Cineraria

The plant cineraria (Cineraria) is a representative of the Astrov family. This genus includes about fifty different species. At the same time, in horticulture, cineraria are sometimes considered to be related to their peasants from the same family. Their genus is considered to be very numerous and includes thousands of species.

The name of cineraria can be translated as "ashy", in addition, earlier the flower was called "ash-pan" - this is due to the light-silver color of its foliage. Cineraria species are grasses or shrubs native to African countries, as well as the island of Madagascar. Bloody cineraria (or hybrid groundwort) can be grown not only in the garden, but also at home.

Description of cineraria

In landscape design, cineraria is used as an annual or biennial. The size of its bushes can range from 30 to 90 cm. Cineraria most often has large oval foliage, while in most species the leaf blade is pinnately dissected. The stems and leaves of the plant are covered with pubescence. During the flowering period, the bushes form at the ends of the stems inflorescences-shields, formed by baskets. They can have a simple or terry structure. Lingual flowers have different colors - it can be white, red, yellow or purple, and can also combine several colors. In the center of the basket are tubular flowers, most often yellow in color. Cineraria bloom begins in mid-summer and lasts until frost, although the exact timing depends on the type and age of the plant.

Brief rules for growing cineraria

The table shows brief rules for growing cineraria in the open field.

Growing cineraria from seeds

Sowing seeds

In warm climates, many species have time to bloom and form seeds in the first year of life, but in the middle latitude they cannot withstand frost.To be sure to admire the beautiful flowers or foliage, cineraria are usually grown through seedlings.

Most often, cineraria seeds are purchased in stores. They germinate well and germination is usually not a problem. The seeds do not require additional processing, but they can be kept in a solution of potassium permanganate or growth stimulant. They are sown for seedlings in March-April, but the exact dates vary depending on the species. For example, hybrid cineraria for garden cultivation will need to be sown even in winter. For sowing, use a container with a peat-sand mixture. The seed should be spread over the surface of the soil, without deepening, and lightly press the seeds to the ground with a wooden ruler. The substrate is then moistened by pouring through a pan or spraying gently. After that, the container is covered with transparent film or glass and kept warm. A prerequisite is good lighting.

Seedling care

Cineraria seedlings may appear about 7-10 days after sowing. After that, the container should be moved to a lighted place. When the seedlings form 2 full leaves, they should be cut into separate pots. The sprouts are transferred to a new place along with a small lump of soil. To prevent future seedlings from damaging the root system when moving to the garden, you can use peat pots. Well-formed seedlings should be strong and strong enough. To harden the seedlings, immediately after the pick, they are transferred to a fairly cool place. Such conditions will contribute to earlier flowering. The transplant can be carried out in two stages: first, the bushes are transplanted from a common container into small (0.1 l) pots, and then, after 3 weeks, in a container with a volume of 0.25 l.

During the period of growth at home, the bushes should be periodically fed, alternating mineral compositions with organic ones. The first feeding is carried out approximately 10 days after transplanting, then a week later. After a new transplant, the process is repeated. A couple of weeks after the last nutrient application, the bushes should be transferred to the garden bed.

Planting cineraria in open ground

Landing time and place

Cineraria is not considered difficult to grow: subject to the basic conditions of care, this flower does not create problems. But the right choice of the landing site plays an important role in its development. The bushes thrive in the sun, but they need shading at midday. Lack of lighting will have a negative effect on the bloom or color of the foliage - it will become gray and less attractive. Nutritious, drained soil that is neutral or slightly alkaline is best suited. It is recommended to plant cineraria seedlings in open ground after the night frosts have completely passed - approximately in mid-May.

How to plant correctly

When distributing the bushes of cineraria in the garden, you should maintain a distance of at least 20 cm between them. The seedlings are planted in the ground together with a soil clod or immediately in a peat pot. The depth of the hole should contain the seedling itself; at its bottom, you can lay a layer of fertilizer mixed with soil. After planting, the soil is tamped and watered. If the cineraria had to be planted on the flowerbed too early, and the threat of frost (up to 5 degrees) still persists, in the evening planting can be protected with covering material. In the morning, the shelter is removed.

Cineraria care

Watering

Cineraria is quite unpretentious to care for. The main and main condition for growing a flower is timely watering. Lack of moisture leads to weakening of plants, and its excess can cause diseases of the bush - for example, decay of roots. At the same time, cineraria is considered drought-resistant, and in a moderately rainy summer it will not have to be watered at all. The plant requires the greatest amount of moisture in the initial phase of development. Watering is carried out so that drops do not fall on the leaves.

The soil

After precipitation or watering, the soil next to the bushes should be slightly loosened, simultaneously removing all weeds. To do this less often, it is recommended to mulch the bed. A layer of mulch is especially useful for cineraria right after the spring planting - it will help protect the plants from a drop in temperature.

Top dressing

A couple of times a month, the bushes can be fed with mineral compounds. At the same time, for flowering species, feeding is carried out more often - about once a week, trying to alternate mineral supplements with organic matter. Organic additives are usually applied on depleted soils.

Pruning

Flowering cineraria species will need periodic cleansing of wilted inflorescences. This will extend the overall flowering time. In species with decorative foliage, flowers are recommended to be removed as soon as buds appear.

