Dimorfoteka caravan champlevé mixture of colors. Dimorfoteka: features of cultivation and care. Preparation of suitable containers and soil

And the aster family (Asteraceae), naturally grows in wet pastures or in foggy desert areas. South Africa. Some species are grown as annuals.

Description of the flower dimorfoteka

Beautiful flowering annuals and perennials with erect or ascending stems no more than 40 cm tall. The leaves are narrow, serrated or pinnately divided, sometimes pubescent, alternate or collected in a basal rosette. In nature, dimorphoteka grows on loose soil, mainly consisting of rubble, where moisture accumulates at a depth, so its roots are very long, taproot, fibrous at the end. Dimorphoteca flower - apical single basket 7-8 cm in diameter on a long strong peduncle, with glossy reed flowers, yellow, orange, white or burgundy, and a velvety tubular center, dark, yellow or purple. Dimorphotheca flowers open only during the day in sunny weather, which protects the pollen from exposure to moisture at night and when there is a threat of rain. The life of an individual inflorescence is no more than 4-5 days, but new buds appear in place of the withered ones, providing the plant with abundant flowering for 1-2 months, usually in July-August.

Dimorfoteka in the photo

The genus name consists of two Greek words: "dimorphos", or "has a double form", and "theke", or "capacity", which reflects one interesting feature dimorphotheques. She has both reed and tubular flowers fertile, but form two different types fruits, wedge-shaped achenes of a slightly curved ribbed shape along the edge of the basket and flat, smooth achenes with a wide, thickened wing-shaped border in the center, while the same flowers grow from both types. Appearance dimorphotheca seeds - in the photo below. They are large in size, up to 7 mm, 1 g - about 500 pieces, germination lasts 2-3 years.

Decorative types and varieties of dimorphotecs - rain (summer), notched and others

The genus includes about 20 species. 2 grown in gardens natural varieties, notched and rain dimorphotheques, as well as a hybrid one, which includes hybrids and varieties derived from them. The following is more detailed description and a photo library of these species and some popular varieties.

Dimorfoteka notched or orange (D. sinuate, D. calendulacea, D. aurantiaca), an annual plant 30-40 cm high with erect, branched, densely leafy stems and fragile, notched leaves, elongated, not pubescent. Inflorescences are baskets on strong pubescent peduncles with a diameter of 5-6 mm. Marginal petals shiny, bright orange, with dark spot at the base, the center is black-brown. It has been grown in gardens since 1798. A popular variety of notched diforfoteka is the Polar Star with white baskets up to 8 cm in diameter and a contrasting dark purple spot at the base of the petals.

Dimorfoteka rain or summer (D. pluvialis, D. annua), more undersized, 15 -20 cm high. The stems are straight or creeping, the leaves are long, pubescent, baskets on long peduncles with white or cream on top, purple bottom ligulate flowers and a golden brown tubular center. Is different pleasant aroma, both flowers and leaves smell. In floriculture since 1752

Dimorfoteka hybrid (D. hybridum), obtained by crossing the previous species, an annual with an erect, densely branching stem 15-40 cm high, alternate narrow leaves with a serrated or solid edge, and large, up to 10 cm, inflorescences with a yellow center and outer petals of various colors, white, blue , yellow, orange, pink.

Among the varieties:

Orange Golden East and Las Vegas;

Blue Regenz;

Pure white Glising White.

Tetra polyploid varieties are especially interesting, for example, the Goliath hybrid with very large, up to 10 cm, orange inflorescences, decorated with a black spot at the base of the petals.

Growing dimorfoteka in the garden

In the middle lane is grown as an annual. Prefers a warm sunny place, better on southern slopes, and loose, permeable soil, loamy or sandy, not too rich in nutrients. It does not grow on moist soils; with an excess of fertilizers, it grows intensively to the detriment of flowering. Into the cold rainy summer develops poorly.

When choosing right place and soil, growing dimorphotheca does not present any particular difficulties. It is drought-resistant, requires no more than 1-2 mineral supplements per season. To prolong flowering and preserve decorativeness, wilted baskets are recommended to be removed regularly.

