Ageratum growing from seeds, planting seedlings and care, photos and videos, the best varieties. Description of ageratum Photos of flowers

Ageratum is an attractive long-flowering plant of the Asteraceae family, very loved by gardeners for its unpretentiousness, abundance of flowering and beautiful, bright and very fluffy flowers. This plant was discovered by a collector named W. Houston, after whom this species was named. The second name of this flowering plant is Mexican ageratum.

In its natural habitat, this plant is. However, in Russia and the CIS countries it is cultivated exclusively as annual flower for decoration, borders, street flowerpots, etc., in order for a flower to please the eye in a flowerbed, it will need to be planted annually in the flowerbed in the form of sprouts sprouted from seeds.

Blue ageratum blooms wildly, so the inflorescences are often completely covered by the leaves and the bush looks like a fluffy ball. The flowers delight with their colors until the first frost.

Ageratum mexican blue most popular among gardeners, and this despite the fact that many different varieties have now been bred different varieties this plant has different colors.

A photo of blue ageratum and a description of the flowers can be found below.

Ageratum "Blue Ball" and "Blue Mink"

When decorating areas, as a rule, they are used blue varieties which are excellent.

Ageratum " Blue mink» - a beautiful bush with strong shoots and bright blue flowers. The height of the plant is up to 30 cm, the flowers are collected and there are beautiful fluffy small baskets. The diameter of the flowers is 5-6 cm. It blooms in early to mid-June and continues to bloom until frost. Pairs well with marigolds, Korean marigolds, lavatera and calendula. Growing from ageratum seeds "Blue Mink" is very often used by gardeners and lovers of indoor floriculture as a decoration for open balconies, .

Photos of the Blue Mink ageratum, demonstrating all the beauty of this plant, are given below:

Ageratum "Blue Muff" and "Blue Hawaii" ("Hawaii Blue")

Ageratum "Blue Muff"– a low-growing plant up to 20-25 cm high. The flowers are very intense blue, are represented by fluffy baskets that completely cover the stems. General form fluffy flowering bushes resemble fur muffs.

Ageratum blue hawaii(Blue Hawaii)- a compact hybrid with a height of 15 cm, which is suitable for decorating borders, growing in containers, and decorating the foreground of flower beds. Also used for cutting. Especially magnificent ageratum hawaii blue Blooms in sunny areas, but can also tolerate partial shade.

Photos of ageratum blue mink flowers are presented below:

Ageratum "Houston Aloha Blue" and "Blue Tale"

Ageratum aloha blue(Aloha Blue)– compact early flowering plant, perfect for gardening flower beds and producing seedlings for sale. Plant height in open ground reaches 15 - 20 cm. Ageratum Houston aloha blue blooms with beautiful fluffy blue flowers resembling pompoms.

Ageratum "Blue Tale"- long-lasting and very abundantly blooming, compact plant, forming into a small bush. It has strong shoots, rounded pubescent leaves and a cap of lilac-blue inflorescences. Grows well in light soils, the flower is drought-resistant, prefers sunny places.

Ageratum "Blue Lagoon", "Cloud Nine Blue" and "Blue Performance"

Ageratum " Blue Lagoon» – a perennial hybrid with a height of 20-40 cm. It is distinguished by fluffy blue flowers collected in dense brushes. It is grown mainly through sowing after spring frosts. Tolerates light shade, but grows best in sunny areas.

Ageratum cloud nine blue– an early flowering compact plant with many inflorescences. Excellent for mass cultivation and sale of seedlings. Looks equally good both in outdoor flowerpots and in open ground flower beds.

Ageratum blue perfection– characterized by spherical bushes with highly branched branches. The height of the plant is no more than 30 cm, the shoots are drooping, the inflorescences are of medium density, multi-flowered, consisting of lilac-blue baskets up to 2 cm in diameter.

Growing Ageratum "Blue Mink" and other varieties from seeds

Caring for any of the above plants is the same as for any other annual plants. It consists of regularly loosening the soil, removing weeds and removing faded inflorescences. It is important to ensure that water does not get on the inflorescences, otherwise they may lose their attractive appearance.

The predominant method of propagation is planting seeds, but vegetative propagation using cuttings is also quite possible. Sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out in March in boxes.

Shoots can be noticed already on the 10-12th day, and 3 weeks after that it is necessary to pick them. The development of seedlings occurs very quickly, so it is often necessary to re-pick after another 2 weeks.

Planting in open ground is carried out in May, and the distance between seedlings should be 15-20 cm from each other, otherwise the stronger ones will oppress the weaker ones. If the cuttings become excessively elongated, they should be trimmed.

