Bindweed care
The most important thing in bindweed care is watering. It must be carried out systematically and in sufficient volume. For such a plant, both stagnation of water in the soil and its lack are harmful. If the plant does not have enough water, then the buds will begin to drop. If it rains relatively regularly in the summer, the bindweed can grow without additional watering. However, if the weather is sultry or dry, then the vine must be watered, especially if you cultivate the ampelous Moorish species.
Basically, caring for such a plant is quite easy. At first, the planted plants will need timely weeding, but after they get stronger, no weed can harm them. For bindweed, as a rule, a support is needed, and it should be installed as early as possible. It is necessary to guide the vine stalks along the support in time. In the event that the liana has grown excessively, then, if necessary, partial pruning can be done, this will not harm the plant at all.
It is not necessary to remove wilted flowers and feed the bindweed. However, if the growth of the vine is very slow or the flowering is poor, it will need feeding. To do this, use a nutrient solution consisting of 1 bucket of water, 1 large spoonful of Nitrofoska and the same amount of Agricola for flowering plants. For 1 square meter of the plot, from 2.5 to 3 liters of such a nutrient solution is taken. You can also sprinkle the surface of the soil around the bushes with a layer of wood ash.
Diseases and pests
The bindweed is highly resistant to diseases and pests. Rarely, a liana can be affected by powdery mildew. To combat it, fungicides are used, for example, Bordeaux liquid. If aphids have settled on the bushes, then they should be sprayed with a solution of acaricide: Antitlin, Aktellik or Aktara.
After flowering
Typically, this crop is grown as an annual. But if you decide to save the bindweed, then you need to remove it from the ground and plant it in a pot. The container with the plant is removed to a well-lit room in which the air temperature in winter does not drop below zero degrees. In springtime, the bindweed is transplanted into open soil again. However, it should be noted that this flower reproduces well by self-sowing. Therefore, where it was grown last year, friendly shoots may appear in the spring, which will only need to be thinned out or planted.
Features of cultivation.
As mentioned above, African daisies are unpretentious plants. Nevertheless, before starting to grow them, you should familiarize yourself with the basic rules for caring for them.
Despite the fact that osteospermum is undemanding to temperature and light, it should not be grown in extreme conditions. The plant tolerates shade and cool well, but the constant lack of sunlight and the temperature tending to zero will certainly affect its well-being and appearance.
The soil must be fertile and always loose. The video shows the procedure for planting seeds in such soil:
Gazania, unlike osteospermum, is demanding on the sun, so the landing site must be chosen so as to exclude any shading. But it is more resistant to cold, and can tolerate even small subzero temperatures. The best soil for gazania is fertile and loose, while the plant will thrive in sandy and even rocky soil. But clay soil for growing gazania is categorically not suitable.
High-quality care of African daisies requires proper watering. Osteospermum does not tolerate drying out of the soil, but overflow is also destructive for it. Water sparingly when the soil still retains some moisture. Gazania, on the other hand, is not afraid of drought; between waterings, the land should be allowed to dry out.
Water carefully: if for some reason water stagnates at the root system of the plant, it will die
It is noteworthy that African chamomiles lend themselves to hardening. You can harden a young plant from the period when the first leaves on the seedlings appear. A simple and effective way is to keep the plant by an open window, gradually increasing the time outdoors. You can start from 5-10 minutes, while be sure to monitor how the plant tolerates the procedure. You cannot harden a very young plant that has not given a single leaf - it needs a temperature above + 18 ° C!
It should be understood that even hardening will not help African daisies survive the winter outdoors, unless we are talking about the south. In the Middle Lane, these heat-loving plants are doomed to death, even if they are insulated with sawdust for the winter. Most growers take this for granted and grow the African perennial flower as an annual.
If it becomes necessary to preserve the plant, then this is possible: you need to carefully dig it out together with the ground, transplant it into a container of a suitable size and put it in a bright, cool room for the winter.
This is important: in too warm home conditions, comfortable for people to live, African chamomile will not get the necessary rest, and in the dark (for example, in a closet) it will simply die. The procedure for organizing wintering for gazania is shown in the video:
The procedure for organizing wintering for gazania is shown in the video:
A plant properly arranged for wintering will have a dormant period, and it will endure the cold months without problems, you only need to water it occasionally so that the earth does not dry out. There are also a few more nuances of growing African chamomile, the knowledge of which will help to achieve an even more impressive result:
- It is sometimes useful to make pinching or, as they say, pinching. This only applies to osteospermum - with pinching, its bushes will grow thicker and look richer. Gazania does not need pinching;
- We must not forget about the timely removal of faded inflorescences - this has a beneficial effect on the duration of flowering of African daisies;
- The soil must be loosened at least once a month (or better twice) and free from weeds;
- Gazania, even growing on fertile soil, needs fertilizing with mineral fertilizers at least once every two months. If the soil is scarce, then you need to feed it more often - once every two weeks. Osteospermum does not need feeding as much as gazania, and can do without it altogether if it grows in favorable conditions. Nevertheless, even he will respond to feeding with even more abundant flowering. The procedure should be carried out every two to three weeks, using alternately mineral and organic fertilizers.
