Dimorfoteka growing from seeds. How to grow a dimorphoteca flower from seeds at home? Features of planting by seed

There are quite a few plants that you can grow in your backyard. But some of them are especially attractive. Their flowers look bright, pleasing to the eye and uplifting.

Some of these crops can be grown even by a novice florist, without special knowledge and training. Dimorphotheca belongs to such plants, so let's discuss its cultivation from seeds, specify what kind of planting and care this plant needs, and also give its photo.

Dimorphoteka is a plant that can only be grown in sunny regions. Her bright flowers open only in good weather, but as soon as the sun hides behind the clouds, or the temperature drops below seventeen degrees, they immediately close. But blooming dimorphotheques overshadow all the neighbors in the flowerbed with their beauty.

Pictured is a dimorphotheque

Growing dimorfoteka from seeds

In principle, such a plant can be grown by sowing seeds directly in open ground. The best time for this - the month of May. But in this case, the flowers may be a little weak, and flowering will come a little later. If you want to get stronger plants, and get flowering plants in early June, you should grow dimorphotek seedlings at home.

Sowing seeds for seedlings should be done in late March - early April. To do this, take a seedling box with drainage holes. It must be filled with nutritious and fairly loose soil, for example, from one part of leafy soil, three parts of humus, as well as one part of soddy soil and two parts of sand. You can also use ready-made soil for seedlings, but it is imperative to add well-washed large river sand.

Seeds of dimorphotheca should be scattered over the surface of moistened soil and slightly crushed with soil. After landing, it is necessary to cover with a film or glass. Place the planting box in a room with room temperature (about twenty degrees or a little higher), carry out periodic ventilation and moisten the soil with a spray gun as it dries. It should be noted that excessive dampness can greatly harm dimorfoteka.
Seeds germinate after a week and a half, after which the shelter from the box must be removed.

After the appearance of a couple of true leaves on the seedlings, it is necessary to plant them in separate containers - in special peat pots. During transplantation, you need to be especially careful so that root system plants were not harmed. Otherwise, dimorphotheques will get sick or even die. Some gardeners sow directly into peat pots, so the seedlings will be really strong and healthy.

Landing dimorfoteka

Dimorphotheca seedlings are transplanted into open ground when the threat has completely passed. return frosts. Optimal time for this - the end of May.

In order for the plants to be healthy and bloom well, readers of "Popular about Health" need to choose the right place for them in the garden. Dimorfoteka in the open field feels good in illuminated areas. Important role good drainage of the landing site plays. But at the same time, it is not at all necessary to choose areas protected from the wind; such plants also feel good in the wind.

Planting seedlings is carried out, focusing on the height of the variety. The distance between individual specimens should be fifteen to twenty-five centimeters. At the same time, it is necessary to take care of maximum safety earthy coma or land directly at peat pots. Plants grown from seedlings bloom in June.

If you decide to sow seeds directly in open ground, it is best to do this in early May. Landing is carried out immediately on permanent place germination. Seeds are scattered on loose soil and slightly crushed with earth. To speed up germination, crops are covered with a film. After the emergence of seedlings, it is necessary to thin out the plantings so that only strong shoots remain, and the shoots remain at a distance of fifteen centimeters from each other. With this method of cultivation, the flowering of dimorphoteka begins around July.

Features of care for dimorfoteka

Such a plant is not very capricious. It only needs to be watered periodically, loosen the soil and eliminate weeds. Watering is carried out carefully, but regularly, focusing on the drying of the top layer of soil. It is best to moisten the ground when the ground is three to four centimeters dry. Near young plants, weeds need to be eliminated; over time, the overgrown bushes of the dimorphoteca will not give them room for growth.

If you want to grow such a flower as a perennial plant, transplant it before the onset of frost in a pot. During the winter, you need to keep the dimorphotheque in a cool room, and in May take it out into the street.

Possible pests and diseases

In fact, dimorphotheca is quite resistant to pests and diseases. However, with excessive dampness, it can suffer from fungal gray rot. In this case, the leaves and shoots are covered with specific brown spots, on which a characteristic grayish coating is visible. Spraying with a Bordeaux mixture or copper-containing products will help to cope with such a problem. But in parallel, it is also necessary to thin out the plantings and reduce watering to a minimum.

