Gardeners are constantly in a state of searching for new ideas and previously not discovered plants that can decorate flower beds and flower beds. Growing flowers already tested and loved, all the time I want to plant something new. And if you are not familiar with such a wonderful flower as cineraria, then be sure to pay attention to it. This beautiful representative of the flora is able to make a real masterpiece of gardening art out of your flowerbed.
Cineraria
This plant is native to tropical Africa. It can be bred not only as a horticultural crop, but also as an indoor flower. In open ground, cineraria is grown as an annual crop. The most popular types include the following:
- bloody cineraria;
- cineraria "silver" ("seaside");
- hybrid cineraria;
- the refined cineraria.
All species of this plant, except for the silvery cineraria, bloom very beautifully. Therefore, this flower is widely used for the design of flower beds, garden paths and front gardens. In addition, the plant is very compact: in height it reaches only fifty centimeters, therefore it is used as a curb. It is very convenient to grow cineraria in containers, put it on flower beds for the summer period, and bring it to a warm place with the advent of cold weather. Thus, you will save yourself from the annual planting of seedlings. The plant looks very beautiful not only in indoor pots, but also in bouquets. In addition, cut flowers of cineraria stand for a long time in the water and do not fade.
Cineraria "silver"
Planting and caring for this plant does not require special wisdom. Cineraria "silver" blooms, but these flowers are very nondescript. This plant is very much appreciated due to its unusually beautiful ash-silver leaves. Due to such an amazing color of the stems, it is widely used for composing landscape compositions. Most often, “silver” cineraria is planted to shade the beauty of other, brighter colors, such as cannes, “silver” sage, pelargonium, etc.
Cineraria: Planting and Care
Despite the fact that the flower is unpretentious in growing, it is worth paying attention to some nuances. The basic requirement is suitable soil. It should be light, slightly alkaline or neutral. Cineraria "silvery" feels better in well-lit areas, but other species prefer partial shade or diffused light.
If you decide to grow such a wonderful flower as cineraria (planting and care are not difficult), pay attention to watering. The plant is demanding on moisture, but does not tolerate waterlogged soils. Cineraria should be watered daily, but in very moderate amounts. Keep in mind that the ground should always be slightly moist. Even during flowering, the plant should be fed with mineral fertilizers. So, the bushes will be lush, and the flowers will please you with their abundance. There are no more tricks. It should be noted that the plant is thermophilic, and only the bloody cineraria can withstand frost up to minus two degrees Celsius.
Diseases and Pests
The plant is quite resistant to various diseases and pests, so there will not be much trouble with this. The only thing is, if there are plants nearby infected with late blight, then this attack can spread to cineraria. Treat infected bushes with the same drugs (fungicides) as tomatoes. Also, affected leaflets should be removed. If the entire bush is infected, then, unfortunately, it is necessary to completely cut it off so that the disease does not pass to the remaining flowers. If we talk about pests, then the cineraria is most susceptible to attack by aphids. To destroy insects use a 0.1% solution of Pirimore. Despite some unpleasant surprises, you should not refuse to grow such a plant as cineraria. Landing and care will not take much effort.
Growing
Gardeners and homeowners will be interested in the question of plant propagation. Planting cineraria is carried out by sowing seeds, cuttings or dividing the bush. If we talk about cuttings, it should be borne in mind that in this way only silver cineraria is planted. All other species are very poorly cut.
Any species can be propagated by dividing the uterine bush. But it is most reliable to sow - cineraria from seeds will give the best result. This has already been tested empirically by many gardeners.
Sowing cineraria is best done in April. To do this, prepare containers with warm soil. Then gently sow the seeds, sprinkle them with a thin layer of earth. You can put glass on top, so the seeds will warm up better and, accordingly, will sprout earlier. After the plant has two true leaves, the seedlings should be dived and transplanted into separate containers. In late May - early June, young seedlings must be planted in open ground. Flowering occurs 80-90 days after sowing seeds.
When planting flowers, it is necessary to maintain an interval between seedlings of 45-60 centimeters. In the first weeks, you should carefully monitor the moisture of the soil, avoiding the drying of the earth. Another point: the soil before planting must be carefully prepared. To do this, prepare a mixture of sand, peat and humus. If there is no desire to germinate a flower in advance, then you can sow the seeds directly into the ground. This is best done in mid-May, but keep in mind that the plant sprouts for a long time. And the flowering can move for a month and a half.
The use of cineraria in medicine
Besides the fact that this plant is very beautiful, it is also used as a homeopathic remedy in the treatment of many eye diseases. So, it perfectly helps with clouding of the cornea and cataract. For this, it is necessary to instill 4-5 drops of cineraria decoction in each eye for several months. The plant helps a lot with traumatic injuries of the organs of vision.
Each gardener should grow a plant such as cineraria on his plot. Planting and caring for it are not so complicated, and beautiful flowers will delight you all summer.