Planting and caring for physiostegia in open ground, description of the 11 best varieties

Taking into account the rules of planting and caring for physiostegia, you will be able to enjoy lush and bright flowering for a long time. Each variety of ornamental plant differs in flowering time, bush height, and petal color. Cultivation begins with preparing the planting site and processing the seed material. Reproduction is carried out in several ways. The flower looks beautiful in a flower bed with other plants.

Description and features

Physostegia virginiana belongs to the group of herbaceous perennial plants of the Lamiaceae family. From Greek, the name of the flower physostegia is translated as “bubble” and “cover”.

The plant has the following features:

• height of straight dense stem from 62 cm to 122 cm;
• rhizomes are powerful, creeping type;
• flowers are arranged in pairs or opposite each other;
• the shape of the flowers is oblong or lanceolate, the petals have jagged edges;
• the inflorescences form a long spike (its length is up to 32 cm) with a pleasant, sweetish aroma;
• the most common colors of the petals are snow-white, purple, pink or lilac;
• flowering lasts from mid-July to the last days of September;
• After flowering, a ripe fruit remains in the form of a nut.

The virginiana flower does not have any special requirements, so every gardener can grow it.

Popular varieties and types

In nature, there are more than 10 types of physiostegia, but gardeners grow only one species - Virginian.

Alba

The strong triangular stem stretches up to 78 cm. Abundant flowering occurs in the last week of July. Large flowers are collected in a large spike and are distinguished by a snow-white hue.

Variegata

Variegata variety belongs to the variegated group of plants. The height of the bush reaches 87 cm. The elongated dark green leaves are distinguished by the presence of a white border along the edges.The flowers are deep pink.

Summer Snow

The perennial plant forms a bush 86 cm high. The inflorescences form a spike-like shape, their length exceeds 30 cm. Flowering lasts 1.5 months. The inflorescences are snow-white in color.

Summer Spire

The stem extends up to 88 cm. The flowers are arranged in an inflorescence in the form of a spike. The color of the petals is lilac-pink. The buds begin to bloom at the end of July.

Vivid

The height of the bush is average, reaching 65 cm. The leaves are oblong, dark green in color with a shiny surface. It begins to bloom in mid-July. The flowers are purple-pink, collected in inflorescences resembling a spike.

Bouquet Rose

The plant forms spike-shaped inflorescences with large flowers of rich pink color. The stem extends to a height of 122 cm.

Pink Queen

The perennial plant forms a bush up to 68 cm high. Bright pink flowers come in a long inflorescence in the form of a spike.

Crystal Peak

The erect, strong, tetrahedral stem grows up to 78 cm. The flowering period coincides with mid-summer. The flowers are snow-white, collected in a long spike.

Miss Manners

The height of the bush reaches 56 cm. The leaves are oblong and narrow. The inflorescences are snow-white, up to 23 cm long.

Summer glow

The variety is distinguished by tall bushes, the stem stretches up to 125 cm in height. The flowers are bright lavender-pink in color and collected in a spike.

Variegated

This variety of physiostegia is distinguished by dark green leaves with a white border along the edges. The flowers are pink-purple.

How to grow

To grow Physostegia seedlings at home, you should prepare the seeds and select suitable containers and soil.

Preparation of seed and containers

The flower seeds germinate well. To improve their quality, they must first be processed.The seeds are immersed in a solution of potassium permanganate and then soaked in growth-stimulating preparations.

Sow the seeds in special containers for seedlings. There must be holes at the bottom of the container. It is better to sow in separate cassette cups. Three seeds are placed in each glass. In this case, it is more likely that the sprouts will be strong and will not require thinning.

Soil preparation

The boxes are covered with nutrient soil. The soil should be nutritious, light, neutral acidity and good aeration. It is best to buy universal primer in a store.

Deadlines

Seeds for seedlings begin to be sown in early March. In two months it will be possible to begin transplanting to a summer cottage.

Growing seedlings

Strong plants can only be obtained if seedlings are grown correctly:

• Make furrows 6 mm deep, sow seeds, cover with soil and moisten.
• After this, the container is covered with film and put in a warm, bright place.
• The first shoots should appear after 12 days.
• Before the first shoots appear, the film is periodically removed from the box for ventilation.
• As soon as most of the shoots appear, the film is removed.

Young sprouts should be protected from direct sunlight and drafts. Water the seedlings as the top layer of soil dries. After watering, you need to loosen the soil. After the first pair of leaves appears, the plantings are thinned out, leaving a distance of 8 cm between the shoots.

Picking

After unfolding the second pair of true leaves, they begin picking in a larger container. The distance between the sprouts is 9 cm.

Hardening

12 days before transplanting seedlings to open areas, the hardening procedure begins. For this purpose, seedlings are taken outside every day.The time spent in air should be increased gradually, starting from 10-15 minutes.

Planting in open ground

Physostegia refers to unpretentious plants. A sunny or partially shaded location is suitable for planting. But if the area receives no light at all during the day, the flowers will be small and faded.

The soil should be fertile, light and moist, with a low level of acidity. The ideal option is loamy, sandy soil.

What time to plant

Prepared seedlings begin to be planted in an open area in the last days of May, when the threat of returning frosts is minimal.

