A luxurious tropical plant that conquered the hearts of Russian people with its non-standard beauty ... That's exactly what the inhabitants of the temperate continental climate zone speak of the ageratum - a small long-flowering shrub. The hometown of the Ageratum is Central Africa, but in the 19th century it was brought to the European continent. Translated from Latin, “ageratum” means “not aging” , which actually explains its ability to bloom for a long time (the second name of the flower is “long-flowered” ) and long- term preservation in a cut form.
Ageratum, a small shrub with almost round leaves of bright green color, fluffy inflorescences of pink, blue and even purple color, belongs to the category of aster plants. Its height can vary from 10 to 60 cm, it all depends on the variety. In Central America, there are about 60 varieties of ageratum and the plant is considered a perennial. In Russian climatic conditions, an ageratum, the cultivation of which usually does not cause trouble, is not so easy to obtain. In our area you can grow only two varieties of flower - Ageratum Mexican and Ageratum Houston, both species will be annual.
Features of sowing ageratum
Ageratum, which is sown in mid-March, is a rather capricious flower. The soil for planting seeds should be specially prepared: consist of humus, peat and sand, taken in equal proportions. Flower seeds need to be sprinkled with soil very carefully because of their tiny size. For good seed germination, a light and moist soil is needed, so moistening it in a box should be timely. Moreover, ageratum cultivation involves the presence of a greenhouse effect, so the box with seeds should be covered with glass or film. The air temperature in the room where the boxes with seeds are located should be about 15 degrees heat.
10 days after sowing, the first shoots should appear, at this time it is worth removing the shelter from the boxes. It is necessary to transplant the plant into separate pots after each bush has leaves, one or two pairs. The development of the ageratum occurs rather quickly, therefore, a long stay of the plant in an undisturbed form will impede the further growth of leaves, as a result of which true flowering will not occur. Thus, you need to make sure that before the dive each plant has a separate pot.
It is a logical question how to grow an ageratum successfully in the open ground. To do this, you need to choose a site that is not blown by the wind, has a high level of illumination, but is not subject to strong sunshine. The soil for the flower should not be acidic and with good drainage. Before planting, you need to loosen the soil well and make holes at a distance of 20 cm from each other and water them abundantly. After picking, flowers need to provide good lighting and watering. You should be wary of night frosts. Freezing at night in our area ends in May or June, it all depends on the region.
The process of caring for seedlings includes: watering seedlings as the soil dries, fertilizing with fertilizers after 7-10 days, weeding and loosening the soil. In case seedlings began to grow very quickly, stretch up, the tops of the shoots should be cut off, which will allow the plant to cluster, and not stretch up. Ageratum will begin to bloom 2 months after the appearance of the first shoots.
Ageratum reproduction
Ageratum can multiply not only by seeds, but also by cuttings. And to do it is very simple. Before the onset of frost, you need to dig up the bushes you like, bring them into the room and take care of them until next spring. Rooting cuttings should start in early spring at an air temperature of +20 degrees. Further, the ageratum, the cultivation of which is considered, develops on the same principle as the cultivation of a flower from seeds.
Plant care
Ageratum has a well-developed root system, which makes it resistant to extreme heat and drought. The plant tolerates a haircut remarkably, which contributes to good flowering and stimulates further growth. It is worth noting that the flower does not like excessively moist soil and top dressing with fresh manure. You should not overdo it with fertilizers, because in case of overfeeding, the agrateum, the cultivation of which requires care, will end its development by inhibiting the formation of flowers - the plant will begin to spend its energy on leaf growth, and the number of flowers will decrease.
The weakest side of the flower is that it is very susceptible to pests such as aphids, spider mites, and greenhouse whiteflies. You can get rid of all this with the help of special chemicals. Ageratum is a charming, unpretentious and at the same time demanding tropical flower, which is firmly established on our lawns and window sills, thanks to its unique shades of flowers and leaves, as well as a delicate aroma.