The flower propagates by seeds, which are harvested at the end of summer in several stages, since the baskets ripen unevenly and easily crumble. Self-seeding is often observed. To preserve the decorativeness of the variety, early-flowering large-flowered specimens are chosen for reproduction. Seeds are planted directly into the ground in May or seedlings in greenhouses in early April. At 16 ° C shoots appear in 10-14 days. AT open ground they are thinned out, leaving a distance of 10-15 cm. In greenhouses, due to the weak root system, the seedlings try not to transplant and dive, it is better to grow them at once in 3 pieces in separate ones. Seedlings are transferred to the ground in June. When growing dimorphoteca from seeds, it will bloom 2 months after sowing.

Due to drought resistance, the flower grows well both in containers and in containers. Resistant in cutting, used for bouquets.

Choosing for a long time what to plant in window boxes, I opted for Cape marigolds, in scientific terms - dimorphoteca, a beautiful plant with delicate, incredibly touching flowers.

The dimorphotheque belongs to the aster family, and in total in nature there are 20 species of this amazing plant growing mainly in South African countries.

Dimorfoteka is an unpretentious perennial or annual plant. Although under the conditions middle lane perennial dimorphotheca is also cultivated, but only as an annual. At the same time, it reaches a length of up to 60 cm.

Dimorfoteka is attractive not only for its touching flowers, but also for the fact that throughout the summer the plant does not lose its decorative effect - it blooms with a luxurious “carpet” from June to August.

Dimorphoteca inflorescences are non-double baskets, the diameter of which can reach 6-7 cm, with long reed flowers. Among the abundance of coloring dimorphotheca, it is easy to get confused even by an experienced amateur gardener: yellow, apricot, orange, bright and light pink, lilac, white and even pale blue.

Growing a dimorphotheque

When growing a dimorphoteca, keep in mind that its inflorescences open only in the sun, so on cloudy days the plant will not please you with its lovely flowers.

The best soil for growing dimorphoteca will be well-drained, light, for example, sandy soil, well fertilized organic fertilizers. If you do not have the opportunity to place a dimorphotheque in lighted places, do not worry, the plant will feel no less comfortable in slightly shaded areas.

The main thing - when choosing where to plant a dimorphoteca, remember that the plant is drought-resistant, so the place for growing it should be as protected from rain as possible. At the same time, the dimorphotheque is absolutely not afraid of the winds, which means that it can also be planted in heavily blown areas. In extremely hot climates, it is necessary to shade the plant a little, otherwise flowering may simply stop during extreme heat.

Cultivating dimorfoteka exclusively as potted plant, I prepare a special soil mixture consisting of leafy soil, humus, soddy soil and sand, in a ratio of 1:3:1:2.

And yet - when growing a dimorphoteca, remember that many of its varieties tolerate the first frosts completely painlessly.

Dimorfoteka Flowers

Dimorphotheca flowers are self-pollinating. By mid-August, fruits with seeds gradually appear on the branches of the plant, which can be collected immediately, as soon as they begin to darken and get enough sleep. By the way, it is precisely due to the fact that the seeds of dimorphotheca easily leave their box that the plant gives a very good self-sowing. The collection of seeds must be carried out selectively, since the fruits reach maturity at different times. If you collected the seed pods unripe, for some time - until fully ripe - they must be kept at room conditions.

Having once bought the seeds of a dimorphoteca, I have been growing this beautiful plant for several years in a row, every year collecting my seeds for future planting. Probably, like every gardener, I have my own secret of growing dimorphoteca - seeds for sowing on next year I take only from the bushes that are in current year gave earlier flowering, and also had larger inflorescences. It is thanks to this simple technique that I manage to maintain the decorativeness of the variety.

The year before last, I decided to try to grow a dimorphoteca as a perennial plant - the experiment was a success: in the fall I transplanted from open area in a small flower pot and kept it in the room until spring.

Planting dimorfoteka

You can sow a dimorphoteca directly into the ground as early as May, but in order to get stronger plants that will delight you with their flowers from the beginning of June, it is better to plant the plant with seedlings.

To get strong seedlings, I sow dimorphotheca seeds in early April in a small cold greenhouse - under a film. To do this, a few years ago I bought a couple of plastic boxes in which they transport early strawberries and grapes, these are the ones I use instead of greenhouses. I fill these boxes with a universal substrate and sow the seeds, and cover the impromptu greenhouse with a film, where the seeds germinate for 2-3 weeks at a temperature of about +15 ° C. I give the sprouts of the dimorphotheca a little growth and dive them into small plastic pots, which are about 6 cm in diameter.