Plant ageratum (lat. Ageratum) belongs to the genus of the Asteraceae family. Its representatives are found mainly in North and Central America, as well as in Eastern India. The name of the plant comes from the Latin ageratos, which means “ageless,” and in fact, ageratum remains fresh for a very long time when cut. In Europe, ageratum became widespread in the 19th century; in our country it is called “long-flowered”. It is grown in gardens for its fluffy flowers, similar to pompoms, collected in dense inflorescences, most often in a blue palette of shades; in addition, it is completely unpretentious in care. There are about 60 species of ageratum.

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Planting and caring for ageratum (in brief)

• Landing: sowing for seedlings - in the second half of March, followed by transplanting the seedlings into the ground in the second ten days of May.
• Bloom: from June until the first frost.
• Lighting: bright sunlight.
• The soil: light, nutritious, not too greasy, neutral.
• Watering: abundant, at the root.
• Feeding: once every three weeks alternately organic and mineral fertilizers. Adding fresh manure is strictly not recommended.
• Reproduction: cuttings and seeds.
• Pests: leaf and root-knot nematodes, cutworm caterpillars, spider mites, whiteflies.
• Diseases: root rot, bacterial wilt, cucumber mosaic virus.

Read more about growing ageratum below.

Ageratum flower - description

Ageratum is a small bush with triangular, oval or diamond-shaped leaves of a lush green color with a serrated edge. The upper leaves are alternate, sessile, and the middle and lower leaves are opposite, on petioles. Numerous erect, pubescent stems reach a height of 10 cm to 60 cm. The flowers are small, fragrant, bisexual, collected in small inflorescences-baskets from one to one and a half centimeters in diameter, which in turn form complex corymbose inflorescences - they are not only blue and purple, but also white and pink shades. The fruit of Ageratum is an elongated wedge-shaped pentagonal achene.

One gram contains approximately 7 thousand small seeds that remain viable for 3-4 years.

In our climatic conditions ageratum is grown as an annual plant because it is very thermophilic. Ageratum looks great in a flowerbed, in a garden bed, and is used to create carpet compositions. Plant partners of ageratum include other annuals - snapdragons, marigolds, calendula.

In the photo: Flowering ageratum

Growing ageratum from seeds

Sowing ageratum seeds

Reproduction of ageratum is carried out, as a rule, by seed method. Ageratum seeds are sown in the second half of March in boxes with soil consisting of equal parts of humus, sand and peat. Small seeds are carefully sprinkled on top with the same soil and covered with glass or film. You need to keep the greenhouse in a room where the temperature is not lower than 15 ºC, and ventilate it daily.

It is very important to keep the soil slightly moist at all times, so be sure to sprinkle the soil as it dries.

The seedlings usually germinate in a couple of weeks, and from the moment they appear, the box can no longer be covered with glass or film.

Ageratum seedlings

After the seedlings have two pairs of true leaves, they need to be planted more spaciously. Ageratum seedlings need to be picked twice, and during the second picking, each sprout should be planted in separate pot or a glass. The air around the seedlings should be dry and the soil moist. Watering ageratum is carried out only in the morning. Two weeks before planting, take the plant out to open air for acclimatization, but if there is a threat of frost, be prepared to cover them.

Planting ageratum

Ageratum is planted in the ground when night frosts are left behind. Choose a site that is protected from drafts and brightly illuminated by the sun - if you plant ageratum in the shade, the shoots will begin to stretch, and instead of compact bushes you will have disheveled bushes that bloom haphazardly. The soil is preferably well-drained, nutritious, light and not acidic, but ageratum is not capricious in this matter. Before planting, thoroughly loosen the soil, dig holes at a distance of 10-15 cm from each other and plant the seedlings at the same depth at which they grew in seedling boxes or pots. The ageratum will bloom in about two months.

In the photo: Ageratum in the garden

Ageratum - care

Caring for ageratum involves watering, fertilizing, loosening the soil and weeding. Water ageratum should be abundantly, but not excessively; after watering, along with loosening the soil, remove the weeds. They feed plant with humic or mineral fertilizers every two to three weeks. Fertilizing with mullein infusion has a good effect on ageratum, but under no circumstances use fresh manure as fertilizer - ageratum does not tolerate it.

How to grow cineraria - proven tips

Try not to overfeed the plant, otherwise it will turn lush and not bloom. Remove faded inflorescences in a timely manner. If you want the ageratum to bloom profusely and beautifully, you should trim it as necessary, leaving only a few internodes on the stem. Usually, after such pruning, ageratum grows quickly and blooms more luxuriantly.

