When to plant ageratum in open ground. Ageratum blue ball planting and care in the open field

Native to Central and North America. The ageratum flower got its name from the Latin "ageratos", which means "ageless", but we have more accustomed to its other name - "long-flowered". This describes the plant quite accurately, because the flowering of ageratum begins in June and lasts until the first frost, and tall varieties that are actively used in floristry are able to maintain freshness in the cut for a very long time without additional care.

Ageratum grows well and branches, therefore, in landscape design it is used to create hedges and borders, the branches and stems of which, intertwined, create a monolithic green fence. It is grown primarily for its fluffy flowers, resembling pompoms, which are collected in dense inflorescences. The palette is most often shades of blue, but there are varieties of white, pink, red and burgundy; when mass planted, it forms an almost continuous flowering "carpet".

Often, ageratum is planted along the edges of flower beds with zinnia, cosmea, cleoma, verbena, where it will look bright as a beautiful lush spot. Ageratum also goes well with marigolds, evening primrose, balsams, calendula, snapdragon, asters and roses. It is often used to simulate the site of a dry stream or reservoir.

Advice! Together with marigolds, it is good to plant it at the roots. clematis, they will create the coolness necessary for the roots of clematis.

It is also used in single plantings, it will look especially impressive against the background of a well-groomed uniform green lawn. Low-growing varieties of ageratum tolerate growing in flowerpots well, so they are often used to decorate balconies, decorations. patio, gazebos, recreation areas and entrance areas.

Ageratum: types and varieties

Despite the fact that ageratum is a perennial, in our climatic conditions it is grown as an annual. For the same reason, out of more than 50 different types of ageratum, only a few species can be grown.

Ageratum mexican

Another name is Houston's ageratum, a plant with erect, numerous, strongly branched stems, reaching a height (depending on the variety) from 10 to 50 cm. The leaves are oval, rhombic or oval, serrated along the edge, rough. The flowers are fragrant, narrow-tubular, small, collected in small (1-1.5 cm in diameter) basket inflorescences. In turn, these inflorescences-baskets are collected in complex corymbose inflorescences reaching up to 10 cm in diameter. Many varieties differ in shades of flowers, flowering times and bush height, the most popular are:

Alba - compact, only about 20 cm high, spherical bush with white dense inflorescences

Blau Kappe is a low (20-30 cm) compact hemispherical shrub with densely pubescent dark green shoots. Inflorescences are medium-sized (5-6 cm in diameter), loose, with short stigmas, lilac-blue. Late variety - flowering begins at the end of June and lasts until October

Blausternchen is a very low (10-15 cm) compact shrub with thin, densely pubescent, dark green shoots with a slight purple bloom. Inflorescences few-flowered, loose, small baskets (up to 1 cm in diameter), blue with a characteristic lilac tint, dark purple in buds. Early variety, flowering begins in early June and lasts until October, demanding on watering

Blue Mink is a low (25-30 cm) columnar compact shrub with thick, weakly leafy strong shoots. Inflorescences are large (up to 2.1 cm in diameter), dense, lilac-blue. Drought tolerant. By the time of flowering - an average variety, flowering begins in mid-June and continues until October.

Ageratum blue

Another name is “Blue Mink”, this variety received because of the specific shade of flowers - pale blue, similar to mink fur. This is a low (up to 25 cm) bush with large (5-8 cm) inflorescences that cover the plant almost completely.

Ageratums are ornamental flowering plants from the Asteraceae family. Their genus is quite numerous and includes about 60 species. Almost all of them are "natives" of Central and North America, but some species can be found in the vastness of East India. Translated from Latin, the official name of the flower means "ageless", and this is true: pretty bushes bloom from the beginning of summer until almost frost, and in the cut they remain fresh for more than a week. For this property of the ageratum, gardeners called it long-flowered. You can grow an "American miracle" on your site from seeds. True, every year you will have to repeat the breeding procedure, since the perennial culture is unable to winter in the open field even in the mildest winters.

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Botanical description

Ageratums are herbaceous or semi-shrub plants from 10 to 50 cm high. Their leaves, rough to the touch, have a variety of shapes: triangular, oval or diamond-shaped, but with unchanged teeth along the edges. In the upper part of the shoots, the leaves are arranged alternately, in the middle and lower - oppositely. The stems are erect or ascending, covered with "fluff" and strongly branched. All varieties of ageratum can be divided into 3 categories depending on the height of an adult plant:

dwarf - up to 20 cm;
medium height - from 20 to 40 cm;
tall - from 40 cm and above.

Miniature flowers with a diameter of 1-1.5 cm are collected in voluminous corymbose inflorescences, the diameter of the flowering "cap" reaches 8-10 cm. The bilobed stigmas of flowers give the ageratum a special decorative effect - they are almost 2 times longer than the perianth and effectively rise above it.

Ageratum flowers

The color of tubular flowers collected in baskets has a lilac-blue gamut: most often there are varieties with blue, blue, lilac, purple colors, but there are modern hybrids with white, yellow, pink and red petals. Inflorescences of plants of the same variety bloom at the same height, forming an impressive flower carpet of numerous fluffy "pompoms". Long-flowered has a slight pleasant smell and attracts bees to the garden.

