We grow nemesia: planting and caring for the flower of retribution

Nemesia is a perennial plant whose home is South Africa. One of the advantages of a flower is its ability to adapt to almost all conditions. Even on stony soil, the root of a plant can obtain for itself the necessary sustenance and moisture. Nevertheless, in conditions of frost, nemesia cannot take root. In such regions, it is grown as an annual. It is great as a houseplant.

The flowers of Nemesia have amazing beauty, and with proper care, the plant can decorate your garden for a long time. Very often, this flower is used by landscape designers for their projects.

Description and popular varieties

In appearance, the "flower of retaliation" refers to the half-shrubs, whose height varies from 20 to 60 cm. The flower looks very original due to its irregular shape. It has oblong leaflets and racemes. The variety of shades of petals is simply amazing: red, purple, white, pink, blue. In some cases, flowers can be painted simultaneously in several shades.

Due to its appearance, nemesia is used to decorate bouquets, residential premises, areas near the house.

The following varieties are most popular in our area:

1. The most widespread among gardeners received Nemesia. This plant is bred as a result of the crossing of two species: goiter and multicolored. The diameter of its flowers is 2 cm, and the height of the plant itself can reach 60 centimeters. The flowering period - the beginning of June.
2. Also in our country, such a species as goiter nemesia. The maximum height of an annual is 40 cm. Flowers, which are about 2 cm in diameter, have a varied color: yellow, red, orange.
3. Nemesia azure has not such a long flowering period (3 months). Annual height reaches 40 cm.
4. Multicolored nemesia has a great similarity with the goiter.

Where to plant a plant?

The plant is not particularly picky and takes root in almost any kind of soil. The main condition is the absence of lime in the soil and the presence of good permeability.

A well-blown plot of land and plenty of sunshine will provide your plants with excellent development. It is possible to start growing nemesia already in June by preparing seeds at home for seedlings in February. You should pay attention to a few tips that will help achieve the desired result:

• Flower seeds are very small, and therefore they are very difficult to see on the ground, which can lead to crowding of the plant. To avoid such difficulties, the ground should be placed in some container, and sprinkle a little snow on top. On the formed thin snow cover spread the seeds evenly. After the snow begins to melt, the seeds will sink directly into the soil. Also, often use the blunt end of a pencil, with which you can gently push the seed into the soil to the desired depth. Next, sprinkle on top of the ground and cover with foil.
• After about a week, you can see the first shoots. You need to be very careful with them and use spraying instead of watering. After diving, the seedlings that have been hardened are distributed into separate containers, but experienced gardeners recommend planting peat in pots immediately.
• Care must be taken during plant transplantation. In order not to harm the root and to ensure a favorable adaptation in the open field, the flower should be transplanted along with the soil into the pre-moistened soil. To carry out these actions is necessary after the passing of frosts. The distance between the sprouts must be at least 25 cm to ensure free space.

Choice of location and lighting

Care for nemesia is not difficult at all. She likes a lot of light and plenty of moisture. Even the brightest sun is not scary to the plant.

Favorable air temperature for seedlings is +20 ° C. Also, the soil must be ventilated daily to avoid stagnant moisture. After about 14 days, the first seedlings will appear, which should be put in a cool place (+ 8 ... + 10 ° С) with good lighting. After the air temperature is normalized, the seedlings are planted in a pre-prepared place, where the sun's rays fully penetrate.

Soil requirements

Drying of the ground is unacceptable. Extreme care should be exercised during high temperatures. It is necessary to exercise careful control over irrigation and soil condition. But overdoing with moisture is not necessary, as this leads to an increased risk of fungus formation. The plant feels good on moderately fertile soil, without adding lime and fresh manure.

Planting seeds in open ground is desirable to carry out in May, when the earth is already warmed and frost. Observing all the rules for caring for the future flower, the first shoots after planting can be observed already after 2 weeks, and the nemesia will begin to bloom in late July.

This plant has one very interesting feature. In the case of its cultivation with the help of seeds, the flower may not retain the maternal coloring and as a result get a completely different color.If you are interested in a certain color of the plant, it is better to purchase rooted cuttings.

Planting and reproduction of nemesia

In order for the nemesia to start blooming in June, it is necessary to plant the seeds when it is still winter outside. Growing plants can be carried out both in ordinary purchased soil, and in the soil with the addition of sand.

