Many varieties of cloves have been bred by breeders, and the exact number of varieties of this attractive plant is even impossible to calculate. But against the background of this diversity, grenadine stands out. This group of flowers of Dutch selection is distinguished by its excellent appearance, unpretentiousness, frost resistance and resistance to diseases and pests. The rules for growing grenadine cloves seedlings from seeds, as well as planting and caring for this attractive plant will be discussed in this article.
Description
Cloves of grenadines are garden (Dutch) varieties of plants of the clove family. This is a compact flowering shrub that is often grown as a biennial. The variety has an attractive appearance: it has narrow silvery leaves growing from the base, tall and thin stems, as well as lush terry buds painted in white, pink and red tones. But breeders bred varieties and with variegated coloring - in the form of a border, dots and stains.
The shrub grows to 60 cm in height. And the diameter of the buds with proper agricultural technology and cultivation in fertile soil can reach 6 cm. They are collected in small groups at the ends of the stems and exude a strong, but pleasant aroma that spreads throughout the district. Flowering usually begins in June, and on average lasts 30 days. But in some cases, the buds can hold out until September.
As a rule, in the first year the plant produces 7-18 peduncles, and in the second year their number more than doubles. And some instances give up to 100 buds. Alas, in the third year, cloves of grenadines rarely delight gardeners with lush flowering. Therefore, it is advisable to rejuvenate the bush once every two years.
The best varieties
Breeders have bred many varieties of cloves of grenadines. But such varieties are recognized as the best among them:
- Carrot King This variety is distinguished by large terry buds, and thin straight shoots reaching up to 60 cm in height. The petals of the plant, emitting a pleasant aroma, are painted in a saturated bright red color.
- King in black. Cloves of grenadines of this variety are distinguished by a dark brown-red color of buds with a purple tint. The compact shrub reaches 40-60 cm in height.
- Delight. Under this name, most often they sell a mixture of flowers with different colors. Plants reach up to 60 cm in height, and are densely covered with fragrant buds with a diameter of 5 cm.
- Coral. The variety is compact in size, and a pinkish-red color of the petals.
- Rose flower. This variety is appreciated for the rich pink color of the buds.
Each of these varieties will decorate your flowerbed. But for this, some efforts will have to be made to ensure proper care and planting of the grenadines cloves.
Seat selection
Plants with a light, fertile soil are suitable for growing grenadine cloves. If you plan to break a flowerbed on clay soil, then two years before planting flowers, be sure to add organic fertilizers to it. For a plant, it is advisable to choose well-lit places, but cloves will take root in a small shadow, however, their color may fade slightly.
In no case do not choose places in the lowlands, in flooded areas or in places with a close occurrence of ground water for a flower bed, because the plant categorically does not tolerate moisture stagnation at the roots. In extreme cases, be sure to make good drainage. But not the fact that in such conditions the flowers take root.
Sowing rules
When to plant grenadine cloves for seedlings? Start this event in late March - early April. But first, prepare the substrate. For flowers, the usual store mix is suitable, but if you want to make the soil yourself, mix turf soil, river sand, humus and peat in a ratio of 1: 1: 2: 2. Be sure to sanitize the substrate. To do this, bake it in the oven, hold it over steam or spill potassium permanganate. Otherwise, the flowers will die from pathogenic bacteria and pests that live in the ground.
It is important to know not only when to sow cloves of grenadines for seedlings, but also how to do it correctly. If you are a beginner grower, then follow these instructions:
- Fill a suitable container with prepared substrate.
- Fold a small piece of paper in half and sprinkle clove seeds in this makeshift envelope.
- Sprinkle the soil with warm water from the spray gun, gently and evenly distribute the planting material on the substrate, gently tapping your fingers on the paper.
- Sprinkle the seeds with a thin layer of soil, 0.5-1 cm thick. Lightly smooth the planting surface with your fingers.
- Spray the soil again with spray water. Do this very carefully so as not to wash the seeds.
- Cover the landing with glass or a plastic bag.
Put the greenhouse in a warm place with a temperature of + 18 ... + 20 ° C. Ventilate the landing daily and remove condensation from the shelter. If necessary, water the soil, preventing its drying out. At this stage, plants do not need light. Therefore, you can choose a darkened place.
Seedling Care
As a rule, when growing grenadine cloves from seeds, the first seedlings appear already on the 8-10th day. As soon as the shoots appear, transfer the container to a lit place or install a phytolamp next to the planting.
Seedling care consists in daily ventilation of the greenhouse, removal of condensate, as well as periodic moistening of the soil. Note that it is impossible to allow the soil to dry out, but you should not get too carried away with watering, because this can lead to decay of seedlings. And also remember that you can moisten the substrate only with warm, settled water, and it is advisable to use a spray bottle for these purposes. Otherwise, you may damage the seedlings.
As the plants grow, raise the shelter higher. To do this, you can fix it on the wire. After a week of seed germination, thin out seedlings as necessary, removing the weakest specimens.