Ageratum after flowering

On the eve of the first frost, transplant the most beautiful ageratum bushes into flower pots and bring them into the house, onto the balcony or veranda - they will decorate your home until the end of autumn, and maybe even in winter. In March, you can take cuttings from these bushes and root them so that you can plant them in the garden after frost.

In the photo: Ageratum begins to bloom

In general, ageratum - heat-loving plant, which cannot tolerate even the mildest winters. Hiding won't help him either. Therefore, you will have to clear the flowerbed of the remains of ageratum and plant new plants next spring.

Diseases and pests of ageratum

The most weakness ageratum – susceptibility to disease. Most often, ageratums suffer from root rot, and there is no escape from this disease. But by taking preventive measures, namely, choosing light soil for planting ageratum, controlling watering and regularly loosening the soil to slow down the process of evaporation of moisture from the soil, you can prevent the disease. Ageratum is affected by cucumber mosaic and bacterial wilt, and all this is a consequence improper care behind the plant.

I will repeat my mantra: diseases and pests attack plants when you violate the rules of caring for them for a long time. If you strictly follow the rules of agricultural technology, your plants will not be afraid of such troubles.

Protect young plants while they are at home or in the greenhouse from spider mites and whiteflies, but if they appear, you will have to remove damaged leaves and treat the plants with insecticides until the insects die. Later, in the flowerbed, the ageratum may be encroached upon scoops And nematodes, and you will have to work hard to get rid of them.

Types and varieties of ageratum

Since growing ageratum is not difficult, and its decorative value is quite high, it is not surprising that it is so popular among gardeners. We will present to you several popular types and the most attractive varieties of ageratum:

grows up to 20 cm in height, has erect stems, fragrant, white flowers.

In the photo: White ageratum

Ageratum blue Blue mink

They are small branched bushes with strong shoots 20-25 cm tall. The fluffy inflorescences of a delicate blue shade really look like mink fur, since they cover the entire bush. The diameter of the inflorescences is 5-8 cm.

Ageratum mexicanis

Or Houston's ageratum - compact spherical bushes, depending on the variety, from 15 cm to 60 cm in height. Inflorescences with a diameter of 3 cm to 8 cm consist of baskets formed by fluffy flowers. Varieties:

In the photo: Ageratum flower

• Alba– white ageratum with dense inflorescences;
• Azur Pearl– blue ageratum with large inflorescences;
• Faye Pink– ageratum pink dark shade with loose inflorescences 4-5 cm in diameter and small leaves. Bush height 20-30 cm;
• Blue Mink– ageratum blue with a lilac tint in buds, large leaves, height 25-30 cm;
• Blue Bouquet – blue ageratum Very beautiful shade, a giant among ageratums - reaches a height of 45 cm;
• Hybrids of the variety group Hawaii: Royal Hawaii – dwarf variety 15 cm tall with purple-violet flowers and White Hawaii is also a dwarf compact variety, only 18 cm tall with white flowers;
• Bavaria– 25-30 cm high with large loose two-color inflorescences: the center of the basket is light blue, almost white, and around it there are thin bright blue petals.

The Asteraceae family includes many beautiful plants, among which is Ageratum. The flower received such an unusual name because of its characteristics; this plant blooms for a very long time, starting from June and ending with the first frost. Translated from Latin the word ageratos Means ageless. Gardeners have already fallen in love with it and this is not surprising, because the plant has an unusually beautiful appearance and is suitable for decorating not only lawns and flower beds, but also balconies. More information about growing ageratum from seeds will be discussed in this article.

Peru is considered the birthplace of ageratum. This is a perennial plant, reaching a height of 20-60 cm. Thanks to its unusual properties, ageratum can delight gardeners with its flowering for a long time, it is not for nothing that it is popularly called “long-flowered”.

The plant is used in landscape design, so most often it can be seen in gardens country houses. Flowering until the coldest weather and a beautiful appearance have made the long-flowered plant an obligatory guest of various flower exhibitions. The inflorescences have a pleasant aroma that does not disappear for a long time, just like pristine beauty colors. What makes ageratum decorative is that its style and stigma are slightly longer than the corolla of the flower. The diameter of the baskets reaches 1.5 cm, and they, in turn, form large inflorescences (up to 12 cm), which evenly cover the entire plant.

On a note! The shape of the leaves, depending on the ageratum variety, may vary. Most often, there are plant varieties with oval leaves, the edges of which have denticles. Ripe fruits contain a huge number of seeds (at least 6,000 seeds per 1 g). The seeds are unpretentious, so they can germinate even after several years of ripening.