Dimorphotheca is excellent plants for the garden, able to please the owners with the brightness of their flowers.

Dimorfoteka ("Cape marigolds") from South America, in their historical homeland there are about 19 perennial species. Grown for registration of plots in Russia and former countries The CIS is relatively recent. "Cape marigolds" are represented by several varieties of annual plants of the Aster family. Growing Dimorphoteka from seeds is the only way to breed a flower in a temperate climate.

flower features

Dimorphotheca shrub herbaceous plant with vertically growing stems reaches up to 45 cm in height. A feature of Dimorfoteka is the arrangement of leaves. In the same variety, they can be collected in a rosette or grow singly. This feature concerns achenes; they look like a ribbed wedge or smooth compacted in the center, along the edge with a border. Below is a photo of Dimorphoteca obtained by growing from seeds:

External characteristic:

The leaves are narrow pinnate or with dense teeth along the edge, a dark green hue.
The stems of Dimorphotheca are strong, stable, unbreakable in color like leaves. The bush is formed by at least three main trunks with slight pubescence.
Seeds of Dimorfoteka are large 6 mm, retain the ability to germinate up to 3 years.
The root is rod-shaped, deep into the ground.

Dimorfoteka Flowers:

represented by single apical baskets;
located on a hard, elastic peduncle about 25 cm long;
self-pollinating flower with a dense, velvety, tubular core, dark in the center, lighter along the edges in diameter up to 10 cm;
the petals are densely planted in an elongated shape (reed subtype) with a smooth or glossy surface, staggered, it seems that they grow in two rows.
the color of the core, depending on the Dimorphoteka variety: lilac, yellow, dark orange;
colors of petals: white, yellow, blue, purple, pink color scheme.

Grown from seeds, the annual Dimorphoteka is thermophilic, does not tolerate drought, shaded areas. available for sun rays In place, the flower retains its aesthetic appearance for 5 days, then it dies off, and buds form in its place. The duration of the flowering cycle of Dimorfoteka is 60 days from the end of June to the beginning of September.

The features of a culture grown from seeds include the ability to close the petals at dusk or in cloudy weather. Thus, pollen is preserved from moisture in the Dimorphotheca. This ability is used by landscape designers. The green surface of the flower bed with the first rays of the sun turns into different colors. The visual effect is achieved if several varieties of Dimorfoteka are planted.

Choosing a variety for planting

Several species are popular in Russia, among them there are Dimorphoteka hybrid flowers obtained by growing from seeds while maintaining varietal characteristics. The two main independent varieties that exist in wild nature and cultivated on the site: orange (notched) and summer (rain). Both species formed the basis of breeding work for breeding hybrids.

Dimorfoteka notched. The name of the flower was due to the shape of the elongated leaf. In its middle there is a recess in the form of a notch. This is one of the largest species reaches a height of up to 45 cm. annual plant grown from seed.

A popular representative of the species "Polar Star" is a relatively drought-resistant plant, it blooms profusely and for a long time with large white flowers with a dark purple seed box. The remaining representatives of the Dimorphoteca are painted bright orange with a brown core or maroon with a purple center.

Dimorfoteka rain, medium-sized herbaceous shrub (up to 20 cm), having a high peduncle. It is represented by an upright or creeping form. The tubular or reed structure of the petal. In the first case, the color of Dimorphotheca is bright brown, darker in the center. The reed form has lower petals purple, the upper ones are a tone lighter. The flower is grown from seeds in the same way as all types of Dimorfoteka, annual.

AT landscape design hybrids of Dimorfoteka are more often used. By crossing, a shrub with narrow wedge-shaped leaves, upright shoots with large inflorescences was obtained. A feature of the grown hybrids was the presence of flowers on one bush different colors. If planting material is collected from a tricolor variety, the same palette will be obtained in the spring.

Among the hybrids, growing Dimorfoteka from seeds at home is popular:

In the plots, the most common hybrid "Tetra Goliath" is a tall, sprawling Dimorphoteka with a golden color of glossy petals, strewn with medium-sized baskets. The flower lives for 5 days during which time the color changes from golden to rich orange. It is also grown from seeds.

