Verbena: planting and care in the open field, selection of varieties and growing rules

Flowering 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 vervain has become widespread, planting and caring for which does not create difficulties for gardeners, respectively, its popularity as an ornamental crop is growing.

Description and characteristics of the plant

The plant belongs to the Verbena family, origin - South America. It belongs to the category of perennials, but is widely cultivated as an annual. The most commonly used hybrid variety of the plant, reaching a height of 25 cm, branched, having the ability to creep.

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

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

Popular verbena varieties

There are two groups of verbena:

1. Large-flowered - characterized by straight growing branches, reaching 45 cm in height, or creeping. 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; Etnu - 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 that have a purple hue.

This plant has gained popularity due to its unpretentiousness and beautiful appearance for a long time. Most popular varieties with gardeners:

1. Canadian - a perennial variety that blooms until October under favorable climatic conditions. It grows up to 0.2 m in height. It is characterized by an openwork form of leaf plates, the most delicate color scheme of inflorescences (white, pink, with a purple tint).
2. Rigid - cultivated as an annual, although this species is classified as a perennial. Violet colors predominate. On the branches are rigid oblong leaf plates.
3. Buenos Aires - ranked among the tall varieties of vervain, reaches a meter in height. The shrub is perennial, produces many side branches, on which are toothed thin leaf plates.
4. Hybrid - derived from several species.It can reach a height of 0.5 m, gives many side shoots. Leaf plates resemble a triangle. The main advantage is the variety of colors. Shades of at least thirty, from light pink to dark purple, purple and blue.

Features of growing a flower

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

Verbena stratification

Verbena is mainly propagated by seeds. Some of its varieties have seeds covered with a fairly strong shell that makes it difficult to swell and germinate. In such cases, stratification helps - treatment with cold temperature. For stratification you need:

• put seeds on cloth, cover, moisten;
• put the fabric in an opaque plastic bag;
• put in the refrigerator, in the vegetable storage compartment;
• withstand 4-5 days.

Sowing verbena for seedlings

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

Seeds are able to 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, therefore, possible risks must be taken into account.

Seeding is carried out in the first days of the spring period in a container with a light humus mass. Sprinkle the seeds with a light layer of earth mixed with humus, cover with glass. Put in heat. Effectively and quickly germinate at a temperature of +25 ^оС.Periodically ventilate, removing the condensate accumulated on the glass. Shoots will appear on the 25-30th day. After the seedlings must be placed in cool conditions, +18-20 ^oС.

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 are formed, verbena is dived into 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 the ampel varieties of verbena must be pinched to enhance the tillering process. This does not apply to low-growing varieties, as they have good branching ability.

When and how to plant vervain

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

The plant is unpretentious to the place of growth, but it develops and blooms better in areas that are sufficiently lit and sunny. Verbena will not be damaged by direct rays. The culture prefers loamy fertile soil, but feels relatively good in heavy soils if lightened with sand.

Vervain is planted according to the following rules:

• distance between compact species 0.2 m, between creeping species at least 0.3 m;
• before planting in the prepared hole, it is necessary to lay drainage: crushed brick, gravel to prevent water stagnation in the root system;
• pour the hole, wait until the liquid is absorbed;
• plant vervain with a root ball;
• sprinkle with soil, press lightly.

How to care for vervain

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

Fertilizer and watering

After planting, watering is done more often, gradually reduced. Irrigated in moderation, as the soil dries. Lack and excess of moisture adversely affect the culture.

Plant nutrition is carried out with mineral fertilizers 4 times during the season. It is recommended to use organic, one-time top dressing is enough. Excess nutrition will not be beneficial: instead of abundant flowering, there is a risk of getting excessive growth.

Wintering

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

For wintering verbena you need:

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

Pests and diseases of verbena

The main pest of the plant is the mining fly. They destroy a large green part of the culture. As a result, metabolic processes are disrupted in vervain, it dies. For destruction, it is necessary to treat the plant with chemicals.

Compliance with elementary care rules will ensure he althy development of the plant, if the conditions of maintenance are violated, the plant immediately shows this.

With abundant watering, the root or stem rots, the vervain leaf plate acquires a purple hue.Next comes powdery mildew. To fix the problem, you need to remove the affected leaf plates, reduce the number of waterings and their volume, treat the plant with special insecticidal agents.

Flower breeding

Even an inexperienced gardener can propagate with seed material. The beginning of spring is the most favorable time for sowing. In winter, germination is extremely slow, and with the onset of spring time, shoots can be seen after 10-15 days.

How to collect seeds correctly? After the flowers wither, fruits similar to nuts are formed. When fully ripe, they break up into 4 slices. Harvested when the seed pods are dry and 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. After 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. Used "Zircon", "Kornevin", "Heteroauxin". 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, capturing the root ball. Put in a basement, on a balcony or in another outbuilding with a temperature of +10 ^oC.

In the spring, take cuttings, the best cuttings are obtained from the cut tops of the sprouts. The cutting should have 4-5 pairs of leaf plates. The cut must be sprinkled with coal powder. Leave the leaves on top, pinch off the rest. For grafting, a mixture of peat and sand is mainly used, the planting is 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 the perennial varieties, verbena officinalis is distinguished. But most often verbena is cultivated as an ornamental plant widely used in landscape design. In addition, florists love to use it in arranging bouquets. And landscape decorators use it when decorating in tandem with other flowering plants. It is also grown in flowerpots, effectively decorating loggias, open terraces and summer pavilions.

Verbena is popular due to its wide range of colors, it goes well with any flowering plants: wild flowers and exotic representatives.

What problems might you encounter?

Verbena is recognized as an undemanding plant. But this should not be neglected. There are several nuances that you need to pay attention to when disembarking and leaving:

1. The soil should be moderately moist. Excessive moisture will lead to root rot and the development of fungal diseases.
2. No need to additionally irrigate the flower.
3. Regular weeding required. Weed grass takes nutrients from the soil, which causes the tying of new buds to stop.
4. Vervain may stop flowering if there is too much nitrogen. In this case, new unnecessary shoots will appear, weakening the plant.
5. For long-term abundant flowering, the shrub must be cut to 1/3 part after the first flowering phase. Further pruning of vervain is not needed.
6. It is important to remove wilted flower stalks in time so that the plant throws out new inflorescences.

If you follow the simple rules for planting and caring for vervain, it will delight you with an abundance of violent colors all summer.

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