Bright variegation and simultaneous airiness of the clarke's inflorescences beckons a closer look to the wondrous annuals. In the garden, they resemble multicolored clouds, which for some unknown circumstances entangled in the green stems of low grass. Closer one gets the impression that someone deliberately strung on the thin, pubescent twigs of delicate roses of scarlet, purple and purple tones.
It turns out that despite the visual appeal, the plant does not require special conditions for its growth. After a long reading of special literature and communication with experienced growers, we know all about clarke and will be happy to share this knowledge with you.
Growing through seedlings
The best way to get clarke many call seed breeding. Planting seeds is very simple and does not cause any difficulties even for beginners.
Some flower growers first grow seedlings, while others immediately plant seeds at a permanent place in a flower bed. We will understand in more detail when to plant Clarky on seedlings and how to do it correctly.
Optimal timing
In the wild, Clarkia dissolves its lush inflorescences in May and June. From the beginning of the growing season to flowering takes about two months.
Given this feature of the culture, sowing seeds for seedlings should be planned no later than the first weeks of March, but if you want the buds to appear a little earlier, you can sow at the end of February.
Soil selection
In relation to the composition of the soil, the clarke has its own requirements, and if they are not taken into account, the flower cannot develop. The substrate must be light, loose, moist and slightly acidic.
Therefore, in cases when you are dealing with heavy earth, in order not to destroy the flower, be sure to add the same part of the sand.
The ideal option for planting seedlings is a mixture of equal parts of peat, sand, rotted humus and twice the amount of sheet soil. All you need to mix well to avoid lumps.
For disinfection of the prepared substrate from fungal and bacterial pathogens, it should be ignited in the oven or steamed in a water bath.
Important! Clarky seedlings do not dive, because the culture, especially hybrid varieties, does not survive after repeated transplantations.
Sowing seeds for seedlings
First you need to take care of the presence of wide shallow boxes with special divisions for each germ. When everything is ready, fill the container with earth, level it and sprinkle the seeds on top, slightly pressing them with a spatula to a depth of 1.5-2 cm. Then sprinkle your “bed” with clean warm water from a spray bottle and cover with glass.
Throughout the summer, the eye will be pleasing: roses, carnations, lilies, delphiniums, hyacinths, pansies, peonies.
Some housewives share the experience of planting seeds on seedlings in peat tablets. They are placed in small plastic cups, watered and deepen into the grain. Then, to create a greenhouse effect, cover with other cups. With such agrotechnics, Clarkia develops much better, and besides, when transplanting into open ground, seedlings do not injure the root system.
Conditions for germinating seeds
The first shoots of planted seeds will appear in two weeks. Therefore, it is important to immediately create a comfortable environment for their germination. To this end, remove the box with the "bed" or plastic cups in a warm place away from direct sunlight. The room should have good ventilation and dry air, and the soil in the container should be sprayed on time.
Did you know? Of the 30 species of clariki that exist in the wild, only four are used in culture.
Care of entrances
After sprouting sprouts and the appearance of 2-3 leaves on them, you can not cover the seedlings with glass, but do not remove the container from the previous place. For further development of the shoots are important heat and moisture. Make sure that the earth com does not dry out.
Planting seedlings in open ground
Clarion seedlings should be transplanted to open ground. as soon as possible. Sprouts at an early age do not react so painfully to a similar procedure. But do not forget about the temperature of air and soil. We will understand in detail.
Optimal timing
Clarkia is a cold-resistant culture, and this fact should be taken into account when growing seedlings from seeds. As soon as the soil warms up sufficiently, which reduces the risk of bacterial diseases of the roots, you can begin to transplant sprouts into a flower bed. The best period for this is the last two weeks of April.
Selection and preparation of the site for planting
The ideal place for a plant in a garden or a flower garden is a dry area filled with sunlight, on which nothing will cast a shadow. Preparatory work on a specific area is recommended to begin 14 days before the planned transplant of seedlings.
To this end, carefully dig up the soil and feed it with a mixture of superphosphate, potassium sulfate at the rate of one and a half tablespoons per square meter of land. Peat will be useful - 1 kg is enough for the same area.
It is important to check the substrate reaction before planting the pH, because clarinet will not forgive such errors. In cases of oxidized soil, sprinkle the top layer with dolomite flour, and when alkaline, pour with citric or oxalic acid.
Important! Hybrids of different varieties should be planted away from each other, since the clarkey belongs to the cross-pollinated plants.
The scheme of planting seedlings on the site
In open areas, seedlings are planted not singly, but whole clumps. It is important not to bury the root collar and keep the distance between the stems within 20-40 cm.
This is done in order not to thicken the bushes of grassy annuals, because they are prone to strong branching. Professionals advise to install slats near each of the clarke lakes - the growing stalks will soon need support.
Clark cultivation by seedless method
If for some reason the seedling method does not suit you, you can do without it, sowing the grain straight into the open soil. Flower growers note the positive aspects of this method in strong and healthy shoots. But, unfortunately, they bloom much later than grown from seedlings. Let's analyze the order and sequence of actions.
Optimum time for sowing seeds straight into the ground
Sowing of seeds should be planned for the first decade of May, when the earth is already well warmed, and bypassing the spring temperature drops.
Ignoring these nuances can provoke frostbite of still weak leaves and the death of sprouts, as well as the misfortune of the black leg and other bacterial, viral infections. If the weather allows, sowing can be done in the last days of April.
Important! Thick crops are subject to mandatory thinning.
Selection and preparation of a site for sowing seeds
When planting grains in open ground, as well as when transplanting seedlings, in order to grow Clarky safely, it is important to take care of the condition of the selected area in advance.
