Torenia is a plant native to the African rainforests. It stands out for its unusual tubular inflorescences resembling bells. There are more than 50 species in the genus. It is grown in open ground as an annual, but can live for several years in greenhouse conditions or as an indoor flower. It is unpretentious, rarely infected with diseases and practically not affected by insects.
Plant characteristics
Torenia is named after the student of Karl Linnaeus - Red Olaf Thoren, who sent samples of this plant from India. Because of its colorful coloration, the perennial is also called the “clown flower”. He belongs to the Linderniev family, but was previously considered the representative of the Norichnikovs. The most popular species most commonly found on sale is Torenia fournieri with blue-violet flowers.
Abundant flowering of toxin begins in the spring and continues until late autumn. It practically does not interrupt. For the winter, plants can be brought into a room and kept in cool conditions, where the air temperature does not rise above 8 degrees Celsius.
Appearance and main varieties
The inflorescence is tubular, with two lips. The lower lip is divided into three lobes, often with bright yellow dots in the center. Torenia is a flower whose seeds are rather large, rounded. Leaves are narrow, oval, opposite. They can be rough and sticky. The plant prefers shaded areas, needs abundant and frequent watering in arid hot periods. It is best to grow a toxin flower in containers because it prefers moist soil.
Popular varieties:
- Torenia Fournier - low plants with flowers of lilac, pink and white, usually with a pale throat and a bright yellow dot in the center of the lower petals.
- Summer wave - a series with blue, violet and amethyst colors. Includes such varieties as Amethyst Ice, Silver, Purple Ice, Big Amethyst and Big Violets.
- Torenia Flava - a flower with golden petals and a speckled throat. Looks very nice in hanging baskets.
In stores where seeds are sold, mixtures of various flower varieties are often found - Torenia Mix.
Landscaping in the Landscaping
The plant is often grown in hanging planters and baskets, but it can be used in different ways. Torenia will become a bright accent on the background of ornamental plants with green leaves and will grow well in the shade of large trees and shrubs. She looks great in open areas. But when planting a plant in a place where there is a lot of sun, you need to be prepared for frequent watering or prepare covering material to protect it on especially hot days. The soil around the mulching is mulched with peat crumbs, sawdust or dry foliage in order to retain moisture longer.
A flower can reproduce itself by spreading seeds. Extra bushes are dug up if they interfere with the development of other plants or are knocked out of the general landscape composition. Vivid photos of toxenia flowers grown from seeds can be the highlight of your collection. This spectacular plant is widely used to decorate loggias, terraces and garden arbors. Compact zinnias, petunias, ferns, balsams, lanthanums and aquilegia are considered the best neighbors for toxin from flowering plants.
Sowing seeds for seedlings
Cultivation of toenia flowers begins with the selection of a suitable site for planting and sowing seeds. Plants do not tolerate transplanting, so for seedlings it is better to use peat pots. Together with them, the plants are buried during planting in open ground. Preparation of planting material begins in early March.
The toxin flower prefers loamy soil, which will retain moisture well. You can mix purchased geranium soil with vermiculite. It is useful to add hydrogel to the mixture, due to which moisture will be retained in the soil much longer.
Before planting the seeds, the substrate must be shed with a pink solution of potassium permanganate or calcined in the oven. Seedlings do not tolerate transplanting, therefore it is better to immediately place each seed in a separate container or peat pot in a pre-moistened substrate. It is not necessary to sprinkle it with soil. The quench flower is one of those plants that needs light to germinate. Cover plantings with glass or place in a greenhouse.
Seedling Care
Keep the soil moist and place the containers with plantings in a relatively warm place where the air temperature does not drop below +23 degrees. In cooler conditions, the seeds may not germinate. Subject to care requirements, the first seedlings appear on average after 10 days. Sprouts can appear later, especially if the temperature was below normal, but no later than 18 days later. After the appearance of the first sprouts, the temperature can be reduced.
In the next few weeks, seedlings need to be watered every day, using spraying to do this. If the seeds were planted in one box, immediately after the third true leaf appears, seedlings can be dived into separate containers. It is best to use peat pots that can be buried in open ground. This reduces the risk of damaging the delicate roots of the plant during transplantation.
The tops are pinched when the seedlings reach 5 cm in height. This will help make the bushes thicker. In warm climates, planting material can be sown outdoors about 1 week before the last possible frost.
Outdoor cultivation
The toxin flower, planting and caring for which is not particularly difficult, is easy to grow in open ground. This perennial is an ideal option for those who want to decorate their site with beautiful bright colors, but do not want to constantly take care of them. If you do not have the opportunity to breed seedlings, you can purchase an adult plant in the garden center. Pots are best placed in partial shade, on the west or east side of the garden. In the south, plants need to provide diffused light.
To maintain immunity and abundant flowering, organic nutrition should be applied every two weeks, alternating it with mineral fertilizers. Potassium and phosphorus are especially important. Use for feeding superphosphate, potassium nitrate, humus and mullein infusion. Nutrients are added to the soil when watering. Watering abundantly, especially on hot days: with a lack of moisture, buds can fall.
Torenia as a houseplant
If the plant is grown in an apartment, you need to maintain an optimal temperature for it at 16 degrees Celsius. It is important to periodically ventilate the room, especially if the temperature is higher than necessary. In the cold season, the toxin flower can be kept at 8 degrees Celsius. But the temperature should not be below +5 degrees.
In a room where torquenia is grown, the air should not be too dry, which is difficult to provide by simple spraying. Therefore, it is desirable that the container with the plant is on a tray with wet pebbles. Watering should be quite frequent, but waterlogging is not recommended. Usually enough twice a week. Before watering, wait until the topsoil dries.
Diseases and Pests of Toxin
The quenching flower, the cultivation and care of which is rarely complicated by any disease, is resistant to most pests. It is susceptible to fungal infections, which affects the condition of the leaves and stems. With excessive watering or stagnation of moisture, root rot occurs. For the prevention and treatment of this disease, fungicide solutions are used.
If the air in the room where the toxin is grown is too dry, a pest such as a spider mite may attack. You can get rid of it if you regularly spray the plants with a solution of essential oils (5-10 drops per 1.5 liters of water). But by maintaining optimal conditions of detention and regular inspection, you can prevent the occurrence of most problems.
Regular watering, good air circulation and the exclusion of moisture on the leaves are the main components of the successful cultivation of the flower of persecution.