The amazingly attractive flower is named after Captain W. Clark, who became famous in the famous journey of Lewis and Clark. Many city dwellers want to touch nature and start a Clarkia plant. Growing from seeds will be the easiest way to achieve what you want.
The flower feels great in a temperate climate, however, it will be difficult to grow it in hot and arid areas. Clarkia's height can range from 40 cm to 1 m, more often up to 90 cm. Large satin flowers have a diameter of two to five centimeters in total. The most common colors are pink and red, but, for example, elegant clarkia is purple, red and white. Flowering occurs in July and lasts until mid-September. After the fading of the bright flowers, nice boxes appear, inside of which there is a large number of tiny brown seeds.
To avoid troubles when cultivating a Clarkia plant, seed cultivation should begin with a choice of soil. As soil suitable slightly acidic, light sandy soils. Experts recommend adding humus, mineral fertilizers and peat to the main land. The plant is best placed in open areas with good lighting. However, you can keep some varieties in partial shade. Clarkia flower seeds, the cultivation of which has become so popular in our latitudes, sprout excellently in the cool season. Therefore, they are sown both in spring and autumn, but before the onset of real cold weather. The plant does not tolerate transplantation, the solution to this problem is direct sowing on flower beds. If you want to get the summer flowering of the Clarkia plant, seed cultivation should be planned for early spring.
The first shoots appear after 7-12 days. The interval between the bushes should not exceed 20-25 cm, so the extra plants will have to be removed. You can try to plant the flowers after reaching four true leaves. When the plant reaches a height of 15 cm, the tops are sure to pinch. This is done to increase the branching of clarkia and its general decorative effect. She prefers moderate watering, but the soil should always be slightly damp. When the first buds appear, watering is slightly reduced. Moderate regular top dressing and loosening of the soil is the key to long flowering. As fertilizers, complex and specialized top dressing will be preferred. They need to be carried out to obtain larger and brighter flowers. So that the flower garden always has its own clarkia, growing from seeds should include an assembly point for new planting material. The fruit of the plant is a tetrahedral box filled with seeds.
If you choose the brightest and strongest specimens every year, you can bring out your own shade of clarkia. It is also remarkable that the plant is well pollinated, allowing you to create new unique color options. The shelf life for normal seed germination is two years. Seedlings planted in early autumn have time to grow stronger until the first frost and winter comfortably under the snow.