Verbena - planting and care

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

It is possible to grow vervain on a personal plot and at home if you know the rules for planting and caring for this ornamental plant. An unpretentious flower is great for creating flower beds.

Description of verbena

Verbena is a flower that has good decorative and medicinal properties. More than 200 natural and bred varieties of this plant are known, which differ in a variety of colors.

This is an unpretentious flower that does not need to constantly create special conditions for growth, the main thing is to know how and when to sow verbena seeds. It has a strong root system and several stems ranging in length from 20 to 150 cm.

The central stem of the verbena is erect, and the lateral ones can be erect or creeping. Most of the flower species are perennials. There are not many annuals in this family.

This flower can withstand temperatures up to +3 degrees, which allows the cultivation of perennial verbena species. In Russia, this plant is excellent for open ground in the southern regions, where the temperature in winter is kept at positive values.

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Vervain is popularly called "pigeon grass", attributing to it many unique properties, ranging from the ability to kindle a passion of love, ending with the ability to open any locks and locks.

In Christian traditions, it is believed that verbena, planting and caring for which is quite simple, is watered with the blood of Christ. Legend has it that thanks to this, she acquired medicinal properties.

The flower has an attractive appearance in the form of small inflorescences of various colors, which have a persistent pleasant aroma. Verbena contains a large amount of essential oils in its inflorescences, which exude a very pleasant aroma.

Most of the verbena species are unpretentious. Plants do not require much human effort and reproduce well by self-sowing.

Seeds of "pigeon grass" remain viable for 5 years, giving friendly sprouts when properly planted. For better germination, you need to stratify.

The seeds are placed on a damp cotton pad, which is placed in a plastic bag and sent to the refrigerator for 5 days. Lowering the temperature allows you to awaken the vitality of the plant.

Landing

To get friendly shoots and good seedlings, you need to know when to sow seeds. The optimal month for planting seeds in central Russia is March.

In the southern and central regions, you can sow verbena in February, but then it will have to be additionally highlighted. In the northern regions, the sowing of seeds is carried out in mid-April, since they may not sprout earlier.

This unpretentious plant can be grown in plastic or wooden shallow and wide boxes, or in single containers using peat tablets or pots.

The seeds should be planted in regular flower soil, which you can buy at the store or make your own. Verbena, planting and caring for which will be a simple matter, loves loose and light earthen mixtures that allow air and water to pass through well.

To prepare the soil for this plant, you need to take the following components:

• river sand - 0.5 parts;
• peat - 2 parts;
• ordinary land - 1 part;
• wood ash - 1 glass per 4 liters of ready-made soil.

When using commercially available flower primer, add sand and ash to it. Before planting seeds, you must first fry the prepared soil in the oven for half an hour. There must be drain holes in the box or container.

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After stratification, the seed must be treated with a growth stimulator. When sowing seeds, you should first moisten the soil so that it becomes moist, but not liquid.

In boxes, the seeds are laid out in rows with a step of 2-3 cm. When planting in small containers, 3-4 seeds should be planted. After that, the seeds are sprinkled with a very thin layer of earth.

Then you need to spray with water from a spray bottle. Then cover the container with a film that prevents the earth from drying out and creates a greenhouse effect.

Care

Verbena after planting requires some care. Until the seedlings hatch, the container should be kept in a window well-lit by the sun, where the temperature is kept around 22 degrees. The seeds should sprout in 7-10 days.

As soon as sprouts appear, you should move the boxes to a cooler place. While the container is covered with foil, it must be regularly ventilated. If necessary, you can spray the soil with a spray bottle, and then cover it again with foil.

The film does not need to be removed until the first real leaves have bloomed. When this happens, the seedlings are placed in a bright, but cooler place, where the temperature does not exceed 17 degrees. It is best to choose a well-lit windowsill, as plants need more light to grow actively.

After the appearance of 3-4 real leaves on the seedlings, a pick should be made by placing the plants from a common box in different containers. After transplanting into a separate container, two weeks should pass, after which you need to feed the plants with complex fertilizer.

Transplant to open ground

It is important not only to know when to sow verbena seedlings, but also when to plant them outdoors. This should be done in the middle lane from the second half of May, when temperatures above zero at night will be. Seedlings will get stronger by this time.

For flowers, you need to prepare a place where they will grow constantly. For verbena, you should choose well-lit places, but not in the sun.

The soil must also be prepared by adding peat and humus, but in a small amount, otherwise the plants may not take root. If the "pigeon grass" will be grown on acidic soils, then you should lower the acidity of the soil with ash.

Flowers require regular watering and feeding. You need to irrigate several times a week, and if the weather is too hot, every day in the morning or in the evening. Watering should be moderate. After that, the soil can be covered with foliage mulch.

Verbena is fed 1-2 times a month using complex fertilizers that do not contain nitrogen. To stimulate flowering, it is required to regularly tear off wilted inflorescences.

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If you wish, you can dig up the flower in September before the first frost and transfer it to a warm room, where the temperature will be at least 10 degrees.

Verbena can also be grown at home. She can live from 8 to 10 years when creating favorable conditions in winter and freezing temperatures.

Low-growing varieties are suitable for home cultivation, up to 20 cm. They form a beautiful and compact bush in a pot, which will fill the room with aroma during flowering.

Every florist who does not have much experience with plants can grow verbena from seeds. Simple planting rules and easy care will allow you to get a beautiful flowering fragrant plant.

Summarize

1. In Russia, in most regions, vervain is bred with seeds. They germinate well for several years.
2. Verbena is an unpretentious garden plant that can winter in the ground if the air temperature in winter does not drop below +3 degrees.
3. When sowing, seeds need to create good conditions for germination, using a mixture of peat, sand, humus and ash as a soil.
4. Verbena loves good lighting and moderate watering.
5. To stimulate flowering, fertilizing should be carried out twice a month in the summer. You need to use fertilizers that do not contain nitrogen.