Pruning stone fruits in autumn. When is the best time to prune a tree, what factors influence pruning time. Rules for planting a seedling in a garden plot at different times of the year

picking up flower crops for your garden flower bed, you should definitely pay attention to the charming one, which will complement any landscape and create a unique accent on the site. The lush inflorescences of this plant will not only delight with its high decorativeness, but also fill the entire surrounding space with a delicious vanilla aroma.

Thanks to this rare property, heliotrope has become widespread not only in floriculture, but also in the perfume industry, where it has long been used to make perfumes and various cosmetics. Moreover, this amazing flower has another unusual quality: during the day, it turns its inflorescences towards the sun as it passes through the sky (in Greek, “helios” means the sun, and “trope” means a turn).

plant description

Homeland of heliotrope ( Heliotropium), belonging to the Burachnikov family, is South America, from where it spread to many countries. But if in a tropical and subtropical climate this flower grows in one place long years, then it invariably freezes in our winter and therefore in open field cultivated as annual plant.

However, this quality does not in the least prevent the heliotrope from conquering the hearts of flower growers. The eye is attracted not only by its thyroid inflorescences, made up of many small flowers and sometimes reaching a diameter of 20 cm, but also by large dark green leaves of an obovate shape, having a wrinkled or wavy texture and covered with small pubescence.

Depending on the variety, the bushes of this plant are from 20 to 60 cm in height, and the inflorescences can be dark purple, bright lilac, blue or White color. And therefore, the catchy and fragrant heliotrope can act as additional element any group landing, and its undersized representatives will look spectacular in hanging planters and street flowerpots.

cultivation

Heliotrope, grown from seeds, blooms in 3-4 months. To fully enjoy the flowering, which lasts until the onset of stable cold snaps, it must be sown for seedlings in late February or early March.

You should not take the seeds of this crop from friends: they are unlikely to please with good germination, because they often do not have time to ripen in our climate. Such seed, most likely, will give bushes of different heights, which will be inappropriate when making a group planting in a flower garden. It is better to purchase a package of seeds in a specialized store.

In our market you can choose the right variety.

Heliotrope Sea Breeze 22 rub LOOK
Russian Garden

Heliotrope Marina 21 rub LOOK
Agrofirm Search

Heliotrope Peruvian Marin, 0.03 g German line 45 rub LOOK
seedspost.ru

Heliotrope Sea breeze, 0.02 g 35 rub LOOK
seedspost.ru

The soil mixture, which must be fertile and loose, can be prepared independently. To do this, it is necessary to mix mature, sand and in equal proportions. Suitable and ready substrate intended for growing flower seedling. But in both cases, before planting seeds, seedling soil should be steamed or spilled. strong mortar potassium permanganate for disinfection.

Heliotrope seeds after sowing in a box filled with moistened soil are covered with a layer of earth no more than 1-2 mm. Then the container is covered with a film and left at a temperature of +18...+20°C.

It takes from 1 to 3 weeks for seedlings to appear, after which the film should be removed and the container should be rearranged on a light windowsill. The heliotrope is kept at a temperature of +20...+23°C, periodically watered, and after 12-14 days after germination, they are fed with any complex preparation according to the instructions.

With the appearance of two true leaves on the seedlings, you need to plant them in separate pots with a depth of at least 9-10 cm. A week after transplanting, it makes sense to repeat feeding with any fertilizer for seedlings.

When the seedlings grow up to 10-12 cm, you need to pinch a growth point from each of them. This procedure stimulates the appearance of side shoots and makes it possible to subsequently obtain more lush and abundantly flowering bushes.

Transplant to the ground

Hardened seedlings are planted in open ground when the threat has completely passed. return frosts at the end of May or beginning of June. The heat-loving and light-loving heliotrope is placed in an open sunny place, the soil for it is previously dug up with the addition of organic matter. On heavy soils, it is good to add sand for digging, and, on the contrary, add clay to sandy soil.

Seedlings are transplanted by transshipment into holes located at a distance of 30-50 cm (depending on the strength of growth of a particular variety). Then lightly compact the earth around the plants and water abundantly.