Buying and collecting seeds

Dimorphoteka is grown only from seeds. In the breeding debut, planting material can be purchased at the store. Then - collect seeds for growing yourself. Within 3 years, they retain good germination. It is recommended to collect for cultivation from the first bushes of Dimorfoteka, if the variety is a hybrid. And use seeds for 3 years, although with self-pollinated flowers there is a risk of loss varietal features. In case of independent species, the collection of material for growing Dimorfoteka is held every year at the end of summer.

Harvesting seeds for cultivation begins in the second half of August. The flowering of Dimorphoteka is long, so it is necessary to determine the bush of the plant on which the first blooming flowers appeared, they are usually the largest. It is from their planting material that a strong healthy plant is grown.

Advice! It is recommended to collect material for growing Dimorfoteka from fully ripe boxes, when the first shedding of seeds is noted.

It is undesirable to take unripe ones; if necessary, green seed boxes are placed in a dry, warm place for ripening. If Dimorfoteka is grown by seedlings, it is taken into account appearance. The stems must be strong without damage. The presence of 4 sheets of saturated green color, pay attention to the bottom of the picking container, there should not be germinated fragments of the root system.

Growing Dimorfoteka from seeds

Dimorphotheca is grown as an annual flower culture, it grows quickly, has a long flowering cycle. If you create conditions favorable for the herbaceous shrub, it will bloom profusely. The video shows the process of growing from Dimorphotek seeds.

When to plant Dimorfoteka for growing from seeds

Two methods of growing Dimorfoteka are used: planting seeds in open ground or seedlings. In the first case, sowing is carried out in early May. The plant does not tolerate even zero temperature; when working, this fact must be taken into account and guided by the peculiarities of the climate.

Attention! In open ground, the seeds will germinate only when the optimum for them temperature regime. At 0 °C they may die.

If the cultivation of Dimorfoteka is planned in open ground, it is recommended to immediately determine permanent site. The flower has a vulnerable root system, transplantation is undesirable. The place for growing Dimorfoteka should be sunny, not shaded. The soil is not waterlogged groundwater. The laying of Dimorphoteka seeds for cultivation is carried out at the end of April, until the first sprouts are about 10 days old - this is mid-May. If there is a risk of night frosts, the site is protected at night with a film stretched over arcs. In the daytime, the covering material is removed.

To reduce the growing season, the cultivation of Dimorfoteka is carried out by seedlings. In this case, flowering will begin in June and last until frost. To obtain healthy, strong shoots, Dimorfoteka is planted in containers or boxes in early April.

You can place the growing containers in room conditions or make a mini-greenhouse on the site and put the boxes in it. Open the film only when absolutely necessary, Dimorfoteka does not tolerate a sharp temperature drop, the optimal indicator is +18 ° C. If sowing for growing in a greenhouse is carried out in open ground, the flowering time will be extended, the soil has not warmed up enough for germination. In room conditions, containers with Dimorfoteka are placed in a warm, well-lit place.

Preparation of containers and soil

Containers or boxes for growing Dimorfoteka should be of sufficient depth and stability. Suitable special peat or ordinary plastic glasses. A prerequisite is the presence of a drain (drainage) in containers. Usage peat tablets will exclude the subsequent pick.

Furrows are made in the container approximately 1.5 cm deep and planting material is placed. The density of sowing does not matter, Dimorfoteka dives in the future. If peat cups are used for growing seedlings, no more than 4 seeds are laid in them. In case of breeding different varieties, it is recommended to mark containers to identify flowers.

Dimorphoteka is relatively undemanding to the soil, but will grow better on light and medium loamy soil. Great importance in cultivation has properly prepared soil for seedlings. Recommended soil mixture:

not previously used for growing flowers;
not oversaturated with organic matter;
light in chemical and mechanical content;
part of the components of the mixture should be river sand, it will act as a drainage.

To prepare one bucket of soil use:

topsoil - 3 parts;
peat or humus - 2 parts;
white river sand - 1 part;
0.5 cup sifted wood ash, while there should not be large fragments.

