Silvery cineraria certainly earned recognition due to its original appearance and openwork leaves. It is not for nothing that this plant fell in love not only with amateur flower growers, but also landscape designers. For all its unusualness, growing this indoor flower from seeds does not present any difficulty and is quite feasible at home on your own.
Cineraria is in demand in floriculture for single planting and for background compositions. If you want to grow this flower in a garden or in a flower bed, you can safely begin the selection of planting material.
The seeds of this plant can be found practically in every flower shop... Preparations must be made in advance, since planting is permissible with the arrival of spring.
Cineraria: growing from seed
You can grow an indoor flower from seeds. Their sown in several ways... Any of them will give a high percentage of germination, since the seeds of silver cineraria are very hardy.
- The first type of sowing requires planting seedlings in a moist substrate. It is also worth remembering that the seeds are not pressed into the soil. Seedlings are obtained in a container covered with foil.
- The second type is similar to the previous one, but planting is carried out in a wet substrate and the seeds are sprinkled with sand. The container must be covered with a transparent film.
- The third type of seedling cultivation occurs by planting seeds on the surface of the substrate and covering them with thin wetted paper. The germination of seeds in this case stimulates the paper layer, which the sprouts easily break through during germination.
Any method of growing room cineraria brings good results. It is worth remembering that whichever method is chosen, there is always a capacity covered with foil or glass, in order to create greenhouse conditions.
Sowing rules
The best time for sowing seedlings is early April. Despite the small size of the seeds, it is quite convenient to plant and place them in the right order.
After choosing the most convenient method for growing seedlings, it is necessary prepare a container for planting and substrate... Light, neutral soil is most suitable and needs to be compacted before planting. When choosing a container, it should be remembered that the seedlings will be replanted in the future. Therefore, a wide container will do just fine.
The seed container must be covered as described earlier. Next, the greenhouse is placed in a well-lit place, for example, a windowsill. A comfortable temperature for seed germination is not lower than twenty degrees.
After the sprouts acquire the first leaves, they can be transplanted into individual containers. In the open land, seedlings are planted after establishing positive temperatures... By this time, the seedlings are already strong enough.
Silvery cineraria is usually planted at a distance of twenty centimeters from each other. Between the rows of plants, usually about twenty-five centimeters are left. However, if you want to get a "carpet" of these colors, the interval is significantly reduced.
It is also possible to grow cineraria by sowing seeds directly into open soil.Usually this type of sowing is used in the absence of the possibility of preparing seedlings in advance. This is best done in mid-May. However, it is worth remembering that seeds will germinate longer and flowering will also begin later.
Seedling care in open soil
The flower of the seaside cineraria is quite resistant to light frosts, but in order to avoid negative results, it is better to cover the seedlings planted in open ground with an insulating material. In the future, growing and caring for this plant involves the observance of the simplest rules - weed and water.
Although cineraria is drought tolerant, it is best to water it regularly, in small amounts daily, making sure that the soil is constantly slightly damp without stagnant water.
It is best to feed cineraria during its flowering. With the introduction of mineral fertilizers at this time, the cultivation of these plants will bring good results.
It is worth remembering that it is Cineraria Silvery that loves places with a lot of sunlight. The rest of the representatives of this culture prefer partial shade, or diffused light. If you follow all the rules for growing a flower when caring for a plant, you can grow a beautiful, healthy plant.
Types of cineraria
Besides the silvery cineraria, there are many other types:
Bloody cineraria. This plant was first discovered in the Canary Islands, which are considered their homeland. It is an annual plant with oval light green leaves. Due to the similar type of flowers, this plant is often mistaken for a daisy.- Seaside cineraria. This is one of the most popular species, as it is good for decorative purposes and as a plant for a border. This plant was brought from the Mediterranean regions. And although it is a perennial flower, in Primorye it is used as an annual. The seaside climate is very suitable for the flower.
- Cineraria is graceful. This type of cineraria is more "wild". Was brought from the South African regions. Grown as a one-year-old. Blooms throughout the summer. Flowering is not as lush as in previous species, but this plant is much less whimsical.
Subject to simple rules for growing and care, seaside cineraria begins to bloom 80–90 days after planting the seeds.
