Selection of verbena varieties, cultivation, planting and care in open ground

A blooming garden plot attracts the attention of others and pleases the eye. Among the variety of flowers, gardeners most often prefer varieties that have a long flowering period. The cultivation of verbena has become widespread, planting and caring for which does not create difficulties for gardeners; accordingly, its popularity as an ornamental crop is growing.

Description and characteristics of the plant

The plant is classified as a member of the Verbenovaceae family, originating in South America. It belongs to the category of perennials, but is widely cultivated as an annual plant. The most commonly used hybrid variety of the plant reaches a height of 25 cm, is branched, and has the ability to creep.

The hybrid representative has small flowers with a variety of colors. They form an inflorescence. The plant blooms from the beginning of summer until autumn. Verbena tolerates cold weather well, even small frosts down to -3 ^OWITH.

The advantage of this plant over others is its long flowering period and excellent seed germination rates even after long-term storage.

Popular varieties of verbena

There are two groups of verbena:

1. Large-flowered - characterized by straight growing branches reaching 45 cm in height, or creeping ones. These include: Defiance - height 0.3 m, with red flowers; Julia - height 0.4 m, with purple flowers; Cardinal - height 0.4 m, bright red flowers; Etna - 0.5 m high, red flowers with a light eye.
2. Compact - recumbent representative with rising stem tips. These include: Amethyst - 0.3 mm high, with blue flowers; Disler - 0.25 m high, with red flowers; Crystal - 0.2 m high, with white flowers; Splendor - height 0.2 m, with purple flowers with a purple tint.

This plant gained popularity due to its unpretentiousness and beautiful appearance for a long time. The most popular varieties among gardeners:

1. Canadian is a perennial variety that blooms until October under favorable climatic conditions. It grows up to 0.2 m in height.It is characterized by the openwork shape of the leaf blades and the most delicate color scheme of the inflorescences (white, pink, with a lilac tint).
2. Hard - cultivated as an annual, although this species is classified as perennial. Violet colors predominate. The branches have hard, oblong-shaped leaf plates.
3. Buenos Aires - ranked among the tall varieties of verbena, reaches a meter in height. The shrub is perennial and produces many lateral branches on which serrated thin leaf plates are located.
4. Hybrid - bred on the basis of several species. It can reach a height of 0.5 m and produces many side shoots. The leaf blades resemble a triangle. The main advantage is the variety of colors. There are at least thirty shades, from light pink to dark lilac, violet and blue.

Features of growing a flower

This decorative crop is cultivated not only in open areas, but also in special containers. For example, a species such as the ampelous one grows freely in flowerpots for decorating terraces, greenhouses and balconies. It is cultivated as an annual plant because it does not tolerate frosty winters.

Verbena stratification

Verbena mainly reproduces by seed. Some of its varieties have seeds covered with a fairly strong shell, which complicates the process of swelling and germination. In such cases, stratification helps - cold temperature treatment. For stratification you need:

• place the seeds on a cloth, cover, moisten;
• put the fabric in an opaque bag made of thick polyethylene;
• place in the refrigerator, in the vegetable storage compartment;
• stand for 4-5 days.

Sowing verbena for seedlings

It is allowed to sow seed material in open ground.But the seedling method of plant cultivation is more reliable than the non-seedling method.

Seeds can remain viable for 3 to 5 years. It is worth remembering that not everyone has a high germination rate. The hybrid species has a germination percentage of about 30, so possible risks must be taken into account.

Sowing is carried out in the first days of spring in containers with a light humus mass. Sprinkle the seeds with a light layer of soil mixed with humus and cover with glass. Place in a warm place. They germinate effectively and quickly at a temperature of +25 ^OC. Ventilate periodically, removing condensation accumulated on the glass. Shoots will appear on the 25-30th day. After the seedlings must be placed in cool conditions, +18-20 ^OWITH.

Verbena seedlings

Caring for seedlings mainly involves maintaining the necessary moisture balance. Verbena sprouts are irrigated when the soil dries out. After 25-30 days, when two pairs of leaves have formed, the verbena is planted in a special container or separate pots.

After 14 days after adaptation, it is necessary to feed with a complex of mineral fertilizers. The upper part of ampelous varieties of verbena needs to be pinched to enhance the tillering process. This does not apply to low-growing varieties, since they have good branching ability.

When and how to plant verbena

Verbena seedlings are planted in open beds after stable heat has been established. Short cooling down to -3^O The plant will survive. But a long stay in the cold will be disastrous for him or cause irreparable damage.

The plant is unpretentious to the place where it grows, but it develops and blooms better in areas that are sufficiently illuminated and sunny. Verbena will not be damaged by direct rays.The crop prefers loamy, fertile soil, but does relatively well in heavy soils if lightened with sand.

