Verbena (photo) growing in a pot, planting and care. Beneficial properties of verbena officinalis

Verbena is one of my favorite beautiful flowering plants. Thanks to its long and abundant flowering, unpretentiousness, diversity of species and varieties, resistance to diseases and pests, verbena is widely used to decorate balconies and gardens, and is planted in flower beds of city streets and parks.

Verbena flowers have a delicate, pleasant aroma. The aroma of verbena is most intense in a sunny and hot place, where this plant fully expresses its best qualities. Due to its unobtrusive and delicate aroma, verbena is often planted near recreation areas.

The spreading form of verbena bushes with drooping stems allows it to be grown as a plant.
Verbena is often planted in, and balcony and wall flowerpots are also used.
The classic companions for verbenas in composition are and.

Propagation of verbena by seeds

IN climatic conditions in central Russia, verbena of all types is usually grown from seeds seedling method to ensure early and long flowering over many months.

Verbena seeds are sown for seedlings already in winter (January-February) or early March, since they germinate rather slowly and unfriendly.
Practice shows that it is better to store purchased verbena seeds in a cool place to increase germination. I advise you to keep them in the refrigerator until sowing. And immediately the day before sowing verbena, freeze the seeds completely - place them in the freezer overnight.

Verbena seedlings are characterized by a long juvenile period. From the moment the seeds are sown until the young plants begin to flower, at least 100 days usually pass.

Verbena seeds are not very small, so when sowing they are easy to place at the desired distance from each other. I sow them in shallow bowls and boxes; I use loose permeable soil mixed with sand.
When sowing, you should cover the verbena seeds with a thin layer of soil. Otherwise, if surface sowing is used, then some of the verbena seedlings will not be able to free themselves from the seed coat (such seedlings usually die).

When growing seedlings, maintain moderation in watering. Verbena seedlings may be at risk of the most common and dangerous disease - “”. Then lodging of verbena seedlings occurs as a result of waterlogging of the soil or due to excessive density of seedlings.

I plant verbena seedlings in separate containers after the formation of the second or third pair of true leaves.
After a successful picking, when the verbena seedlings take root in a new place and begin to grow, I pinch the tops of the resulting shoots. This causes them to branch additionally, and dense verbena bushes look better and bloom much more abundantly.

Verbena propagation by cuttings

Not all flower growers know that verbena takes cuttings well - it is quite possible to propagate adult plants by cuttings.

If you want to preserve your favorite varieties or hybrids of verbena and increase the amount of valuable planting material, apply vegetative propagation. Both apical cuttings and middle cuttings (taken from the middle of the shoots) are suitable for these purposes.

Cut verbena cuttings root easily in a glass of water within 10-15 days. After the formation of root primordia, the cuttings are planted in individual containers. Then they are cared for in the same way as the pruned seedlings.

Growing Verbena

Verbena prefers a sunny, warm place. It should be well ventilated, but without drafts. Damp and damp places should be avoided.
Verbena can grow in light shade, but at the same time the intensity of flowering decreases noticeably, and its shoots become more elongated.

Verbena is heat-loving, but cold-hardy. Young plants spring frosts are not tolerated, but adult verbena bushes at the end of the gardening season become resistant to slight autumn frosts.

Prefers verbena fertile soil, not too dense and not heavy, with a small admixture of sand and clay.

Verbena does not require spraying and does not tolerate prolonged waterlogging of the soil. Therefore, when planting seedlings in a container with a sufficient number of drainage holes, it is advisable to lay a drainage layer at the bottom of the container.
Verbena loves abundant and regular morning watering with warm water, which should be done as the top layer of soil dries. With a constant lack of moisture in the soil, verbena leaves turn yellow and dry out, although this phenomenon does not cause serious damage directly to the flowers and buds. But if there is a significant loss of decorativeness, it is better to trim the bare stems of a bush that has suffered from drought, then it will soon grow young shoots with leaves and flowers.

Mature verbena is resistant to. This plant is practically not attacked by pests - insects are not attracted by the pubescent, hard leaves of verbena, covered with secretions that are oily to the touch.

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Verbena is a flower that was known two thousand years ago. Their delicate lemon aroma, big variety colors and amazing unpretentiousness are known to many gardeners. The process of growing these flowers is simple, but requires some knowledge. We’ll talk about when to sow verbena, how to care for it and much more later in this article.

Botanical description of the plant

Verbena flowers belong to the Verbena family. Their homeland is South America. The height of the plant's shoots varies from 20 cm to 1.5 m. They have opposite short-petioled leaves. Verbena has a strong and extremely branched root system. The stems of the plant are most often erect, but there are also species with lodging ones. They are covered with fleecy green skin. The leaves have serrated edges and oval shape. Short pile is noticeable on them.

At the beginning of July, verbena throws out paniculate or corymbose inflorescences, consisting of 30-50 buds, which bloom alternately. Small five-lobed corollas can reach 25 mm in diameter. The photo of verbena shows that it can be colored different colors: white, blue, pink, yellow, lilac, red and their derivative shades.

Main types

Today there are more than 250 different varieties and hybrids of this plant. We will talk only about the most popular of them. Hybrid verbena is divided into two groups. One of them includes compact flowers such as “crystal”, “pink delight”, “amethyst” and others. The second group is represented by plants with rather large inflorescences. For example, it includes “defiance”, “etna”, “Julia”, etc.

In city flower beds or garden plots you can most often find the following types of verbena:

• Canadian. In Russia it is grown as annual flower, the stems of which are low - only 20 cm. This verbena can be colored lilac, white or pink color.
• Buenos Aires. The height of straight and strong stems often reaches 1.2 m. They all extend exclusively from the base of the plant. Inflorescences appear on it simultaneously. This species has an amethyst hue.
• Ampelnaya. Verbena, which is ideally suited both for vertical gardening and for planting in hanging planters. The stems grow no more than 60 cm in length. Has small inflorescences with small flowers various shades.
• Tough. This verbena is colored lilac. The leaves are fleecy and slightly elongated. Its stems spread along the ground and have a tetrahedral shape. The seeds of such verbena can be stored for quite a long time - about 4-5 years.

Most common varieties

Gardeners really like this flower, so they often decorate their flower beds with it. personal plots. There is nothing surprising. After all, once you see verbena in a photo, you can immediately fall in love with this lovely flower. The most popular plant varieties are:

• Amethyst. Its buds appear with the onset of July. The low bushes of the plant amaze with the beauty of their inflorescences, which have a bright blue tint.
• Defiance. Can grow up to 30 cm in height. Most often, the inflorescences are colored red. They can fade when exposed to sunlight.
• Etna. The height of the bushes does not exceed 45 cm. The inflorescence resembles a small umbrella. Each of them consists of approximately 50 flowers.
• F1 Obsession. This name combines several different varieties, distinguished by their compactness and rapid growth numerous side shoots. The color of their inflorescences is varied, ranging from beige to pink tones. Often this verbena has two-color flowers.
• Silver Anna. Has a pleasant aroma. The bright pink flowers of the plant form a dense inflorescence, but by the end of summer they begin to fade. This variety is bred only by cuttings.
• Pink parfait. This is a low-growing variety with creeping shoots, which is ideal for vertical gardening. Its flowers can be either red or white with a cream tint.

Ways to grow verbena

The most common is planting seeds. When purchasing, you should immediately pay attention to their expiration dates, since they various types they may differ. Experienced gardeners It is recommended to purchase seeds only in specialized stores.

Immediately in open ground You can sow hard verbena and Buenos Aires verbena. This is done at the end of spring, when the air temperature rises to +18 ⁰C. The remaining species must first be germinated at home and then planted in open ground.

Reproduction by cuttings

Growing verbena in this way is not often done, since this activity is more troublesome than sowing seeds. But let’s consider this process in more detail. In order to begin propagating a plant by cuttings, it must first be carefully dug up, along with a lump of earth, and left in a room where the air temperature is around +10 ⁰C. Everyone does this in the fall.

With the onset of spring, the tops of the shoots must be cut off so that four or six pairs of leaves remain on them. Areas damaged in this way must be treated with crushed charcoal. After this, the cuttings can be planted in a mixture of peat and sand so that its level reaches the lower leaves. These are then removed, leaving only one or two pairs at the top. Having completed this procedure, it is advisable to cover the plant with a transparent film. Verbena usually takes root within one month.