Popular plant varieties

There are more than 70 various types plants that differ from each other in their decorative characteristics (shades of flowers, flowering time, height of the bush, and so on). But not all are used in gardening. Let's look at the most common varieties.

Table. Popular varieties of ageratum.

Sowing time

If you decide to grow ageratum seedlings, then you need to understand that the period between sowing the seeds and the first flowering is at least 60 days. Since this is a heat-loving plant, it is necessary to exclude the possibility of spring frosts while planting seedlings in the soil. Even slight cold snaps can have a negative impact on the flower - this must be taken into account.

On a note! Having carried out simple mathematical calculations, it is easy to guess that mid-March is considered the most optimal period for sowing ageratum seeds. Of course, you can sow the seeds at a later period, but this will delay the beginning of flowering a little.

Growing from seeds

Ageratum is perennial plant, but in our conditions there is no need to use it for many years. Propagation can be carried out in two ways - cuttings and seeds, but, having finally weighed the pros and cons, flower growers usually settle on the second method.

On a note! The development cycle of ageratum is accelerated, which distinguishes the plant from its “colleagues”. Thanks to this feature, it is possible to move the sowing period to April-May.

Like any plant, ageratum loves nutritious soil. IN in this case It is better to use slightly acidic or neutral soil, so if you decide to prepare the soil mixture yourself by mixing humus, lime and garden soil, do not forget to add a little - this will reduce the acidity of the soil. Also, do not add too much humus, since its excess will have a bad effect on flowering, making it more sparse.

This all applies only to soil prepared with one’s own hands. Few gardeners do this. It will be much easier to purchase ready-made soil for flowers in the store than to prepare it.

Nutritious universal soil for vegetables and flowers

Sowing seeds

Step 1. Fill the seedling container (in this case it's a container) soil mixture approximately 80%. If you want to grow several varieties of ageratum at once, it is better to take a separate container for each of them.

Step 2. Place the seeds from the bag onto a plate. There is no need to use everything, since the seeds are very small and there are quite a lot of them. Half the contents of the package for one container is quite enough. Preliminary preparation seed no need to carry out.

Seeds are poured onto a plate

Step 3. Sow the seeds evenly over the surface of the soil. They have long form, so you can easily notice if in some place they have accumulated 5-6 pieces. Use a regular toothpick to push the seeds away from each other. This will be much faster than removing the seedlings later.

Step 4. During the growing process, monitor the soil moisture. At an early stage, humidity can be preserved by placing the container in a special container with a hole made. If you do not provide the seeds with enough moisture, the plant will die in almost all cases.

Step 5. Place the seed container on a windowsill with sunny side. If all are met the necessary conditions for seed germination, you will soon get such friendly shoots.

Transplantation into open ground

In the second half of May, having chosen a clear and warm week (having looked at the weather forecast in advance), begin transplanting plant seedlings in open ground. Place the seedlings in the previously prepared holes, and fill the remaining space with soil, which must be slightly (but not heavily) compacted. The distance between low-growing varieties of ageratum should be no more than 15 cm, between tall ones - up to 25 cm.

On a note! The area where you plant the plants should be sunny, since even slight shading can cause the shoots to stretch. As a result, the flowering intensity decreases. Even though the bulk of the work is behind you, you still have work to do. We are talking about caring for ageratum.

Aftercare

Although the plant is considered unpretentious and does not require care, you still need to pay attention to it. But the labor and time spent will not go in vain. As a result, you will be rewarded with lush and bright flowering ageratum.

Top dressing

For feeding, you can use not only mineral, but also organic fertilizers. Gardeners also prefer to add complex fertilizers. This should be done every 3 weeks, and the first fertilizing should be carried out using the minimum dosage of fertilizers. Otherwise, flowering may slow down due to their excess. It is highly not recommended to use manure to fertilize the soil, because it can destroy the ageratum.

Watering

The root system of this plant is very developed, which allows ageratum to extract required quantity moisture from the soil. Therefore, water regularly - every 3 weeks, but at least once a month. During hot periods, the frequency of watering, as well as the amount of water used, can be slightly increased.

Ageratum pruning

To obtain lush and beautiful bushes, it is necessary to periodically trim the ageratum. Leave no more than 4 internodes when pruning to speed up plant development. Before the first frost, you can transplant the flowers into separate pots and grow them in greenhouses or at home. Proper care will allow you to enjoy beautiful flowers throughout the winter.

On a note! With the onset of spring, the bushes can be replanted in open ground or the plants can be cut into cuttings, thus rejuvenating them.

