Easy cultivation of calibrachoa from seeds or cuttings

Cultivation of calibrachoa is a simple procedure that even a child can handle. This plant has an attractive appearance. It can often be found on the balconies of high-rise buildings as a decoration. The flowers planted in pots form green balls with bright and beautiful buds. What is calibrachoa and how to care for it can be viewed in this article.

General information about the plant

Calibrachoa is a large and lush bush with many flowers and stems that intertwine to form a ball. The size of the opened bud is about 3 cm in diameter. Initially, the favorite of millions was purple. Now the interest in culture is only growing. New and new colors are being brought out and more and more people want to acquire such an ornament.

Therefore, you can find:

• bright pink;
• red;
• orange;
• peach;
• blue;
• yellow;
• brown and other tones.

Calibrachoa care is simple. To make a flower beautiful, it is enough to follow some rules.

Until the 90s, calibrachoa was called petunia. Scientists believed that these are different types of the same flower. However, studies have shown that calibrachoa differs from petunia even in DNA.

Calibrachoa is called ampelous due to the fact that it can be planted in hanging pots. This plant falls from the pot in a long shoot. The flower itself is very simple, it looks like a bell. But, interestingly, the neck of the bud always differs from the petals in shade - such a feature of the calibrachoa. Often, the flowers of the plant are simple in shape, but recently there are double species that are slightly larger in size than ordinary ones. There will be fewer of them on the bush than simple ones. Despite this, calibrachoa never ceases to lose its attractiveness.

Growing calibrachoa and outdoor care

Location location. The plant feels great not only in pots, but also outdoors. A prerequisite for successful flower cultivation is the presence of a large amount of light. Culture loves the sun, reaches out for it, but intense heat has a detrimental effect on the bush.

A good option for growing a flower is veranda or a terrace.

Calibrachoa should be planted only in those areas that bathe in the sun in the morning and are shaded in the daytime. It is better not to keep the flower completely in the shade. Lack of sun can lead to dull buds and short flowering times.

Irrigation. The plant loves systematic watering. If you irrigate the ground correctly, then the bush will have a rich shade and constantly bloom. Water should be used only well-settled. If possible, it is better to collect rainwater.

Proper cultivation and maintenance of calibrachoa includes protecting the plant from strong and gusty winds. Much depends on compliance with this condition. If you plant a bush in a calm place, then the plant will delight you with its unique inflorescences for the whole summer until the autumn cold.

Features of growing at home

Calibrachoa are grown in hanging boxes and baskets. For full growth, 2-3 kg of earth is taken per flower. The bush must be provided with loose and light soil, preferably slightly acidic or neutral. Watering should be constant but moderate.It is very easy to fill the flower and then it will disappear. You can spray the flower with water: the plant likes such events and has a beneficial effect on its growth and reproduction.

If you grow calibrachoa on a balcony, then you need to choose the south or southeast side. During the peak of the sun, the flower must be protected, otherwise it may dry out. Not the best place for breeding calibrachoa is the balcony of the last floor, which is constantly exposed to the sun and where the wind blows. In this case, it is recommended to bring the flowerpot into the room at least at lunchtime.

During the growing season, the flower should be actively fertilized so that as many seeds as possible ripen. Best to choose fertilizers, which contain phosphorus and potassium, and add them once a week.

For better growth of the flower, it is recommended to periodically prune its stems.

In order to maintain the attractiveness of calibrachoa in winter, fluorescent lamps should be installed near the flowerpot. The devices must be kept on almost all the time over the flower. Calibrachoa is a rather delicate and fragile flower. If something heavy falls on the leaves or buds, they may die. This primarily applies to rain. Therefore, if flowers grow on an open balcony, you can make a visor or canopy for them.

Pinching a flower and wintering it

Many do not know how to pinch calibrachoa correctly and why this procedure is needed. This event is intended to make the bush look more voluminous and spreading. Pinching consists in picking off the upper cuttings and processes of the flower. Thus, the plant will grow not upward, but in breadth. You can tear off unnecessary processes both with your hands and with the help of nail scissors. The main thing at this moment is to be careful and not cut off excess. If everything is done correctly, the calibrachoa will become lush in a short time, and the shoots will descend in a beautiful waterfall, forming an excellent decoration for your veranda.

Experts note that every year almost all of the soil in pots needs to be changed to ensure full growth and ripening of flowers. This is due to the fact that very few nutrients remain in the old soil.

Most of the popular Calibrachoa varieties are annuals. Therefore, you can not worry about their wintering. However, experienced gardeners know that some species can be preserved and next year they will again delight with their usual colors. To ensure proper wintering of calibrachoa, a pot with a bush that has finished flowering is placed in a dark place and is practically not watered, nor fertilized. Can be lightly sprayed.

