Calistegia
Content:
Gardeners are very fond of flowering vines, with which you can successfully decorate a nondescript wall, not the most beautiful fence. Such a liana can be used to decorate a gazebo or a garden arch. All these tasks are within the power of Kalistegia, which grows rapidly, blooms in the first year after planting and is one of the most unpretentious garden plants. The entire summer season Kalistegia will delight you with its flowering, which stops only with the onset of frost.
Sometimes gardeners call Kalistegia "Siberian rose". Inexperience, you can confuse Calistegia with a climbing rose or some kind of clematis. The flowers really resemble roses, but not the classic ones with dense elastic buds, but more fluffy and soft. At the same time, the plant is very unpretentious, unlike a rose, and does not require complex care. Florists jokingly say that there are as many flowers as there are leaves on the calistegia, because the plant forms buds in literally every leaf axil. Perhaps this plant has only one serious drawback - it is very difficult to find high-quality planting material, since Terry Kalistegia is rarely sold in flower shops or garden centers. Therefore, if you see this beautiful vine in the garden of one of your friends, then do not hesitate to ask for planting material, you will not regret it. And in this article we will tell you exactly how to care for the plant, how to prepare for winter and how to cope with the difficulties that you may face.
Calistegia: planting a flower
Flower Kalistegia terry: photo of a plant
Calistegia is perfectly adaptable and can grow without your participation. But if you take care of her, you will get an even more beautiful plant that develops quickly and constantly blooms.
When choosing a place for a calistegia, you will first of all be guided by the location of the support along which it will curl. Make sure that the place is well lit: the more sunlight there is, the brighter and more abundant the bloom will be. Terry calistegia is capable of growing in the shade, but in this case it will bloom later, the flowers will be smaller and less bright.
Almost any soil is suitable, but there is also a pattern here: the lighter and more nutritious the soil in which you plant the plant, the longer it can grow in one place. In a well-lit place on light and loose soil, Kalistegia can bloom for more than a dozen years.
Calistegia: flower care
Flower Kalistegia terry: photo of a plant
Terry calistegia is not a very moisture-loving plant, and if a severe drought has not occurred, then additional watering is not required for it, natural precipitation will be enough. If the summer is dry and hot, then be sure to water the vine so that it does not lose its decorative effect.
Fertilizers must be applied throughout the spring-summer period, since flowering takes a lot of energy from the plant and needs additional nutrition. As a top dressing, you can use complex fertilizers for flowering plants or organic fertilizers that you have.
Perform sanitary pruning to remove damaged shoots and control the thickness of the Kalistegia. Cut off wilted flowers regularly to stimulate the formation of new buds. Carry out all garden work with sharp tools, after having disinfected them.
Calistegia: reproduction
Flower Kalistegia terry: photo of a plant
Terry kalistegia is propagated by root shoots, of which, in the process of growth, it forms an incredible amount. Thus, in order to get a new plant, you need to carefully separate such a shoot and plant it in a previously prepared place, watering abundantly after that. Such a procedure can be carried out from spring to October, since the transplanted plants must have time to take root and adapt in a new place, and at a later planting they may not have time to build up the root system and die from frost.
Flower transplant
Flower Kalistegia terry: photo of a plant
If you are planning to transplant Calistegia to a new place, then in the summer it is impossible to do this in any case - all the forces of the plant are directed to flowering, so rooting may not occur and Kalistegia will die. The best time to move to a new location will be autumn, when flowering ends. The liana must be cut off and then transplanted. Work must be carried out no later than a month before the onset of frost.
When choosing a place for Kalistegiya terry, keep in mind that it is actively growing and is capable of strangling the plantings located nearby. Therefore, either plant it alone, or remove the root shoots in a timely manner.
Kalistegia: preparing for winter
It is not for nothing that Kalistegia is called the "Siberian rose" - this plant perfectly tolerates winter, there is not a single case known that Kalistegia died from frost. Additional shelter is not required, it is enough to cut the bush, for your own peace of mind, you can mulch the soil around the plant if the winter in your area is harsh and frosty.
Possible problems and solutions
As we have already said, the root system of calistegia grows very actively, and if it is not controlled, the plant will occupy an ever larger territory. There are two ways to solve this problem:
- Regularly remove root shoots, presenting planting material to all neighbors and acquaintances, and thereby preventing calistegia from spreading throughout the site.
- When planting Kalistegiya, dig metal sheets or slate into the ground, thus marking the boundaries beyond which the roots cannot get out.
Another unpleasant factor is that for some reason Kalistegia gathers around itself a huge number of slugs and snails. The plant is considered poisonous, but they still eat not only leaves, but also flowers with appetite. To avoid the invasion of slippery parasites, it is necessary to regularly treat the plant with chemicals.
Well, the main problem associated with growing Kalistegia terry, as we said at the beginning of the article, is the difficulty of acquiring planting material. Otherwise, this plant has no downsides. With minimal care in a very short time, you can grow a gorgeous flowering bush that will disguise an ugly barn or make a new gazebo even more beautiful. Terry Kalistegia has tremendous vitality and, if properly planted (we are talking about determining the boundaries of the root system), will not give you any trouble.
