Young heliotrope bushes are planted at a distance of 20 cm from each other.

Bushes that have wintered in the house need larger area... It makes sense to plant flowers with yellow, white, red flowers next to heliotrope. It can be , . And the plant itself is best planted where you can enjoy its aroma. In order to expand the growing area of \u200b\u200bheliotrope, it can be planted in pots and placed on the veranda.

Some bushes, the strongest, can be planted in the ground along with a large pot. Then it will be easier to preserve the mother bush in the fall. A drainage layer is placed on the bottom of the pot. It can be made from broken brick, gravel, expanded clay. You can take the soil purchased for flowers, or prepare it yourself. Mix garden soil, sand, clay (to retain moisture).

Flower care tips:

1. Heliotrope does not require increased care. But he will not tolerate the drying out of the earthy coma. Therefore, you need to ensure that the soil near the bush always remains moist.
2. In order for the plant to bloom profusely, heliotrope needs regular feeding. They are brought in once every two weeks. They are used for organic and decorative flowers such as "Ideal" or "Kemira Lux". They accelerate the growth and development of plants, make flowers brighter and larger. Before and after fertilization, the bush is watered.
3. A bush that is actively growing and developing needs to periodically adjust the crown. To do this, pinch it.
4. Closer to the time of the onset of the first frost, the bush is dug up, transplanted into a pot and transferred to a room where it continues to bloom.
5. In winter and especially in autumn, the bushes need to be highlighted, bringing the length of daylight hours to 10 hours. To do this, use a lamp daylight... The temperature range for winter maintenance is from 15 to 18 ° C. Minimum temperature, at which the heliotrope does not disappear, 5 ° C. The number of watering is reduced, but they make sure that the soil in the pot does not dry out.
6. Diseases and pests. The leaves and stems of heliotrope can be affected spider mite, whitefly. Treatment is carried out with Fitoverm and other insecticides. To destroy aphids, wipe the affected areas with a solution laundry soap... Then washed off with water. The fall of leaves testifies to the defeat of a spider mite. To get rid of the pest, they create uncomfortable conditions for it - they spray the leaves with water several times a day. It doesn't have to be tough. Heliotrope can be affected by fungal diseases. This is evidenced by the formation of brown spots on the leaves.

The use of heliotrope is very peculiar. Its leaves are used to combat dark forces. Some believe that the plant is able to protect the home from thieves. It is widely believed that in the house where heliotrope is grown, relations between spouses are significantly improved. Now this flower is becoming more and more popular. Many of those who managed to grow it at home become its fans and distributors.

Used heliotrope to achieve real results. It is used as a flavoring agent in the manufacture of medicines. Due to its pleasant and strong smell, extracts from the plant are added to perfumery products.

More information can be found in the video:

The cultivation of heliotrope is a matter associated not only with special care for the plant, but also with a certain risk. But if you do everything right, you can get beautiful flower, the aroma of which will simultaneously resemble cinnamon and vanilla.

Description of heliotrope

The heliotrope genus includes grasses and shrubs. In conditions wildlife they grow in the temperate zone, as well as in the tropics and subtropics.

The foliage of plants is dense and pubescent, has a dark green color. The shape is obovate, the structure of the leaves can be both wrinkled and wavy.

The heliotrope blooms violently, with purple, rarely white inflorescences. They consist of small, closely spaced five-petal flowers. After flowering, small nut-like fruits remain in place of flowers, consisting of 4 parts tightly adjacent to each other.

Some species of this flower can be dangerous, as they contain toxic substances related to alkaloids. So, cinoglossin is found in the leaves and stems, and the seeds contain laziocarpine and heliotropin. The latter substance was named after this flower. All these aldehydes, when ingested by a living creature, in particular a person, can adversely affect the functioning of the liver of the nervous system.

Growing heliotrope from seeds

IN southern Russia you can find a weed belonging to this genus, which is called "pubescent heliotrope." But, despite this, in other regions, plants of this genus are widely used for decorative purposes.

It is possible to grow a heliotrope at home from seeds in two stages:

1. transplanting;
2. planting open ground.

Each is worth telling separately.

Planting seedlings

It is necessary to start sowing heliotrope seedlings at home relatively early: in late February or early March. This is necessary in order for the plant to grow stronger before transplanting it into the open ground.