Verbena is planted according to the following rules:

• the distance between compact species is 0.2 m, between creeping species at least 0.3 m;
• Before planting, drainage must be laid in the prepared hole: crushed brick, crushed stone to prevent water from stagnating in the root system;
• water the hole, wait until the liquid is absorbed;
• plant verbena with a root ball;
• Sprinkle with soil and press down lightly.

How to care for verbena

Verbena is not capricious; even with minimal effort, it grows beautifully and pleases with color.

Fertilizer and watering

After planting the plant, watering is done more often and gradually reduced. Irrigate in moderation as the soil dries. Lack and excess of moisture negatively affect the crop.

The plant is fed with mineral fertilizers 4 times during the season. It is recommended to use organic matter; a one-time feeding is sufficient. Excessive nutrition will not be beneficial: instead of abundant flowering, there is a risk of excessive growth.

Wintering

Winter is not a good time for verbena. This perennial crop grows in our latitudes as an annual crop. At the end of flowering and fruiting, it is removed. Although, if you wish, you can try to save it until the next summer season. Such a plant will begin to bush earlier and bloom faster.

To overwinter verbena you need:

• in early November, carefully dig out the plant;
• place in a closed room with a temperature of no more than +15 ^OWITH;
• if the growth of new branches and flowering is observed, the inflorescences must be removed and the shoots shortened;
• Prune in early spring and then plant in the ground.

Pests and diseases of verbena

The main pest of the plant is the leaf miner. They destroy most of the green part of the crop. As a result of this, verbena's metabolic processes are disrupted and it dies. To destroy it, it is necessary to treat the plant with chemicals.

Compliance with basic rules of care will ensure healthy development of the plant; if the conditions of maintenance are violated, the plant immediately shows this.

With excessive watering, the root or stem rots, and the leaf blade of the verbena acquires a purple hue. Next, powdery mildew occurs. To eliminate the problem, you need to remove the affected leaf blades, reduce the number of waterings and their volume, and treat the plant with special insecticidal agents.

Flower breeding

Even an inexperienced gardener can propagate from seed. The beginning of spring is the most favorable time for sowing. In winter, germination occurs extremely slowly, and with the onset of spring, seedlings can be seen within 10-15 days.

How to collect seeds correctly? After the flowers fade, fruits similar to nuts are formed. When fully ripe, they break into 4 slices. Harvesting occurs when the seed pods dry out and turn brown.

Before sowing, it is necessary to calibrate the seeds: weed out small, damaged and suspicious ones.

Afterwards, it is important to carry out disinfection by placing the selected seeds in a 1% manganese solution for half an hour. Then rinse with cold boiled water.

When growing verbena from seeds, in addition to stratification, it is recommended to soak and soak them in a growth stimulator. “Zircon”, “Kornevin”, “Heteroauxin” are used. If you sow the seeds in a separate container, you will not need to dive.

Propagation of verbena by cuttings begins in the fall. Before frost, remove the shrub from the ground, grabbing the root ball. Place in a basement, balcony or other outbuilding with a temperature of +10 ^OWITH.

In spring, make cuttings; the best cuttings are obtained from the cut off tops of the sprouts. The cuttings should have 4-5 pairs of leaf blades. The cut must be sprinkled with charcoal powder. Leave the leaves on the top of the head and pinch off the rest. For cuttings, a mixture of peat and sand is mainly used; planting is done shallow, to the place where the leaves were torn off. The container is covered with polyethylene to ensure a constant level of humidity. After 25-30 days, well-formed roots are formed.

Application in landscape design

Among perennial varieties highlight verbena medicinal. But most often, verbena is cultivated as an ornamental plant, widely used in landscape design. In addition, florists love to use it in making bouquets. And landscape decoration specialists use it when decorating in tandem with other flowering plants. It is also grown in pots and effectively decorates loggias, open terraces and summer pavilions.

The popularity of verbena is due to the presence of a diverse range of colors; it goes well with any flowering plants: wildflowers and exotic representatives.

What problems might you encounter?

Verbena is recognized as an undemanding plant. But you shouldn't neglect this. There are several nuances that you need to pay attention to when planting and leaving:

1. The soil should be moderately moist. Excessive moisture will lead to rotting of the roots and the development of fungal diseases.
2. There is no need to additionally irrigate the flower.
3. Regular weeding is required. Weeds take nutrients from the soil, which causes the plant to stop producing new buds.
4. If there is too much nitrogen, verbena may stop blooming. At the same time, new unnecessary shoots will appear, weakening the plant.
5. For long-term abundant flowering, the shrub must be pruned by 1/3 after the first flowering phase. Further pruning of verbena is not necessary.
6. It is important to remove faded flower stalks in time so that the plant produces new inflorescences.

If you follow simple rules for planting and caring, verbena will delight you all summer with an abundance of riotous colors.