Any summer resident seeks to decorate his site with beautiful flowers and plants. A wide variety of cultures can be found on sale, which differ from each other in color, size and life expectancy. Gardeners have a special love for wildflowers, which can be grown on their own. It is to such plants that the terry cornflower is referred to, which we will consider in more detail.
Flower characteristic
Cornflower is considered an ornamental crop and can have a variety of colors - from white to deep purple... In this variety, the inflorescences are terry, rising on thin branched stems, reaching a height of 50 cm, and the diameter of the flowers themselves is 6 cm.
This plant looks great:
- in flower beds;
- in mixborders.
These flowers make wonderful borders and ridges, they can also be planted in arrays or in separate groups.
Growing terry cornflower from seeds
This flower is an annual plant, its planting is carried out in a seedless way, sowing seeds directly into the ground. When is the best time to plant seeds? The optimal time for this is the end of April or the beginning of May.
Growing cornflower from seeds should take place in a sunny place. This flower prefers soil:
- well drained;
- non-acidic;
- sandy loam.
It is generally accepted that the cultivation of these plants from seeds on alkaline soil is much more intensive, and their color becomes brighter. If the soil is clay, sand should be added to it, and lime should be added to the acidic soil before planting cornflowers, and this must be done before the onset of winter.
Landing rules
Before growing cornflower from seed for him prepare the beds... To do this, take 2 kg of humus and peat per m2, adding 100 g of wood ash and 1 tbsp. l. nitrophosphate. After that, they dig up the beds, making a depression of 25 cm, level the soil and compact it a little, creating small grooves. The soil is abundantly watered and seeds are sown into it, and 1 cm of well-sifted earth is poured on top of them. Then the soil is carefully tamped by hand, and the beds are covered with fabric material.
To create a flower arrangement, the rows must be formed in such a way that the cornflowers do not subsequently create a shadow for each other. Therefore, they should be planted with in steps of 40 - 50 cm.
After planting the seeds, the beds are watered from above directly over the material and do this every 2 to 3 days. Use 2 liters of water per 1 m2. Terry cornflowers begin to germinate a week or two after planting the seeds, in this case this tissue is removed. In order for the plants to be strong, they should be thinned out, leaving an interval of 10 - 12 cm between them.
Cultivation of terry cornflowers can be carried out not only in the beds, but also in pots on the balcony... Planting material retains its germination for 2 - 3 years.
Care
To grow strong and beautiful flowers, they must be properly cared for. Therefore, you need to adhere to the following recommendations.
Fertilization
In order to achieve abundant flowering of cornflowers, they should be fertilized, and this must be done before the onset of such a period. To do this, use components such as:
- urea;
- nitrophoska.
Take them 1 tbsp. l. and diluted in 10 liters of ordinary water... This solution begins to water the plants, consuming 3-4 liters of fertilizer per 1 m2. Excessive feeding contributes to the yellowing of the leaves. A drug such as "Zircon" helps to speed up the flowering of cornflowers. The plant is sprayed with this agent before budding begins.
Watering and pest control
The growing flowers should be watered, but this should be done in moderation. Excessive soil moisture only harms plants, and they may even die... It is also necessary to regularly weed and loosen the soil.
Cornflower can be affected by fusarium, resulting in dark spots on its leaves. In this case, chemical means of protection are used, namely, the plant is treated with foundation. However, many gardeners recommend first using more environmentally friendly methods - sprinkle the flower with ash or water it with an infusion made from fresh manure. To prepare it, take three parts of a mullein and the same amount of water, mix and insist for 3 days. The use of such an infusion allows not only getting rid of a fungal disease, but also helps to feed the plant.
Thus, we found out that the terry cornflower is a rather unpretentious plant, and it is also not difficult to grow it from seeds. It is able to grow on fairly problematic soil without the use of additional fertilizer. But only proper care of a cornflower can make it a real decoration of any personal plot.