Before planting a plant, you need to prepare a nutritious soil for it. To do this, you need to mix:

• 4/5 peat;
• 1/5 sand.

In order to kill all fungal spores and pathogenic bacteria in the resulting soil, it must be steamed.

The resulting mixture must be laid out in an even layer in a flat container and tamped with something like a plank. Without loosening, it is necessary to pour several seeds on top of the resulting layer. After them again you need to sprinkle with earth, but this time you do not need to tamp it. In this case, the layer of the upper part of the soil should not exceed two millimeters.

After the seeds are planted, the container must be covered on top with either glass or cling film. This will create a greenhouse effect. To enhance it, it is recommended to keep plants in a warm place with a temperature of 18 to 20 °.

The maintenance of seeds under such conditions can last from 5 to 20 days. A signal that it is time for the plants to change the situation will be the appearance of sprouts, which hatch at home just at the time indicated above. After that, it is recommended to remove the greenhouse, and transfer the container to more warm place (20-22 °). In this case, the presence of sunlight for the heliotrope is not necessary. He can do without it in the first months of development.

Transfer to a larger container

Together, the shoots formed from the seeds are exactly until they begin to acquire normal leaves. This shows that the plant has already developed and matured. From this point on, all flowers begin to be transplanted into separate pots. It is important that the diameter of the new container is at least 9 cm, since that is how much space is required for the roots of a young flower. Before planting in a pot, you should fill up the soil, consisting of the same ingredients that are included in the soil for seeds.

It is important to water the plants after transplanting. After 2 weeks, it is worth starting to add fertilizer intended for seedlings to the water for irrigation. You can find it at shops that sell garden seeds. Solutions must be prepared as written in the instructions.

Landing in open ground

Planting seeds in open ground is extremely rare, since this method practically does not bring any results or the plants become sick. But despite this, this practice is very similar to what needs to be done with seedlings after they have lived in pots for several weeks.

First of all, you need to choose the right place where the flower will grow. An open but windless area is suitable for this. The soil should contain humus, be loose and fertile.

When transplanting plants that have already grown from seeds, it is necessary to make a hole in the soil. Its size should be slightly larger than the old pot had. It is necessary to transplant heliotrope together with a clod of earth in which the roots grew, so as not to damage them. Before that, a layer of humus must be laid on the bottom of the groove, which may consist of leaves or manure.

The heliotrope, together with the old soil, is inserted into the dug hole, the hollow spaces must be filled with earth and tamped around the seedling. The last step transplant is watering the plant with plain water.

Care features

Caring for heliotrope has its own characteristics. The main one is watering the soil for a given flower. In order to get drunk, the plant does not need a lot of water, therefore, in weather with relatively average humidity, the frequency of watering should not be more frequent than that of other plants. However, after watering, the land on which the heliotrope grows must be carefully loosened, since the water compacts it, blocking the access of air to the soil.

In addition, after each watering, you should weed the soil from weeds, which appear in fertile soil quite often. Before it starts rapid flowering, the plant must be fed with fertilizers with a full range of nutrients.

You should also treat the plant with Actellik, this will avoid collision with pests that can destroy it. For use, it is necessary to dilute 1 ml of the drug in 1 liter of water. This amount of solution will be enough to process flowers on 5 m 2.

Outcome

In order to care for heliotrope, a lot of time is needed, especially in the first months of the plant's life. Failure to follow the rules of home care can lead to the fact that nothing will grow out of the seeds.

But if you have patience and do everything as described above, then as a result, the garden may appear new flower, which will not only be able to surprise everyone with its unusual appearancebut also give flower beds delicate aromas of vanilla and cinnamon.

Heliotrope is one of my favorite plants. It is a shrub with wrinkled, coarse-haired leaves and small, strongly fragrant flowerscollected in thick shields. Dark blue or purple flowers heliotrope has a vanilla aroma. They look great in my garden next to yellow rudbeckias, with blooming pelargoniums of various colors.

Heliotrope can be grown from seed, and mature plants can be stored in the house in winter for further propagation.

Sowing heliotrope seeds

Heliotrope has very small seeds, they are sown in February. Therefore, it is not easy to grow good heliotrope seedlings, especially for novice growers.

In addition, when grown from seeds, heliotrope bushes in the garden grow violently and quickly turn into tall plants... However, such young specimens bloom closer to autumn, forming not very large inflorescences.