Growing from seeds

To do this correctly, you need to know a few basic nuances of planting them at home:

• Best time for planting verbena seeds - March and early April, because for good germination they require at least 11-12 hours of daylight. IN winter time it is very short, so the seedlings will germinate slowly.
• The seeds are not buried in the ground, but scattered evenly over a moistened surface.
• In order for the seeds to hatch within two days, the room temperature should be about +24 ⁰C. After the sprouts appear, the containers with seedlings should be removed to a cooler place, where it will not exceed +18 ⁰C.
• It is better to water from a spray bottle. This way, a stream of water will not be able to damage the delicate roots of the seedlings. Watering should be dosed, since flowers (verbena) do not like excessive moisture.

How to care for seedlings

There is nothing complicated here, but this process requires some knowledge. After picking, the plants need to be given time to take root securely. After about two weeks, the seedlings can already be fed. After four or five leaves appear on the plant, pinch them off top part. This promotes the germination of side shoots.

Two or three weeks before planting verbena in open ground, young seedlings must be hardened off, because such plants adapt faster to the street. To do this, boxes with seedlings need to be taken out for a short time. Fresh air. After just a week, they are left all day, bringing them into the house only at night.

Selection of site, soil and drainage

First of all, you need to find a place to plant seedlings. Verbena can grow anywhere, for example, in an area where such early plants like daffodils or tulips. However, the most luxurious flowers will grow where greatest number Sveta. Verbena is not afraid of straight lines Sun rays, since it does not wither in the heat and practically does not fade.

It grows well on loamy fertile soils, as well as on other soils, provided that they are loose and have high water permeability. Verbena can take root well even on more unfavorable soil, you just need to mix it with it. river sand. To remove excess water from the flowerbed, it is necessary to organize drainage. The following materials are perfect for this:

• crushed stone;
• broken brick;
• expanded clay;
• small fragments of cobblestones.

Such a layer will eliminate excess moisture and protect the roots of the plant from rotting. Properly organized drainage will not allow water to stagnate for a long time.

Planting in open ground

The first step is to prepare the holes. They are made at a distance of about half a meter from each other, while between the rows it should be a little larger - about 0.7 m. A special nutrient mixture must be poured into the holes, which should include river sand, humus and peat. If the soil is depleted, it is worth adding a mineral complex fertilizer to the listed components.

As for planting seeds directly into open ground, they are evenly distributed into pre-made grooves, the distance between which should be more than 0.7 m. Two weeks after the first shoots appear, young plants need to be fed using mineral fertilizers for this purpose. liquid fertilizer. In the future you will have to do this several more times:

• after the buds appear;
• when all the inflorescences open;
• after flowering has stopped.

How to care for a plant in open ground

Growing flowers does not take much time because they do not need any special care. Verbena does not tolerate excessive moisture, but it will have to be watered all season - from the time it is planted in the ground until flowering stops. However, you should not loosen wet soil. The only exception may be dry, hot summers. In this case, loosening is necessary because it improves oxygen access to the roots. To prevent moisture from evaporating too quickly, sawdust or other mulching material is poured under the plants.

It is necessary to apply organic fertilizers such as compost and rotted manure correctly and in the right quantities, since they contain a lot of nitrogen, which stimulates the development of green mass and prevents the formation of inflorescences. They are often included in spring period to improve shoot growth. Subsequently, feeding the shoots is carried out exclusively with mineral fertilizers.

Fight weeds in the flower beds where it grows garden flower verbena, necessary only for initial stage. When the bushes increase in size, they will fill the entire space. From now on, they themselves will prevent the appearance of unwanted plants.

Verbena in a flowerbed

Low-growing varieties of this plant are widely used in landscape design in the form of a green border. Verbena looks great in a flower bed with other flowers. For example, in combination with camellias, it can decorate the paths of the front garden. best effect can be achieved by mass planting of verbena. It can also be diluted with various decorative cereals, echinacea, asters and marigolds.

Due to the fact that verbena blooms for quite a long time and also has a wide variety of shades, it can often be seen in flower beds planted near multi-storey buildings. In addition to the listed flowers, it will look great next to annual plants, such as cosmos and cornflower, as well as perennials: delphinium, roses of various varieties and rudbeckia.

