Diascia (Diascia) is an unusually beautiful and delicate plant from the Norichnikov family. Diastia can be either a deciduous or evergreen annual, or a stolon perennial. Annuals live in dry plains and perennials in mountains. In the garden, diastia can be grown in a container, hanging planter or outdoors.
Description of the plant diastia
Stems can be erect, creeping, or lodging. In their natural habitat, they can grow up to 1 m, and in the garden no higher than 40 cm. The leaves are not large, sessile, linear, serrated along the edges, elliptical and opposite, green. The flowers are tubular, up to 2 cm in diameter. The perianth is five-lobed. Flowers can be of different colors: pink, orange, purple, white, salmon, etc. Flowering begins in June and lasts until late autumn. Diastia is quite frost-resistant, it is grown more often as an annual.
Growing diastia from seeds
It is necessary to grow diastia from seeds in a seedling way. Seeds are not planted directly into open ground. The container for planting seeds must be filled with loose and not very nutritious soil, then mix the seeds with sand, distribute evenly over the soil surface and crush a little. After planting, containers should be covered with plastic wrap to create a greenhouse effect. The best soil to use is a mixture of sand and garden soil.
You need to germinate seedlings at a temperature of 18-20 degrees. The seeds will sprout in about 10 days. With the appearance of the first shoots, the seedlings must be transferred to a room with a temperature of 10-15 degrees. The soil should always be of moderate moisture. 2 weeks after the first shoots have appeared, it is necessary to pick the seedlings into separate pots. You should also pinch the top of the seedlings several times, this will help form lush bushes.
Planting plants outdoors
It is necessary to plant seedlings of diastia in open ground in the second decade of May. At this time, the soil has already warmed up enough, and frosts are unlikely to return. But before planting seedlings, it needs a spell for two weeks. To do this, containers with seedlings should be taken out daily to fresh air, starting at ten minutes and gradually increasing the time.
You need to plant diastia in a well-lit part of the garden, protected from the wind. The soil should be slightly acidic, moist and not very fertile. Additionally, sand must be added to the soil. It is necessary to plant seedlings in those places where moisture does not stagnate. The distance between the bushes should be at least fifteen centimeters. After planting, the seedlings should be watered abundantly.
Diastia care in the garden
Diastia needs regular and abundant watering, especially in dry weather. But waterlogging of the soil and stagnation of water should not be allowed, as this may cause various fungal diseases. After each watering, you should carefully and carefully loosen the soil and remove weeds as needed.
Diastia does not like frequent feeding.It is enough for her to apply balanced complex fertilizers for flowering garden plants once a month. If the plant is overfed, then it may not start, or the flowering will be poor and not long. Also, overfed bushes begin to stretch strongly and because of this they lose their beautiful decorative appearance. After the first wave of flowering is over, it is necessary to cut all the shoots exactly in half and continue to water the plant abundantly. Thanks to this, I will begin to form new buds, young shoots and the next wave of flowering will come.
Diastia can be affected by various types of rot due to an excess of moisture in the leaves of stagnant water. In order for the plant not to hurt, it is necessary to observe the watering regime.
As for pests, snails and slugs can attack the creeping stems of diastia. To combat them, manual collection is effective, as well as raising the stems from the soil.
Diassage care at home
Under indoor conditions, ampel diastia is most often grown. In seedlings of this species, the stems at the beginning are the same as in the bush species, but as soon as they grow up to 30 cm, the stems drop. Diastia can be grown in containers and pots, which can be an excellent decoration for a balcony, loggia or room.
During planting, a drainage layer must be placed on the bottom of the container. This will help regulate the moisture level. As for the soil, it should be loose, slightly acidic and not too fertile. An excellent option would be garden soil mixed with peat, sand and overflow in equal parts. Water the plant regularly, but in moderation. Top dressing should be applied once every 3 weeks. It is best to apply mineral fertilizers, and completely exclude organic matter. The main thing is not to overfeed the plant, or the flowering will be too scarce and not long, and perhaps it will not be at all.
Dried inflorescences and leaves need to be removed regularly so that the plant grows new shoots. Pruning a room diastia is the same as that of a garden one. After the first full flowering, the shoots must be shortened by five centimeters and continue to water. After a while, young shoots will grow and new buds will form.
At home, harmful insects and diseases do not affect the diastion. The only reason for the improper growth and development of the plant may be too nutritious soil and stagnant moisture.
Diastia in winter
Diastia is usually grown as an annual plant. But if there is a desire to grow a perennial, then in the autumn time the diastium should be transplanted into a pot and placed in a bright, cool room, where the temperature is not lower than 5 degrees. There is no need to feed the plant in winter. But watering needs to be continued, but it should be carried out much less often. With the onset of spring, the pot with the plant must be transferred to a warm place and the shoots must be cut off. When young shoots begin to grow actively, it is necessary to pinch the tops. Hardening should be started 2 weeks before the expected date of planting the plant in open ground. Gradually bring the pot out to the plant in fresh air starting from ten minutes and gradually increasing the time.
Reproduction of diastia
There are several ways to propagate diastia: by seeds and cuttings. The seed method was described in detail above. In late summer, stem cuttings can be rooted in moist soil. In autumn, root cuttings can be used for propagation. In spring, cuttings obtained during pruning from young and healthy shoots can be rooted. The stalk should be about 8 cm long. When the cuttings take root and begin to grow actively, it is necessary to pinch the tops. This will allow a lush bush to grow.
Types and varieties of diastia
Vigilant diastia (Diascia vigilis) - dangling shoots, grow up to 1.5 m in length. The flowers are pale pink.
Felt diastia (Diascia fetcaniensis) - this species has small round leaves of a soft green color. Soft and densely drooping hairs. Peduncles grow up to 25 centimeters.The flowers are dark pink with strokes of a red hue. Sufficiently frost-resistant, withstands negative temperatures up to 15 degrees.
Diascia rigescens - shoots of this species grow up to 50 cm. In autumn, the leaves acquire an interesting red-brown color. The flowers are dark pink in color, up to 2 cm in diameter.
Diascia barberae - branched annual. Grows up to 30 cm in height. The leaves are located closer to the base of the bush, small, shiny and dark green in color. Flowers of various shades of pink with a spot of yellow in the middle. The most popular varieties of this type:
- Diastia Pink Queen - flowers of milky pink or pale pink color.
- The apricot queen is a variety with orange-colored inflorescences.
- Salmon queen is a variety with salmon or orange-pink flowers.
- Diascia Basia is an annual that blooms twice in one season. The flowers are drooping, velvety, bright pink in color.
- Ruby Field - flowers of a rich pink hue.
Diastia Blackthorn Epricot - hybrid. Lying stems. Flowers in various warm shades of pink: salmon, pale pink, orange-pink, apricot, etc.
Diaztia Elegance - unpretentious hybrid. The stems are drooping. Leaves are glossy, dark green in color. The flowers are pale pink with a dark spot in the middle.
Jack Elliot - garden type of plant. Shoots grow up to 40 cm. Leaves are glossy, bright green. The flowers are less than 2.5 cm in diameter, dark pink or cherry red with a dark purple spot in the middle.
Laylek Bell - grows up to 30 cm. The flowers are small, no more than 1.5 cm in diameter. Slightly flattened and with a bright yellow speck in the throat.
