small number of bushes at your disposal.

It is necessary to ensure a high planting density in those situations when sowing is carried out in boxes suspended from the ceiling or located on the balcony. If in relation to seedlings you will carry out a pick and then transplant it to a permanent place in the garden, then you can not worry too much about how many seeds you will use. In any case, all plants in the future will fall on the site.

• during the cultivation of calibrachoa seedlings, you need to constantly keep the soil moist. Therefore, after sowing, a film is pulled over the boxes, and the plantings themselves are placed at the window;
• The main care measures during this period are spraying the soil three times a day, as well as watering the seedlings with warm, settled water. Liquid fertilizers need to be applied no more than 4 times within a month. Half of them must enter the ground by spraying;
• after waiting for the formation of 3-4 leaves on the seedlings, they can be transferred to the balcony with an open window. When it becomes warm enough outside and the temperature during the day remains above 22 degrees, you can choose a day for transplanting calibrachoa to a permanent place. Or the plants can be left in boxes, however, in this case they need to be kept in the fresh air - a loggia or a windowsill from the outside.

Calibrachoa flower - planting and care

If you want to have an ampelous calibrachoa flower in your house, it is grown and looked after in hanging baskets, tall flowerpots, and out-of-the-box boxes. One plant needs 2-3 liters of land. The soil should be neutral or slightly acidic, light and loose. The plant needs to be provided with a lot of light and heat, but it needs to be shaded from the hot sun, protected from strong winds and drafts. Calibrachoa - growing and proper care:

1. The plant loves moisture, but it should not be flooded. A more effective treatment is to spray several times a day with water at room temperature. Moisturizing no more than once a week is supplemented with watering at the root.
2. The culture is fed every week. In the seedling period, the compositions are used on the basis of nitrogen, during flowering - with phosphorus and potassium.
3. When leaving, the wilted flowers are cut off so that the seeds are not tied to them. In mid-summer, shoots can be cut to half their length.
4. In winter, the strongest plant, chosen as a mother plant, is placed on a glazed balcony. In the spring, cuttings are cut from it and rooted. The flower itself can bloom again.
5. To get a lush Calibrachoa flower at home, sowing and care must be done correctly. The culture is propagated by seeds or cuttings.

Calibrachoa - sowing seeds for seedlings

This method of propagation is longer, the flower may not inherit the color and size of the mother bush. How to plant calibrachoa for seedlings:

1. The seeds are soaked in the stimulating compositions "Zircon", "Epin" or in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for a day, then dried.
2. The grains are sown into peat tablets. To do this, you need to soak it in boiling water and wait until it cools completely and place a seed on the surface.
3. The seeds can also be sown in an earthen mixture. For this, drainage 4-5 cm, sand 1 cm, soil (leaf earth, peat, humus) are laid in the box. The seeds are sown at 50-70 pieces per 1 sq. dm.

When to sow calibrachoa for seedlings?

Planting dates for calibrachoa are late summer or early early autumn. They are suitable for any propagation method - for growing seeds or germinating cuttings. Young flowers are kept in a greenhouse in conditions of excellent humidity, they are unpretentious and survive the winter well. In the spring, new calibrachoa flowers are grown from the resulting seedlings. The sprouts are transplanted to a permanent place at a steady heat of at least 22 ° C.

Calibrachoa - growing from seeds at home

How to grow calibrachoa from seed after sowing:

1. Peat tablets or a box with crops are covered with foil and placed in a greenhouse under a 16-hour light.
2. After 5 days, the sprouts will hatch, they begin to harden, removing the film for several minutes. After a couple of days, the covering material can be removed completely.
3. A weak solution of potassium permanganate is used for watering.
4. When the first leaves appear, care requires the inclusion of fertilizing; for fertilization, an ampoule of vitamin B12 is used in a glass of water. The solution is used for watering under the root and irrigation of foliage.
5. When the roots begin to be seen through the tablet and 4-5 true leaves appear, the plant is transplanted into a glass and pinched the top to form lateral shoots.
6. Then the young growth is fed with organic matter once a week.

How to cut calibrachoa?

The best breeding option is cuttings. It is believed that the plant then turns out to be stronger and retains all the characteristics of its variety. Growing calibrachoa from cuttings:

1. Apical cuttings 4 cm long are cut from the mother liquor.
2. The lower leaves of them must be cut off and the sprout should be immediately planted in moist soil.
3. Cover the stalk with a plastic cup and open it for a few minutes every day.
4. Twice a day, the cuttings are sprayed with water from a sprayer.
5. To obtain bushy plants, the seedlings are pinched over 4 or 5 leaves. It is also advisable to use the tops of the shoots for grafting. If necessary, repeat the pinching after 2 weeks.
6. Overgrown plants in a month and a half are transplanted into a pot with a diameter of 11-13 cm.
7. In the spring, the apical processes are re-cut from the bushes and rooted - from them flowering calibrachoa are obtained.

Calibrachoa will not take root

How to root calibrachoa cuttings if they do not take root well:

1. When grafting, you can use growth regulators that stimulate rooting (Heteroauxin).
2. The main secret of success in grafting is to place the cut shoots in the substrate as quickly as possible, since 1-2 hours after cutting, their ability to root sharply decreases.
3. When the first signs of a "black leg" or mold appear, the spraying should be suspended and diseased sprouts should be removed.

Calibrachoa: photos and the best varieties of plants

The number of varieties of this amazing flower is no longer quantifiable, and most of them are quite loyal to the climate of the middle zone, which allowed gardeners to try to settle almost all species and varieties of calibrachoa on their plots. And thanks to this, after several years, one can name the most attractive and viable of them, with which even novice florists should try to make friends.