Thus, the plant is preserved. In the spring, you need to get it out and start looking after it in the same way as last year. It is important to provide the flower with enough daylight or artificial light, and then everything will go according to plan.

The main methods of reproduction of calibrachoa

Cuttings of calibrachoa. At the end of August, you need to cut off several tops from the mother plant. Their length should be up to 5 cm. The bottom of the cuttings must be freed from the leaves, and then planted in the ground. In order for the plant to take root as quickly as possible, it will be necessary to provide it with moist soil, and create greenhouse conditions for a while. The easiest way to do this is with plastic bottle: cover the handle with it and open it once a day for a while so that the planting material breathes. When the plant is accepted (usually after 2 weeks), you can remove the plastic and take the same care as for an adult bush.

Propagation of calibrachoa using seedlings. You can also get a new plant with the help of grains. In this case, seedlings are first grown, and only then the finished seedlings are transplanted into the ground or pots. In order for the seedlings to be healthy, you need to take care of sufficient soil moisture.For these purposes, you can plant seedlings in a box, the top of which is covered with foil. This will create a greenhouse effect and the flowers will grow much faster.

Seed preparation and planting

Experts say that if you collect seeds and plant them in a pot, you will not always be able to grow a beautiful flower. Often, on adult bushes, simple buds are formed that look like wild calibrachoa. The plant may not bloom as abundantly as its ancestor and have a different shade. Of course, there are exceptions to the rules: then the bush turns out to be the same size, volume and shade as the mother.

If you do decide to try growing calibrachoa from seeds at home, then please be patient. Initially, you need to hold the planting material in liquid for a day, and then dry the grains with a paper napkin. Use a small container. Before planting calibrachoa, compost and peat must be added to the ground in advance, and before planting seeds, it must be saturated with mineral fertilizers. Seedlings will need to wait a long time, and not all seeds will bear fruit. To stimulate growth, you can use special fertilizers, as well as a weak solution of potassium permanganate. In addition, before planting the seedlings in a pot or soil, you need to feed the culture several times along with watering.

After the appearance of two full-fledged leaves, a pick should be carried out. This is an important exercise that requires care.

A drainage layer should be laid at the bottom of the flowerpot. It can consist of pebbles or other small stones. Next, you need to pour sand, which will loosen the soil, and only then add the main earth mixture. After planting seedlings in pots, you need to choose the optimal fertilizer. After all, the abundance of flowering depends on him.

Diseases and pests

Despite the fact that ampelous calibrachoa is often grown at home, it is still often attacked by pests.

The most common are:

• thrips;
• spider mite;
• aphid;
• whitefly.

These parasites eat the leaves and flowers, thereby gradually destroying the flower. If you find pests on the plates or buds of a plant, you need to take immediate action. Gardening stores sell a variety of pest control products. You need to process the plant with them once every two weeks, while putting on a protective mask and not inhaling the vapors of the chemical.

For the plant to bloom all summer, you should pick off wilted bells.

In addition to pests, ampelous calibrachoa is susceptible to certain diseases. The most common is the black leg - the plant turns black and dies. It is a fungus that grows in conditions of excessive moisture. If you notice a blackening of the plant, take action immediately - treat it with medicine.

Powdery mildew is another common disease of calibrachoa. In this case, a white bloom is observed on the plates. The reason for this is also excess moisture and sudden changes in temperature.

The flower also affects root rot due to too wet soil. The plant can be saved by urgent transplantation to a drier place.

If the bush is affected by chlorosis, small volumes of flowering are observed. This disease occurs when very hard water is used for irrigation, as well as in the case of a lack of iron. By eliminating this, you will return the plant to its former attractiveness.

Calibrachoa with other plants

In addition to decorating beds, verandas and balconies, calibrachoa is widely used in landscape design. Moreover, we are talking not only about ampelous species, but also about undersized varieties. The combinations can be very varied - from planting a flower on hills along with mountain plants to filling street vases.

The flower gets along well with both curly and flowering representatives of the flora. Gardeners very often practice planting entire flower beds of this plant.To achieve a good result, you should select several contrasting shades. Thus, the flower bed will be bright, will always attract attention, and if you make it in a geometric shape, then the created beauty will not escape your eyes.

Knowing when to plant calibrachoa and how to care for it can help you grow one of the most beautiful and popular flowers of today. Regular watering, timely feeding, providing light, warmth, proper planting and removal of cuttings - all this only contributes to the appearance of beauty on your window and in your life. A bright and original bush will give a lot of aesthetic pleasure, decorate any corner of the site or home. Choose the bud color you like, or plant several different shades, and you will certainly get the desired result.

Everything is in your hands in order to create beauty around you!

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