But you really want to enjoy the fragrance and beauty of large heliotrope inflorescences earlier and longer!
And then I began to preserve and cut this plant in the winter.

Storage of heliotrope mother liquors in winter

I dig up heat-loving heliotrope from the garden in the fall, before the first frost. I transplant the mother plants into pots and bring them into the room.

In the autumn and winter time heliotrope needs additional lighting. Therefore, I put the plants on the shelves under the fluorescent lamps, where the heliotrope continues to bloom.

I maintain the temperature of the mother plants in the house at the level of +15 .. + 18 degrees, so that the heliotrope does not give weak shoots.

Cutting heliotrope

For early flowering seedlings I start grafting heliotrope in winter, in late January-early February. Cutting can be carried out and in early spring, but then the seedlings will bloom later.

I cut young green shoots from mother plants and plant them in prepared peat-distilled tablets (jiffy-7).

Heliotrope cuttings are successfully rooted in a mini-greenhouse. I usually use transparent cake lids or other clear plastic packaging for this purpose.
I light up the rooting cuttings of heliotrope for 10 hours a day.

You need to watch when the first roots from rooted cuttings appear through the mesh of peat-peat tablets. Then I plant young plants in pots (7 cm in diameter) together with a tablet, after carefully removing the mesh from it.

I give the heliotrope cuttings to root in the pot after transplanting. And as soon as they grow up a little, I pinch them to get lush bushes with several inflorescences.

As the rooted plants develop, I transfer them to larger pots.

Planting heliotrope in the garden and caring for plants

I plant heliotrope saplings in the garden at the beginning of June, when the threat of return frosts has passed. And I dig the individual, strongest bushes into the soil of the garden along with the pots, so that in the fall they can be left on the mother plants for grafting next year.

I choose for planting heliotrope sunny place with loose, permeable
soil. I add leaf and manure humus to the hole.

During the summer, I give the seedlings liquid fertilizing with mineral and organic fertilizers twice a month. Usually I use fertilizers "Kemira Lux" and "Ideal", to which heliotrope and other plants respond very well. Fertilizing watering enhances the development of seedlings and promotes excellent flowering.

I wish you success in growing heliotrope! Http: //www.gardenia.ru/pages/geliotrop001.htm

Heliotrope - growing in the garden.

Heliotrope is a perennial shrub family-owned borage. The shrub origin is South America... Due to the fact that the flowers of the plant turn towards the sun, heliotrope is also called the Peruvian sunflower. But the flower is much smaller in size, and reaches a height of about 40 - 60 cm. The heliotrope has large leaves, about 7 cm in length, oval in shape, with grooves and small hairs. Small flowers of the plant are collected in large inflorescences, the length of which ranges from 10 to 20 cm.In the evening, the flowers emit a pleasant vanilla aroma, therefore it is recommended to place them closer to the house or plant in tubs and hanging planters... Heliotrope flowers can be different colors: white, purple, purple, blue. The plant blooms profusely from June until the onset of the first frost. In temperate climates, heliotrope is grown as annual plant... When caring for a plant, remember that it is poisonous!

Any well-drained, loose soil is suitable for planting on the site. It will be nice to fertilize the soil before planting a shrub in it. Heliotrope prefers good lighting, with its lack, the stems are strongly stretched, and the flowers become smaller and lose their color brightness. But the plant does not tolerate direct sunlight. Young plants need to be adequately watered daily and sprayed regularly during the summer months to maintain sufficient humidity for successful growth.

If heliotrope is taken indoors for the winter, then the temperature there should be at least 7 ° C. In winter, the plant contained in the room should be watered as the earthen coma dries up.

If rust appears on the heliotrope, then the reason for this is fungal disease... Those parts of the plant that have been affected should be removed. If the plant begins to turn yellow and its leaves fall off, then most likely it has been affected by a spider mite. To solve this problem, you need to spray the shrub with clean water several times a day.

Heliotrope is propagated by seeds or cuttings from plants overwintered in the warmth. Seeds should be sown superficially from January to April, as they are very small. The sown seeds are covered with glass (germination temperature - 18 - 21 ° C), and the seedlings that appear after 2 - 3 weeks dive. A little later, after transplanting the matured plants into pots, they are placed in a warm place. It is possible to plant heliotrope in open ground in May. Plants grown from seeds will bloom closer to autumn, and in this case, the inflorescences are most likely not very large.