Verbena is also successfully used for vertical gardening. It is planted in pots or hanging flowerpots, which are then placed in winter gardens, on terraces and balconies. For these purposes, ampelous verbena is best suited.

Medicinal properties

This flower is not only beautiful, but also useful. It contains many vitamins, microelements and essential oils, as well as glycosides and flavonoids. That is why verbena flowers are also medicinal plant, from which various preparations are prepared in the form of decoctions, tinctures, etc. It has disinfecting, diaphoretic and choleretic properties. It is also used for muscle spasms, inflammation, fever and colds.

A sprig of verbena added to tea will help you quickly cope with depression, insomnia, fatigue, hysteria and nervous tension. The plant is also used to prepare lotions, which are made for scabies, eczema, furunculosis and rashes.

However, there are also contraindications. For example, pregnant women should not take medications that contain verbena, as it can increase muscle tone, and this can lead to premature birth. It is also not recommended for nursing mothers to do this; you should first consult your doctor. People prone to various types of allergic reactions should also be careful with such drugs.

Ampel varieties of verbena are designed to add a touch of diversity to garden and home landscapes. Combines with a variety of climbing, lush and upright flowering plants.

The flower looks gorgeous in hanging arrangements on open verandas, balconies, in gazebos, forms picturesque bushes with a diameter of up to half a meter right in the flowerbed.

What are the planting features and how to care for hanging verbena. Is it difficult to propagate the plant, and which varieties attract more attention?

Many people grow this unassuming plant in its upright form. However, by not having a variety with flowing branches, we are depriving ourselves of an excellent potted culture.

Distributed in many subtropical, tropical and temperate regions climatic zones Worldwide. Verbena is perennial crop, but not for central Russia. We cultivate it as an annual, because it cannot survive wintering outside.

This flower belongs to the Verbena family; its perennial stems become woody in southern latitudes, while in the north they are herbaceous. At home it grows in pots or flowerpots, it is a herbaceous variety. The branches of the ampelous type reach a length of 50-60 centimeters.

The flowers are of interest rather than the dense, hairy leaves. The five-petal flowers have thorns and colors vary from white, pink, to purple.

The sepals are 1.5-2 centimeters, then turn into a brownish-green nut, divided into 4 parts.

Verbena flowers of this species are medicinal, different countries We have our own recipes for health and beauty. They are also extremely attractive to butterflies and caterpillars, providing food for these insects.

Varieties

More than two and a half hundred varietal varieties are known hanging plant. They are constantly selected, creating interesting categories.

Today, these types are the most common among amateurs.

Imagination is one of the most beloved, purple-blue varieties of verbena. The flowers are larger than other varieties; the bush reaches 50 centimeters in width and height. The bush quickly grows green mass and is responsive to application mineral fertilizers. Nitrogen mixtures, potassium, magnesium are necessary for lush flowering and rich color.

Blooms profusely with scarlet, bright flowers. It grows very quickly, branches up to half a meter contain elegant, chic hats. Blooms for a long time.

The shoots of this family are branched, have small dissected leaves, and the flowers are colored in different shades. In the middle there is a white core, the inflorescences themselves are in the form of scutes. The area occupied by this plant is identical to all varieties of the species - 0.5 square meters. meters. Blooms until autumn, this variety is disease resistant.

Prized for its creamy inflorescences, this species is very delicate and beautiful. The shoots grow 30-50 centimeters, flowering is long - from the beginning of summer until autumn. It is correct to water this variety not very much, then enhanced vegetation is guaranteed.

The leaves of this variety mixture are predominantly lilac, pink (Patio Coral Pink) or deep purple-wine (Temari Burgundy). The branches are drooping, long, and the leaves are less cut, almost whole.

The variegated flowers are notable not only color scheme, but also in size - they are larger than the average for the entire genus. Red and white flowers decorate the bush for a long time; shoots 30-40 centimeters are directed both upward and drooping. Not too demanding of abundant watering, the plant tolerates short periods of drought. Blooms until late autumn.

A very effective, remarkable variety, characterized by blue flowers with a white center. Flowering from June to the end of September. The culture is compact, shoots up to 30 centimeters.

Silvery-white or pale lilac large inflorescences. The plant is not tall, its branches are 25-30 centimeters long.

