Secrets of planting and care for tunbergia

Tunbergia enters into the family acanthaceae. Its homeland is considered the tropics of Africa. There are approximately 200 species. The name of the plant was in honor of the Swedish naturalist Karl Peter Thunberg. The flower still has another name - "black-eyed suzanne". I call it so because of the color of the middle of the flower - dark purple. Grow this plant both at home and in the garden.

Tunbergia - lianovidnoe or shrubby plant. Leaves are whole, heart-shaped or ovoid. There are also lobed opposite leaves. They reach up to 10 cm in length. Some plant species have jagged leaves.Tunbergia flowers reach up to 4 cm in diameter and are collected in inflorescences. Also, the plant has a different color of flowers, ranging from white to brown. It blooms from July to September, exuding a strong aroma. In its natural environment, the plant is considered to be perennial, but in our region it is annual and is more often used for landscaping. Tunbergia feels great at home and greenhouses.

Planting Tunbergia seeds for seedlings

Tunbergia is an unpretentious plant, and if you decide to grow it at home, you will need to fulfill a few simple conditions for good flower development.

Optimal sowing time

You can begin to engage in seed breeding of tunbergia either at the end of winter (February) or at the beginning of spring (March).

How to prepare seeds for planting

Tunbergia seeds are characterized by poor germination, so they must first be soaked in the Epin growth stimulator.This will help them get up faster and better.

Soil: composition and fertilizer

The soil mixture needs to be made from leaf soil and sand with the addition of humus. Despite the fact that the seeds contain a certain amount of nutrients, they are still better to be fertilized with compost with the addition of sand and peat. Also, the soil should be loose, light and quickly pass moisture.

How to sow seeds

We recommend using ceramic flat or disposable peat pots for planting. They must have drainage holes. When you are going to sow tunbergia, pre-rinse the containers, and the day before sowing, you need to water the earth mixture.

First you need to plant the seeds in pots with peat to a depth of 1.5 cm and pour the soil. After that, the container must be covered with foil to create a greenhouse effect. So shoots will develop faster. Leave the seeds in a container for 2-3 weeks. It is important to consider that the pots need to be aired to remove condensate.

As soon as you notice the first shoots, the film can be removed.If there are a large number of sprouts, they all need to dive.

Seedling care

Seedlings should be placed on the window sill, whose windows face the western or eastern side, but it is important to make diffused light, as the plant crown can get burns from the direct rays of the sun. In the autumn it is better to adhere to 17 ° C. In the summer you need to water the plant often. Determine when you need to water the plant, you can on the top layer of earthen mixture. Water should be soft defended water.

In hot weather you need to add and spraying the distilled water at room temperature. In the autumn it is better to reduce watering. It is necessary to fertilize a plant from spring to autumn. This should be done every 3 weeks, mineral fertilizers. When two leaves appear, shoots need to be thinned and dive. Strong plants should remain in the tank. When the tubergia seedlings grow to 15 cm, you need to nip the tops of the seedlings.

If you want to get a thick and powerful tunbergia, the seedlings need to be fertilized from the first pick once a week with fertilizers that contain nitrogen.If you want to receive plentiful and long blooming, we recommend not to fertilize seedlings.

Planting of seedlings of tunbergia in open ground

After you have planted the tunbergia on the seedlings, and from that time enough time has passed for the normal development of the plant, they can be transplanted into the open ground.

Optimum landing times

Tunbergia must dive in mid-May, when the last spring frosts will pass. At this time, the seedlings will get stronger and be ready for a new place in the garden. It is best to plant tunbergia seedlings in open ground in spring or early summer.

Selection and preparation of the site for landing

A place for tunneling should be without drafts and with good lighting, on the west, south or east side. The soil should be light and permeable. It must have enough nutrients and lime. Also, it should be well drained, neutral.The soil needs to be loosened and fertilized with humus or special means.

Correct fit

The distance between the beds should be at least 20 cm, and between the holes - 45 cm. This is done so that the plant grows in breadth. Before landing, you need to install supports in the form of a grid. Liana will grow on it.