Cineraria after flowering

Most often in the middle latitudes, cineraria is used as an annual plant. In this case, in late autumn, its bushes are simply removed from the beds. But you can try to preserve species with beautiful leaves until next season. To do this, they are cut to a level of 15 cm, and then they try to insulate them, covering the flower bed with a layer of fallen leaves and spruce branches. The bushes should be covered a couple of weeks before the snow cover settles. In the spring, as soon as the snow melts, the foliage is removed from the bushes, and they are carefully examined, removing the frozen areas of the bushes. This is done so that they do not interfere with the development of fresh growth.

Another way of wintering cineraria: transplanting into a pot. The dug out bush is moved to a pot, and then removed to a bright but cool place. Watering is carried out only as needed, not allowing the soil to dry out completely. In the spring, such cineraria is simply returned to the ground with the arrival of suitable weather.

The branches of the seaside cineraria cut in autumn can be used to form a dry bouquet.

Cineraria breeding methods

Cineraria can be propagated not only by seeds, but also vegetatively. Usually this method is used for reproduction of species with decorative foliage, including the seaside cineraria. To obtain new bushes, in this case, cuttings about 10 cm long are used. They are planted in a box or box, which, if necessary, can be moved to a less illuminated place. You can build a suitable cutter container yourself or use a commercially available container with drainage holes. A mixture of garden soil with sand (about 10 cm) is laid on the bottom of it, and a layer of river sand (5-7 cm) is placed on top. The soil is leveled and spilled with a weak solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection.

The lower cut of the cineraria cuttings is treated with a rooting stimulator, and then set in the resulting soil, lightly tamping the sand around the seedling. Cover the top with a cut bottle. It is left there until the segment is finally rooted. Watering is carried out if necessary, sometimes moistening the soil over the bottle up to a couple of times a day. As soon as the cuttings take root and grow, they gradually begin to wean them from the shelter, removing it for a couple of hours a day. Later, choosing a cloudy or rainy day, the bottle can be removed completely. Such plants continue to winter in their box. They are moved to a cool corner, and in the spring they are transplanted to a flower bed.

Pests and diseases

In general, cineraria is considered to be highly resistant to diseases and pests. But species with decorative foliage can be affected by powdery mildew. In hot, humid weather, they can also rust, and overflow often leads to the development of rot or mold. Sometimes cineraria are harmed by aphids or spider mites.

Due to the presence of pubescence on the foliage, it can be difficult to deal with such problems by spraying, therefore it is easier to prevent diseases caused by a decrease in the immunity of plantings. Systemic insecticides will help against pests.

Types and varieties of cineraria with photos and names

All types of cineraria used in horticulture are divided into plants with decorative foliage and beautiful flowers. The former are most often grown in gardens, while the latter can serve as houseplants.

Cineraria maritima

Or cineraria is silver, silvery. This species is also known as the maritime wild rose. It belongs to the decorative-deciduous species. Cineraria maritima is a perennial that forms a rosette from spectacular cut plates. They are remarkable for their greenish-silver color and look unusually elegant on flower beds. Due to the characteristic color and compact size of the bushes, this cineraria is often used in the design of flower beds, flower beds and rockeries, as well as to create various flower arrangements. It favorably emphasizes plantings with bright flowers or leaves. Low-growing varieties are most often used as border plantings.

This type of cineraria can also bloom - usually this happens in the second year of cultivation. At the same time, the species forms small yellow chamomile flowers of little interest. So that the bushes do not waste energy on the formation of flowers, and their color does not violate the color scheme of the foliage, many growers remove the inflorescences after their formation. Popular varieties include:

• Silver Dust - forms small (about 25 cm) neat bushes with openwork silvery foliage.
• Cirrus - differs in bushes of a larger (about 45 cm) size with serrated leaf blades of an unusual oval shape. The older the bush is, the lighter foliage it will have.

Cineraria hybrid (Cineraria hybrid)

Or cineraria is red, bloody. This species belongs to the number of decorative flowering. Cineraria hybrid forms short (from 30 cm) bushes with large rounded foliage. Its length is about 15 cm. Inflorescences of bright color appear against the background of green leaves. They resemble daisies or daisies in shape. The species is most often grown in a pot culture due to the long growing season: the bushes bloom only 8 months after sowing. To get flowering plants by summer, you should sow them for seedlings in winter - in December. The bush will delight with its baskets for about a month. Among the most common varieties:

• Grandiflora - bushes up to 70 cm tall with large flowers up to 8 cm in size.
• Double - the height of the bushes varies from 35 to 70 cm, the size of the flowers is about 5 cm.
• Stellata - a tall variety (up to 90 cm) with medium-sized (about 3 cm) flowers that resemble stars.
• Sympathy - flowers of this variety can have a two-color color.

Cineraria graceful (Senecio elegans)

A South African species that forms branched stems up to 60 cm high. They, like the foliage of the bush, are covered with sticky pubescence. Senecio elegans can have simple or terry baskets assembled into shields. Flowers are kept on the bushes until the beginning of autumn frosts. This species is less decorative, but attracts gardeners with its unpretentiousness and blooms earlier than hybrid cineraria. Formative pruning will help to make the flowering more abundant, adding splendor to the bushes. Among the main varieties:

• Ligulosus - variety with terry baskets of different shades.
• Nanus - dwarf plants about 25 cm high.