If you didn’t have the opportunity to sow dimorfoteka seeds on your own, and this quite often happens with gardeners who have already forced their entire house, garden and garden plot with seedlings)), you can purchase ready-made seedlings of the plant. The only thing is, when buying seedlings of a dimorphotheca, pay attention to its sprouts, each of which should be in a separate container. The acquired seedlings of dimorphoteka should be strong and have a normally developed root system, which should not grow into the drainage hole of the container.

On the permanent place I transplant seedlings of dimorphoteka only at the end of spring, when warm weather is finally established. I do this very carefully, transferring the plant along with earthy clod, being careful not to damage its roots, which possess hypersensitivity, from which, even with the slightest damage, they recover quite poorly. I plant seedlings of dimorphoteca, maintaining a distance between plants of 20-30 cm.

Flowering of plants begins 7-8 weeks after germination, and lasts about 35-70 days.

It is best to plant a dimorphoteca together with bright letniki, for example, with venidium, arctotis, ageratum, acroclinium, heliotrope, pelargonium and petunias. In rocky gardens, it is better to plant a dimorphoteka along with other drought-resistant plants, completely separating it from more moisture-loving ones. Dimorfoteka loves heat and light, so we choose an appropriate, sunny place for landing.

Dimorfoteka care

Dimorfoteka care consists of weeding, fertilizing, watering and loosening. So, for example, in order to prolong the flowering of a plant, increasing its budding, feed the dimorphotheque with mineral fertilizers (using superphosphate or potassium nitrate), cut wilted flowers in a timely manner and systematically water them every 4-5 days. When watering dimorphotecs, in no case do not allow moisture to stagnate in the soil, otherwise the plant will die.

Types of dimorphotheque

The most common types of dimorphotheca out of more than 20 known are notched dimorphotheca, rain dimorphotheca, as well as their hybrid varieties with a wide variety of shades of colors.

Dimorfoteka notched

In height 30-40 cm, with stems branching from the base, the foliage is fragile, elongated, notched. On each such stem of the plant, about thirty inflorescences are formed, the diameter of which is 5-7 cm. The petals are yellow-orange in hues, there is a dark brown spot at the base of the flower. Notched dimorphoteka blooms very abundantly, but its flowers open only in sunny weather.

Dimorfoteka rain

Dimorfoteka rain reaches a height of 15-20 cm, elongated leaves are pubescent. Flowers on elongated stems, petals white or cream above, purple-purple below.

Dimorfoteka Tetra Goliath

Dimorfoteka "Tetra Goliath" - a plant with very large baskets, up to 10 cm in diameter, with golden-orange flowers. The bush of the plant is voluminous, numerous inflorescences are located on long peduncles.

Dimorfoteka Tetra Polarstern

"Tetra Polarstern" - a dimorphotheque with beautiful pure white flowers, at the base of which there is an intense purple spot. The flowers of the variety reach a diameter of up to 8 cm. The height of the bush is about 40 cm, and the variety itself is perfect for growing in balcony boxes.

Dimorfoteka Giant Mixed

Giant Mix is perhaps one of the most interesting varieties dimorphotheques: on a lush bush, whose height is about 30 cm, yellow, orange and even pink flowers. The Giant Mix variety differs from the rest in abundant flowering.

Many summer cottages adorns a mysterious plant - dimorphoteka, whose inflorescences, striking colors, form seeds of various shapes. This is where the amazing name came from, connecting the two latin words- "two-shaped capacity". There are about twenty species of the flower found in South America, but only two are grown in Russia.

Breeders create hybrids that are superior in beauty to natural ones. A flower bed is striking, covered with large specimens of golden, white, lilac, burgundy hues. Rising on thick tall stems, they attract attention from afar. The inflorescence lives for about three to five days, opens with sunrise and closes at sunset, then dries up, making room for new beauties.

What does a dimorphotheque look like?

When you first look at a flower, you are amazed at how unusual it looks. In most species, the leaves are simple, smooth. Some are pinnate, each leaf is cut with an intricate pattern, covered with a light fluff. The stem can be of two types - single or bushy. At the ends of the stems there are inflorescences that bloom with many flowers, the core of which is dark - purple, black, brown. The petals are completely different. Here Nature gave free rein to her imagination, and her assistant - the Artist - added finishing touch– smeared the tips of the petals with black paint. Breeders, on the other hand, gave charming names to different varieties of dimorphotheca:

Tetra Goliath - golden yellow specimens with flowers up to ten centimeters in diameter;
Tetra Polar Stern – species diversity which is distinguished by a delightful combination of white and purple;
Giant Mix - a plant in which orange, yellow and pink inflorescences bloom on one stem.