Planting scheme

The soil in the selected area is dug up in advance and fertilizer is applied. Then holes are made at a distance of 27 cm. Since the root system of the flower is powerful and creeping, it is necessary to take measures to limit their growth. Otherwise, it will not be possible to grow other flowers near the physiostegia:

• Experienced gardeners recommend planting each bush in separate containers. For example, they take an old bucket, remove the bottom and dig it into the ground and plant a bush.
• Another option is to dig slate, a wooden board or a metal plate around the flowerbed to a depth of 38 cm.

You should regularly pull out excess bushes of the plant along with the roots.

Care

With proper care, flowers will delight you with beautiful blooms.

Watering

Physostegia needs systematic moderate watering. The procedure is carried out in the morning. For irrigation, take warm, settled water:

• In hot weather, physostegia should be irrigated every two days.
• On rainy days, additional soil moisture should be stopped.

Loosening and weeding

After watering, it is imperative to loosen the soil while simultaneously removing weeds:

• Loosening will prevent the formation of a dry crust on the surface of the earth. In addition, air and nutritional components will freely penetrate to the root part of the plant.
• Weeds should not be allowed to grow. It promotes the development of fungal diseases and increases the risk of insect pests.

Mulching

Caring for the flower will be easier if you mulch the soil. Peat or humus is suitable as mulch. Mulching will significantly reduce the number of waterings and reduce the number of weeds.

Top dressing

If Physostegia is planted in fertile soil, fertilizing is carried out once during the entire season. It is best to use liquid solutions based on mineral components. The procedure is best done before flowering begins.

Protection from pests and diseases

The flower is highly resistant to infections and pests. But sometimes problems can arise.

Most often, physiostegia is attacked by aphids. The insect sucks out all the juices from the plant, as a result it withers, turns yellow, and drops its buds. Preparations such as Aktara and Actellik will help in pest control.

Physostegia suffers from rust or fungal infections:

• Rust is easy to recognize. The leaves and stem are covered with yellow-brown raised spots of various sizes. Gradually, the leaves curl, turn yellow, dry out, and the buds fall off. Drugs such as Altazol, Topaz, Baktofit, and Atlant will help fight the disease.
• The fungal disease powdery mildew can be recognized by a whitish coating on the leaves and brown spots. The leaves gradually dry out, the buds and flowers fall off, and the growth of the plant stops.Such products as “Hom”, “Topaz”, “Oxychom”, and Bordeaux mixture come to the rescue.
• Gray rot develops in rainy summer conditions. A gray coating appears on the stem in the root zone. Then the disease spreads to the leaves and inflorescences. When the first signs of the disease are detected, the bushes are treated with Topsin and Fitosporin.
• If the rules of care are violated, there is a high probability of root rot. The leaves of the plant become deformed, wither, and dry out.

Preparing for winter

Physostegia tolerates low air temperatures well. But in regions with cold winters, it is still necessary to cover the bushes with straw, sawdust, fallen leaves, peat or pine branches. The bushes are pre-pruned, leaving a height of 27 cm.

Reproduction

Physostegia is propagated by seeds, layering, dividing rhizomes or bushes, and cuttings. Each method has its own distinctive features.

Seeds

Physostegia is often grown through seedlings. For two months, the seeds are germinated at home and then transplanted to open areas.

After ripening, the seeds themselves can spill out of the fruit onto the ground, and in the spring they begin to germinate. Then it will be enough to just seat them in the right place.

Rhizome division

In the autumn months, before frost sets in, the root part is divided. The bush is dug out of the ground, divided into separate parts and planted in a permanent place.

Dividing the bush

This method of propagation is most often carried out in the spring, before the buds begin to open. It is allowed to divide the bush at the end of summer, after flowering has ended. The bush is dug out of the ground and the ground part is cut off. Then they are divided into several parts. Each separated part is planted in the same way as seedlings.

By layering

The physiostegia bush is bent to the ground. They press it with a bracket and cover it with earth. As soon as rooting occurs, the cuttings are dug up and transplanted to a shaded place. The cuttings are transplanted to a permanent place after a year, when the plant has grown.

Cuttings

Cuttings are cut from the bush in April, before flowering begins:

• The length of each branch should be 11 cm, and 2-3 buds must be left on it.
• Then the cuttings are planted in a container with damp sand and removed to a dark, cool place.
• Next spring, the cuttings are transplanted into the ground on the site.
• It will be possible to transplant the cuttings to a permanent place only after another year.

Transfer to a new place

Growing in one place is permissible for 4 years. Then a transplant is required to maintain a spectacular, bright appearance. The bush is dug out of the ground, divided into several parts and planted in a new place. The transplanted bush needs regular watering, so it is recommended to immediately mulch the soil.

Collection and storage of seeds

The seeds begin to ripen in late August. Since they are easily carried by the wind, it is better to collect the material long before final ripening. Ripe seeds are black in color.

The collected seeds should be thoroughly dried, placed in fabric bags and stored in a dry, dark place.

Use in landscape design

Physostegia looks beautiful with other perennial flowers. In a garden plot, it is best to plant flowers along a fence or path. Physostegia bushes look beautiful around an artificial pond or fountain.