Ageratum is a native of Central America. Its name is translated from Latin as “ageless” and speaks of the ability to bloom for a long time and stand in bouquets for a long time.
Ageratum belong to the family of asters. This is a small annual bush with bright green leaves and fluffy inflorescences of purple, blue, white, lilac or pink. The height of the bush depends on the variety and varies from 10 to 60 cm. At home, in Central America, there are about 60 species of this plant, and there it is a perennial. In middle latitudes it is cultivated as an annual crop.
Although varieties of ageratum suggest a diverse color, you should be aware that in bright, direct sun, white ageratum burns out and loses its attractiveness. Pink ageratum has not saturated pink color, but rather dirty pink, which also does not make it a decoration of the flower garden. Purple and blue ageratum look best in flower beds.
Varieties: has a variety of varieties that differ from each other in terms of flowering time, the shape and color of inflorescences, the shape of the leaves and the height of the bush. Now very widely used are agrateratum hybrids, as they are of great value due to the earlier, lasting and plentiful flowering. The bushes of such plants are compact, the same height, which is important for growing ageratum as a border plant.
If you need to decorate rabatki, mixborders, balcony drawers, then an invaluable aid in this will be the blue agratum clutch, whose height does not exceed 20-25 cm.
Ageratum blue mink is of particular decorativeness - a neat compact bush 30-35 cm high. Its fragrant, fluffy inflorescences of lilac-blue color, dense and large, are decorated with flower beds from mid-June until late autumn.
Agrotechnics: ageratum blue mink - a plant photophilous and thermophilic, easily tolerates drought. It develops rapidly on light, non-acidic, fairly nutritious soils. But on very greasy, fertilized soil it develops a large green mass, and does not tolerate moist and stony soils at all. He loves places that are sunny and open, and even with a slight shade it stretches very much, blooms unfriendly and is not so spectacular.
Propagation: propagate the ageratum by sowing seeds, sowing them in seedlings in late March - in early April and sprinkle lightly. Seedlings at a soil temperature of + 18-21 ° C appear in a week or two. Seedlings dive after 3 weeks, planted in open ground in the spring, after the end of frost. Before planting, it is imperative to loosen the soil, shed the holes with water and plant the plants at a distance of at least 20 cm.
To obtain planting material, ageratum can be propagated by cuttings. For this, mother liquors stored in a cool place in the winter are cut. At temperatures above 20 ° C, the cuttings root quickly enough, and we get excellent seedlings for flower beds. Plants grown from cuttings maintain the purity of the variety.
Care: although the blue mink ageratum has a well-developed root system and is resistant to heat and drought, it loves abundant watering. The plant easily tolerates a haircut, which makes the bushes more decorative and gives a new impetus to further lush flowering. Regular weeding and cultivation, fertilizing with mineral and organic fertilizers and removing faded flowers will extend the decorative life of this plant and preserve the uniqueness of flowering. We must remember that ageratum does not tolerate waterlogged soil and fresh manure.
Diseases and pests: Unfortunately, ageratum blue mink is vulnerable to pests. Aphids and whiteflies, dustpan and spider mites harm him . Viral and bacterial diseases cause a lot of damage. Treatment with chemical protective agents or infusions of insecticidal plants will help get rid of them.
Usage: this flower is very much appreciated for its rather rare blue color. We use it on flower beds, borders, discounts, in group plantings, as a pot culture for landscaping balconies. Having planted an agratum along the very edge of the flower garden in a sunny place, or along garden paths, or as a whole group in the foreground of the flower garden, or right on the lawn, we get a spectacular color spot. Ageratum is useful for outdoor flowerpots, for drawers on the balcony or flower containers. High varieties of plants are suitable for cutting with other bright plants into bouquets.