It is for this uniqueness that gardeners fell in love with the flower, especially since its flowering does not stop all summer. There is an opinion among them that if you plant an unusual specimen at least once, love for him will remain forever.

Growing conditions

In order for a flowerbed created from a dimorphotheque to please the whole summer, you need to choose the right place for it:

The plant is unpretentious, but will bloom profusely only in areas lit by the sun, which means that you need to break a flower bed on the south side.
You should not protect crops from the winds: the beauty loves when air currents touch her leaves.
With excessive moisture, the flowers of the dimorphoteca bow their heads; in rainy summers, they may not bloom and die.
To bloom was abundant, you need to cut the withered inflorescences.

How to grow dimorfoteka

Summer residents are interested in: "Is it possible to grow a dimorphoteca from seeds?" Experienced flower growers answer that the named species is unpretentious. It can be grown in two ways:

seeds, sowing them directly into the ground;
seedlings.

Sowing in the ground begins with the establishment warm days, in southern regions the process is done in April. The location in the flower bed depends on the desire of the gardener. In order for all the seeds to germinate, it is advisable to cover the sowing with a film, not forgetting to water the ground every few days. Shoots, as a rule, appear in two weeks, grow quickly. As soon as the third leaf appears, the lawn needs to be thinned out and fed with a fertilizer solution, which will contribute to further development shoots.

With the seedling method, it should be remembered that dimorphoteka is a plant with a superficial root system. therefore, when transplanting, the roots are damaged - and the seedlings are sick. To prevent this from happening, it is better to plant the seeds in small individual containers – peat cups filled with nutrient soil mixture. The soil can be purchased at specialized stores or you can cook it yourself. It will take equal amounts of ordinary leaf turf and humus. With the addition of fine vermiculite. The soil must be loose so that air can enter the seeds. Seeds germinate for about a month. All this time they need moderate heat - up to fifteen degrees. The emerging sprouts will need to be gradually hardened. At the end of May, young shoots are transplanted into a flower bed, with prepared soil, which is a mixture of sand and humus. They are no longer afraid of cold mornings. Plants should not be planted too close to each other. The best option- thirty-five centimeters.

AT further care for planted plants is simple:

flowers need to be watered regularly upper layer the soil did not dry out;
be sure to loosen the ground and remove weeds;
while the plant throws out buds, it should be fed with potash fertilizers.

In the fall, you can transplant dimorphic bushes and place them in warm room, in the spring again land on the site.

From the experience of flower growers

Those who are engaged in the cultivation of dimorphotheca varieties know that the plant is self-pollinating, so the seeds ripen in plentiful quantities. It can be difficult to collect seeds, because the seed pods ripen at different times, open and spill into the ground, and in spring the seedlings cover the entire lawn with a green carpet. Flower growers notice:

Buy dimorphotheca seeds once, and in subsequent years, having no a large number of seeds, grow a beautiful flower garden. Seeds are best collected from the largest and earliest flowers. If for some reason the boxes were collected unripe, then they will ripen over the winter in a cool and dry room.
Many housewives refuse to dig up a dimorphotheque in the fall, because the overwintered shoots are weak. Plants grown from new seeds will be more successful.
For an impromptu greenhouse, you can use plastic boxes in which early grapes are transported.
Covered with polyethylene, the seeds quickly sprout. As soon as they stretch a little, you need to make a pick into plastic containers with a diameter of up to six centimeters.
Dimorfoteka will decorate any flower bed, lawn, hill. rocky garden. Low-growing varieties are ideal for decorating borders. Dimorfoteka looks great on the balconies. A bouquet of colorful plants is beautiful.
This type looks amazing solo. You can plant a stunted pelargonium or petunia nearby. It is not bad to combine it with arctotis, ursinia, acroclinium, as drought-resistant as she is. But mixing this species with moisture-loving flowers is not worth it.

There is nothing difficult in growing a dimorphotheca from seeds, even a novice gardener can handle it. The reward for labor will be luxurious bushes of beautiful specimens of simple, and at the same time unusual plant with a spicy scent.