The planting soil for Dimorfoteka is mixed. Then treated with a solution of manganese or given heat treatment. Then they are poured into a container for growing seedlings of Dimorfoteka, pre-calcined sand is placed on top of 1 cm. Sow seeds, water thoroughly warm water, cover with foil.

seedling care

After a week, shoots of Dimorfoteka appear on the surface, it is necessary to remove the film or glass from the container. Move the container for growing seedlings to a room where the temperature is constant from 16 to 18 ° C. When breeding Dimorfoteka, special attention should be paid to lighting. If natural sources are not enough, it is enhanced with ultraviolet lamps.

Dimorfoteka - drought resistant flower. The culture does not tolerate waterlogged soil. But even on dry soil, its cultivation will slow down. Therefore, watering is carried out moderately 2 times in 14 days. On the 5th day after the emergence of seedlings, it is recommended to fertilize with Agricola-7 according to the instructions. The second time fertilizers are applied during the budding of Dimorfoteka. To do this, use products containing potassium sulfate. The condition for friendly growth is the absence of drafts - when placing boxes, this factor is recommended to be taken into account.

Seedling dive

You can dive Dimorfoteka at any stage of the growing season. The roots of the plant are fragile. The slightest damage will affect the condition of the flower. Therefore, transplantation is carried out very carefully on early dates cultivation, together with the root ball. The best indicator for picking is the appearance of the first 3 sheets. Action algorithm:

24 hours before work, seedlings for growing Dimorfoteka are abundantly filled with water.
In pre-prepared containers, at a distance of 10 cm, recesses are made with such a diameter that the root fits with the soil clod.
The wells are filled with water, the seedlings are carefully removed for growing Dimorphoteka and placed in a prepared place, sprinkled with earth, watered.

After transplanting, boxes with seedlings for growing Dimorfoteka are placed in a well-lit place away from direct sunlight. After a few days, you will see that the flower has taken root. Then you can rearrange it on the windowsill. Before planting in open ground, young shoots are adapted to outdoor conditions: they are taken out to the balcony for several hours or windows are opened on which containers are placed.

Conclusion

Growing Dimorphoteka from seeds is the only way to propagate a plant in your backyard. In temperate climates, Cape Marigolds grow quickly and bloom for a long time. The color range of varieties is quite diverse, so they are grown not only as design reception on the site, but also to decorate balconies, loggias, hybrid varieties are included in the composition of bouquets. Dimorfoteka - unpretentious, not requiring special care when growing a flower.

Variety of species

The genus dimorphotheca includes more than 20 species. These are perennial herbaceous plants grown in Russia as annuals. The most widespread are 2 types:

rain dimorphotheca (D. pluvialis);
notched or orange-red dimorphotheca (D. aurantiaca = D. sinuata).

Location in the flower garden

Dimorphoteka is planted as an independent plant in a flower bed, as well as in prefabricated plantings with venidium, arctotis, ursinia, acroclinum, ageratum. It favorably looks among bright neighbors.

On the Alpine rollercoaster located next to plants that tolerate drought well and separately from moisture-loving ones. Can be used for borders, rocky gardens, planting in pots and planters.

Favorite growing conditions

Dimorfoteka - photophilous plant, which is best planted in sunny areas. Likes warmth. Feels good on the southern slopes. Easily tolerates places blown by the wind.

The soil prefers very loose, poorly fertilized with good water permeability. At high humidity air and soil plants can die.

Abundant flowering

Dimorphoteka begins to bloom 2 months after sowing seeds. Throughout the summer, she pleases flower growers with graceful, amazing flowers, similar to small daisies of white, orange, yellow, pink hues.

At night, in cloudy and rainy weather, the inflorescences remain closed to save pollen from water. For long and abundant flowering, it is necessary to remove wilted inflorescences, water the plant in a timely manner in moderate doses.

reproduction

Dimorphotheca is propagated by seeds, which are sown in two ways:

straight into the ground
in boxes and pots through seedlings.