Care

In order for the heliotrope to please with juicy foliage and form numerous large inflorescences, it will need to be surrounded by care and attention. For this purpose, 10-14 days after planting, seedlings begin to feed. An excellent effect is obtained by alternating organic and complex solutions with an interval of 2 weeks. Top dressing is best done in the evening after the next watering.

And the heliotrope is very demanding on watering: the soil under this plant must be constantly moderately moistened. In drought, the flower very quickly loses its decorative effect, so it will need to be watered almost every day. And with a sufficient amount of precipitation with irrigation, on the contrary, you need to be more careful: with an excess of moisture, the heliotrope is affected by fungal diseases.

For those gardeners who do not have the opportunity to constantly be in the country, it can be advised to mulch the soil around the plants with mowed and slightly dried grass, straw, sawdust or shavings. This will help keep moisture in the soil longer and at the same time eliminate the need to regularly loosen and weed the flower bed. And in rainy weather, on the contrary, it will protect the bushes from contact with damp soil and reduce the risk of fungal infections.

In rainy cool summers or with excessive watering (especially with cold water), the heliotrope can be affected by gray rot and rust. At the first signs of the disease, you need to spray the plants with a solution, for example, "Maxima", "Diskor" or "Strobi", and then repeat the procedure, maintaining the desired time interval specified in the instructions for the selected drug.

In addition, the health of the heliotrope is often threatened, and. They are used against them, for example, "Tanrek", "Aktellik", "Fufanon" and others.

Wintering in a temperate climate

Definitely worth revealing important secret heliotrope. Shortly before frost, one of the bushes growing in open ground can be carefully dug up, transplanted into a pot and transferred to a home windowsill. At a temperature in the range of +15 ... + 17 ° C and sufficient lighting (for example, when using additional lighting), the plant will overwinter well indoors. next spring it can be planted again in a flower garden.

In addition, such a flower is used as mother plant for additional planting material. To do this, in late February or early March, the tops of its shoots 4-5 cm long are cut off and the lower leaves are removed from the cuttings. The upper pair of leaf plates is shortened by half, the sections are dusted with powder - a root formation stimulator (for example, "Kornevin") and planted in roomy ones. Rooted cuttings are looked after in the same way as seedlings, and with the advent of steady warming, they are transplanted into a flower bed.

Species and varieties

The wild representatives of this culture are very diverse, but scientists managed to cultivate only a few of them: the Peruvian heliotrope, the stem-bearing and the corymbose. The Peruvian heliotrope is the most widespread ( Heliotropium peruvianum), also known as tree ( H. arborescens).

The plant is a densely leafy bush up to 60 cm high and decorated during the flowering period with blue or purple inflorescences with a diameter of about 10-15 cm. On its basis, as well as when crossing with corymbose and stem-bearing breeders, a sufficient number of varieties and hybrids were bred. They took root in our household plots and every year they find an increasing number of fans.

Among them, it is worth highlighting the undersized variety "Mini Marine", characterized by a compact bush and reaching a height of 30-35 cm. The leaf rosette of this variety has a rich dark green hue, and large fragrant inflorescences are bright purple-blue in color.

Tree heliotrope, grade "Mini Marine". Photo courtesy of parkseed.com

No less beautiful popular variety"Black Beauty", reaching a height of 40 cm and strewn during the flowering period with catchy corymbose inflorescences, painted in a rich purple hue and thinning out a delicate aroma.

The Fragrant Delight variety is very interesting, reaching a height of 35-40 cm. It is distinguished by unusual inflorescences made up of flowers, the central part of which is painted in a delicate lavender color.

Peruvian heliotrope, grade "Fragrant Delight". Photo from plants.thegrowingplace.com

You should definitely pay attention to the miniature variety "Regal Dwarf". The shoots do not grow above 30 cm, but this does not prevent them from forming very lush fragrant inflorescences of an incredibly attractive dark blue color during the flowering period.

The delightful White Lady variety will not leave anyone indifferent, forming a compact spherical bush about 40 cm high. During the budding period, the bush is covered with large inflorescences with numerous pink buds, which, when blooming, turn into snow-white caps.

Peruvian heliotrope, grade "White Lady". Photo from dachanaladoni.ru

With proper care, none of the heliotrope varieties will go unnoticed. This plant will help the best way decorate garden bed and create a spectacular accent on the site, and delicate fragrance will add to the overall picture a sense of comfort and peace.