A bright flower bed of various plants will attract not only the owner. If it is not possible to plant a large lawn plant, you can put a few flowers in a balcony box. The pleasure of communicating with dimorphotheca will exceed all expectations.

Dimorfoteka flowers are also called the Cape marigold for their outward great resemblance to the flowers of the solar calendula. If you love colorful summer beds covered with a carpet of variegated flowers, then be sure to plant this plant, which is quite easy to care for. homeland of this charming flower sultry Africa, but it can be planted in our regions.

Description

Dimorfoteka is a bushy, miniature plant belonging to a fairly large family of asters. In total, this species has 20 varieties, many of which are perennial. Although there are perennials, in our regions they are still grown as annuals, since the species does not tolerate cooling very well.

Dimorphoteka is a herbaceous shrub, the height of which is individual varieties can reach 60 cm. The foliage has a simple shape, the edges can be either smooth or carved.

The flowers of the plant are reed, they can have a very different color: snow-white, pink, blue, orange. Those tubular flowers that are located in the middle are dark in color or yellowish.

This plant flowers open only on a sunny day. After 17 hours the plant closes its flowers. On a gloomy day, you will not be able to admire the flowering dimorfoteka. This property of the plant helps to keep the pollen in the flowers dry. Flowering occurs only three months after planting the seeds and occurs in July-August.

Varieties and types

Basically, in our gardens, under the conditions of the climate of the middle zone, they most often grow rain dimorphoteka, and also notched and some of their hybrids. But not all species and varieties of this species are highly decorative.

Thanks to the fragile foliage of this species, which has a notched shape, this dimorphotheque got its name. This plant reaches only 30 cm in culture and bushes strongly. Differs in very abundant flowering, forms a large number of inflorescences-baskets, which have a juicy, orange-yellow color.

The core of the flower looks very beautiful and stands out against the background of bright petals with a round speck of brownish color. This species blooms very profusely and much longer than it won the love of our flower growers. Most popular variety of this species is the North Star. The polar star has snow-white inflorescences up to 8 cm in diameter with a decorative dark, sometimes purple core.

Summer or rain

This subspecies differs from others in short stature - the bushes reach only 20 cm in height. Stems can be either straight or even creeping. Dimorfoteka rain has a high peduncle, on which an inflorescence-basket with a tubular center flaunts.

The reed petals of the species can be pure white or cream on top and purple on the bottom. In the center of the inflorescences are tubular petals golden color with brown tint. This species smells very nice.

Read also: Delphinium: planting and care features

All hybrids are obtained only by crossing. The results of crossing are strong bushes with straight stems, narrow foliage and large flowers, sometimes up to 10 cm in diameter. petals hybrid varieties dimorphotecs can be stained in juicy cream, bright scarlet, orange, rich yellow or blue. In hybrids, the center of the flower is always yellow.

Popular varieties

Tetra Goliath - has very large inflorescences with beautiful, bright golden-orange petals. The bush grows voluminous with many inflorescences.
Giant Mix - forms very lush bushes with long and very abundant flowering. The height of the bushes reaches 30 cm. It is interesting that flowers can bloom on one bush different colors: yellow, rich orange, pink. Very different from other varieties with abundant and fairly long flowering.
Tetra Polarstern - has snow-white flowers with a dark purple core. The inflorescences are very large - up to 8-9 cm in diameter. The dimorphotec variety is excellent for decorating terraces and also balconies and loggias.
Glising white - has pure white inflorescences with dark core. Looks very decorative.

When you choose a place where to sow a dimorphotheca, keep in mind that the plant blooms its flowers only in the sun. Therefore, the site must be well lit by the sun. Be prepared for the fact that on a gloomy day, the dimorphotheque will not open flowers.

When choosing a soil, give preference to a site with light soil with arranged drainage. The soil before planting the plant must be well seasoned with organic matter. The selected area is dug up on a bayonet, the humus is closed up, leveled and the plants are planted.

When growing a dimorphoteca, it should be noted that this plant is quite drought-resistant, so it is advisable to plant it in areas where water does not stagnate.

But this flower is absolutely not afraid of drafts, which means that even heavily wind-blown places are suitable for it. If the climate is too hot in the region, then the flower bed will need to be slightly shaded, because the plant may stop blooming due to too much heat. Therefore, in hot regions, it is best to plant a demorphoteca in slightly shaded areas.

The flowers of this plant are self-pollinated. By the end of summer, seed pods will begin to ripen. Seeds are harvested immediately, as soon as they begin to darken and spill be from boxes. Note that this plant reproduces very well by self-sowing.

