The heliotrope flowers came from the wild in which they are perennial herbaceous plants. A subtropical belt is considered their homeland. No wonder they love the sun and moisture. The name of the flower means "spinning after the sun."
Cultivate the plant began in the eighteenth century. Interest in him during this time only increased.
Structural features
The plant resembles a grassy shrub. Heliotrope Description:
- Stems - hardly noticeable due to foliage, have a dark brown color and fleshy structure.
- Leaves - have an ovoid shape, painted in a dark green tone, pubescent with villi. Grow on short petioles.
- Flowers - are small in size, but collected in inflorescences. Color ranges from purple to deep blue. The flowers contain essential oils.
- Fruits - it looks like a small nut. As it ripens, it decomposes into 4 parts.
At home, the plant will live for several years. The garden is usually grown as an annual crop. It does not survive winter conditions. Although there are secrets how to help the heliotrope survive the cold.
Winter safety
In the cold season, the cultivation of the heliotrope can be continued at home. To do this, it is transplanted from open ground into a pot. Indoors, the plant should be in a well-lit place, but without direct sunlight. By spring, he is returned to his native soil.
Diversity
Modern types of heliotrope are the result of the work of breeders who have worked for more than one century. However, this caused serious damage to the unsurpassed aroma. The wild heliotrope smelled much stronger than its ennobled descendants. When purchasing seedlings, you should sniff at it to choose the most fragrant.
Over two centuries, about three hundred species of the heliotrope were bred. The following varieties are considered the most popular:
- Marin is a fairly compact plant, the diameter of its inflorescence is fifteen centimeters. The length of the whole flower is about fifty centimeters. It takes root well, blooms in the same year.
- Sea breeze - a beautiful variety, has a strong aroma. Height up to forty-five centimeters. Flowering resembles light ripples in the water.
- Odysseus is a dense flower up to thirty centimeters high. Blooms in the summer for a long time, looks great on the balcony.
- Hybrid - the height of the plant is up to fifty centimeters, the stems have direct branches, the leaves are abundantly pubescent. The color of inflorescences is the most diverse (white, lilac, purple).
- Alba - different inflorescences of a completely white tone.
- White Lady - inflorescences first grow pink, but when blooming become white.
Whatever variety is purchased, it requires some care. First, the plant must be placed in the ground.
Landing
It takes a hundred days to form inflorescences from seedlings. That is why the landing of the heliotrope is impossible without prior cultivation. Seeds are sown in late February or early March. The substrate is prepared from peat and sand. The mixture is calcined and steamed so that the future plant does not pick up the fungus. You can use a special composition for shrubs.
The soil is placed in a container and leveled, then slightly compacted. Seeds scatter on the surface, a little sprinkled with earth. For seeds, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of eighteen to twenty degrees Celsius above zero. When sprouts appear, it must be increased by two degrees.
When two or three leaves appear, the plants are planted in separate containers. They need plentiful watering. Landing will occur in early June. The plot is better to choose sunny. The soil on it should be loosened, enriched with humus. The plant should not be exposed to direct sunlight.
To make a plant with lush inflorescences, you can pinch it from time to time.
Watering
Some gardeners insist that heliotrope flowers are finicky plants. But with proper watering, special problems with it do not arise even among amateurs. The flower prefers moisture, but without excess water. What to do about it? Everything is pretty simple. When the earth begins to dry out, it must be watered. It is recommended to spray the plant. This will create a climate typical of tropical areas.
Mulching the soil will simplify the courtship process. It is necessary to lay compost, sawdust and other mulch on the soil under the plant. Its height should be up to ten centimeters. Then there will be no need for loosening the soil, it will not dry out, weathering. A crust will not form on it. The frequency of watering can be reduced.
Fertilizers
The heliotrope, care for which does not cause much trouble, should be fed. To do this, it is enough to use complex mineral supplements in a highly diluted liquid form every two to three weeks. You need to do this throughout the season.
