To decorate arbors, fences and even balconies use different climbing plants and flowers, including ampel varieties. Very interesting in this capacity is the Azarine liana with decorative flowers and leaves, the most widespread in Mexico, in the south of the US and Europe. It is not very often planted on private plots.
In the article you will learn about the popular view of this creeper - climbing Azarin, the peculiarities of growing and caring for it.
Azarina climbing - description
Azarina (Maurandia) climbing is a perennial liana, which is grown as an annual (less often biennial) plant.
The curly and forked stem reaches a height of 3.5 m, it has small ivy-like velvety dark green leaves, with the help of petioles of which the plant clings to any support.
The tubular flower of climbing Azarina (more than 3 cm in diameter), consisting of 5 petals, has a variety of colors: white, pink-violet or lavender-blue. With early sowing, the liana starts to bloom from June until late autumn. You can note some varieties of different colors:
- "Bridge's White" - white;
- "Mystic Rose" - pink;
- "Joan Loraine" - purple.
Azarina climbing - cultivation
You can grow it both in the open ground and indoors in vases, which use a mixture of turf, leaf and humus, as well as sand.
Since from the emergence of shoots to flowering climbing Azarinum takes 4-5 months, then the cultivation from the seeds must begin in February. Seeds are sown in boxes. If the temperature in the room is maintained at + 18-20 ° C, they will emerge after 14 days. If the seeds did not appear after 6 weeks, they should be placed in the refrigerator for a month, and then again put in a warm place. The optimal temperature for normal seedling development is + 15-18 ° C.
In phase 2-4 of these leaves, the seedlings are dived into separate containers with a small support, and in May, after stopping the night frosts, they are planted in a permanent place. Such plants will blossom in July.
If you want to receive a flowering plant in June next year, the seeds are sown in June this, for winter period the seedlings are transferred to a greenhouse or closed loggia, where the temperature is maintained at + 8-10 ° C, and in spring, approximately in May, planted in an open priming. Such plants grow strong (up to 4 m) and abundantly flowering.
Wintering thus the plants are strongly stretched, so they must shorten before planting, and the cut shoots are used to obtain cuttings for the reproduction of Azarine.
Azarin climbing - planting and care
The best place to plant is a warm sunny place where there are no constant winds, with light loamy soil. Seedlings are planted at a distance of 50-60 cm from each other in the wells with drainage and loose earth.
In addition, all these decorative flowers can be grown as ampel. To this end, seedlings are planted in flowerpots 20 cm high, a support 50 cm high is placed, to which vines are tied. When the stems grow above their support, it is removed, and the shoots of the plant are distributed so that they evenly hang from the flower pot.
Care of the liana Azarina is the holding of such events as:
- Weeding weeds and timely loosening of the soil near the plant;
- installation of a support or a grid for branching and tying of grown stems to it;
- pinching of shoots to make the bush branched;
- moderate watering, but in dry weather it is necessary to water more often;
- mulching the soil with peat;
- top dressing with nitrogen fertilizers and a solution of chicken manure every 7-10 days during the growing season , and during flowering - with forfoil and potash fertilizers;
- Organization in the hot days of the shadow for foliage;
- protection of the plant from its main dangerous pest is aphids, for which it is possible to use infusion of garlic or onion husks.
Thus, the climbing Azarin is great for decorating the garden and premises in the summer, and also for flowering in autumn and winter in greenhouses. But we must remember that the flowers of the creeper are not suitable for cutting.