To keep the flower bed blooming even in the fall, plant a goldenrod, saxifrage, gelenium, chrysanthemums, dahlias, crocuses, monards, rudbeckia, tricyrtis, stems, zinnia, marigolds.
Firstly, it must be well loosened, which will ensure the free penetration of oxygen to the roots of the grass. Secondly, we need a suitable substrate with a weak acid reaction. And, thirdly, we fertilize the land with peat or organic matter, because under such conditions it will be much easier for the plant to develop.
Clarkia refers to hardy annuals, therefore, will be able to adapt even in clay areas with constant drafts. But these inconveniences will affect the intensity of growth and flowering of the culture.
Sowing seeds in open ground
In open areas, the sowing of clariki grains is carried out into the grooves made at a distance of 20 cm from each other. If tall varieties are planted that are pulled up to 60-70 cm, 30 cm should be removed from the previous seeds.
This is due to the fact that, soon, compact bushes are formed from small sprouts. In cases of non-observance of the specified intervals between plants, the emerged shoots will have to be thinned out so that they do not turn into a thread.
Did you know? Translated from the Latin word "clarke" means "farewell to the spring."
Care and cultivation of Clarkia in the garden
Further cultivation of this attractive plant does not differ in the care of either the seed or seedling methods. The flower is important timely watering and fertilizer, the formation of crown, disinfection from diseases and pests. How and when to do all this, consider next.
Did you know? Europeans owe the appearance of Clarkia to their lands to the American traveler William Clarke, who, during a scientific expedition in the western regions of North America, discovered a new species of grassy plants and, being the governor of Missouri, he gave beautiful flowers as a gift to the British. Of course, the culture is named after its discoverer.
How to water the plant
Moisture clarification for soil recommended moderately based on the drying of the upper layer of the earth. In no case should it be allowed to dry out and remoisten.
The fact is that an excess of moisture will immediately lead to the development of root rot, and a lack of water in the substrate will lead to the death of the roots.
Therefore, when watering these flowers is important a sense of proportion. If summer is generous with heavy rains, the gardener can relax at all without bothering to organize watering.
In dry hot weather, a few sprinkles a week are enough, which are best done in the morning or evening. In addition, grown bushes do not need constant moistening of air. Comfort for them will provide the sun and space.
Important! Do not overdo it with the distance between the stems of plants during planting, otherwise the flower garden will shine slightly balding spots. Clarkia looks great in density, so the optimal intervals for it are 15-20 cm.
How to conduct dressing
Fertilizer planting is carried out twice a month. For this purpose, purchased mineral and complex fertilizers for flowering plants are used. They are easy to use and do not harm the bees. Some gardeners are alternatively using 1:15 chicken manure solution. The tool is very effective in the initial stages of biomass development in the bushes.
How to extend the flowering period
Peduncles appear on the stems of the culture at the end of May (in the case of a seedling method) and in the beginning of July. The flowering lasts until the beginning of autumn, but every gardener wants his bed to be as long as possible to please the eye with colorful buds.
True, not everyone knows what to do. The secrets of extending the life of flowers, revealed to us flower growers, in whom the clarkey is practically not derived from the farmsteads.
The first thing you need to contribute to tillering sprouts. To do this, on 10-cm seedlings gently pinch off the top. This trick will entail the rapid formation of buds in copious amounts.
Further, when the flowers appear, it will be necessary to remove the dried-out dry buds and ovaries. After such manipulations, each plant begins to intensively grow flower stalks.
Did you know? With a constant change of water, flowers of a clarke can stand in a bouquet for more than two weeks.
How to deal with pests and diseases
While admiring the motley pet of your garden, do not forget to inspect its petals for harmful insects and pathogens.
For example, grayish spots with black edges on the foliage or whitish pubescence in the form of bloom and brown spots on the stems indicate the appearance of fungal diseases.
You need to fight them with the help of fungicides. Biological preparations “Trichodermin”, “Hamair”, “Alirin-B”, “Fitosporin-M”, as well as fungicides “Abiga-Peak” have proven themselves well.
As a preventive measure, treatment with the drug "Green Soap" is recommended. There is no need for too frequent disinfection, since the culture is characterized by increased resistance to various diseases and attacks of pests. Such problems can appear unless in cases of the wrong agrotechnology of flowers.
Among parasitic insects, Clarky bushes are most often annoyed by a garden flea. Its appearance is manifested by the retarded development of young seedlings. Insecticides will help to save them: "Aktara", "Fufanon", "Bi-58", "Karbofos".
When to harvest and how to store seeds
When removing all faded inflorescences, it is important to determine the peduncles that will be left for seed ripening. Grains appear immediately after pollination of the ovaries. Outwardly, these are very small brown grains hidden in small oblong boxes. In 1 g placed more than 3 thousand seeds.
Their maturation occurs in a month. Understand that it is time to collect the grain, you can on the brown shade of seed boxes. Store seed can no longer than four years. After this period, the grains lose their ability to grow.
Important! When all the buds on the clarke ottsvetut, you need to cut the stalks of the bush at the very soil. This is done in order to save the flower bed from unaesthetic old bushes and to prevent self-seeding. The place where the culture grew, should be deeply dug up.
Combinations with other plants
If you did everything right and the crops are not too rare, the clarkey will not disappoint you. Most often, the plant is planted along the alleys or near the fence. These flowers look original in compositions with phloxes, asters, roses and even coniferous crops.
If you do not plan to collect the seeds, you can combine different varieties and colors of buds. It all depends on your imagination and desires. Create yourself and others in pleasure!