Calibrachoa "Kablum blue", the same annual as other plant varieties, gained its fame for being the first to be grown from seeds in the middle lane.Due to the fact that calibrachoa reproduces mainly by cuttings, the opportunity to plant a flower on a plot or in a flowerpot through sowing gave many opportunities to gardeners. Today it is far from the only calibrachoa cultivar grown from seeds, even within the Kablum group, but the most beloved by most specialists. It is distinguished from other species by low (up to 35 cm) bushes with small blue-violet flowers that have a yellow rectangular eye in the center. Calibrachoa "Kablum blue" is sown at the beginning of March, and it is not recommended to keep its seeds in growth stimulants, instead, simply placing them in a moist substrate, where their shell dissolves.

In addition to the main variety, today the Million Bells calibrachoa is very popular among gardeners: its petals are also painted in lilac or blue, less often in purple, brightening closer to the edge. It also lends itself well to sowing, however, experts recommend that at the 3rd week of life, seedlings should be treated with growth stimulants in liquid form in order to speed up the process. The calibrachoa of this variety is ampelous, its stems reach 1 m in length, and the flowering is always so abundant that it easily justifies the loud name. Separately, it should be noted that, despite the prevailing violet color in the calibrachoa range, which is native to her, through the efforts of breeders, varieties with pink, orange, yellow and even white petals have appeared, but basically they are still available for cultivation only through cuttings.

Care

After the appearance of the first leaves on the shoots, it is necessary to start feeding. As it, you can use ampoules with vitamin B12, which are in any pharmacy, as well as a complex fertilizer containing trace elements (these two dressings alternate). Between dressings, it is necessary to water the seedlings with warm water.

After the "kids" get stronger (about 4-5 leaves will appear on them), you can carefully transplant them into separate small containers, pinching the tops to form side shoots. It is necessary to feed the transplanted plant once a week.

It is also advisable to monitor the temperature of the room in which the plants are located. It should be within 21-24C.

Various varieties

Care of cuttings

Rooted cuttings need daily spraying (at least twice a day). In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the soil is not too wet or dry. If mold forms on the ground, the number of irrigations must be reduced. When the roots of the cuttings reach 2 cm, they can be transplanted into separate containers with a diameter of about 5 cm.

Calibrachoa can be transplanted when the plant reaches the desired size. To take out a flower on the street no earlier than May. For an adult plant, about 3 kg of soil fertilized with humus or compost is required. The place in which the flower pot will be stirred must be well lit. However, direct sunlight must be avoided, otherwise the plant may die. Caring for an adult plant consists of three main points:

• top dressing;
• regular watering;
• maintaining the shape of the plant.

Watering the flower must be very careful: overflow of soil can lead to decay of the roots. This plant loves "shower", so it should be sprayed up to 4 times a day

It should be borne in mind that drops in direct sunlight can provoke leaf burns.

Calibrachoa in the garden

Description

Calibrachoa is a member of the nightshade family, along with its closest relative, the petunia. However, until 1990, the plant was considered one of the varieties of petunias. Ampel calibrachoa has powerful stems, stiff in its lower part, as well as long shoots. The length of the stems sometimes reaches one and a half meters. The spherical crown is abundantly covered with small buds.

The flower itself is only 3 centimeters in diameter, and its center is always colored yellow or brown. The classic color of the petals is purple, but thanks to breeders, this parameter may be different. The leaves are rather narrow, elongated and covered with the same fluff as the stems. The hairs are short, but do not differ in density. Their length ranges from 3 to 4 centimeters, and their width hardly reaches 1 centimeter.

Susceptibility to disease and pests

Regular feeding and proper care will prevent the occurrence of diseases. A strong flower is rarely attacked by pests. If the plant begins to take on an unhealthy appearance, and its flowering has decreased, it is necessary to find out the cause and begin to eliminate it.

Calibrachoa is a beautiful stranger

Calibrachoa, if the rules of care are not followed, can be susceptible to the following diseases:

• powdery mildew;
• the leg is black;
• chlorosis;
• root rot.

Fungicides will help to cope with these diseases.

Fungicide for protection roses and other flowers

In addition to fungal diseases, calibrachoa can suffer from the invasion of the following parasites:

• spider mite, which sucks out the nutrients contained in the branches and leaves from the plant, which reduces its immunity;
• aphids, the defeat of which brings the flower to complete wilting;
• thrips - the larvae of this pest live on foliage, devouring it, because of which the bush loses its attractiveness;
• whitefly, the larvae and butterflies of which suck the juices from the plant, which inhibits its development.

Spider mite

Aphid

Highslide JS. Thrips

Whitefly

Calibrachoa is a very spectacular plant that requires attention and care. Subject to all the rules of care, it will thank the gardener with luxurious placers of multi-colored bells, which will become a worthy decoration of any garden.

A Few Tips

1. Calibrachoa, growing in flowerpots and pots, needs more frequent feeding than plants in open ground, since it has a limited amount of land, in which nutrients are quickly depleted.
2. The use of a hydrogel in pots and flowerpots is undesirable.
3. The most suitable for planting calibrachoa are shallow containers with low walls.
4. For better bushiness and flowering, it is necessary to pinch the calibrachoa over the fifth leaf. It is possible to re-pinch after 14 days, but it is not necessary.

Calibrachoa growing in pots requires more frequent watering and more fertilization than those growing outdoors. This is due to the limitation of the volume of the soil, which leads to its rapid drying. To retain moisture longer, some add hydrogel. As a result of its use, you can face the occurrence of black rot.

In order for the plant to bush better, pinch the seedlings over the fifth leaf. The procedure is repeated two weeks later.