Thus, African daisies are easily grown outdoors - in flower beds, terraces, balconies and window sills.
What varieties are found
Many are worried about the question: is gazania perennial or annual? There are both annuals and perennials.
The midday sun includes about 40 varieties. It will be quite difficult to opt for one of them. The most popular types for decorating a garden are:
Long rifle or linear (Gazania longissara)
This is a rather compact plant, the height of which is no more than 20 cm. Its inflorescences are also small and their length with petals is about 5 cm. At the base of yellow or orange reed flowers there are brown specks. Regardless of which variety you choose, tubular flowers will be yellow in color.
Because of its bright petals, it is incredibly popular among lovers of African chamomile, which fully meets the expectations of its owners, growing, as they say, against all odds, with minimal care and attention.
- The height of this variety does not exceed 30 cm.
- The shoots are decorated with rich green leaves growing from its base.
- The length of the inflorescences forming in the baskets is about 3-6cm.
- You can find yellow, orange and red flowers interspersed.
- The tubular petals are purplish black.
Gatsania photo of flowers, which shows all their charm, is considered a perennial bush, but is often grown as an annual.
Shiny Gazania (Gazania splendens)
The tubular flowers are red-black, orange or yellow. At the base of their petals there are white or black specks.
Potsey (Gazania potsii)
Often this variety is confused with the previous one, but only Potsey has larger flowers, the circumference of which reaches 11 cm.
Growing gazania flowers from the beginning to the end of the video:
Hybrid gazania
An equally famous hybrid of African chamomile, which was bred by crossing certain groups. If you ask this gazania is perennial or annual, then you should know that it is an annual. Due to the 8 cm of flowers, the species is considered large-flowered. Thanks to the breeders, it was possible to develop new varieties. So today you can buy terry species that do not form seeds at the time of active development and growth. She is practically not afraid of any diseases and climatic changes.
Among the popular hybrid varieties, it should be noted:
- Variety Ministar, which will decorate the garden with large snow-white and orange inflorescences.
- Daybreak Red Stripe bright yellow petals adorned with red stripes. As soon as the first bright rays of the sun appear, the buds open, and after sunset, they hide their petals again.
- Muse mix is endowed with flowers with a circumference of about 6 cm. It has a varied two-tone color. The transition of colors can be either a contrasting or a gentle gradient.
- The triad is a species that needs warm sun rays. You can find a variety of bright inflorescences.
- Varietal mix Talent has a delicate silver color. The amazing thing about this specimen is that it does not hide its petals after sunset.
These varieties reach a height of 25 cm. They are curb bushes that perfectly adorn flower beds and garden paths.
White gatsania (Gazania nivea)
A bush decorated with snow-white flowers will look great in any garden. They are planted, as a rule, in flower beds and near borders. It does not need special care and blooms for a long time.
Peacock or gatsaniya Krebs (Gazania pavonia)
Gazania flower photo, showing all its originality, has narrowed elongated leaves. Tubular flowers are colored yellow and orange, and the bases of their petals are black. Forms flowers with a circumference of about 8 cm. Popular in Europe. It is rare on the territory of Russia; it is grown using seedlings.
Diseases and insect pests
Growing gazania is not a difficult process. With the right conditions, African chamomile grows and develops well, but if the rules of care are violated, it can get sick. A characteristic fungal disease of the plant is gray rot. To prevent gatsania from becoming infected with a fungus, flowers must be planted away from each other. During watering, care must be taken that moisture does not get on the leaves of the flower. If gazania has nevertheless become infected with gray rot, then it should be treated with a fungicidal agent (foundation, phytosporin or euparen). To begin with, completely remove the affected areas, and treat healthy ones with a solution.
Often, gazania can be affected by the following parasites:
-
Aphid.This insect is a common pest that feeds on the juices of young plants. Flowers affected by aphids gradually weaken, ceasing to bloom and bear fruit. To combat the parasite, an insecticide is used - bifenthrin or pirimifosmethyl. Since aphids are afraid of the smell of onions, garlic and geraniums, you can plant these crops next to gazania. And if there are a large number of ladybugs in the garden, you do not have to worry about the health of the flower, since these insects eat aphids.
