Schizanthus

Schizanthus is a spectacular herb from the Solanaceae family. His homeland is considered to be two continents at once, South American and African. The name of the plant is translated from Greek as “split flower”. Due to the special structure and split petals, the flowers of the schizanthus resemble variegated butterflies. In addition, they are often compared to small orchids. But these plants are not related. Unlike tropical orchids, Schizanthus is much easier to grow.

The plant is grown both in the beds and at home. But for keeping in room conditions, smaller species are selected.

Description of the schizanthus

Schizanthus is a biennial, but in the gardens of the middle lane it is usually grown as an annual plant. The height of the bush of this plant can reach up to one meter, but there are also more compact varieties of about 30 cm in size. The shoots of the schizanthus branch not into two, but into three stalks at once. Stems and bright light green foliage on the surface have a small fluff. Cirro-dissected leaf blades look very airy and delicate, giving the plant an attractive appearance even before flowering.

But the main decorative value is still the Schizanthus flowers. They have a variegated exotic color, including purple, purple, red, white and yellow tones. The petals are decorated with patterned streaks, strokes and specks. At the same time, schizanthus flowers not only resemble multi-colored butterflies, but also have the ability to attract real pollinating insects. The flowering period lasts from May to autumn frosts, but largely depends on the sowing time. Pollinated flowers form a fruit-box, which contains seeds. Ripening, it cracks. Seed material can remain viable for several years.

Due to the shape of the flowers, beginner growers sometimes confuse schizanthus with another elegant garden plant - nemesia, but this is a representative of a completely different family. In addition, the flowers of nemesia, although they can be multi-colored, do not have such pronounced patterns on the petals.

Growing schizanthus from seeds

Sowing seedlings

You can get new schizanthuses by the seed method through seedlings or direct sowing. Both methods are quite effective, but they require adherence to certain rules. You can sow seeds for seedlings both in spring and autumn. Spring sowing is carried out from February to early April. Plants obtained in this way will begin to bloom by July. Autumn sowing gives earlier flowering - in this case, it will begin by the end of May.

The planting containers are filled with nutritious light soil with a high content of drainage elements. Seeds should be buried no more than 3 mm.Previously, they can be kept in warm water for several hours. The container with crops should be kept at a low temperature (up to +18 degrees), in addition, it should be covered with a dark opaque film. In such conditions, seedlings should appear in about 3 weeks. Sprouted seedlings should be kept in a sunny place - on the south window or even on the balcony, if it is warm enough there. The pick is carried out after the formation of the third leaf blade. If necessary, after a couple of weeks, it is carried out again, this contributes to the development of the seedling. Such seedlings are transferred to open ground when all night frosts have passed. The optimal distance between the bushes is 10 to 25 cm.

Autumn sowing is also carried out in containers. In winter, these seedlings are kept in a bright but cool place. If necessary, you can supplement them. Despite the fact that seedlings with such sowing look weak and sluggish for a long time, after transplanting into the ground they grow stronger very quickly and bloom much more abundantly than their spring counterparts.

Direct seeding

Despite the great popularity of the seedling method, schizanthus seeds can be sown directly in open ground. Flowering in this case will come only by the end of July, but will last until autumn. Sowing is carried out when the frost has completely passed and stable warm weather is established. To obtain continuously flowering flower beds, schizanthus can be sown in groups at intervals of several days. Too frequent seedlings are thinned out, digging up and replanting excess plants.

In relatively warm regions, sowing seeds before winter is also possible. They are placed in the soil in the fall, immediately after collection, and then covered with foliage or spruce branches. With the arrival of winter, it is recommended to form a large snowdrift in this place for additional protection of future plants. With the onset of heat, the shelter is removed. In places where winters are most mild, schizanthus may not freeze and give abundant self-seeding. In this case, in the spring, you only need to plant the shoots that have appeared.

Sometimes seeds are sown in greenhouses, trying to achieve the earliest possible spring flowering. In this case, they should also be sown in the fall. But, as a rule, even such plants still begin to bloom only in May.

Planting schizanthus in open ground

Planting schizanthus seedlings in open ground is carried out when all frosts are behind. In most regions, you can do this in May-June. In order for plants to develop properly, they need a corner protected from strong winds and precipitation. In this case, the place should be well lit, but still sheltered from the scorching midday sun. Schizanthus do not tolerate extreme heat well. Despite the southern origin, average temperatures of about +15 degrees or slightly higher are considered optimal for them.