The collection is carried out selectively and, if the boxes that were plucked are slightly underripe, then they just need to be dried in the room.

Once you have grown a dimorphotheque from seeds, you will no longer have to worry about planting material. Little secret- seeds must be taken from bushes that bloomed earlier than others and which have more large flowers. So you keep the decorative varieties for many years.

Read also: Gladiolus - the right top dressing for lush flowering

Dimorphoteka is grown from seeds quite easily, although the plant propagates by self-sowing, in cold regions the seeds can simply freeze over the winter in the soil. Therefore, it is better to collect material every summer or buy.

Planting in the garden

Diformoteka has a core structure of rhizomes, and in nature it can grow even on pebble soils. Therefore, it is very important to make drainage for it. It is also important to plant bushes next to flowers that do not need frequent watering, as excessive moisture can kill the flower.

Seeds in a flower bed can be sown already with the first warm days. This is usually done at the end of April. Landing is possible until the very end of May. The seeds are just buried.

As soon as the first true leaves appear on young plants, seedlings should be thinned out, leaving about 20-25 cm between them. Note that this flower is very branchy and needs a lot of room to grow.

Seedling

In order to have strong bushes that will bloom even in June, it is better to plant a dimorphoteca with seedlings.

Sowing material for seedlings begins at the very beginning of March. A very light substrate is placed in special containers, which can be made up of humus soil, leafy and soddy soil, as well as river, coarse sand and peat.

Be sure to lay drainage in containers. You can add vermiculite directly to the soil mixture. The soil is mixed very thoroughly.

Some growers grow sprouts in peat pots, which greatly facilitates the planting of seedlings in the ground.

When the soil mixture is prepared, it is poured into containers and leveled. Then seeds are sown on top and lightly cover them with a layer of soil. The soil mixture needs to be compacted a little and shed.

For seed germination, about greenhouse conditions. To do this, the containers are tightened with a transparent film. Keep containers in a fairly cool room at a temperature of about +15.

When the seedlings begin to germinate, it must be hardened off. To do this, during the day, the containers are taken out to the balcony for several hours. So the seedlings are prepared for planting in the garden.

Seedlings are planted in flower beds at the onset of the first warm days. Plants are simply transferred along with a lump into prepared holes. Please note that the roots of the dimorphoteca are very fragile, and if you damage the rhizomes, the plants will get sick for a very long time. Landing pattern approximately 25x25 cm.

Buying ready seedlings

It often happens that the whole house and the greenhouse are lined with bowls with vegetable seedlings, and there is simply neither time nor opportunity to take care of flower seedlings. Then you can buy seedlings. During the selection, you should pay attention to:

Each young plant in the store should be in a separate cup.
Sprouts should be strong, strong, without signs of disease.
The root system of seedlings should not grow through the drainage in the cup.

Such seedlings are planted in the garden at the very end of spring. The plant is simply transferred to the dug hole.

Read also: Unpretentious flowers - garden balsams

Care after landing

Planting and caring for dimorphotheca in the open field is very simple, since it is not at all capricious. In care, do not water the bushes excessively, as excess moisture can lead to the death of the flower. On rainy days, you even need to protect the flower bed from excess moisture.

Also, Cape marigolds need to be weeded regularly so that weeds do not drown out the growth of bushes. It is necessary to constantly remove faded buds to stimulate further flowering. Bushes are watered quite rarely - in dry weather one watering every four days is enough. You must always remember that the bush can die from waterlogging, so you can not overdo it with watering - watering the dimorphotheque is very poor. Dimorfoteka very rarely gets sick and is resistant to the appearance of pests. If the humidity is increased, the bushes may appear gray rot.

Before the cold weather, to store the flower, you can use the most juicy, beautiful, abundantly flowering bushes carefully m dig together with a clod of earth to keep it in a bright and always warm room in winter. However root system this flower is too fragile, and such attempts often fail. It is much easier and more reliable to sow dimorphotheca seeds every year.

It is necessary to feed this flower several times throughout the season in order to stimulate lush bloom. You can fertilize dimorphoteu with organic matter, and if they are introduced mineral compositions, then mixtures with a predominance of phosphorus and potassium should be preferred.