Loosening the soil

Regular watering and fertilizing are not the only things that need to be done when growing ageratum. The soil around the plants must be loosened regularly. Since this flower likes to grow in airy soil, this procedure will improve its growth. When loosening, be sure to remove all weeds, as they inhibit the growth of the plant. After completing the next weeding, mulch the soil. This will prevent excessive evaporation of moisture.

Disease and pest control

Like most ornamental plants, ageratum can be exposed various diseases, the most common of which is root rot. Neglect preventive measures will lead to rotting and, as a result, death of the plant. To prevent this from happening, you need to pay attention to the intensity of watering and periodically loosen the soil. Ageratum can also be affected by cucumber mosaic, which is also the result of non-compliance with the rules of care.

Seedlings that are still indoors or in a greenhouse must be protected from whiteflies. If these pests do appear, it is imperative to remove the damaged plants and treat the flowers themselves with insecticides. Carry out treatment until all insects are completely destroyed. Over time, when you transplant seedlings into open ground in a flower bed, nematodes or cutworms may encroach on the plants. In this case, you also need to use special means for processing. And remember that correct and conscientious adherence to the rules of agricultural technology will protect your plants from such troubles.

Decorative uses

As noted earlier, ageratum is of great value for landscaping and decorating areas. This is due to long flowering, unpretentiousness and color diversity. This combination is quite rare among ground cover ornamental plants.

Ideal for decorating balconies, loggias or borders low-growing varieties ageratum, and tall plants Can be grown for later cutting. If we talk about combination with other colors, then blue varieties ageratum will look great with eschscholzia, zinnia and marigold. In other words, any unpretentious flowers yellow shades.

Video - Germination of ageratum seeds

Ageratum (long-flowered) is a beautiful plant that came to us from Central America and Eastern India 2 centuries ago. Its natural habitat is the hot and humid tropics, and in our climate it grows as an annual.

Ageratum does not adapt well to soil, temperature changes, and water. But this does not stop flower growers, and the plant decorates personal plots many dachas. In translation, the name ageratum sounds like “ageless”, and it is very suitable for an overseas flower - after pruning, the flowers retain their freshness for a long time.

Ageratum is a small bush, the stems of which can reach a height of 60 cm. It has dense, rich green stems that are crowned with small fragrant flowers. A few bushes from afar blooming ageratum remind flat field lilac, blue and white, pale pink. There is also a purple, burgundy, yellow shade of ageratum.

In one season, more than 10 thousand seeds can be collected from a flower bush, which remain viable for more than 3 years. Unfortunately, this flower is not adapted to the harsh climate of Russia and the CIS countries, and will need to be planted every year. Let us note that flower lovers know how to grow ageratum at home, but we will talk about this a little later.

In its natural environment, this flower is a perennial.

Ageratum varieties

There are a lot of species of this plant, but in our climate, the following varieties can be grown from seeds in a greenhouse, in open ground, and even in a flowerpot on a window:

1. White ageratum – 20 cm in height, different colors white, as the name suggests.
2. Ageratum Blue Mink is a 25-centimeter bush that is densely covered with small blue flowers. From a distance they really resemble mink fur; the inflorescence reaches 8 cm in diameter.
3. Spring drop is a bush that grows up to 30 cm, covered with inflorescences 1.5-2 cm in diameter. It blooms in June and decorates the area until October. The bush is very dense, the inflorescences remain elastic even in the strongest winds.
4. Snow Ball - whitest inflorescences on beautiful green stems will complement a bright flower garden. The bush is covered with a large number of inflorescences and blooms in late June - early July.
5. Blue fairy tale is a plant covered with sky-blue inflorescences. There are also more dark shade sea ​​wave. This variety of ageratum is most often used for bright flower beds, and is loved by landscape design professionals.
6. The Blue Lagoon and Dondo are some of the most high grades ageratum, reaching a height of 40–60 cm. The sky-blue bush blooms in June and retains its freshness until the first frost. It is not capricious and can grow in the shade, even withstanding a short drought.
7. And the smallest plant of the ageratum genus is the hybrid group Hawaii. The growth of the White Hawaii and Royal Hawaii varieties does not exceed 18 cm. Each variety is dwarf, but this does not diminish their beauty when they bloom with snow-white flowers.
8. Faye Pink and Bonjour seed mix - dark pink and burgundy flowers, reaching a height of 30–35 cm. Inflorescences are no more than 5 cm in diameter.

Most popular varieties in addition to the above are the Blue Muff, White ball and Blue Ball, Blue Mink, Houstona, Leda, Mexican, Cloud Nine.

We have chosen the variety, and now it’s time to move on to planting the seeds in the ground. You can see photos of different varieties of ageratum in the gallery.

