This flowering half-shrub plant has long attracted the attention of gardeners for its decorative and aroma, reminiscent of the smell of vanilla. Its inflorescences, collected in shields, are predominantly violet and blue in color. But, thanks to the work of breeders, there were also new varieties with flowers of white and blue shades. The height of the bush is relatively small - about 40 - 50 cm. Its leaves are egg-shaped, slightly pubescent. So, let's look at how to dilute a heliotrope in your garden, planting and caring for which require a little more effort than the annuals we are accustomed to.
Heliotrope - growing from seeds
Let's find out how to grow a heliotrope from seeds. The seeds of this ornamental plant are very small. Beginners at his planting will require some dexterity. They plant them for seedlings in February in a special soil. It is best to use micropars to germinate the heliotrope.
If such a device is not at your fingertips, then planting seeds in a seedling box, cover them with a transparent plastic film or lid from the cake.
Soil in a box for seedlings must be constantly moistened, not allowing it to dry out. Use for sprinkling of seedlings is best with a spray gun, so as not to damage and blur fragile shoots. As soon as you see the shoots, be sure to provide additional lighting up to ten hours a day with fluorescent lights.
After the appearance of three real leaves, the seedlings are dived into individual seedling pots. In the garden soil we put the heliotrope in June, when there is no risk of frosts.
The heliotrope bushes planted in this way will quickly and violently expand in a dense series or separately located lush bushes. The disadvantage of such a heliotrope landing is, in general, only one - the blossom starts only closer to the fall.
Propagation by cuttings propagation
This method of multiplying the heliotrope, although it requires more effort, but its main advantage is that the bush blossoms almost all summer. To do this, we select the strongest plants in autumn, which will be the parent plants. We excavate them, transplant them into pots and carry them home for the winter. Contain the plant in winter is necessary at a temperature of + 15-18 degrees. It is also important to increase the time of daylight up to ten hours. If the temperature of the content is higher than this, the heliotrope will give elongated weakened shoots.
In January - February we choose the strongest young shoots and cut them to cuttings. After processing the cut with a rootstock, we plant them into prepared pots for seedlings. Do not forget to highlight the rooting cuttings.
Heliotrope - care
In June, when the risk of frosts is no longer there, the heliotrope, the cultivation of which required such hard work and worries throughout the winter, is planted in the garden. For this, choose a sunny place. In the prepared pit we add humus, if necessary drainage, and we plant our cuttings. If the water in the chosen place can sometimes stagnate,
In order to facilitate the work on digging out the parent plants for cuttings in autumn, select the strongest plant and dig it into the ground right in the container in which it waited for the transplant.
Care for the heliotrope during the summer is pretty simple. Every two weeks, feed it with watering organic and mineral fertilizers . He will necessarily respond to your care with a long and plentiful flowering, filling your garden with a fragrance.