Sowing in the ground

Seeds are sown in a permanent place in early to mid-May, only slightly sprinkled with soil. They try to distribute them evenly in the flower bed. If the seedlings turned out to be friendly and frequent, then they are thinned out, leaving 15-20 cm between the bushes.

To increase germination on small arcs, temporarily pull nonwoven fabric or film. Seedlings appear after 2 weeks.

In phase 3 of true leaves, a weak solution of Zdraven fertilizer is prepared 0.5 tablespoon per 10 liters of water and the plants are fed. This technique helps fragile seedlings gain strength for further growth.

Growing through seedlings

In early April, flower seeds are sown in greenhouses, greenhouses or on window sills. It is possible in boxes with subsequent picking in the phase of 3 true leaves. But it is better to have 3 seeds in separate pots with a nutrient mixture of sand, humus and garden soil.

The roots of this flower are superficial, therefore they react negatively to damage, after which it is difficult to recover. When transplanting from pots, the root system is less injured, and the bushes take root better.

Proper fit and care

If dimorphoteka was grown through seedlings, then at the end of May it is planted in a permanent place in open ground. Before this, the soil is loosened by adding a small amount of sand and humus, creating good drainage for it.

It is better not to feed the flower with complex mineral fertilizers so as not to provoke a massive growth of greenery to the detriment of flowering. For these purposes, phosphorus-potassium (superphosphate, potassium nitrate) are better suited during the period of bud formation in weak doses.

To grow a dimorphoteca as a perennial plant, in the fall, before the onset of frost, it should be carefully transplanted into a pot. Until spring, the flower is kept warm and bright room(room). Then it is taken out into the street again.

Dimorfoteka does not belong to capricious flowers and does not require close attention, which attracts gardeners. Planting it once beautiful plant You will be in love with him for the rest of your life!

If you want to decorate your garden plot a flower bed covered with a carpet of flowers different colors, pay attention to dimorfoteka. For some resemblance to calendula, it is called Cape marigolds. Charming flower from South Africa survives well in our temperate climate and blooms almost all summer.

Dimorphoteka is a small bushy herbaceous plant of the aster family. It has only about 20 varieties - perennial and annual. In temperate regions, even perennial varieties grown as annuals due to its poor frost hardiness.

The name of the dimorphotheque reflects the features of its structure. "Dimporphos" is translated as "two-form", and "theke" - "capacity", that is, "containing two forms." Its flowers have two types of petals - reed, forming a basket, and tubular - this is the middle of the flower.

The stems of the dimorphoteca branch from the base and can grow up to 60 cm. One plant can produce about 30 inflorescences reaching 6-10 cm in different varieties. The color of the flowers is striking in the variety of even experienced flower growers. Flowers are pale or bright pink, cream, white, yellow, orange, light blue.

A characteristic feature of dimorphotheca is photosensitivity. It pleases with open inflorescences only in sunny weather. On cloudy days, she closes her delicate baskets.

Decorative types and varieties of dimorphotheca and photographs of flowers

In our climate, they grow mainly dimorphotheca notched, rain and their various hybrids. Not all of its types are decorative.

It is named so for the notched shape of rather fragile leaves. Bushy plant 30-40 cm high, with large quantity inflorescences-baskets of yellow-orange color. The middle of the flower stands out beautifully round brown spot. Flower growers prefer it to other varieties for abundant and long flowering. Most popular variety notched dimorphotheque - Polar Star. She has inflorescences white color up to 8 cm in diameter with a dark purple center.

Photo. Dimorfoteka notched

This species differs from the dimorphotheca in notched height - only 15-20 cm. Its stems are straight or creeping, a tall peduncle with a basket inflorescence and a tubular center. The color of the reed petals may be white or cream above and purple below. The tubular petals in the center are golden brown. Flowers have a light pleasant aroma.

Dimorfoteka hybrid. Hybrid varieties are obtained by selection from the two previous species. As a result of crossing, plants with a strong straight stem, narrow leaves and large - up to 10 cm - inflorescences were obtained. Petals can be colored red, cream, yellow, orange or blue. The center is always yellow. Among hybrid varieties the most popular are:

A photo. Dimorfoteka varieties Glising white

Tetra Goliath - large inflorescences with golden-orange petals, a voluminous bush with many flowers;
Giant Mix - a lush bush with abundant flowering, height - about 30 cm, yellow, orange and pink flowers. It differs from other varieties in abundant flowering;
Tetra Polarstern - the color of the petals is pure white with dark purple spot at the base. The inflorescences are large - up to 8 cm, the height of the bush is 40 cm. Good option for decorating balconies and loggias;
Glising white - distinguished by pure white flowers with a dark center.