For spring breeding by cuttings, it is necessary to dig up the plant in the fall before the first frosts come, and transplant it into a pot. IN winter months heliotrope will need additional lighting, which can be provided with fluorescent lamps. The optimum temperature for keeping heliotrope during this period should be 10 - 15 ° C. Therefore, it is best for winter period a cold sill will do.

If you want to achieve wounded flowering, in this case, you should start grafting in February. You can carry out this procedure in the spring, but this will shift the flowering time of the heliotrope. Young shoots with 3 - 4 internodes should be cut off from the prepared plant and rooted in a loose substrate. The required lighting in this case is 10 hours a day, and the temperature of the content is 25 ° C. After 3 - 4 weeks, after the roots have formed in the seedlings, they are planted in pots with a diameter of about 8 cm. For this, a soil mixture is prepared from turf, peat and sand (2: 4: 1).

Heliotrope can be planted in open ground after the threat of frost has completely passed, it is optimal to do this in late May - early June. The tallest and healthiest specimens can be dug into the ground directly in pots to be used in the fall to prepare cuttings from which new plants will be grown.

The period from germination to flowering of heliotrope is 80-110 days, modern hybrids bloom faster than old varieties. To obtain flowering plants in June, sowing heliotrope, preferably February 20 - March 10.
Heliotrope develops rather slowly, so it does not require particularly nutritious soil. For sowing seeds, you can use a mixture of non-acidic and sand (4: 1) or. Since sowing is carried out early, even with a short daylight hours, the soil mixture is desirable, even if it is written on the package with the soil that this is not required: at such a time the risk fungal diseases is especially great and extra insurance won't hurt.
Fill the bowl with a slightly moist soil mixture, compact it with a board, scatter the seeds over the surface, as evenly as possible.

Some manufacturers write in the instructions on the seed packaging that heliotrope must be sown superficially (without sprinkling it with soil), since its seeds germinate in the light. In fact, this is not important: heliotrope seeds germinate equally well in the light and in the dark. When sowing at home, it is still better to slightly sprinkle the seeds with soil (by 1-2 mm), this will reduce the risk of drying out.

Water the crops in small proportions until the water completely saturates the soil mixture.

We put bowls or pots with crops in a greenhouse and put it in a moderately warm place ( optimum temperature +18 ... + 20 ° С). As soon as shoots appear, we take out the pots from the greenhouse and put them on the windowsill. Seedlings develop best at a temperature of +20 ... + 22 ° С.

Heliotrope seeds usually take 5 to 20 days to germinate. If no shoots appear after 3 weeks, it is better to insure yourself and do a second sowing, although it happens that the plant sprouts after 4 weeks. Despite the fact that the sowing is carried out early, the heliotrope tolerates the lack of light well. Unless the windows are northern and are not shaded by anything outside, it can usually be grown without additional lighting.

Dive heliotrope

When two true leaves appear in seedlings, it's time to carry out.

We dive the heliotrope seedlings one by one into individual pots measuring 9x9 cm. You can use the same soil mixture as for sowing. If necessary, untangle the roots of the seedlings with a toothpick so that they are placed evenly in the hole, without bends.

Water the cut seedlings. 2 weeks after the pick, it is advisable to feed it with anyone according to the instructions.

Planting heliotrope

In open ground flower beds, heliotrope seedlings are planted in early June, when the threat of night frosts has finally passed. It can be put into containers earlier (in which case it is easy to cover them or take them to the terrace). The classic way using heliotrope - planting in flowerpots in combination with other annuals. We have chosen to pair with our burning brunette annual phlox Drummond of delicate shades.

We fill the pot with soil and add (1 tbsp. L per 5 l of soil). You can choose fertilizer sticks or special granular fertilizer for balcony, container and indoor plants (consumption according to instructions). Such fertilizers dissolve slowly, gradually releasing nutrients... One dressing should be enough for the plants for the whole season.

We proceed to planting plants, evenly distributing them over the area of \u200b\u200bthe flowerpot.

It is important not to overdo it with the planting rate: 5 phlox plants and 3 heliotrope are more than enough for a flowerpot with a diameter of 40 cm.

Having finished planting, do not forget about watering. Done! You can take the flowerpot to a permanent place, be sure to shade for the first time, and wait for flowering.

But our composition is already in bloom: