Clarkia - Clarkia

Clarkia is an annual plant, and belongs to the Cypress family. This herb is very similar to godetia, which is why some scientists believe that they are one and the same genus of plants. The name of this plant comes from the name of the captain, who glorified this crop in Europe many years ago, having brought it from California. His name is W. Clark. Clarkia grows wild in Chile, as well as in the Northern Continent of America. There are about 30 plant species in total, but only three are in demand by gardeners.

Clarkia: description and characteristics of the flower

Clarkia plant: flower photo

Clarkia has a stem of about half a meter to 1m. The stems are erect, on the surface of which you can see a thick layer of villi. The leaves are oval and light green, with a pronounced color. They are located on the stem alternately.

Clarkia's flowers form in the axils of the leaves and can be simple or double. The diameter of each of them reaches about 3.5 cm. The shade can be different, mostly pink. Inflorescences form a raceme, sometimes a spike, and ripen at the top of the stem. Both single and group flowers can be found. The Clarkia flower itself resembles a cup and consists of four petals that connect near the base. Clarkia fruits form a polysperm.

Clarkia: growing from seed

Clarkia is grown both in a seedless way and using seedlings.

When using the seedless method, Clarkia seeds are sown directly into open ground. The optimal time for sowing will be April or early May. Some gardeners sow in late autumn. Before sowing, it is necessary to prepare the soil in advance and add the necessary substances to it: these are peat, superphosphate and potassium sulfate. Everything as it should, after that, you need to dig it up. Clarkia seeds are very small, so they are sown several pieces in one hole. The distance between the holes should not be less than 20 cm. In addition, it is not recommended to deeply bury the seeds. It will be enough to press them slightly and cover them with a small layer of earth. After about 2 weeks, you can already see the first shoots, which must be thinned out. Here you need to focus on your own taste, since a larger number of plants will look more magnificent and spectacular. When sowing in autumn, seedlings may appear even before the onset of the cold season, but do not worry, since the snowdrift will prevent the seedlings from freezing. With the arrival of spring, young plants also need to be thinned out.

The seedling method of growing Clarkia is somewhat different from the previous method. Here, young seedlings will not be exposed to negative weather conditions such as snow, rain, wind and frost. The optimal time for sowing will be March. If these deadlines are met, then the flowers can be seen as early as June. The soil here is slightly acidic. Clarkia seeds should also not be sown too deep, you can simply press them in a little. Watering is done by spraying. After that, the container with the seedlings must be covered with foil or glass and placed in a bright, warm room, avoiding direct exposure to the scorching sunlight. When the first shoots appear, it is necessary to remove the shelters. Containers should be placed in a dry place where air can circulate freely. After 1-2 true leaves appear on the seedlings, the seedlings are picked.When the end of spring comes, and the soil warms up enough, and there is no risk of returning night frosts, it is necessary to transplant the seedlings into open ground.

If you have unsuitable soil on your site, then before planting the seedlings, you can slightly acidify it, for example, using peat. You can add sulfur, or you can simply add a solution to the soil, which will consist of citric acid dissolved in water. If the soil is very acidic, then lime must be added. Greasy soil can be thinned by adding some sand. Also, before planting seedlings, you need to add important fertilizers - the same ones that we added with the seedless growing method.

Thus, the area where the plants will be planted must be prepared 2 weeks before planting. This culture is planted not separately, but immediately in groups from a container, keeping a clod of earth as intact as possible. As a result, one group of seedlings will be placed in one prepared hole. The distance between the pits should be approximately 30 cm. When the plant grows, it will be necessary to install supports, since the stems of Clarkia are very thin. It is worth taking care of this in advance and immediately install a support structure in each hole.

If you grow different varieties of Clarkia, then it is better to plant them at a greater distance from each other so that cross-pollination does not occur. After planting Clarkia seedlings, it is necessary to water the bushes, and also pinch the tops so that the bush is more lush.

Clarkia: outdoor care

Clarkia plant: flower photo

Clarkia belongs to plants that do not require much care, so even novice growers can grow it.

Watering Clarkia should be regular and occur when the summer is hot and there is no rain for a long time. The optimal watering regime is twice a week. If the summer is rainy, then watering can be omitted. It is important to avoid stagnant moisture near the base of the plant.

When Clarkia begins to form buds before the flowering period, it is necessary to feed the plants with a special ready-made preparation containing a mineral complex. Then the plant is fed once every 2 weeks. Ready-made preparations can be purchased for these purposes. Popular ones are "Rainbow" or "Kemira". It is highly not recommended to feed the culture with organic matter. If faded inflorescences are found, they must be removed. This procedure will prolong the flowering period.

Clarkia: diseases and insects - pests

Like any garden plant, Clarkia can be susceptible to pests or diseases. The most popular of these are the mealybug. A sign of its appearance can be considered the formation of a wax coating on the stems and leaves of the plant. In order to get rid of pests, it is necessary to treat the culture with special preparations. "Aktara", "Fitoverm" and others have proven themselves well.

If the soil is not suitable for the growth and development of Clarkia, then various fungal diseases can occur. Thus, if orange rusty spots appear on the flower, and the edges of the leaf plates turn brown, then the disease is already present.

For the purpose of prevention and to get rid of these ailments, it is necessary to use fungicides. Bordeaux liquid or Oxyhom helps well. Subject to all the rules of care, and also if Clarkia grows in comfortable conditions and soil, then diseases and pests affect it extremely rarely.

Reproduction of Clarkia in the open field

Clarkia plant: video about growing outdoors

Clarkia reproduces well by self-seeding. Therefore, it remains only in the spring to thin out the already germinated seedlings of new young plants.

If you want to collect your Clarkia seeds and plant them in another place, then after the flowering period it will be necessary to highlight the most beautiful, lush inflorescences, and when they wither, you need to wrap them with gauze. A month after this, the seeds ripen, which will be noticeable by the brown color of the capsule. Next, you should carefully cut the box and sprinkle the seeds on paper. You can sow the collected seed immediately before winter. Or you can put it in a paper bag and keep it until spring.

Also, after all the flowers have already finished their flowering, it is best to cut the stems before the winter period. Plant residues are removed and destroyed in the fall. It is best to burn them.

Plant species

Gardeners distinguish three types of Clarkia from all plant species, which differ in flowering, namely:

• Clarkia is graceful. The flower itself grows in California. The plant is distinguished by its splendor, and the height of the stem can reach 1 m. The stems of an adult plant can even become woody. On the surface of the leaves, which have an oval shape and a bluish tint, bright red veins stand out, and the leaves themselves have an uneven edge. The flowers of Clarkia graceful are regular and measure - 4 cm in diameter. The shape of the flowers can be double or simple, and they also differ from each other in shade, which can be either pink or white, red or even blue. Clarkia graceful seeds can sprout up to 4 years after harvest. The flowering period begins in June and lasts all summer. Most often, Clarkia graceful is grown all in central Russia. Among the popular varieties are Albatrosscharacterized by white double flowers. The stem of this plant is a little less than a meter. Purpurkenig. The plant is characterized by large double flowers, and the plant itself reaches about a meter in height. Salmon Perfection... The plant has a salmon shade of flowers, and its height does not reach 1 meter.
• Clarkia is pretty. This is the next popular dwarf crop. The stems branch here and reach a height of about half a meter. The leaves are narrow, lanceolate with a characteristic pointed tip. The shape of the flowers is terry, and the flowers themselves are located at the top of the stem, either singly or in several pieces in one leaf sinus. The shape of the petals looks very interesting. In this culture, it is divided into several lobes, which are far from each other and resemble moose horns. The flowering period here begins in late spring and lasts until early autumn.
  

Clarkia plant: flower photo

• Clarkia Breveri. It is also a very popular type of culture. Plants are resistant to cold weather and do not grow more than half a meter. The flower resembles a butterfly in shape. Its diameter is about 3 cm. Also, the plant is characterized by a bright pronounced aroma, and the inflorescences themselves are loose and have a beautiful shade. In addition, this species is characterized by lush flowering, and the bush itself is very branched, which undoubtedly gives a spectacular look.
  Clarkia plant: flower photo

Conclusion

Clarkia is a beautiful, unpretentious flower that has a large number of species. Observing the simple rules of growing, anyone can grow a plant on their site.