Then the seedlings of the climbing tunbury are planted. This should be done carefully so as not to damage the young plants. Planting depth - 1.5 cm. Then the plant should be sprinkled with earth and a little rammed.

After planting seedlings need to water the plants and cover around the soil with mulch. This will help get rid of annoying weeds. The first flowering you can see 100 days after pinching.

Garden Tunbergia Care

Tunbergia is an unpretentious plant, so if the planting is successful and the plant has taken root, you can start caring for it.

All about watering

Tunbergia loves watering very much, but you need to follow him. During flowering, the earthen room should not dry out, as the leaves will begin to fall, and the flower may be damaged by a spider mite. As soon as flowering is over, watering should be reduced. In the dry summer, you need to make not only watering the tunbergia, but also spraying in the evenings.

Features feeding

Obligatory top dressing is brought in the period of budding, but it is better not to be zealous. Such conditions will bring you lush flowering. During flowering, you need to make mineral fertilizers. They are added to irrigation water every week.

In the spring and summer, every month you need to make liquid mineral fertilizers during active growth.

Flower pruning

Pruning is carried out in early spring or in February. You can also do this after flowering. In order for the plant to take the form of a bush, you need to pinch the tops.

Young plants need to be cut, and adults are better not to touch. You only need to remove weak shoots or too thick. You need to cut off at the very base and all the time to send in the direction you want.

Pruning young plants is needed for intensive growth, but this can reduce flowering.

Collecting and storing seeds

When the flowering of the tunbergia is over, seed boxes will appear in their place.They need to be collected immediately before they are opened, for the seeds can crumble to the ground. It is better to open the boxes above the table covered with paper - the seeds will fall on it. Then they need to be dried and stored in cardboard boxes. The shelf life of seeds - 2 years.

How winbergia overwinter

If you grow tunbergia in an open area, it should be disposed of in the fall, as it will not survive the winter. If you grow a plant at home in a large pot, you need to prune the shoots.

Slices should be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate. It is better to move the pot to a cool place where the temperature will be no higher than 15 ° C. From time to time you need to moisten the top layer of soil. The plant remains indoors until the end of spring. After that, it can be taken out on the balcony, but this should be done gradually so that the plant is accustomed to a different temperature. After this, the tunnel will start new buds and shoots, and will also begin to bloom earlier than the first time.

The combination of tunbergia with other plants and its use in landscape design

Tunbergia is beautifully used in landscape design. TSo as the plant weaves quickly, the tunnel will adorn the arbor, the screen, the column and create a cozy green corner on the plot. Nearby we recommend to land ipomoea or asarin, as they harmoniously look on a vertical flowerbed. You can also grow tunbergia in pots. Shoots will hang down.

How to deal with possible pests and diseases

Tunbergia is rarely affected by diseases, but among the parasites the spider mite, aphid, scale insect and whitefly harm the plant.

1. Spider mite This parasite feeds on cell contents. You can see them. White dots and thin gossamer appear on the leaves. With a strong lesion leaves turn white, and the whole plant is covered with cobwebs. At the ends of leaves and shoots a mass of bodies of parasites accumulates, which moves.
2. Aphid.In spring, aphids settle on young shoots and on the underside of the crown. Aphids feed on fresh greens and destroy young leaves. Also aphid carries viruses that cause galls. It is they who can lead to the death of tunbergia. You can get rid of aphids with a pyrethrum-based insecticide.
3. Shchitovka. At the initial stage, it is very difficult to detect this pest. It is best to carry out prevention in advance. Adult flakes are easy to see. They look like spots on the leaves, trunks and shoots. Also on the leaves there is a drop (sticky liquid).
4. Whitefly. Parasites are small, but it is easy to notice them, as they are going to the "flock". Insects can be seen on the underside of the leaves. Larvae and adults feed on plant sap, and yellow spots appear at the site of the bite. They can lead to the death of the plant.

You can get rid of all pests by spraying the drugs "Actellic" and "Fitoverm". From folk remedies we recommend you wash the vine with a solution of soap, but this should be done with minimal reproduction of the pest.