Small sunflower sanvitalia is common in areas of Central and North America. The name received in honor of the famous Italian scientist and botanist Sanvitali. He came to Russia recently and immediately took root in a temperate cool climate. The flower is unpretentious in care, even a beginner grower will cope with it.
Description and features of sanvitalia
An annual or perennial plant of the genus Astro. Flowers, depending on the variety, are lonely or form inflorescences, diameter 1.5-2.5 cm. The color is white, yellow, orange. Small, similar to sunflowers. Rarely large with a terry coating. It blooms from July to October. By the end of the growing season they form seed boxes.
The bush is low, 25 cm. Shoots quickly grow in width and can reach 50 cm, so it must be thinned out. The leaves are oval, large, bright green.
Types and varieties of sanvitalia used in culture
In nature, there are many varieties of sanvitalia, but not all grow gardeners. In culture, there was only one type of distribution - open sanvitalia. In height, it reaches 15 cm, in width - 45-55 cm. The flowers are bright yellow with a brown core. The greens are saturated, green. It has varieties of ampelous and forming a spherical bush.
Most popular:
Grade | Description |
| Sprite Orange | Color orange, velvet petals. The leaves are dark. |
| Million suns | Yellow with a black center, like daisies. Grown as an ampel plant, in a cache-pot, low. |
| Golden Aztec | Solar, with a greenish center and dense bright foliage. |
| Bright eyes | Golden petals with black and gray core, ampelous. |
| Honey saved | Honey-colored flowers with a chocolate middle, grow in width with a coverlet. |
| Gold Braid | An annual plant up to 20 cm high, with bright lemon flowers and a black core. It grows very wide and covers the soil with carpet. |
Growing sanvitalia from seeds at home
Sanvitalia is propagated and grown from seeds. They are collected in late autumn, planted in early March. For landing you will need:
- capacity;
- soil mixture of clay or fertile soil and coarse sand (3: 1);
- drainage;
- material for creating a greenhouse;
- spray gun for spraying.
A layer of drainage is laid in the prepared dishes at the bottom, soil is poured on top. Sanvitalia seeds are very small. They are buried in the soil by 10 mm, on top they cover with a thin layer of earth. Then the planting is sprayed, covered with glass or polyethylene, regularly ventilated. When watering, the jet can damage small sprouts, and overflow lead to a fungus (black leg).
After two weeks, the first shoots appear. Then the greenhouse is cleaned, the seedlings are sprayed. After the appearance of the first two or three leaves, it is dived into the container one or more pieces.
Shoots are planted in open ground after mid-April, otherwise the plant will go into growth and die.
In regions with a warm climate, seeds are immediately sown in the soil in May-June. Flowering in this case will be delayed and will begin later.
Sanvitalia landing in a permanent place
Preparation for landing begins in 14 days with the hardening procedure. Dishes with seedlings are taken out daily to the street, at home on the open balcony, so that it adapts.
The place in the garden is chosen bright, sunny. Sanvitalia stretches in the shade, but does not bloom. In the flowerbed, make a small depression of 10 cm, fill up the drainage (broken brick, expanded clay). This is necessary to protect the root system from severe waterlogging and decay. The distance between the flowers is 20-25 cm. When the plants stretch up to 10 cm, they are thinned out.
Garden Sanitation
Sanvitalia is unpretentious, even a novice can take care of it. In open ground, watering is moderate, on rainy days it is not required. Loosening the soil is carried out immediately after moistening to supply air and remove weeds. Overfilling can lead to decay of the roots and death of the flower.
The place is chosen sunny, calm. If the winds still blow, props are used to maintain the integrity of the stem. Annual plants love warmth, adult flowers are able to withstand frosts down to -5 ° C.
To form beautiful well-groomed bushes, pinch the shoots before flowering, thin out the density.
Fertilize only when the earth is not rich in useful substances. Use complex mineral nutrition twice a month. Sanitary fertilization is not necessary in fertile soil.
The transplant is carried out at any time. The plant will take root in a new place, even during flowering.
Sanitation problems
Excess or lack of moisture can lead to disease. It is necessary to periodically inspect the flowers in order to prevent their death.
If the stems darkened at the base, an overflow occurred. The root system began to rot, and soil loosening will help to eliminate oxygen supply and drying.
Pale twisted leaves will indicate the lack of moisture to the gardener. In this case, watering is increased. If sanvitalia grows in flowerpots, they can be placed in water for 60-90 minutes. After that, allow excess moisture to drain and return the flower to its original place.
Mr. Summer resident informs: the place of sanvitalia in the garden landscape
In the flowerbed, sanvitalia is grown together with:
- ageratum;
- alissum;
- sweet peas;
- forget-me-nots;
- purslane.
In hanging pots, it is combined with:
- petunias;
- nasturtiums;
- verbena.
Often the bushes are given an ampel shape and combined with others. Sanvitalia grows well in rocky places. Decorate garden paths, gazebos, terraces. Bright yellow and orange flowers are planted separately, create a sunny flower bed to close an empty place.
In autumn, with the onset of cold weather, the plant is brought into the house, where it will adorn the window sill with its bright lush greenery all winter.