Young heliotropes are herbaceous plants. Over time, their shoots become woody and with the help of pinching and pruning, bushes can be formed from them and standard trees. The plant belongs to the Buranchikov family. AT wild nature heliotrope flower is common in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. He came to Russia at the end of the eighteenth century and quickly gained great popularity, thanks to the bright color of the buds and the wonderful smell.

Botanical description of a flower

Depending on the species, the plant may have light green or dark green ovoid foliage. It may be wrinkled or pubescent with smooth or wavy edges. Leaves on short petioles are arranged alternately on the stem. Colorful inflorescences are formed from small five-petalled flowers with the aroma of vanilla and cinnamon. They can be white, pink, yellow, bright blue, blue or purple color. At the end of flowering, fruits are formed in their place, called coenobia. After ripening, they crumble into small pieces, similar to small nuts. Each of them contains great amount very small seeds.

All parts of the plant contain poisonous compounds that can cause serious illness. nervous system and liver. This is dangerous for pets, as they can taste the plant, and this often leads to their death.

How to plant heliotrope seeds (video)

Heliotrope treelike, hybrid, thyroid, Peruvian and other plant species

Apart from natural species, a large number of beautiful hybrid forms have now been bred. Currently in indoor floriculture as well as gardening the most common are the following:

• Peruvian or tree heliotrope(Heliotropium peruvianum) is large plant, which can reach sixty centimeters in height. The bright green foliage is ovoid and slightly hairy. Inflorescences of bluish-lilac or purple color can reach fifteen centimeters in diameter. Peruvian heliotrope hybrids can have white, pinkish or purple flowers. Flowering of this species begins in July and continues until the end of October;

• European heliotrope(Heliotropium europaeum) is characterized by a bushy shape, its height does not exceed forty centimeters. Dark green oblong-wedge-shaped, pubescent foliage has a yellowish coating. White flowers have original feature. They bloom in the axils of the leaves on specific pedicels in the form of curls. When flowering reaches its most active phase, the entire bush is strewn with dense snow-white inflorescences. European heliotrope blooms early in May-June;

• hybrid heliotrope(Heliotropium hybridum) is upright plant with strongly branched stems. Its height can reach fifty centimeters. Its foliage has an elongated oval shape, dark green color and strong pubescence. Inflorescences can have a diameter of more than fifteen centimeters and are white, lilac or purple;

• corymbose heliotrope(Heliotropium corymbosum) is a very large species, growing up to one hundred and twenty centimeters. The foliage is dark green in color and has a lanceolate shape. Inflorescences of blue or blue color reach a diameter of ten centimeters. The corymbose heliotrope is valued for its beauty and duration of flowering.

Heliotrope Princess Marina, Sea Breeze, White Lady, Dwarf Marine and other plant varieties

The most popular varietal variety of heliotrope is Marin. Despite strong branching, it always retains a neat and compact shape. Its height reaches no more than sixty centimeters. The leaves of this variety have a dark green color with a purple bloom. Large inflorescences consist of small flowers that have a spectacular bright purple color.. With proper care, heliotrope Marin grows rapidly and blooms in the first year after planting.

Heliotrope Marin has several beautiful varieties:

• Princess Marine. This is a small plant no more than thirty centimeters high. Small inflorescences have a bluish-violet color;
• white lady(White lady). The plant belongs to low-growing and abundantly flowering crops. Its pink buds, blooming, turn into small white flowers;
• sea ​​dwarf(Dwarf marine). This miniature varietal variety is highly decorative. Its inflorescences have a very bright blue color and a strong pleasant aroma;
• Odysseus. This variety is a shrub no more than thirty centimeters high. This is very beautiful plant with velvety foliage and large inflorescences of bright lilac color;
• Sea breeze(Regal dwarf). This plant is medium in size, spreading bush grows up to fifty centimeters. The dark green foliage is obovate, and the inflorescences are blue in color. Blossom this species starts in June and ends at the end of October.