One of the latest, freshly bred varieties. The bush has large, luxurious inflorescences white with a raspberry-scarlet center. The branches of this bush grow up to 45 centimeters in length. Blooms from early spring until autumn. It quickly gained popularity for its chic colors and fragrant flowers.

An inflorescence of burgundy, wine-colored flowers reaches a diameter of 7 centimeters. The bush is compact, not very spreading, the leaves are located close to each other. It sends out many side shoots, which are also strewn with lush caps of flowers.

Growing and care

Verbena ampelous pretty unpretentious plant However, it has its own care characteristics. On permanent place in a pot, container, open ground, the plant is planted when frost has passed. This is the end of May - June.

A sunny place is chosen, and for one square meter To achieve a lush effect, plant up to 50 plants. If planting is done in a pot, then 3 plants per five-liter container.

The flower loves fertile, well-drained soil and does not tolerate waterlogging. Verbena can also tolerate temperatures dropping to 0 or minus 2 degrees without freezing immediately. If a flowering bush is brought indoors in containers for the winter, or grown at home permanently, it does not require annual replanting.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

• Drainage at the bottom of the pots is required - sand or expanded clay, then special soil;
• Place the seeds on soil moistened with a spray bottle and sprinkle thinly with the same soil;
• Cover with film to create greenhouse effect, put in a warm place;
• Ventilate periodically, the seeds will germinate in 3-4 weeks;
• Keep the seedlings in a lighted place; after germination, the temperature can be lowered and taken to a cool place;
• When two leaves appear, you can pick them out or plant them in permanent places in flowerpots and pots;
• After this (after 10-15 days) they are fed with mineral fertilizers.

We plant the seedlings in March, and when the already pruned shoots grow to 6-8 centimeters, we pinch off their tops. This measure will make the bush more luxuriant, because it will force the plant to bush.

Propagation by cuttings

If you need to propagate a plant that does not produce seeds, for example, a hybrid, you can prepare cuttings.

• Bring the potted crop into a cool room in the fall (4-10 degrees);
• The manipulation is carried out at the end of February or in March;
• Soil: sand, peat, porous perlite granules;
• The cutting is taken from the upper part of the stem, where there are from 4 to 6 leaves;
• We cut off the lower leaves, leaving the stem bare (1-1.5 centimeters);
• Dip the shoot into the root stimulator and stick it into a depression in the moist soil, press;
• Cover with plastic wrap, then ventilate;
• The roots appear after 30 days, after which they can be planted in a permanent place in hanging containers.

We are looking after

Watering is regular and not abundant. It is done in the morning or evening hours, after which it is loosened. Once every two to three days is enough. Do not overdry the soil under the plant, otherwise the flowers will fall off.

In autumn, watering can be completely reduced. A good measure to retain moisture without stagnating water is to place peat or moss in a container.

It is advisable to feed once a month. Organic fertilizer - mullein (or a nitrogen mixture) is applied once; the rest of the fertilizing is done with special complex mineral solutions.

Pruning is done for sanitary purposes; during it, dry, diseased, and formative branches are removed. Its purpose is to remove faded brushes and shoots so that the bush grows more and fresh buds are formed.

Pest and disease control is easy. The plant is little susceptible to disease. We must remember that excess moisture or lack of watering long time, By various reasons, favor the appearance of powdery mildew.

The flower is treated with fungicides and sulfur. Another problem may be an attack on the plant by aphids and mites. Insecticides, which are purchased in specialized stores, will come to the rescue here.

To prevent the roots from rotting or being affected by blackleg, you should only follow the rules of watering and loosening.

Combination with plants in the garden

Landscape designers and novice gardeners love ampelous verbena for its unpretentiousness, variety of colors and combination with big amount plants. This culture with flowing shoots is good for hanging compositions and vertical gardening, gazebos, and balcony containers.

In the open ground

• Can be a ground cover in rock gardens, flower beds, under bushes or trees;
• Planted as a border plant along paths;
• In flowerbeds and mixborders, with camellia, buddleia, petunia, marigolds, asters and lobelias;
• The greatest decorative effect is achieved when the bushes are densely placed, then a blooming “cap” is created.

Among all others fragrant plants verbena stands out for its delicate, unique aroma, which is actively used in the creation of perfumes, colognes, deodorants and other cosmetic products. Also, this plant, along with mint and lavender, is used in chemical industry when creating fragrance products for linen. For your attention – photo and description of verbena the best varieties, as well as recommendations for proper cultivation this fragrant plant.