The soil for planting should be slightly acidic or neutral, but at the same time nutritious and easily permeable to air and moisture. To do this, you can add sand or peat to the existing soil. Can be added to the ground and humus.

If there is no corner in the garden that is ideal for such flowers, you can plant them in mobile containers or pots. In hot weather or periods of heavy rainfall, you can move them to a more suitable location. A planting pot for a flower should have a good drainage layer and a diameter of about 25 cm. The plants should be transplanted by careful handling.

Schizanthus care in the garden

Schizanthus is a rather unpretentious and beautiful plant. Therefore, in a garden or flower bed, it is better to choose a central place for a flower. You can get strong and abundantly flowering schizanthus bushes, which will delight the eye for a long time, thanks to the observance of the basic rules of caring for them.

Growing place

Choose the brightest and most sunny area, since schizanthus in a poorly lit place may lose its decorative effect. In the shade, the plants stretch out, the color of their leaves begins to fade, and the splendor of flowering suffers.

Watering mode

Schizanthus is considered a moisture-loving plant, so it should be watered regularly, trying to maintain a stable soil moisture, but not overmoisten it. Being in dry soil, the bush can quickly lose some of its attractiveness. Abundant watering, on the other hand, will help it develop faster and contribute to more lush flowering. At the same time, in places where water stagnates for a long time, it is not recommended to plant plants. Severe waterlogging can become very dangerous for them, therefore, it is permissible to water the schizanthus in large quantities only in places with a sufficient drainage layer. That is why such flowers are often planted on alpine hills or hills.

They try to water it carefully, making sure that drops of water do not fall on the foliage and flowers. Otherwise, they may be burned. For irrigation, soft, previously settled water is suitable. The best is considered to be a rain one, heated under the sun.

Houseplants of schizanthus, which continue to bloom in the autumn-winter period, try to water a little less often than usual, focusing on the degree of drying out of the soil. For them, you can use drip systems and autowatering. Such plants can be sprayed only from a fine-dispersed sprayer in conditions of extreme heat and dry air. The rest of the time, the level of humidity in the air does not play a big role for the flower, and high humidity in the cool can even lead to the development of rot.

The soil

Schizanthus prefers loose, fertile soil. If the plant is planned to be planted in open ground, then a little humus should be added. If the flower is grown in a room, an ordinary earthen mixture will do.

Top dressing

During the development of the bush, a nitrogen-containing composition should be added to the soil in order to accelerate the growth of the green mass of the plant. During flowering, you can use universal flowering formulations or simply complex mineral formulations. They are applied regularly and often enough - this helps to maintain the decorative appearance of the bush, contributing to branching and bud formation.

Care features

The basics of growing schizanthus are:

• Providing adequate lighting.
• Timely watering and soft water.
• A correctly calculated feeding schedule is more frequent during the flowering period.

To create a more lush bush, it is recommended to periodically pinch the tops of the stems. This method will also help to deal with weak or short blooms by stimulating a second wave. Only non-flowering shoots can be pruned.

Tall plants can begin to bend under the weight of the inflorescences, so they can be tied to pegs. The soil with plantings must be systematically loosened, simultaneously getting rid of weeds. If you do not need to collect seeds from the bush, the wilting flowers must be removed so that the plant does not waste energy on the ovary.

Schizanthus at home does not tolerate high air temperatures. Lowering the temperature is not so dangerous for him. High temperatures and dry air can be extremely detrimental to plant health. But the flower tolerates room temperature quite easily. In winter, the best temperature will be + 10-15 degrees, and do not forget to ventilate the room well.

Houseplants in the summer are recommended to be transferred to the air or more often to ventilate the room where the pots are. This will make it easier for the flowers to cope with excessively high temperatures.

Diseases and pests

Schizanthus diseases can develop due to care errors. So frequent waterlogging of the earth often leads to the appearance of powdery mildew - a whitish bloom. As a preventive measure, plants can be treated with medicinal preparations. Severely affected bushes will have to be destroyed. Another disease that can affect bushes is anthracnose. In this case, rot spots may appear on the foliage. The disease can be carried by wind or pests. It usually develops in conditions of excessively high humidity and air temperature.Weak lesions can be treated with fungicides, and the rest of the diseased bushes can be removed.