How to dive heliotrope (video)

How to grow heliotrope from seeds

Planting boxes should be filled with a mixture of peat and sand, taken in equal parts. Seeds just need to be spread over the surface of the soil, without falling asleep. Landings must be carefully moistened with a spray bottle and closed plastic wrap. The boxes should be placed in a slightly shaded room with an air temperature of twenty-two to twenty-five degrees. Seedlings that have emerged should be handled very carefully. because they are more brittle. After two true leaves are formed on the seedlings, it is necessary to dive several of them into separate pots. A month later, the seedlings are planted one at a time in an individual container, this will help them to more easily transfer the transplant to open ground if they are intended for a garden plot.

Outdoor cultivation

For boarding, select sunny place protected from the winds. The soil on the site should be fertile and loose. Holes for seedlings should be located at a distance of thirty centimeters from each other. In each of them you need to add a small amount of humus and a glass of ash. Seedlings are recommended to be shed first, and then carefully removed from the pots and transplanted into the holes.

Further care for the heliotrope consists in regular watering and fertilizing with complex mineral fertilizers every two weeks. In a very hot period, daily spraying should be carried out in the morning. It is also recommended to do pinching to form a beautiful crown.

Growing heliotrope at home: features of planting and care

If you create growing conditions for heliotrope that are close to those he is used to in the wild, he will grow and bloom well in an ordinary apartment.

Lighting

Due to its origin, heliotrope is very fond of light. Wherein it easily tolerates direct sunlight. Therefore, it can be located both in the east or west of the room, and in the south. Of course, on especially hot days, you need to make sure that he does not get a sunburn. It is not recommended to put a pot with heliotrope on the northern windowsill, the plant will develop poorly and may even die.

Temperature and humidity

AT winter period it is desirable to move it to a place with a temperature of about sixteen degrees to enter a state of relative rest.

Heliotrope does not like too dry air, the ends of the leaves begin to dry out, and they can also partially fall off. To avoid this, you should spray the flower daily.

Watering and feeding

In spring and summer, the heliotrope is watered regularly and plentifully, the soil should always be slightly moist. Make holes in the bottom of the pot and place good layer drainage so that excess water flows easily into the pan and does not form moisture stagnation in the soil. With strong waterlogging, the roots of the heliotrope are quickly affected by rot. And with prolonged overdrying of the soil, the plant sheds leaves. With the onset of autumn, the number of waterings should be reduced and carried out as the soil dries.

Feeding heliotrope should begin in March and end in September. For its implementation, universal mineral fertilizers are used once every two weeks.

The soil

Soil for heliotrope should be chosen nutritious and light. If it is compiled independently, then You can use the following proportions:

• Turf land - four parts;
• Leaf land - two parts;
• Peat - two parts;
• Coarse sand - one part;
• Charcoal - one part.

It is advisable to ignite the resulting soil mixture in the oven or place it in the microwave for several minutes.

Transfer

Heliotrope is recommended to be replanted every year in the spring. To do this, you need to pull it out of the old container and remove the damaged roots. Pour into a slightly larger pot drainage layer and nutrient soil. Transplant the plant, moisten and pinch all the shoots.

Options for using plants in garden decor

On the garden plot heliotrope occupies a worthy place in the design of landscape design, due to its bright and long flowering. It is perfect for decorating flower beds, where coreopsis, begonias, rudbeckia, coleus, salvia can become its neighbors. Even bigger decorative effect can be obtained by surrounding the landings with a bright green lawn.

When decorating borders, a combination of heliotrope with petunias and cineraria is suitable. If plants are grown in a garden plot in flowerpots, then standard trees can be formed from them. To do this, you need to grow a bush of the desired height, remove the lower side shoots, and then form a crown of the selected shape. With the onset of autumn, such plants can be brought into the apartment and grown as indoor perennials.

Features of growing heliotrope (video)

Heliotrope is spectacular and bright plant with a wonderful aroma. Its reproduction and maintenance rules are quite simple. If they are observed, it develops quite quickly and, as a rule, blooms in the first year of growth, but closer to autumn. With careful attention to it, the heliotrope will become the pride of any garden or home.

The name of this flower at first glance is unusual - heliotrope, but in Greek it means "turning after the sun." Indeed, heliotrope flowers turn their heads towards the sun during the day. There are several subtleties in planting, caring for, and growing heliotrope, which are discussed in our article.