How to collect verbena seeds and how to care for the plant

In nature it is perennial, which we grow as an annual. There are 40 known species of verbena, but only the hybrid variety, obtained from crossing several species, is common in cultivation.

What does the plant look like and what shades do its flowers have? The verbena bush is creeping and does not have a clearly defined central stem. Numerous ascending shoots branch into smaller branches ending in inflorescences. The leaves are opposite, oblong to triangular in shape. Umbrella-shaped inflorescences consist of 30-60 flowers. The flowers are small, 1.5-2.5 cm in diameter, of different colors, with the exception of yellow. The varieties with bright red, blue, and purple flowers are especially good. There are bicolor verbenas, with a lighter or white eye in the center of the flower. The entire plant is densely covered with bristly hairs.

How to grow verbena in your garden? When creating conditions for growing verbena, remember that this is a light-loving and drought-resistant plant; it is undemanding to soil, but grows better in light, nutritious soil. Spring and autumn frosts down to -2...-3°C do not harm plants, so seedlings can be planted in open ground as early as April.

The transplant is tolerated well. It blooms 70-90 days after sowing and blooms profusely until late autumn.

How to collect seeds to plant plants on in the right area, and not self-seeding? The seeds ripen 25-30 days after flowering. Ripe seeds quickly fall off, so if necessary, they should be collected regularly as they ripen.

Due to the abundance, duration of flowering and variety of flower colors, verbena is among the best summer flowers that decorate garden plots. It can be planted in a mixture of varieties, or better yet, by variety, creating uniform spots. In the southern region, bright colors fade in the sun, so it should be planted in somewhat shaded areas.

Shoots lying on the soil form roots from leaf nodes. This ability of plants is used to obtain a low flowering carpet.

How to care for verbena to ensure vigorous growth and abundant flowering plants? Without watering, it stops blooming, and the flower begins to set seeds sooner.

Verbena is rarely used for cutting, although cut flowers last for a long time in water (up to 10 days).

Verbena is a crop that is relatively resistant to and. In some years, the leafhopper settles on the lower surface of the leaves in June-July.

Hybrid and ampel varieties of verbena

Among the numerous varieties and hybrids of verbena greatest interest present:

Hybrid “Pink Peach” - new successful and very hardy hybrid variety verbena, superior in all respects to other varieties, is different good growth strong stems with numerous large inflorescences and creates unique flowering clumps. As it grows, the inflorescence changes color from pastel pink to peach, so one plant can carry a whole range of shades. Plant height 18cm.

"Hybrid" (mixture) - attracts attention with the rich colors of its flowers. Plant height is 20-35 cm, inflorescence size is 6-7 cm.

Canadian "Pink Frost" - one of the most cold-resistant and frost-resistant varieties, blooming from June until late frosts. The plants are very branched, spreading, each up to 40 cm in diameter.

As you can see in the photo, verbena of this variety, growing, forms a tall, lush carpet:

in the garden - a great addition to any landscape design. Bright flowers, richly colored leaves - all this is verbena. The plant comes from the tropical regions of America, a representative of the Verbenaceae family, which has more than 200 species of various flowers. U different nations verbena is called differently: “herb of Hercules”, “veins of Venus” or “blood of Mercury”.

Sowing verbena seeds for seedlings

Verbena can be propagated in several ways: seeds or cuttings. The flower is becoming very popular in gardening, and knowing how to properly plant verbena seedlings is very important.

Verbena seeds, depending on the type, can be “wrapped” in a thick shell, which noticeably slows down the process of their germination.

You can collect verbena seeds after the flower has bloomed, use the extracted seed material, or buy seeds.

Did you know?If you decide to use your own seeds, remember that varietal characteristics may be lost, and if you decide to use purchased ones, make sure that they do not have the F1 mark - this is how hybrid varieties are usually designated.

So, before planting the seeds, you need to stratify them in order to improve the quality of seedlings.

Seed stratification - a very simple procedure that involves cold treatment of seed material. Stratify the seeds in the refrigerator, in the vegetable compartment. They are laid out on a damp cloth, covered with another piece of damp cloth, wrapped in plastic or placed in a container and refrigerated for several days.