- Snails and slugs. These unpleasant insects feed on the leaves and shoots of plants, which prevents the culture from developing correctly. You can get rid of snails with the help of insecticides, but their complete destruction can negatively affect the life of other horticultural crops, since snails also feed on dead remains. Therefore, experts advise organizing traps that protect flowers from parasites. And you can fill the space between the rows with gravel or shells.
- Spider mite. Since spider mites are not insects, but arachnids, insecticides will not work on them. In this case, you will have to use insectoacaricides - phytovernous or neoron.
Gazania attracts attention with its variegated flowers. At home, it can be an excellent decor for windows. A garden decorated with this plant will always look bright and impressive.
Beautiful gazania
How to store?
There is no doubt that the beautiful fragrant appearance of flowers directly depends on the care of them. Storage and proper care of fuchsia during the wintering period depends on where the flower is grown. This can be an open ground in the garden or a flowerpot in the room. In our latitudes, fuchsia is traditionally grown as a houseplant, but there are also winter-hardy garden varieties.
In order for fuchsia to successfully recover from winter dormancy, it is necessary to properly organize the wintering of the plant. This can be done in different ways depending on the specific capabilities of the grower.
In the basement
For the winter, a flower from a bright warm room should be removed to a dark and cool place with a temperature within + 5 ... + 15 °. A basement, a heated garage, a cellar, which have ventilation to exclude high humidity, will do. Good ventilation is essential. In a poorly ventilated room, where humidity will inevitably increase, fungal diseases cannot be avoided.
Illumination for fuchsia during the dormant period is optional, the plants continue to "breathe" the same way as in the light, the flower can easily overwinter in the dark. It is necessary to check the condition of the plants from time to time, remove fallen leaves and dried shoots, 1-2 times a month, moderately water the soil in pots, since fuchsia does not like to winter in dry soil.
Do not worry about falling leaves, this is normal - anyway, after wintering, most of the shoots are removed, and young fresh branches grow by spring.
The method of wintering fuchsia in dark, cool rooms is preferred by many flower growers, as it provides plants with a full rest and restoration of energy resources for the new active season, greatly simplifies care in winter and frees up space on the windowsills.
In the apartment
Not all indoor flower lovers have rooms where they can place plants for winter storage during a dormant period. For many, these are ordinary rooms in an apartment.
If fuchsia hibernates at home, it must be remembered that special attention should be paid to the flower during this period. Fuchsia during rest is more sensitive to care than during growth and flowering, poorly tolerates both excessively humid and dry air
It is good if the apartment has an insulated balcony or loggia. Here there is a good opportunity to create the optimal temperature and humidity for the flower without compromising the comfortable living of family members, which cannot be said about wintering on the windowsill.
If there is neither a loggia nor a balcony, then flower growers keep fuchsias on the windowsills. With the correct organization of wintering conditions in accordance with the recommendations of specialists, the flower will successfully overwinter at home.
We will tell you how to do it.
Place the flowerpot close to the window pane, away from heating appliances.
Ensure constant ventilation of the room, for this you will have to keep the double-glazed windows always open at the minimum ventilation mode and cover them only on days of very cold weather.
When germinating processes appear, remove them without hesitation and try to further lower the temperature on the windowsill, for this you will have to periodically open the window more.
Insulate the pot with styrofoam to avoid root rot due to a constantly open window.
Additionally, protect the pots from the flow of warm air from the side of the room with some kind of heat-insulating material, for example, cardboard, plastic wrap.
In winter, fuchsia needs much less watering than during the growth and flowering period, but it is necessary to water the flower correctly, avoiding excessive moisture in the soil or drying it out. The frequency of watering is determined by the condition of the soil
An important condition is that the lower the temperature and less illumination, the less water is needed for irrigation. Potassium permanganate can occasionally be added to settled water to a weak pink solution.
On the shortest winter days (December, January), when there is very little natural light, plants must be illuminated with ordinary electric or fluorescent lamps, turning on the light for several hours every day so that the plant does not stretch
It should be remembered that the turned on bulbs heat up, it is imperative to take this point into account when placing the backlight.
Spray fuchsia periodically with settled water without chlorine.
Place wide containers with water near the window so that the air does not dry out during the heating season. Now there are modern devices for humidifying the air in apartments.
Description of gatsania
Gatsania (sometimes called gazania) is a perennial plant in the Aster family that is grown as an annual. Most often, there are two types - hybrid gating and long-rifle gating.