Of the garden pests, aphids most often settle on a flower. In addition to feeding on plant juices, it can carry viral diseases, so it should be disposed of immediately after detection. Bushes need to be treated with an appropriate insecticide.

Schizanthus in landscape design

The long flowering period and attractive appearance made the schizanthus a welcome guest in many gardens. This plant is great for both single and group plantings. At the same time, group placement contributes to the safety of young seedlings - being together, they do not bend so much from gusts of wind. For such beds, they usually try to pick up plants with slightly different flowering times.

You can use schizanthus in mixed flower beds and mixborders, it looks great in compositions with other flowering plants, including chamomile, lobelia and phlox. Due to the abundance of small flowers, its bushes look very airy and become a good space-filling element. Schizanthus are also found on alpine slides and even in rockeries. Low-growing species can be used as curbs.

Bushes can be planted in flower beds or placed in pots and containers. They can be installed both directly in the garden and on verandas or balconies. Compact, undersized varieties are best suited for this. At the same time, the spectacular peduncles of the tall schizanthus are suitable for cutting.

Types and varieties of schizanthus with a photo

The genus includes about a dozen different species. Some of them are especially popular in gardening. The species and varieties of this plant can differ not only in the color of the flowers, but also in the size and shape of the bushes.

Schizanthus Grahamii

Bushes with branched stems up to 60 cm high. The Chilean mountain regions are considered homeland. The flowers combine yellow and pink-purple tones and are decorated with streaks and spots. Thanks to the work of breeders, it was also possible to obtain white, pink and purple flowers. The corolla has a two-lipped structure, while the upper lip is elongated.

Schizanthus Pinnatus

An annual variety that forms shrubs up to half a meter in height. Stem of medium branching. The foliage has a bright green hue and is up to 13 cm long. The inflorescences are clusters of small orchid-like flowers of lilac color with a yellow throat decorated with purple spots. The lower lip of such flowers has a strong cleavage. There are also bright pink and crisp white varieties. Some of their petals also have bright spots with patterns.

Schizanthus Wisetonensis

The most popular garden hybrid, obtained by crossing the above species. Forms bushes up to 60 cm high and up to 30 cm wide. The size of each flower reaches 2.5 cm. The flowers have an irregular shape with split petals. Usually their main color is pink, but there are also white variants. The petals are often decorated with borders, stripes, or specks.

On sale you can find a fairly wide range of schizanthus varieties. The most common ones are:

• Angel wings. Miniature variety of Vizeton schizanthus. The height of its bushes is about 40 cm. Angel Wings is an annual that attracts with its unusually abundant flowering. Flowering lasts from late spring to September. With proper care, the 2 cm flowers completely cover the plant so that the stem and leaves are out of sight. Their color can be pink, carmine, white or dark purple. Seed bags most often include a mixture of plants of different colors. The variety is also notable for the fact that it can be grown almost anywhere: in flower beds, in containers, or even at home.
• Monarch. A mixture of low schizanthus varieties. Forms erect bushes up to 40 cm in height. At the tops of the shoots, inflorescences of carmine, red, pink or creamy-pastel tones are formed.Flowering is long, begins in the spring, and ends only by the autumn frosts. These plants can be grown outdoors or in containers.
• Piccollo. An annual variety of pinnate schizanthus. It reaches a height of 45 cm. Inflorescences-brushes consist of small flowers of crimson, pink or lighter color. Flowering lasts from May to September. Along with gardening, it is suitable for growing in flowerpots or pots.
• Fiji. A spectacular variety with a pyramidal bush. It blooms profusely, almost completely hiding the shoots behind numerous panicle inflorescences. The flowers are tubular and mauve or white in color. The petals are decorated with specks and stripes. Their size usually does not exceed 2 cm. The variety is often grown in open flower gardens or rock gardens, as well as as a container plant.
• Hybrids F1. They belong to the Vizeton schizanthus. This mixture is a set of annual plants up to 55 cm high. Flowering continues from mid-summer to late autumn. Inflorescences are in the form of panicles and consist of small patterned flowers. Their base color can be pink, raspberry, or light cream. Such a mixture of schizanthus is suitable for growing in sunny flower beds and ridges.