Growing dimorphoteca flowers from seeds

Having bought the seeds of a dimorphoteca once, you don’t have to worry about planting material. By the end of summer, seeds ripen on it - the plant is self-pollinating. They are a small box that opens easily when ripe. Therefore, dimorphotheca gives good self-seeding. However, seeds may not sprout in spring due to cold winter. A fruit is considered ripe when it acquires dark color. They must be collected quickly before the seeds fall to the ground.

Important! On one plant, fruits can ripen in different time. Unripe boxes should be held at room temperature until they darken.

Choose to collect seeds most magnificently flowering bush, in which flowering began earlier than others. You can plant seeds in open ground or on seedlings.

Planting seeds in open ground

Dimorfoteka flower seeds are planted from April to May, but this may vary by region

Dimorphoteka grows well on any light soil. But it is preferable that it be well-fertilized sandy soil. In nature, it grows on pebbly soils, where moisture accumulates deep below. Hence the structure of its roots - long rod.

Place for flowers should be chosen sunny. But, if during the day it turns out to be in the shade for some time, the dimorphotheque will easily endure this.

Important! Dimorphoteka is a drought-resistant plant, it is better to plant it next to the same flowers so as not to flood them when watering neighboring plants.

Seeds are sown in open ground from late April to mid-May (depending on the region), simply by burying them in the soil .. But at the same time, you will have to wait almost two months until the plants begin to bloom. When the first sprouts sprout, the plantings need to be thinned out, leaving at least 25 cm between them. The plant branches strongly and it should have enough space.

Planting seeds for seedlings

To obtain strong plant, blooming already in June, it is better to plant seedlings in open ground.

Sowing seeds begins at the end of March. In boxes or containers, you need to place a light substrate, consisting of humus, leafy and soddy soil, peat and sand. Vermiculite is added as drainage. The soil is thoroughly mixed. You can grow seedlings in peat pots, this will facilitate transplanting seedlings into open ground.

The first races of seedlings of dimorphoteca appear on the 15th day after planting

Seeds are sown on the surface of the substrate and lightly sprinkled on top, lightly tamping the soil. A cold greenhouse is sufficient for successful seed germination. To do this, the container is covered with a film and placed in a room with a temperature of 13-15°C.

The first shoots will appear in 15-20 days. They need to be seated in separate cups if they were grown in a common container.

Important! The grown seedlings must be hardened on the balcony or on the street for about an hour and a half daily before planting in the ground.

You can plant seedlings in open ground when it is established warm weather. Transplantation is carried out by transshipment of the plant with earthy clod. The roots of the plant are very fragile, if they are damaged, it gets sick for a long time. Landing pattern 25 x 25 cm.

Flower care dimorfoteka in the open field

Dimorfoteka needs weeding

Flowerbeds under dimorphoteka should be regularly weeded from weeds. Watering is done 1 time in 3-4 days. If worth rainy weather, it is not necessary to water it, but rather take measures to protect it from excessive moisture.

Important! From waterlogging and stagnation of water in the soil, the flower may die.

During the flowering period, dimorphoteka is fed with mineral fertilizers containing potassium and phosphorus. This will speed up the start of flowering and increase the number of buds. Should not be abused organic fertilizers, otherwise, all the strength of the plants will go into the green mass to the detriment of flowering.

Faded buds should be constantly removed so that they make room for new flowers. This procedure will extend the flowering period.

Dimorfoteka is very resistant to diseases and pests. It is more common for the root system to rot if it is watered too abundantly.

Any household plot or a cottage is simply unthinkable without flowers. Bright and pleasantly smelling plants will cheer you and your guests up and bring joy. Modern selection and nature itself makes it possible to decorate the site with a wide variety of flowers. For example, a dimorphotheque, or in simple terms - cape marigolds, beautiful plant which is sure to please many. It can often be found not only on the plots themselves, but also in window boxes.