When 2-3 real leaflets appear on the seedlings, dive the seedlings into individual pots filled with a substrate with the same composition as for growing seedlings. If desired, the pick can be carried out in one container, but at the same time it is necessary to observe a distance between copies of 4 cm.
When 4 leaflets appear on the seedlings, pinch the top of each plant. This will provoke the growth of side shoots. Be sure to treat the pinch site with a fungicide to accelerate healing. And also feed the young plants with a weak solution of nitrogen fertilizer.
With the arrival of heat, you can plant young flowers in the flowerbed. You will learn more about planting and caring for the grenadines later.
Outdoor landing
Young shrubs should be planted in open ground no earlier than mid-July. But this event should be held before the beginning of August, otherwise the plants will not have time to take root before the onset of frost and may die. Prepare the site before the event. To do this, dig the soil and add a mixture of humus, wood ash, peat and superphosphate to it.
For planting, dig indentations with a diameter slightly larger than the root color system. Grenadine cloves need a lot of space, so keep a distance of 30-35 cm between copies. Transplant flowers in cloudy weather or in the evening with an earthen lump, trying not to damage the weak root system. After planting, water the flowerbed.
Watering
The grenadine clove calmly tolerates drought. But still it is advisable to water the young bushes twice a month until the onset of autumn. At the same time, look at the weather, and if it rains, then cancel the irrigation.
With the advent of spring, be sure to remove snow from the flowerbed, because excess moisture can cause rotting of the roots. Adult plants have enough rainfall and groundwater, so there is no need to water them. In an extreme case, irrigate if there is a hot and arid summer.
Loosening and weeding
The day after watering or rainfall, it is necessary to loosen the soil near the flowers. Otherwise, a dense crust forms on the ground, which blocks the air access to the roots. Conduct this event with extreme caution. After all, flowers have a superficial root system. And also during the procedure, remove weeds that not only drown the growth of shrubs, but can also be a source of diseases and pests.
Top dressing
In order for the clove of grenadines to produce as many peduncles as possible, it is advisable to feed it with complex mineral fertilizers:
- Hold this event for the first time in spring. For top dressing, use superphosphate, or ammonium nitrate, or any complete fertilizer in which there is more nitrogen than potassium and phosphorus.
- Feed flowers a second time during bud formation. To do this, use superphosphate or a composition with a high content of potassium and phosphorus.
- Last time, fertilize the peak of flowering crops. At this time, plants spend a huge amount of nutrients on the buds, so they need additional fertilizing in the form of phosphorus-potassium compounds.
Fertilize only after watering or rain, so that the compounds do not burn the roots of the plant.
Trimming and support
When the side shoots of cloves reach 20 cm in length, it is advisable to pinch their tops. Then the bushes will begin to branch more and turn into a lush blooming ball. If you grow tall varieties, then, during flowering, tie the plants to the support. So you will avoid breaking the stems. And also do not forget to regularly remove faded peduncles. Trim them so that there is a stump up to 12 cm long.
Wintering
Clove Grenadine is frost-resistant, but it is still desirable to prepare the plant for cold weather. To do this, cut the shoots, leaving 10 cm stumps, and then cover the bushes with lapnik or lutrasil. And also before that it is useful to treat the bushes with pesticides, which will protect the culture from rodents. In addition, do not forget to condense snow in the flowerbed in winter. This will be an additional measure of protection.
Do not rush to take cover in the spring, because during the winter, the root flower system is very bare. Therefore, let the bushes recover slightly after a cold, and only then remove the spruce branches or lutrasil. And also hold this event in cloudy weather so that plants do not get burns from the bright rays of the sun.
Diseases and Pests
Clove of grenadines is a plant with strong immunity, and with adequate agricultural technology, it is not afraid of diseases and pests. But if you systematically violate the rules of cultivation, then the culture can get sick. As a rule, this leads to an excess of nitrogen and a lack of potassium, high humidity or severe thickening of the plantings. In addition, organic fertilizers adversely affect plant health, so they are not recommended for use as top dressings.
To avoid diseases and pests, it is enough to give the plant minimal attention. And it is also necessary to periodically treat the bushes with insecticides for prevention. Hyacinths, gladioli, tulips and irises should not be grown next to carnations. These plants can become sources of various diseases.
In addition, it is advisable to change the place for the flowerbed every five years. The fact is that over time, pathogens of viral diseases accumulate in the soil. And when their mass reaches a critical point, they hit the flowers. So consider this feature and move the flower bed from place to place.
Reviews
Grenadine cloves are well-known among flower growers. Users note that this plant is unpretentious, takes root in almost any area, and even a novice plant grower can take care of it. In addition, the variety has an attractive appearance and numerous fragrant buds that give the shrub the appearance of a blooming ball.
Now you know everything about growing a grenadine seed garden clove. Follow these recommendations and provide the plants with proper care, and they will certainly thank you with their fast growth and numerous fragrant buds, which will undoubtedly become a decoration of your site.