Soil, sowing and growing from overseas ageratum seeds

Let's start with the fact that the seeds of this plant are very small, almost like strawberry or coleus seeds, so be careful when planting them in open ground.

It is best to plant in the second half of March, when the weather returns to normal and there is no threat of late frosts. It can be planted in open ground, but some gardeners recommend planting it in boxes. When planting seeds, it germinates better in greenhouse conditions, and if cold weather occurs, the seeds will not die.

Take it for seedlings wooden box, which needs to be filled simple soil With organic fertilizer. The soil can also be prepared in the following proportion: equal parts of sand, peat, humus.

To plant seeds, fluff up the soil, remove about 1–1.5 cm of the top layer and you can carefully sow the seeds, then cover them with soil. There is no need to bury the seeds too deeply: they simply cannot get out from under the thick layer of soil. Also, do not compact the soil too much or spill it with water. The soil should be fluffy and airy.

Mini greenhouse for seedlings

After all these manipulations, sprinkle the soil with water from a spray bottle and cover with film to create a greenhouse. When watering from a watering can or cup, the water is washed away and the seeds are washed out from under the layer of soil.

Place the finished greenhouse in a warm place, perfect option- under the first Sun rays. The nights in March are cold, so take the box with future seedlings into the house at night. The temperature for seedling growth should be above 15 degrees. It is also necessary to regularly ventilate and water the seeds; remove the film during the day for 30 minutes or 1 hour.

By the way, if you don’t want to plant and personally grow ageratum, then at the end of April just advertise “I will buy ageratum seedlings.” And that’s all, this pleasure is inexpensive, and germinating seedlings in open ground is not so difficult.

When is ageratum picked, and why is it necessary?

5 days after planting, expect the first shoots; on the 7th day you can already see thin stems. When they appear, remove the film and wait until the plant throws out 1-2 leaves. The development of ageratum is rapid, so when you see the first leaves, pick the seedlings into different pots. If they are crowded, the bush will form incorrectly or stop growing altogether.

Picking in the case of ageratum is simply necessary, and to make this process less painful for the plant, it is better not to delay it. The fact is that plants grown from seeds begin to draw useful substances from the soil, their roots can become intertwined, and if they are not planted, then 20% of the seedlings die.

If you do not want to pick after the seedlings have germinated, then you can do it simpler: plant the seeds in different cups or pots. Make holes at the bottom for drainage excess water and ventilation, in the first growth phase root system Every plant needs oxygen.

But ageratum is picked twice: after the first shoots and 2-3 weeks after transplanting the grown seedlings. After the second transplant, the plant waits in warmth and with moderate humidity for its finest hour - transplantation into the soil.

When to plant ageratum in the ground?

There is no exact information about planting ageratum in the soil in our climate. This can be done in mid-May if the weather is hot and the soil has already warmed up. Even the hottest sun will not warm up the deep layers of soil in 2–3 days, groundwater. It is best to start replanting at the end of May or beginning of June so that the plant takes root, then in 20–30 days the first ageratum flower will bloom.

When replanting a flower, remember that it is afraid of hard soil with acidic, stagnant water. In such conditions, the plant will become sick; its sore spot is root rot. Choose a piece of land that is well lit by the sun, but do not plant the plant in direct rays. And when decorating the area, try not to cover the ageratum with tall-growing flowers.

So, we have chosen a well-lit piece of the garden without strong shadow, and now we need to dig holes for the number of seedlings. The distance between the bushes should be 20–30 cm, and the holes should be thoroughly watered. When the water recedes a little, we plant the seedlings. You cannot plant ageratum in soil fertilized with manure - it dies.

How to preserve a plant until next year: propagation by cuttings

In addition to growing from seeds (and this is the most popular option) ageratum is propagated by cuttings. Not all gardeners know about this, but cuttings are also very convenient. After all, you can save the plant until next year, so as not to worry about the seeds in the future. How to do this?

On the eve of the first frosts, you need to dig up the most beautiful bushes and carefully transplant them into large pots. Place the pots on the windowsill in the room or kitchen, the flower will overwinter perfectly on the balcony, the room just needs to be warm. In such conditions, ageratum can bloom for several more months, and already in March you will dig up queen cells or cut cuttings.

That's it, new ageratum seedlings for the garden are ready. They are planted in a greenhouse at the beginning of March or in boxes at the end of March, waiting for germination and decorating the area.

You can learn more about how to plant, plant and grow a beautiful ageratum from the training video.

How to feed blooming ageratum?

