Physostegia: planting and care in the open field, description of the 11 best varieties, growing from seeds

Given the rules of planting and caring for the physiostegia, you will be able to enjoy lush and bright flowering for a long time. Each variety of ornamental plant differs in terms of flowering, height of the bush, color of the petals. Cultivation begins with the preparation of the seat and the processing of 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:

• straight dense stem height from 62 cm to 122 cm;
• rhizomes powerful, creeping type;
• flowers are arranged in pairs or opposite each other;
• the shape of the flowers is oblong or lanceolate, the petals have notches along the edges;
• inflorescences form a long spike (its length is up to 32 cm) with a pleasant, sweetish aroma;
• most often snow-white, purple, pink or lilac colors of petals;
• flowering lasts from mid-July to late 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 only one type is grown by gardeners - virginskaya.

Alba

Strong trihedral 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 around the edges. Deep pink flowers.

Summer Snow

Perennial plant forms a bush 86 cm high. Inflorescences form a spike shape, their length exceeds 30 cm. Flowering lasts 1.5 months. Inflorescences have a snow-white color.

Summer Spire

The stem stretches up to 88 cm. The flowers are arranged in an inflorescence in the form of an ear. The color of the petals is lilac-pink. Buds begin to bloom at the end of July.

Vivid

The height of the bush is average, reaches 65 cm. The leaves are oblong, dark green in color with a shiny surface. Flowering begins in mid-July. The flowers are purple-pink, collected in inflorescences resembling an ear.

Rose Bouquet

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

Pink Queen

Perennial plant forms a bush up to 68 cm high. Flowers of bright pink color are included in a long inflorescence in the form of an ear.

Crystal Peak

Upright, strong, tetrahedral stem grows up to 78 cm. The flowering period coincides with the middle of summer. Flowers of snow-white color, collected in a long spike.

Miss Manners

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

Glow of summer

The variety is characterized by tall bushes, the stem stretches to a height of up to 125 cm. Flowers of a bright lavender-pink color are collected in an ear.

Variegated

This variety of physostegia is distinguished by dark green leaves with a white border around the edges. Rose-lilac flowers.

How to grow

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

Preparation of seed and containers

Flower seeds germinate well. To improve their quality, they must first be processed. Seeds are immersed in a solution of potassium permanganate, and then soaked in preparations that stimulate growth.

Sown seeds in special containers for seedlings.There must be holes in the bottom of the container. It is better to sow in separate cassette cups. Three seeds are placed in each cup. In this case, the sprouts are more likely to be strong and thinning is not required.

Soil preparation

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

Timing

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

Growing seedlings

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

• They make grooves 6 mm deep, sow the seeds, cover with earth and moisten.
• After that, the container is covered with foil and cleaned in a warm, bright place.
• The first shoots should appear after 12 days.
• Before the first shoots appear, the box 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, as well as from drafts. Water the seedlings as the topsoil dries out. After watering, you need to loosen the soil. After the appearance of the first pair of leaves, the plantings are thinned out, leaving a distance between sprouts of 8 cm.

Picking

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

Hardening

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

Landing in open ground

Physostegia refers to unpretentious plants. Suitable for planting in a sunny or partly shaded area. But if there is no light at all during the day, the flowers will be small and faded.

The soil should be fertile, light and moist, with low levels of acidity. Loamy, sandy soil is ideal.

What time to plant

Prepared seedlings begin to be planted in an open area in late May, when the threat of a return of frost will be minimal.

Plant pattern

The soil in the selected area is dug up in advance and fertilized. 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 be impossible to grow other flowers near the physiostegium:

• 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 38 cm of slate, wood plank or metal plate around the flower bed.

Regularly, you should pull out the extra bushes of the plant along with the roots.

Care

With proper care, the flowers will delight with beautiful flowering.

Irrigation

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

• In hot weather, you should irrigate the physiostegia once 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 removing weeds:

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

Mulching

Flower care 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.

Feeding

In the case of planting Physostegia in fertile soil, top dressing is carried out once for 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 there can be problems.

Most often, the physiostegia is attacked by aphids. The insect sucks out all the juices from the plant, as a result, it fades, turns yellow, drops the buds. In the fight against pests, drugs such as Aktara, Aktellik will help.

Physostegia suffers from rust or fungal infections:

• Rust is easy to recognize. Leaves and stem are covered with yellow-brown convex spots of various sizes. Gradually, the leaves curl, turn yellow, dry out, the buds fall off. Drugs such as Altazol, Topaz, Baktofit, Atlant will help fight the disease.
• Fungal disease powdery mildew can be recognized by a whitish coating on the leaves and brown spots. The leaves gradually dry up, the buds and flowers fall off, the growth of the plant stops. Tools such as Hom, Topaz, Oxyhom, Bordeaux liquid 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 passes to the leaves and inflorescences. When the first signs of the disease are detected, the bushes are treated with Topsin, Fitosporin.
• If you violate the rules of care, there is a high probability of root rot. The leaves of the plant are deformed, wither, dry.

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. Previously, the bushes are cut, leaving a height of 27 cm.

Reproduction

Reproduction of physiostegia is carried out by seeds, layering, division of rhizomes or a bush 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 on the ground, and in the spring they begin to germinate. Then it will be enough just to seat them in the right place.

Rhizome division

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

Dividing the bush

This breeding method is most often carried out in the spring, before the start of the budding period. It is allowed to divide the bush and at the end of summer, after the end of flowering. The bush is dug out of the ground, the ground part is cut off. Then it is divided into several parts. Each separated part is planted in the same way as seedlings.

Layers

Physostegia bush is bent to the ground. Pressed with a bracket and covered with earth. As soon as rooting occurs, the cuttings are dug up and transplanted to a shaded place. The layering is transplanted to a permanent place in a year, when the plant grows up.

Cutting

The cuttings are cut from the bush in April, before flowering:

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

Transfer to a new location

Growing in one place is allowed for 4 years. Then a transplant is required to maintain a spectacular, vibrant look.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 mulch the soil immediately.

Collection and storage of seeds

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

The collected seeds should be thoroughly dried, placed in cloth bags and put away in a dry, dark place.

Landscape use

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

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