In the open field, dimorphoteca is fed for the first time soon after planting, and then throughout the season twice a month. If the plant is growing in a container, then it should be fed every two weeks all summer. Potassium nitrate and superphosphate can also be used as mineral fertilizers. Such compounds stimulate growth well and force the plant to throw out a strong peduncle. But too abundant top dressing can lead to the fact that the bush will increase the green mass and stop blooming.

plant in the garden

Dimorfoteka - very elegant and beautiful plant for a flower bed. These marigolds look great next to other brightly flowering plants. Petunia or pelargonium is best neighbors for a bright dimorphotheque.

It is advisable to plant a flower next to plants that do not need frequent watering. Dimorfoteka goes well with ageratum, alissum and lobelia.

If you prefer decorative flowering plants for your garden, which you do not need to take care of every day, then be sure to pay attention to the dimorfoteka. This flower does not need painstaking care and frequent watering, but it will become the brightest spot in your summer flower bed. Dimorfoteka is very ornamental plant, which practically does not need to be taken care of. In addition, this flower perfectly in warm regions can reproduce by self-sowing. cape marigolds- This perfect solution for the garden without the hassle.

flower name dimorfoteka consonant with the record library, the library. The fact is that “teka” is translated from Latin as “place”. Accordingly, the library is a place for books, and the music library is for music. It remains to be understood what “dimorpho” means. There are 2 words combined here. "Morpho" is the Latin word for form. "Di" means "two". How does this relate to a flower?

Description and features of dimorfoteka

Have 2 forms of petals in one bud (storage, place). Some petals are tubular. They are collected in the core of the bud. Along its perimeter there are ordinary reed-type petals. They form smooth seeds. From the central petals, wedge-shaped dimorphotheca seeds. And they, and smooth, give the same plants.

Seed pods on the grass are formed from mid-August. self-pollinate. If self-seeding is not in the plans, you need to cut the boxes. When planning to use the seeds, the boxes are harvested in a dry, cracking state.

Pictured is a dimorphotheque resembles a chamomile. This is vernacular name flower. Use the name with the adjective African. It alludes to the homeland of the Dimorphotheca. But the appearance of chamomile indicates belonging to the Aster family.

Being African, in the conditions of the Russian climate, the flower is annual. So planting dimorfoteka carried out on personal plots and in flowerpots, exhibited for the summer at the entrances, on city flower beds and balconies. However, it is not always necessary to stock up on seedlings for the upcoming season. Dimorphotheca often propagates by self-seeding.

Flowers dimorfoteka are herbaceous. The buds are based on a bushy base up to 60 centimeters high. The stems of the plant are erect. The buds on them reach a diameter of 10 centimeters. The color of the flowers is different. There are dimorphotheques of all shades of red, yellow, blue, lilac and white.

The bud fades in 5 days, replaced by new ones. It creates a feeling of continuous flowering. Due to the bushiness of the stems and the abundance of buds on them, the plantings of the dimorphoteca look like a kind of chamomile carpet. It covers the ground from June to September.

The leaves of the plant are elongated. If not for the notches along the edges, the green plates would be wide. However, the abundance of cutouts makes the leaves of the dimorphotheque look like stylized Christmas trees from children's drawings.

The root-rod is hidden under the ground. He rushes deep into, pulling out moisture from there. This complicates the transplantation of adult dimorphotecs. Have you ever dug up small pine trees? At a tree 30 centimeters high, the root goes at a right angle into the ground for about a meter. Dimorfoteka has to dig up 60 centimeters that way. However, transplantation of adult grass is rarely practiced.

flower types

There are a little more than 20 types of flower. A species is understood as a set of physiological and morphological features. In related plants, they partially coincide. Species are grouped into genera. Plants inside them can interbreed, giving viable offspring - hybrids.

Dimorfoteka notched

The main types of dimorphotheca include:

Dimorphotheca pitted. Named for the shape of the leaves. The stems of the plant are bushy, branching from the ground, 30-40 centimeters high. The diameter of the inflorescences of the pitted dimorphoteca is 5-7 centimeters. There are about 30 of them on each stem. The buds are painted yellow and open only in sunny weather.
Rain African chamomile. This is a short form with a height of 10-20 centimeters. White flowers bloom at the tops of the bush. The bottom of the petals and the core of the buds magenta tone. Another difference between the rain dimorphotheque is the edge of the leaves, they are like velvet. The villi retain moisture.
Tetra Polarstern. Its peripheral petals are also white, but the core is blue and ringed in bright purple. The diameter of the buds is 8 centimeters. The height of the bush at the same time reaches 40.
Tetra Goliath. The species is famous for its large basket flowers. Their diameter reaches 10 centimeters. Flowers are painted in orange, including heartlets. The bush itself stretches 60 centimeters. So the Goliath dimorphotheque is large in all respects.
Giant Mix. This is a medium growing herb. She is bushy. Orange, yellow, pink flowers bloom simultaneously on 30-centimeter stems.