Also, you can plant nemesia immediately in open ground. In this case, the care of the flower begins in the month of May. When using this method, flowering will begin in August. Sowing culture does not require special skills and is carried out in an ordinary way.

If you want to get a full-fledged flowering plant already in June, then seeds for seedlings should be sown at the end of March. Fill the prepared containers with moistened primer. After planting the seeds, cover the containers with film or glass and water with a spray bottle.

3-4 weeks after sowing, you can begin diving and seating seedlings in separate pots.It is necessary to carefully care for the seedlings, monitor the air temperature (not higher than +13 ° C), moisten the soil in time and prevent the formation of a crust on its surface.

After the buds appear, the plant can be planted in open ground. This usually happens in late May or early June, when the weather is warm enough and all the frosts have passed. During planting seedlings must observe the distance between the bushes (20-25 cm). In the case of early planting, it is better to use special containers so that you can transfer the flowers to the room if frost begins.

One year old

The best way for breeding is growing with the help of seeds, which is typical for one-year nemesia. They rarely resort to dividing the bush, as the plant is very delicate and can damage the flower.

Seeds for seedlings go half a centimeter deep into the soil and are placed in an illuminated place. Seven days later, the first seedlings sprout, which are subsequently transplanted in separate containers. Transplantation must be carried out on time, otherwise the root of the plant can be damaged.At the initial stage, the shoots are very tender, so they should be sprayed, not watered. Due to the fact that the seeds are very small, they can be mixed with sand.

Perennial

Perennial nemesia multiplies rooted cuttings. This method is used and if you need a certain color of inflorescences. Due to this, the probability of preserving the appearance of the mother plant, the shape of the petals, their color is great. However, it is not as popular as the previous method.

Care rules

Although nemesia is not choosy, but planting and caring for a flower require some rules to be followed. An important point during the planting of seedlings - is the implementation of control over the soil, as the plant is very demanding of moisture. During the drought period, the soil begins to dry out, which can lead to the death of the flower. Therefore, the soil must be slightly moistened.

Watering

Do not overdo it with watering the soil. For moderate moisture retention do soil mulching. The material used is straw, bark, chips, grass, covering material. In addition to preventing the evaporation of moisture from the soil, the mulch acts as a root protector against overheating or severe freezing, and also protects against weeds and pests.

Fertilizer

For the flowers to grow healthy and lush, have a bright and saturated color, special fertilizers are needed. An excellent option would be the use of mineral fertilizers, which are designed for flowering plants. Planting should be carried out 2-4 times a year. The most suitable for this is the flowering period.

Thinning and pruning

After sowing, germinated and grown seedlings are thinned. This is done to reduce the risk of catching diseases, as well as to give a more aesthetic look to your garden. The distance between them should be 25 cm.

For growing choose the strongest shoots. Too frequent plantings can cause fungal infection and fading blooms. To prolong the flowering of nemesia, it is sufficient to regularly cut off faded flowers. You can also remove the tops of the shoots that have faded. In their place, new ones will appear, and the plant will bloom, as if just planted. This procedure is called the rejuvenation of nemesia.

From time to time it is necessary to weed the ground, remove weeds. All this has a beneficial effect on the duration of flowering.

Diseases and pests of the flower

Since this flower is very fond of moisture, it is a favorable base for the occurrence of disease. As a preventive measure, it is recommended to water the plant regularly, but carefully so that no excess moisture in the soil arises. In case of rotting of the roots and stalks, use fungicidal preparations for their processing. This will significantly reduce the risk of catching a fungal infection.

Spider mite is the most common irritant for nemesia. Its size is only half a millimeter, and it has a red or green color. When this pest appears, a sticky web appears on the leaves of the plant, which gradually begin to dry out. If such a threat arises, it is worth taking immediate action, as the tick multiplies very quickly. To do this, use special preparations to spray the plants and destroy the pest.

Here are some of them: "Aktellik", "Talstar", "Akarin", "Fitoverm", "Karate".It is necessary to cultivate plants and soil once a week.

Bushes nemesia due to its shape and bright color are perfect as in the form of indoor plants, and for growing on the veranda or garden area. The plant is unpretentious and does not require careful maintenance, and planting seeds at home is not difficult.