After planting in open soil, the flower blooms very quickly, and during this period it is necessary to feed it 3 times a week. Mineral and organic fertilizers are suitable for it, but there is no need to use fresh manure.

From abundant feeding From organic matter, the plant “fattens” and blooms a very powerful bush. At the same time, the colors and inflorescences of ageratum turn out to be small and dim.

Planting and care in open ground

Almost all plant varieties can easily tolerate short droughts, and growing ageratum is very simple task. There is no need to worry about wintering, even if it is not possible to propagate the plant by cuttings, then from 1 gram of the fruit of the bush you will get up to 7-8 thousand fresh seeds.

For lush flowering ageratum needs abundant watering, only with sufficient moisture does it become lush and fluffy. But even when watering, you need to know when to stop: do not allow a puddle to form in the hole, the ground should be evenly moist.

Ageratum inflorescences respond well to pruning and removal of dried inflorescences, which happens quite often. The more often you cut off dried inflorescences, the sooner new ones will grow. Note that even after almost completely cutting 2/3 of the bush, the ageratum is covered with new flowers in record time.

Weeding becomes an obligatory stage of care, because it simply suffocates the low-growing plant. When removing the weed, do not forget to fluff up the soil under the ageratum bush to ensure oxygen access to the root system.

Diseases and problems that can be encountered while growing ageratum

Soil with stagnant water is destructive for this flower, as we have already said. But this is not the only problem that you encounter in the process of growing ageratum. Excessive humidity leads to molding of plants, you can determine this by plaque, darkening and a layer of mold on the leaves and stem.

Fungal diseases in these plants are treated by completely cutting off all affected parts. If the fungus has started, then all infected sprouts must be removed. The remaining flowers of this variety can be saved by replanting them in a warmer place. Be sure to pre-treat the prepared soil with a fungicide, this antifungal agent, destroying mold.

Among the pests and diseases that are terrible for ageratum, the following can be distinguished:

1. Spider mite.
2. Greenhouse whitefly.
3. Cucumber mosaic.
4. Root rot (rot).
5. Nematodes.

To remove pests and diseases, a standard set of products is used, which can be purchased at flower shops.

Pinching a plant

Growing and caring for ageratum will yield results - it will bloom on the site incredible beauty a plant that resembles a sea of ​​flowers. In the general sea of ​​flowers, ageratum becomes a shading note and pleases with its color until the first frost.

If you plan to make ageratum the main decoration of the landscape, then you can plant 2 seedlings of the Mexican or Hawaiian variety per hole. You can pinch even at the moment of flowering - the plant will not shed its leaves, and you will be able to form beautiful ball. Pinching is carried out over the top 3-4 leaves, and after pruning, be sure to loosen the soil and apply fertilizer.

Ageratum as a decoration for a bouquet and an element of landscape design

Low-growing varieties of ageratum grow in floors, which will allow you to create borders on the site. You can also use stunted hybrid varieties Hawaii divide the flower bed into colored zones. The palette of color shades of ageratum is so diverse and colorful that it is called a fluffy miracle.

A large number of colors intertwine with each other, creating hedge. For this type of decoration, it is worth choosing high-growing varieties of ageratum flowers, as evidenced by the reviews of some gardeners.

The plants are short, up to 35–40 cm, and thrive in pots. They are often used to decorate hotel lobbies, patios, balconies, verandas and other open-closed spaces.

Landscape designers and gardeners respect ageratum for its unpretentiousness, good seed germination and excellent combination with other flowers in compositions. Ageratum in blue and lilac shades looks great next to yellow and orange flowers calendula, salvia, alyssum.

And the red, white and yellow color of ageratum is good when adjacent to marigolds, bindweed, stunted asters, petunia, begonia and verbena will fit into the composition.

Ageratum is a fairly popular plant, which is increasingly used to decorate gardens and personal plots. In the landscape it is just a picture, but in combination with long flowering and unpretentiousness it turns into a real find.

March madness is exactly how the first calendar month of spring is perceived by those who grow seedlings of their favorite vegetables themselves. In March, they sow their favorite tomatoes and peppers, carry out the first sowings in the greenhouse, and even sow vegetables in the beds. Growing seedlings require not only timely planting, but also a lot of care. But the troubles are not limited to her. It is worth continuing to sow in greenhouses and on window sills, because fresh greens from the beds will not appear so soon.

In March, most of the beautiful flowering annuals that need seedling method growing. Typically, such flowers take no more than 80-90 days from germination to flowering. In this article I would like to dwell on interesting annuals, which are slightly less popular than ageless petunias, marigolds or zinnias, but they have no less advantages. And it’s also worth trying to plant them for flowering next season.