Each species has varieties. They are ordinary, that is, obtained from plants of the same category by selecting "individuals" with larger or brighter buds, certain form leaves and the nature of their surface. seeds varietal varieties produce the same offspring.

rain African chamomile

There are also hybrids obtained from crossing between species. Such plants produce seeds that do not produce parental copies. In the second generation, any dimorphotheques can grow.

Tetra Polarstern

There are also so-called false dimorphotheques. With them, the genus expands to 70 families. Example - dimorphotheca osteospermum. Unlike the true one, it is perennial even in Russian conditions. In addition, osteospermum is also a genus of plants. It is separate, includes about 50 species. However, outwardly all of them are similar to dimorphoteks. Hence the confusion.

Tetra Goliath

Growing dimorphoteka and caring for it

The tap root of the plant manages to extract moisture from the depths even in dry times. It is not for nothing that in Africa the dimorphotheque has chosen the south of the continent. Excessive soil moisture is dangerous for the flower. The root may rot.

So growing dimorphoteca often preferred by summer residents who visit the site, as they say, once every five years. Homestead owners know that African daisies will bloom and smell without watering and special care.

The unpretentiousness of the dimorphotheque is also expressed in resistance to winds. Flowers feel great in a blown area. Therefore, African daisies often decorate estates in the steppes and desert areas.

Dimorfoteka Jaint Mix

The seeds are placed in open ground in May, and they are sown for seedlings at home in April. The room temperature should be around 15 degrees. Before germination, the pots are covered with a film. When the 5-6th leaves appear, the seedlings dive into separate pots.

So that the plants are in separate pots - the conditions for purchased seedlings. You also need to pay attention to the strength and turgor of the dimorphotheca and the cleanliness of the drainage hole. Seedling roots should not stick out into it.

They will be difficult to extract. Meanwhile, the root system African chamomile sensitive, with damage it is poorly restored. Therefore, seedlings are transplanted along with a clod of earth, with minimal disturbance. Between plants leave 20-30 cm gaps.

In order to make the most of the ability of African chamomile to bloom for a long time, seedlings of dimorphoteca or its seeds are planted in sunny areas. In the shade, the buds remain closed.

When choosing a place to plant, you must also consider the nature of the soil. Dimorfoteka loves light and loose lands with an abundance of organic matter. Therefore, African daisies are fertilized organic top dressing. Ordinary compost, manure will do.

Seedlings of dimorphoteka

Growing a dimorphoteca in a pot, the soil is made up of equal parts of humus, turf, sand and leafy soil. If the African chamomile is grown in the garden, it is logical to plant it next to others. drought-resistant herbs, for example: venidium, heleotrope, pelargonium.

Dimorfoteka care can be aimed at prolonging, stimulating flowering. Help to achieve goals mineral supplements and timely cut of fading buds. Then the roots stop supplying them with juices, the energy of which is spent on blooming new flowers.

Pests and possible diseases of dimorphotheca

When decided plant dimorfoteka, you need to prepare to protect it from pests and diseases. They can be gray rot or mites. The first refers to fungal infections and develops with excessive soil moisture.

Therefore, it is important to water the dimorphoteca once every 4-5 weeks, even in dry weather. However, it is important not to overdo it, since the mites are activated just at the minimum humidity. Healthy and strong plants resist the onslaught. If African daisies wither away from thirst, turn yellow, it is easy for ticks to “take a bastion”.

In order to prevent the defeat of dimorphotheca, gardeners carry out preventive measures:

soak the seeds before planting for half an hour in a solution of potassium permanganate, fungicides or formalin
spray plants with garlic, onion, tomato and infusion of potato tops
loosen the ground under the flowers
systematically weed dimorfoteka, because the weeds take away useful material from the soil, weakening the flower and shading it with its stems

By following the rules of prevention, you can forget about African chamomile diseases. All types and varieties of plants are resistant to diseases.

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