Photo of heliotrope in the garden

heliotrope flower Heliotrope is a representative of the Borage family, who migrated to us from South America and the Mediterranean. Decorative types of heliotrope look like a small shrub 20-60 cm high. Heliotrope is notable small flowers white, blue or purple, grouped in lush hats-inflorescences. Inflorescences are located on straight, long peduncles. Thanks to breeding work, many varieties of culture of different flowering periods have been created. You can choose them so that the bushes bloom throughout the season. Heliotrope is a light-loving, heat-loving plant, therefore it is afraid of frost and dies when the temperature drops. In relatives climatic conditions culture is grown. In mid-latitudes with frosty winters growing conditions allow the flower to be cultivated as an annual. Hybrid varieties can be grown Reproduction methods Reproduction of heliotrope - difficult process which requires a lot of attention and effort. Like many plants, heliotrope can be propagated by seeds or cuttings. Both methods contain some difficulties. In the first case, the difficulty lies in the long period of flower development. Propagation by cuttings is more suitable for southern regions Russia. In regions with cold winters, certain actions will be required to obtain a positive result. Is it possible to plant heliotrope seeds in open ground When growing heliotrope from seeds, flowering occurs 80-110 days after their germination. That is why planting heliotrope with seeds in open ground during the short summer of the Central Russian region is not practiced, since flowering will begin in late summer or early autumn. Seedling growing method To increase the duration of the flowering of the crop, it is more practical to propagate the "turning after the sun" flower Sowing seeds for seedlings. Sowing heliotrope for seedlings should be carried out from the end of February to March 10. The soil for sowing is prepared from peat and sand (4: 1). Before use, it must be disinfected, for example, ignited or spilled with phytosporin. This will eliminate the possibility of infection of seeds with various fungal infections. Prepared soil is filled in a container or seedling box for sowing seeds and slightly compacted. Seeds are evenly distributed over the surface of the soil, and then lightly sprinkled with earth or sand, with a maximum layer of 2 mm. The container or any container with crops must be closed with glass or film and placed in a warm place with a temperature of +15 to +20 degrees. Seeds germinate in 2-3 weeks. This process can be accelerated in a solution of zircon (3 drops in 100 ml of water at room temperature) for 14 hours. This will increase the resistance of seedlings to adverse conditions. Seeds treated with zircon will sprout within 4-7 days after sowing. After the emergence of seedlings from the seedling box, you need to remove the glass and rearrange the box to a lighted place. The temperature is raised to +20 - +24 degrees. Shoots should be protected from the bright sun. Seedling care consists in moderate soil moisture. The picking of seedlings is carried out when two true leaves appear on the seedlings. Pots for picking use a diameter of at least 10 cm. When transplanting, seedlings are deepened to cotyledon leaves, watered. 10-14 days after picking, it is necessary to feed the seedlings. Fertilizer Ideal or Effecton is used as top dressing. Planting seedlings in open ground Heliotrope seedlings should be transplanted into open ground in early June, when the likelihood of morning frosts has passed. The place for planting seedlings should be sunny, and the soil should be loose, well-permeable, nutritious, containing leaf humus. Heliotrope seedlings before planting in the ground. It is important to avoid planting heliotrope in soil with close groundwater. Planting seedlings in the ground consists of several steps: Preparation of holes for seedlings. earthen lump should fit completely in the landing hole. If the seedlings are in peat pots, then the size of the seedling hole should be several over size peat pot. At the bottom of the hole, leaf humus is poured. Holes for planting seedlings are located at a distance of 20-25 cm, since the heliotrope is very bushy. Seedlings are planted in prepared holes by transshipment, avoiding damage to the roots. Seedlings are covered with soil, slightly compacted around the plant. After planting, the seedlings are watered abundantly, the tops are pinched. Heliotrope blooms in July and continues until frost. Reproduction by cuttings Cuttings for propagation of heliotrope must be harvested from an adult plant. To do this, you need to save the mother bush until spring. In autumn, a strong, branched specimen is chosen, carefully dug up and transplanted into a pot. Before transplanting, it is useful to spray the plant with a solution of Epin-extra, and then pour it with humate to better rooting bush. To reduce stress from transplantation, inflorescences and part of the leaves are cut off. In the room where the transplanted heliotrope will be kept, maintain a temperature of + 8- + 15 degrees, provide additional illumination. With more high temperature or with a lack of light, the shoots will stretch out, be weak and are unlikely to survive future rooting. Therefore, the plant is best placed on a sunny but cool windowsill. In winter, watering should be moderate. If the leaves of the mother plant fall, then watering should be replaced by spraying. Observing these simple requirements, by spring the heliotrope will give good strong cuttings for future plantings. In March-April, you can start harvesting cuttings: The cuttings are cut in such a way that each has 3-4 internodes. All leaves are removed from the cuttings, except for the top 1-2. Next, the cuttings are placed for several hours in a rooting solution. The soil mixture, consisting of peat soil and sand 1: 1, is poured into mini-greenhouses