After the seeds have undergone stratification, they can be sown either in open ground immediately (seedless method), or planted as seedlings.

It is best to sow seeds for seedlings in March (second decade). They are placed in shallow containers with humus, perlite or sand: the soil should not be too fertilized. Seeds are sown without burying them in the ground. The container with the seeded material must be covered with a transparent lid; polyethylene or glass is suitable for this.

You will notice the first shoots within a couple of days. After this, the container must be moved to a cooler place and very well lit. After 2-3 mature leaves appear, the cover is removed.

Important!During the period when the seeds are just germinating, the film (glass) must be constantly removed for ventilation, and watering at this time is best done using a spray bottle.

After removing the cover, young verbena can be planted in separate pots, deepening the seedlings to the cotyledon leaves. After 2 weeks, the first feeding is carried out, and the plant can be planted in a new place. In the northern zone, verbena is grown as an annual.

Planting seedlings in open ground

Once the weather is warm and there are no more frosts, verbena can be planted in open ground. IN middle lane landing takes place in mid-May. It is better to choose a place for verbena that is well lit and protected from cold winds and drafts.

If the plant gets direct sunlight, it’s not scary, verbena will cope with it perfectly. Any soil is suitable for verbena, but it should be loose and, preferably, loamy. A layer of drainage will not be superfluous, which will prevent stagnation of water; also, you should not use soil with a high content of humus.

Did you know?If the soil is “acidic”, it can be mixed with ash or dolomite flour, and this will reduce the acidity.

The algorithm for planting verbena is very simple:

Combination of verbena with other plants

Verbena flower beds - a great solution for those who want to decorate their garden. Considering the fact that verbena has thousands of color options, it can be combined with almost all garden flowers, or you can decorate your lawn with it, where it will stand out as a bright spot of color.

Verbena goes well with daisies; together they form a sweet and fragrant composition. In combination with marigolds, the composition will turn out to be childishly touching. An impressive ensemble is made up of verbena and roses.

It also looks beautiful with such simple and familiar plants as rudbeckia, cosma, and delphinium. Together they form a composition with a very exotic appearance. Verbena can grow not only in a flowerbed, but also in pots, and looks very good in them.

The process of caring for verbena itself is not complicated, however, it must be carried out comprehensively. Verbena requires abundant watering, but does not tolerate stagnant water. It needs to be watered especially thoroughly during the period active growth and reduce the dose of water in the second half of summer.

Important!If you notice that the soil has begun to dry out, it is necessary to loosen the soil.

If your verbena is growing in a group planting, you only need to remove weeds before the bushes grow, but if you grow verbena alone, you need to clear it of weeds throughout the season. There is one secret: if you mulch the soil with leaves or any other material, then you do not need to weed the flower.

Fertilizing verbena needs to be done comprehensively. Organic fertilizers It is allowed to apply only once, because otherwise the soil may be overloaded with nitrogen substances. There are no restrictions on the application of complex mineral fertilizers, and they can be applied 1-2 times a month. "Agricolor" has a particularly good effect on growth.

Care also involves ridding the plant of dried inflorescences. If you have properly cared for verbena, it will delight you not only with beautiful blooms, but also with a pleasant aroma.

Collection and storage of seeds

Usually in our area, verbena is used as an annual plant, and after flowering it is cut off, and the soil where the flower grew is dug up. D To collect seeds from your own plants, you need to use the inflorescences when most of the flower boxes have already begun to dry.

Did you know?You can determine the readiness of the seeds by color: the box will turn brown.

The inflorescence selected for “obtaining” seeds must be placed on a flat, flat surface and dried. During the drying period, the material must be turned over so that the raw material does not start to become damp.

When the inflorescence dries, the seeds need to be extracted from the nuts and poured into a paper bag. Don't forget to sign it, indicating the date of collection and variety. If you decide to breed verbena on your own, do not forget that homemade seeds lose their varietal characteristics and may differ from their “parents”.

How to use verbena in landscape design

Verbena is becoming increasingly popular in landscape design. It looks very beautiful in plantings, which among designers are called “bouquet effect” - it looks especially attractive with large flowers roses and scrubs. In landscape design, the flower is used in both group and single plantings.