Hybrid gatsaniya grows in the form of a low, almost without a stem, bush, oblong-linear leaves form a basal rosette with silver-gray pubescence on the underside. This protects the bushes from the cold and helps to retain moisture. The flowers are large, yellow, orange or red with a diameter of 7.5-9 cm. Dark spots in the center of the baskets form oval patterns, reminiscent in color of the eyes of a peacock's tail. The flowering of hybrid gatsania continues from the end of June until frost. One inflorescence can bloom for 14-20 days, 6-9 inflorescences open at the same time, and the flowering of one plant generally lasts up to 100 days. In short, this phenomenon is truly mesmerizing.
Gatsania. KENPEI
Long-arrow gatsania has short creeping stems with narrow long leaves. Flowers up to 7 cm in diameter are yellow with white edging along the edge and brown, almost black, in a circle in the center, they are located on long, strong peduncles. Long-rifle gatsaniya blooms from August to frost. In cloudy weather, the flowers do not open. Therefore, this plant is sometimes called the "midday sun". By the way, its flowers are also closed at night. If faded flowers are removed in time, new buds will appear immediately.
Care features
An ornamental plant is unpretentious, however, requiring the implementation of basic care measures:
- watering;
- weeding;
- top dressing;
- loosening;
- treatment with insect pests and diseases.
After the flowering period for the winter, the plant is dug up and placed in tubs in a storage area, because does not withstand a cold snap. Then in the spring it moves into open soil.Thus, a long-term planting of a decorative culture is ensured.
Watering
The plant is moisture-loving, with prolonged drought of the soil, the branches can become small, lose their beautiful texture and terry. This prevents stagnation of water to prevent root rot and the development of fungus. Moisturizing is performed once every 10-14 days. Heavy loamy soil must first be loosened to feed the roots.
Top dressing
To increase the splendor of the shrub and prolonged flowering, it is required to feed the plant once every 1.5 months. In the presence of poor soil, fertilizer is required 2 times every 30 days. The mineral concentrate is diluted with water. Nitrogen-containing formulations are not suitable.
Pests and diseases
Flowers are resistant to diseases, except for gray rot. The risk of leaf damage arises when the bush is insufficiently illuminated and the humidity is high. Experts recommend digging out the damaged bushes and burning them, the rest of the flowers are processed with Fitosporin.
The plant is susceptible to insect pests, mites, aphids, and snails are common. After eliminating the pests, the shrubs are treated with drugs (Inta-Vir, Akarin, Fitoverm, Ditox).
African chamomile is a whole group of ornamental plant species that are very popular among gardeners and florists.
It is interesting that under the name "African chamomile" there are several different plant species at once, belonging to two different genera - osteospermum and gazania - and therefore having some differences in appearance.
For example, in the photo below - osteospermum, one of the decorative forms:
Brought from the distant African continent, these exotic flowers have gained extraordinary popularity largely due to their adaptability to the relatively cool climate of the temperate zone, as well as their resistance to disease. At the same time, both magnificent compositions and beautiful monophonic ones are obtained from African daisies.
Due to their unpretentiousness, African chamomiles are suitable for growing by beginners. However, without knowledge of some of the features of their biology and agricultural technology, problems may arise even for an experienced grower.
Planting and caring for the plant
You cannot even imagine what pleasure a perennial or annual gazania grown with your own hands will bring you. Planting and caring for it is fairly simple, and the result will be fantastic, profuse flowering.
Planting is best done in late May - early June, when the last night frosts have passed. Choose a sunny area with light and fertile soil for gassing. The plant tolerates drought easily, so don't be afraid of direct sunlight.
Be careful when transplanting gazania into open ground: the root system of the culture is very delicate
In open ground, seedlings should be transplanted with pots or an earthen clod so as not to damage the root system. The distance between plantings should be about 20 cm. Gatsania blooms from the beginning of summer until winter.
This unique plant will withstand the first autumn night frosts quite firmly, if they are replaced by warm sunny days.
Do not forget to loosen the soil in a timely manner, remove weeds that interfere with the normal development of the plant, and also remove wilted inflorescences. Mulching the soil will help retain moisture during dry periods and will inhibit the rapid growth of weeds.
So that the plant uses moisture optimally - mulch the soil around it
If you want to grow the crop as an annual, then at the end of flowering, the remnants of vegetation can simply be destroyed.
To try to preserve gazania until next year, the flowering bushes must be carefully dug up, transplanted into boxes and stored at about 10 degrees. Remember to provide them with good lighting and moderate watering.
Cut the shoots in half. In the spring, the bushes are planted again in the ground.