with good drainage. The soil is watered with phytosporin to prevent fungal diseases. The greenhouse should be periodically ventilated. Favorable temperature for rooting - +25 degrees. Promotes early rooting treatment by spraying and watering under the root with a solution of the drug Zircon. It is time to plant the rooted cuttings in the ground. After 3 weeks, the cuttings should take root, the newly appeared leaves will tell about this. After rooting, the cuttings are transplanted into separate pots. At first, seedlings are kept in the shade and keep the soil moderately moist. Planting cuttings in the ground In June, when the threat of morning frosts disappears, it is time to transplant the cuttings into open ground. To stimulate the emergence of new shoots, pinch the tops of plants. Heliotrope seedlings are placed at a distance of at least 20-25 cm from each other. It is advisable to protect the plant from strong winds. Caring for heliotrope in the garden In order for the plant to grow normally and bloom profusely, competent care is needed. You can take care of seedlings grown from seeds and seedlings obtained from cuttings according to the same scheme. Attention should be paid to watering, loosening and top dressing. Watering Heliotrope is a moisture-loving plant. The soil around the plant should always be moist, but the heliotrope does not tolerate stagnant moisture. You need to focus on the condition of the soil. If a upper layer the soil has dried out by 2-3 cm, then it's time to water. On hot days, it is necessary to increase the humidity of the air around the plant by spraying. Need to do it warm water early morning and late evening. Loosening and mulching After watering, the soil between the flowers should be loosened, combining this procedure with weeding. The mulching procedure allows you to reduce the number of loosening and watering. top dressing After planting seedlings in open ground, top dressing should be carried out every 10-14 days. Suitable for this universal fertilizers in liquid form, such as Ideal or Kemira Lux. How to collect seeds and is it worth it Growing heliotrope from seeds collected from own plants in mid-latitudes is associated with several problems. Seeds do not have time to ripen and their germination is poor. The seeds that did mature and were harvested have a longer development cycle than purchased seeds. Heliotropes grown from their own seeds begin to bloom only by the end of summer, the bushes, at the same time, grow different in height, and the inflorescences are small. Wintering plants in the house To prolong the life of your favorite plant after the onset of cold weather, you can transplant it into a pot and settle it at home. For comfortable conditions flower growth at home, it is necessary to organize an additional artificial lighting and certain temperature regime. Place the pot on a sunny windowsill. AT winter time heliotrope prefers a temperature of + 15- + 18 degrees and moderate watering. Glazed balcony is suitable for wintering. In spring, the flower can be planted again in the garden, and if desired, cuttings can be cut and rooted. Diseases and pests The main pests of heliotrope are aphids, whiteflies and spider mites. Signs of the appearance of pests will be the drying of young shoots, twisting and falling leaves. Fighting methods. Treatment with insecticides such as Aktellik, Fufanon, which must be repeated after 10 days. Of the diseases, the danger for the heliotrope is gray rot. This fungal disease develops on a weakened, as a result improper care, plants. Fighting methods. It is necessary to carry out the treatment with fungicides. What plants are combined with Bright heliotrope flowers from July to frost can decorate any flower bed. This versatile flower is used in garden plots to decorate flower beds and flower beds, in borders and as a background plant in multi-level compositions. It can be planted in flowerpots or containers. Heliotrope goes well with shrubs and flowers that have light green, silver or variegated foliage, with many creeping crops, with plants such as: Purple and purple look especially good. blue flowers on a plain green lawn. Forming a plant in a certain way during the growth process, you can give it a shrub or standard shape. To obtain a standard form, the stem of the plant is tied to a support, the upper shoots are pinched at a height of about 50 cm, and all side branches are removed from the bottom at a length of 30 cm. Popular varieties About 260 types of heliotrope have been bred by breeders. The most common types: European, corymbose, Kurasavsky, stalk-bearing. But the most popular in ornamental gardening is the Peruvian heliotrope, also known as tree-like. The Peruvian look is attractive for its long and lush bloom. The most popular hybrids of the Marine series are: Marine Blue. The height of the bushes is 45 cm. It is distinguished by lush inflorescences with flowers. magenta. The aroma of this variety resembles the smell of cherries or cherry pie. Mini Marine. A low-growing variety 20-25 cm high. It is characterized by dark green leaves with an original purple tint and dark blue flowers. Is different long period flowering, amazing aroma. Black Beauty. Height 30-40 cm. It is characterized by a bright vanilla aroma and a deep purple color. Dwarf Marin. Height up to 35 cm, and the color is bright blue. White Lady. Has buds color pink and white flowers. The bush is very compact, spherical, about 40 cm high. Baby Blue. Young hybrid variety, has a blue-violet color and a strong aroma. Princess Marine. Height up to 30 cm. It has a weak aroma. Inflorescences are large. Having once decided to plant a heliotrope in his garden plot, not a single grower will regret it later. And the minor difficulties associated with the reproduction and cultivation of heliotrope in the open field fade at the sight of lush blue-lilac inflorescences exuding a memorable aroma.