But in order for the plant to begin to delight you with its flowers, it needs to be grown. Dimorphoteka: growing from seeds - this is the topic that will be discussed in this article.

A little about the flower itself

Before proceeding to a story about how a dimorphotheca is grown from seeds, it is worth getting acquainted with the flower itself and its features. This plant is native from South Africa. The flower itself appeared in our country relatively recently, but has already become popular among landscape designers.

Dimorfoteka received such distribution because of its attractive features. Firstly, the plant creates an almost continuous carpet of small and beautiful flowers. Secondly, the flowering process is very long. Dimorfoteka will delight you from June to the end of August. In addition, caring for a plant does not take much of your time.

Total in horticulture use about 20 varieties of this flower but only a few are the most popular. So, on personal plots and in photos from the Internet you can often find:

Dimorphotheque can also be used as annual and as a perennial plant. But the flower comes from warm countries, so the first option is most often used. In this case, growing seedlings from seeds (especially in middle lane) comes out on top.

Growing a flower from seeds

Dimorphoteka reproduces well with the help of seeds. At the same time, if in the first year you have to buy material for planting, then in the future this will not be necessary. The plant is self-pollinating. At the end of August, pods with seed rudiments appear in place of flowers. Gradually they darken and fall off. It is necessary to "catch" the moment when the seed boxes are ready to fall off, but still holding on.

Self collection gives many benefits. The most important plus is that you can carry out a kind of selection. During the summer, observe the plant, which one grows and blooms better. And at the end of August, collect the seeds of the bush you like.

Reproduction itself can be done in two ways:

sow seeds directly into the ground;
use seedlings.

The second method is considered more efficient. If you first grow seedlings from seeds, and then plant them in the ground, then the dimorphoteca will be healthier. In addition, this method allows you to get flowers in early June.

Sowing seeds for seedlings start in early April. For planting, specially prepared land is used. The composition of this mixture includes the following components:

One piece of turf;
One part of sheet soil;
Two parts of sand;
Three parts of humus.

All components are thoroughly mixed and placed in small boxes. The seeds themselves are laid at a shallow depth - about 1-2 centimeters. After sowing, you need to cover the boxes with foil to create a kind of greenhouse. The fact is that a plant from seeds begins to germinate only at a temperature of 13-15 degrees above zero.

After 2-3 weeks, sprouts will appear from the seeds. After the growth of 2-3 leaves, the plants dive, each in separate container. For this you can use the standard paper cups for seedlings, with a diameter of at least 6 centimeters.

In order for dimorphoteka to grow hardy, young plants are hardened. To do this, you can take out pots with seedlings in a cool place without drafts. The time of each "procedure" should not exceed one - one and a half hours. Dimorphotheca seedlings are planted in the ground at the end of May, after setting a reliable positive temperature.

Care

Growing a dimorphotheque was discussed in the first part of the article, now it's the turn of care. The flower loves light and warmth, it was passed on to her from her distant homeland. Therefore, when choosing places for landing, take a look at the sunny area. It is undesirable to grow nearby tall plants, which can close the flower from salty rays.

Care itself is not much different from "looking after" other plants. Periodic weeding, watering at least once every 4 days and fertilizing with mineral fertilizers - that's minimum set actions that will turn young dimorphotheques into a flowering meadow.

The plant is disease resistant, but there is one small feature. cultivation given flower may be difficult in humid climates. If it often rains in summer, then dimorfoteka can start suffer from root rot. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to carry out drainage of the planted area, which will protect the plant from waterlogging.

Conclusion

Decorating your backyard with a dimorphotheque is an easy task. Everyone can grow this beautiful South African plant. Landing and care will not take you much effort. To do this, it is enough to prepare the soil-soil from the right ingredients and after sowing close it with a film, to create the right microclimate. In one and a half to two months, you can grow healthy seedlings, which, after planting in the ground, will turn into flowering plant, delighting you with its beauty throughout almost the entire summer.

Growing a flower dimorfoteka

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