Cleoma is a flowering one- or two-year-old plant from the Cleom family. In this genus, there are about 70 species. In the natural environment, the flower grows in areas with a temperate and warm climate. It is appreciated by flower growers for a long and colorful flowering, accompanied by an unusual aroma. The Germans call the flower "spider plant" for the extravagant form of inflorescences. The plant successfully propagates precisely by the seed method, so it is important to know when to plant glue when growing from seeds and how to properly care for seedlings in order to achieve timely dissolution of flowers.
Species and varieties
The most commonly cultivated types of glue are Hassler (Cleome Hassleriana) and prickly (Cleome Spinosa). Both of them come from South America, differ only in the color of the inflorescences. On the basis of them, multiple varieties and hybrids were bred by breeding.
The most popular varieties:
- Hellen Campbell - with snow-white flowers.
- Rosakenin - inflorescences of a pale pink hue.
- Pink Queen and Queen Rose - stand out with pink buds of different tones.
- Golden Pink Kyusen - appreciated for voluminous buds of deep pink color.
- Golden Sparkler - many small yellow inflorescences bloom on low bushes.
- Violet Queen - a copy with dark purple flowers.
- Cherry Queen - is especially popular among gardeners for fragrant flowers about 30 cm in diameter, located on long shoots.
- Champagne spray - a hybrid created on the basis of Hassler Cleome. The individuals are meter-tall plants with cyst-shaped inflorescences, including many pinkish and snow-white buds.
- Sparkler Lavander - The color of the flowers is pale purple.
Growing Kleoma from seeds: instructions for a beginner
Cleoma is a heat-loving flower in any manifestation, so it feels more comfortable in the southern latitudes. If you provide it with appropriate conditions, then it is possible to grow planting in a cooler climate. It is for this reason that this plant is grown mainly in seedling method from seeds.
For beginning gardeners, it is recommended that you first try to grow seedlings, and then try to sow the seed immediately into the open ground. Sowing is also possible in the winter - in October-November.
When to plant
When choosing the time of planting seeds, it should be borne in mind that they ripen for a long time. An obstacle to this are certain negative external factors. So, with early spring sowing, a sharp decrease in temperature at night can adversely affect the site. Weed grass constantly prevails over cleome sowing, which also does not have the best effect on seedlings.
If you are late with the deadlines, then even in the next season, flowering is unlikely to be.
When cleomes are planted in spring, flowering usually occurs in mid-July. With seedling germination, you can enjoy the first flowers already in early summer. But this is on condition that the process should be started in late February or early March. Ready planting material is purchased at a florist shop. More often on sale is a mixture called "Color Fountain". When choosing, it is recommended to pay attention to the seed collection period. Ideal if they are fresh. Then germination is better.
Sowing
Before starting sowing work at home, they select the appropriate container and prepare the soil mixture. Small wooden boxes or standard flower pots are suitable. They are filled with independently made soil from the following components:
- garden land - 2 parts;
- humus - 2 parts;
- river sand - 1 part.
So that the seeds germinate faster, they are subjected to stratification before they are soaked for 10-12 hours in any solution of a growth stimulator (Epin, Zircon). 3-4 warm drops are added to warm boiled water (300 ml).
Prepared seeds are deepened into the soil by 1-1.5 cm. From above, they are covered with the same substrate and sprinkled with wood ash. Cover crops with glass to create a greenhouse effect. Sprouts appear after 2 weeks.
How to care for seedlings
Containers with seedlings are placed in a well-warmed and sunny place. Before the appearance of the first sprouts, care consists in regular watering and ventilation (they open the lid). Humidify plantings once a day, but in moderation. The surface soil layer must not dry out. For the sake of prevention, once seedlings are watered with a weakly concentrated manganese solution.
It is advisable to create artificial lighting in the evening, as the seedlings will lack light in February and March.
As soon as 2-3 strong leaves appear, they begin to pick. Peat humus cups or other small containers are ideal for this purpose. Cleoma painfully responds to a transplant, so take it out of the box carefully. It is advisable to capture the roots with an earthen lump. Deepen them to cotyledonous leaves.
Further manipulations:
- First fed in 10-12 days. Use complex mineral additives that are applied once every half a month. It is recommended to take the dosage two times less than that indicated in the instructions.
- The backlight is removed.
- Watering abundantly, but infrequently. Do not allow stagnation of water.
So that the plant does not develop on one side, it is necessary to systematically turn it in different directions to the light.
Open transplant
As soon as the seedlings get stronger, you can transplant it to a plot in the garden. The time is selected when the weather is stable and the weather sets and return night frosts pass. This usually happens in late May - early June. The landing site is chosen sufficiently lit with protection against drafts. To the composition of the soil, kleoma is not particularly demanding, but it is preferable that it be nutritious and with a neutral alkaline environment.
In case of soil depletion, it is preliminarily fertilized with special flower additives (2 tbsp. Per 1 sq. M) and leaf compost (1 bucket in the same area).
Seedlings are planted directly in pots without removing (if the planting was in peat boxes or other degradable containers). The bushes are located at a distance of half a meter from each other. Thus, it is possible to avoid thickening in the future, and flowering will be more spectacular. After completion of planting, it is necessary to carefully water the plants with a humate solution.
Follow-up care
In the future, care for the glue is simple and includes the following activities.
- Water the flowers under the root and abundantly only on hot days. However, they do not allow stagnation of water.
- Feeding is done twice a month, for which they use the following compounds: Fertika-plus or -kombi (40-50 g per ten-liter bucket of water). In case of weakening, young animals are watered with a nutrient solution (6-7 g per 3 l of water). Before flowering fertilize Zircon, dissolving 1 mg in 1 liter of water.
- The root space is loosened regularly and weed is removed.
- Shortly before the first frosts, flower plantations are completely torn out and a new plantation is sown with freshly picked seeds or seedlings for the next year.
After the flowers bloom, seeds are collected to sow them immediately or next spring. Quality seeds should be round in shape with a diameter of up to 1.5 mm. Their color depends on the flowers and is brown or yellowish. To prevent self-seeding, it is recommended that you put gauze bags on the pods in advance.
In connection with a specific aroma, cleomes practically do not get sick and are not affected by insects.
Cleomes will become a worthy decoration of the garden in any style. They are grown singly or as part of various compositions from annual plants (tobacco, lavater). Often glue is used to create a hedge or background flower bed, due to its tall shoots.