The heliotrope is represented by 250 species in tropical and subtropical climatic zones of the globe. Some of them, in particular the European one, are poisonous due to the content in the foliage and shoots of cynoglossin, an alkaloid that can cause severe diseases of the nervous system in animals.

In the field of floriculture, for the most part, they use the Peruvian heliotrope, named after its homeland - Peru, where it grows to a height of 1.9 meters, covered with lovely flowers that exude a vanilla smell. Less common in horticulture are corymbose and stem-bearing heliotropes.

General information

It is a perennial that has taken root in temperate climates as an annual plant, as happened, for example, with gazania. Its bushes branch with straight sprawling trunks, up to 60 cm high. The leaves are green in color, not uniform, darkish above and lighter below, pubescent, wrinkled. Inflorescences up to 15 cm in diameter, include small, fragrant, dark purple or dark blue flowers, showing off from the beginning of the summer period until the first autumn frosts.

It should be noted that the delicious aroma of heliotrope grown from seeds has been somewhat lost in our time, due to the peculiarities of a selective approach aimed not at enhancing aromatic properties, but at developing decorative ones.

Therefore, the intensity of the aroma may differ with detailed study even of the same variety, which is why experts suggest smelling the plants before buying flowering seedlings - most likely, some of them will smell more distinctly.

Varieties and types

The most popular of the Peruvian varieties in gardens is heliotrope Marin . It is quite compact, with a 15 cm inflorescence diameter, dark purple flowers and dark green-purple foliage. standard height flowers of this variety is 45-50 cm. It takes root well and begins to bloom in the same year after sowing.

- very beautiful variety belonging to the corymbose. Its small flowers create the illusion of light ripples on the water. Variegated inflorescences have dark blue or purple colors, and the leaves are colored like Marin. The bush can grow up to 45 cm from the ground. This variety is very fragrant and looks great on borders.

- This is a dense herbaceous bush less than 30 cm tall, with fragrant small flowers. Blooms richly and for a long time in summer. It is mainly used for landscaping balconies and in carpet flower beds.

— poisonous plant, which can not be used either in gardening or in other areas. It is characterized by a branched stem with a height of 20 to 50 cm, oval or almost round leaves, small flowers with curls on the tops of the branches and stem on one side and small pubescent fruits that decay when ripe. It is distributed in the southeast of the Russian Federation, in Azerbaijan, growing along roads and littering wheat crops. If you find given plant in your own flower garden, you know - it's better to get rid of it!

- grows up to 50 cm in height, has straight branched stems. The dark green foliage of the elongated shape is strongly pubescent. small flowers form inflorescences up to 15 cm in diameter of purple, lilac or white colors with a very pleasant smell.

The completely white color of the inflorescences is characteristic of the variety heliotrope Alba . Variety heliotrope White Lady the flowers are pink but turn white when open.