Top dressing is required and seedlings. It should begin fourteen days after the appearance of the first two or three leaves. Any top dressing is suitable for seedlings.
Seed propagation
About sowing was mentioned above. But how to prepare the seeds? The process consists of the following steps:
- The cloth. To ripen the seeds, they must be kept on cotton for two to three days. It must be constantly saturated with a growth accelerator. Seeds are wrapped in tissue that is stored on a plastic tray.
- Peat. As a soil, it is necessary to use peat tablets.
- Soak. One day the seeds should be held in a special solution. To do this, add six drops of silver or zircon to warm water. After soaking, they are dried on the fabric.
All these actions are designed to protect the future plant from disease. It will also become more resistant to external factors, such as temperature extremes. In addition, the first shoots will appear in just ten days.
After six to eight weeks, the first leaves should appear. Then the seedlings are placed in containers (six to ten pieces). After a while, they are seated in pots. The distance between each seedling should be at least ten centimeters.
For many species, it is better to use seedlings. A heliotrope grown from seeds may not have such a lush flowering.
Propagation by cuttings
It is possible to reproduce the heliotrope using cuttings. An example is a tree variety. The most favorable time is March-April. Cuttings are cut from healthy shoots, better than old ones. Their length should be three to five centimeters. They land in the soil from peat and humus.
It is important to maintain humidity and a constant air temperature within twenty-two degrees Celsius above zero. It’s even better to create a miniature greenhouse. To do this, the pot can be covered with a film or a jar. Do not forget about daily ventilation and watering.
In eighteen to twenty-five days, the cuttings will acquire roots. Then they can be placed in separate peat pots. The soil in them should consist of turf, peat, sand. In the first seven days, young plants are kept in the shade and sprayed two to three times a day. The procedure is repeated daily.
When the root system is strengthened, you can transfer flowers to a permanent place. The distance between the seedlings should be from fifteen centimeters.
Disease
Heliotrope flowers are affected by gray rot. Most often, they become infected due to excessive moisture. The situation may be aggravated by low air temperature. Rot also persists in soil for a long time from previous plants that have been infected. To protect the heliotrope from the disease, you should periodically inspect it. If the rot is not detected in a timely manner, most likely the flower will die. In the fight against the disease, fungicide will help.
Insects that can harm the flower:
- Spider mites - affect most of the domestic plants. Parasites breed very quickly, several generations live on the web. Ticks have a negative effect on the plant, due to the fact that they feed on the contents of its cells. You can notice the parasite by white dots on the leaves and a thin web in any part of the flower. Eating cells leads to weakening of the plant. In addition, spider mites are carriers of many infections, including gray rot.
- Whiteflies are small-sized butterflies that feed on the juice of indoor and garden plants. This leads to the death of crops in just a few weeks.
- Aphids - there are a lot of varieties of these parasites, but all of them harm plants. Usually they occupy the lower part of the foliage and young shoots. Aphids feed on plants, making them weak. Like ticks, these parasites carry many diseases, such as soot fungus.
You can fight them with the help of special drugs. Affected plants must be treated once a week until the parasites completely disappear. It is also important to isolate the flower so that other crops are not affected.
Application
Growing heliotrope flowers captures many growers. In the desire to achieve perfect flowering, they are completely absorbed by the process. For this they receive beautiful flowers that delight the eye and fill the air with vanilla fragrance. In summer, they decorate the garden, and in winter - a cozy house.
Human use of the plant:
- Landscaping - shrubs are often used to decorate flower beds, gardens.
- Perfumes - flowers have a pleasant and strong smell. Hoods are used in the manufacture of cosmetics.
- Medicine - from a plant they make funds from parasites, they get rid of lichen and warts with its juice. It contains dangerous alkaloids, so only specialists can use them for medicinal purposes.
There is even an opinion that the leaves of the plant help in the fight against dark forces. The popularity of the flower increases every year. Those who were able to grow it at home, become real fans of this culture. Such gardening lovers distribute it among their like-minded people.