As spring approaches, indoor plants gradually emerge from dormancy and begin to grow. After all, already in February the days become noticeably longer, and the sun warms up like spring. How to help flowers wake up and prepare them for the growing season? What should you pay attention to and what measures should you take to ensure that the plants are healthy, blooming, multiplying and making you happy? We’ll talk about what indoor plants expect from us in the spring in this article.

One of the most important rules for growing strong and healthy seedlings- presence of the “correct” soil mixture. Typically, gardeners use two options for growing seedlings: either a purchased soil mixture or one made independently from several components. In both cases, the fertility of the soil for seedlings is, to put it mildly, questionable. This means that the seedlings will require from you additional food. In this article we will talk about simple and effective feeding for seedlings.

After a decade of dominating the catalogs of the original motley and bright varieties tulip trends began to change. At exhibitions best designers world offer to remember the classics and pay homage to the charming white tulips. Sparkling under the warm rays of the spring sun, they look especially festive in the garden. Welcoming spring after a long wait, tulips seem to remind us that white is not only the color of snow, but also the joyful celebration of flowering.

Sweet Indian pumpkin chutney with lemon and orange originates from India, but the British contributed to its popularity throughout the world. This sweet and sour spicy seasoning of vegetables and fruits can be eaten immediately or prepared for future use. To prepare for future use, use 5% fruit or wine vinegar. If you age the chutney for 1-2 months, its taste will become softer and more balanced. You will need butternut squash, ginger, sweet orange, juicy lemon and spices.

Despite the fact that cabbage is one of the most popular vegetables, not all summer residents, especially beginners, can grow its seedlings. In apartment conditions they are hot and dark. In this case, it is impossible to obtain high-quality seedlings. And without strong, healthy seedlings it is difficult to count on good harvest. Experienced gardeners know that it is better to sow cabbage seedlings in greenhouses or greenhouses. And some even grow cabbage by direct sowing seeds in the ground.

Flower growers tirelessly discover new indoor plants, replacing some with others. And here the conditions of a particular room are of no small importance, because plants have different requirements for their maintenance. Lovers of beauty often face difficulties flowering plants. After all, for flowering to be long and abundant, such specimens require special care. Unpretentious plants There are not very many flowers blooming in rooms, and one of them is streptocarpus.

Chicken cordon bleu rolls with béchamel sauce is an excellent dish for festive table and daily meals! It’s easy and quick to prepare, it turns out juicy, and the thick bechamel sauce is finger-licking good! With mashed potatoes, pickled cucumber and slice fresh bread It will make a hearty and tasty dinner. Choose the cheese for this recipe according to your taste, processed or blue mold. It is important that the cheese and ham are sliced ​​very thin, this is the secret of success!

Calendula (marigold) is a flower that stands out among others with its bright color. Low bushes with delicate orange inflorescences can be found on the side of the road, in the meadow, in the front garden next to the house or even in vegetable beds. Calendula is so widespread in our area that it seems like it has always grown here. About interesting decorative varieties calendula, as well as about the use of calendula in cooking and medicine, read our article.

I think many will agree that the wind is well perceived by us only in the romantic aspect: we are sitting in a cozy warm home, and the wind is raging outside the window... In fact, the wind blowing through our areas is a problem and there is nothing good about it. By creating windbreaks with plants, we break strong wind into several weak streams and significantly weaken its destructive power. How to protect a site from the wind will be discussed in this article.

Making a shrimp and avocado sandwich for breakfast or dinner couldn't be easier! This breakfast contains almost all the necessary products that will recharge you with energy so that you won’t want to eat until lunch, and no extra centimeters will appear on your waist. This is the most delicious and light sandwich, after, perhaps, the classic cucumber sandwich. This breakfast contains almost all the necessary products that will recharge you with energy so that you won’t want to eat until lunch.

Modern ferns- these are the ones rare plants antiquities, which, despite the passage of time and all kinds of cataclysms, not only survived, but were also largely able to preserve their former appearance. Of course, it is not possible to grow any of the fern representatives indoors, but some species have successfully adapted to life indoors. They look great as single plants or decorate a group of decorative foliage flowers.

Pilaf with pumpkin and meat is Azerbaijani pilaf, which differs in the method of preparation from traditional oriental pilaf. All ingredients for this recipe are prepared separately. Rice is cooked with ghee, saffron and turmeric. The meat is fried separately until golden brown, and pumpkin slices as well. Separately prepare the onions and carrots. Then everything is placed in layers in a cauldron or thick-walled pan, a little water or broth is poured in and simmered over low heat for about half an hour.