Heliotrope planting and care

Planting heliotrope in open ground is impossible without first growing seedlings, due to the fact that after germination, approximately 100 days pass before inflorescences are formed.

Seeds should be sown in the final stage of winter or in the first days of March in a specially prepared substrate, consisting of 4 parts of peat per 1 part of sand. The mixture must be steamed and be sure to ignite in order to destroy the fungus.

After filling the container with soil, it is recommended to level it well and compact it a little, then just scatter the heliotrope seeds over the surface and sprinkle a little earth on top. In the room where the seeds will grow, temperature conditions close to room temperature should be observed - 18-20 ° C, and 22 ° C - when sprouts appear.

With the advent of 2-3 leaves, the plants are seated in containers and watered abundantly. During seed germination, soil moisture in the greenhouse is necessary, for which the soil is lightly sprayed.

Heliotrope seedlings can be planted in open ground in the first days of June, when night cooling has ended, in a sunny area with loosened, preferably fertile, humus-enriched soil.

Heliotrope is a sun-loving plant, but it does not tolerate the direct scorching rays of the sun. Sometimes pinching the shoots can make the flowering of the heliotrope more lush.

Watering heliotrope

Some gardeners believe with confidence that heliotrope should be classified as picky plants, but this opinion is not confirmed if the plant is properly watered.

In fact, he loves moisture, but really does not like excess water so it's better to support optimal humidity soil - when it dries up, it is worth watering. Moreover, creating conditions is a bit high humidity, which is typical for tropical zones, by spraying will only benefit.

If you mulch the soil with compost or peat, it will become easier to take care of the heliotrope, because you do not have to often loosen the soil. The loosening procedure itself is mandatory, because this is how the earth is protected from the appearance of a crust. Fertilized soil also does not require frequent watering.

Preserving heliotrope in winter

The plant cannot overwinter in open ground. Before the onset of cold weather, it is transplanted into a pot and sent for wintering in a well-lit room. At the same time, the flower is protected from direct sun rays, as a result of which tender leaves may acquire a non-native dark shade or even get burned.

Fertilizers for heliotrope

Top dressing of heliotrope is recommended throughout the season, regularly with an interval of 2-3 weeks. For these purposes, liquid and highly diluted complex mineral fertilizers. 2 weeks after the appearance of 2-3 leaves in seedlings, fertilizing with fertilizer for seedlings begins.

Heliotrope growing from seeds

Reproduction of heliotrope by seeds is carried out in February or March in a moist mixture of sand and peat. The boxes are covered with glass or film. After 3-4 weeks shoots will appear, then you need to move the boxes to a space with diffused light and keep the temperature around them around 22-23 ° C.

It is better to water with settled water with room temperature. seed propagation gives heterogeneous material for planting with fast growing seedlings, large bushes, flowering in autumn and small inflorescences.

Propagation of heliotrope by cuttings

Based on the above, we can conclude that heliotropes are often bred by cuttings. Best of all, old individuals cope with the role of mother liquor, giving significantly more high-quality cuttings in the spring.

In winter, the queen cells are kept in greenhouses, keeping the ambient thermal regime in the range of 8-15 ° C and producing moderate watering. From the 2nd half last month in winter and until May, cuttings are cut by cutting shoots with 3-4 internodes, pruning leaves to reduce moisture waste.

Cuttings treated with growth compounds are planted in boxes filled with humus and sand in proportions (2: 1) and placed in a ventilated illuminated place under a film or glass. While rooting is taking place, the temperature should be stabilized at 22-25 ° C, while watering the plants every day.

After 18-25 days, roots may appear, and the cuttings should be planted in peat pots with loosened substrate fertilized with minerals, including peat, soddy soil and sand in proportion to 4:2:1.

The first week after transplantation, the young are kept in shady places and sprayed with water 2-3 times daily. By repeatedly pinching seedlings, you can achieve greater compactness of the adult heliotrope. It is better to plant in the ground at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other.

Diseases and pests

• Of all the pests of the enemies of the heliotrope, it is necessary to single out the flower spider mite, which affects young shoots and leaves.
• In addition to it, diseases can be caused by whiteflies and aphids.

With all of them, it is preferable to fight using Actellik, repeating the treatment in a week if necessary. Fungicides can be used against gray mold.