Popular varieties

Despite some difficulties in growing ageratum, flower growers often use it to decorate a garden or summer cottage. Agrofirms offer a large selection of hybrid varieties obtained as a result of many years of breeding by crossing Houston ageratum (Mexican) with other varieties.

The most popular are varieties.

You can use ageratum in landscape design in different ways:

plant a monophonic or multi-color carpet composition from plants of the same height;
create a spectacular multi-colored ensemble in rock gardens, mixborders, discounts and flower beds;
plant miniature hybrids as a bright, long-blooming border;
decorate street flowerpots and planters with flowering bushes, and with the onset of cold weather, transfer them to a heated room.

Tall varieties are suitable not only for decorating the site - they can be cut and put in a vase to decorate the interior of a room made in any style. Low-growing and dwarf varieties can be grown as a pot crop, provided that the winter is cool.

Variety Blue mink

Growing from seed

Ageratum belongs to heat-loving plants, so it is planted in open ground only after the threat of return frosts has passed. To fully admire the abundant flowering, use the seedling method of growing.

Small numerous long-flowered seeds remain viable for 2-3 years after harvest. They need to be sown in the spring, the optimal time is in mid-March:

Fill seedling boxes or containers with a nutrient soil mixture composed of equal parts of fertile garden soil, peat and coarse sand.
Moisten the substrate in the box from the spray gun and sow the seeds of ageratum from above. Sprinkle the seeds with a layer of soil no more than 1 cm, cover the boxes with future plants with glass or transparent film.
Put the mini-greenhouse in a bright place with an air temperature of + 15 ° C - this mode will be optimal for seed germination.
Every day, remove the shelter from the greenhouse and air the seedlings for 30-60 minutes, wipe the condensate from the glass with an absorbent cloth.
Monitor the condition of the soil in the box and, if necessary, moisten with a sprayer. It is impossible to water the ageratum from the watering can at this time, otherwise small and light seeds will float to the surface or, conversely, go into the deeper layers of the substrate and will not be able to germinate.
After the emergence of seedlings (after about 10-14 days), the glass can be removed, and when the first pair of true leaves is formed, the seedlings must dive for the first time.
The second pick should be carried out 14-20 days after the first transplant. For each seedling, you need to take a separate voluminous pot, as the plants develop quite quickly.

When caring for seedlings at home, it is necessary to keep the soil moist, but not to flood, otherwise the ageratum will wither from excess moisture. The air around the seedlings, on the contrary, should be dry.

2 weeks before the planned landing on a flower bed, seedlings must be accustomed to fresh air: taken out to the balcony or yard, increasing the time of stay every day. This is necessary for the acclimatization of long-flowered flowers, which, after a sharp change in indoor climate to outdoor climate, may stop growing.

Landing in open ground

Planting an ageratum in open ground must begin with the selection of a suitable place:

This flowering culture is photophilous and drought-resistant, so the site for it should be brightly lit throughout the day and protected from the winds.
The soil in the flower bed should be light, drained, nutritious and neutral in acidity.
When planting on infertile or rocky lands, one should not hope for lush flowering, so poor soils must be enriched with humus or compost.
On acidic soils, the plant will not be able to develop normally and will wither. To bring the pH back to normal, ground chalk, dolomite flour or slaked lime must first be added to acidic soil.

It is possible to transfer seedlings to open ground not earlier than the time when the air temperature at night ceases to fall below 0 ° C. Depending on the region, this will be the end of May or the beginning of June.

Having chosen a site that is suitable in all respects, you can plant future bushes in the garden:

Dig planting holes of the same volume as the earthen ball in pots with seedlings, and spill with water.
Place the seedlings in the ground so that the surface of the earth on the site coincides with the level of the soil in the pot.
When planting in a row, maintain a distance of 15-30 cm between specimens. The distance depends on the size of the future bush: tall varieties need to be planted at a greater distance, miniature hybrids closer to each other.

If young plants quickly began to grow and began to stretch, they must be cut to properly form a bush and stimulate numerous flowers.

Flowerbed with ageratums, made in the Mexican style

Care rules

If the procedures for growing seedlings and transferring them to the site were carried out correctly, then further care for the long-flowered plant will not cause any special problems. For normal development and lush flowering, traditional agricultural practices will be required:

Watering. Carry out as the topsoil dries up, avoiding stagnation of moisture and acidification of the soil. Water under the root, avoiding water on the leaves and flower caps.
Weeding. After the next watering, carefully loosen the plantings and remove weeds.
Top dressing. Feed every 2-3 weeks with a humic or complex mineral composition for flowering crops. As an organic fertilizer, you can use mullein infusion diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10. With the beginning of autumn, stop feeding.
Cut. Cut off faded corymbose inflorescences in a timely manner so that the plant directs its forces not to seed maturation, but to the formation of new flowers.

You should not get carried away with frequent feeding of the ageratum, otherwise it will begin to grow shoots and foliage, and flowering will become rare or completely stop.

Ageratum does not tolerate frost, even if you cover it for the winter. At the end of the summer season, the bed must be freed, and the long-flowered bushes must be disposed of. If you want to keep a rare hybrid variety or just a beautiful flowering specimen, you can transplant it into a pot and transfer it to the house. Best of all, the flower will feel at a temperature of + 15 ° C, so a greenhouse, a winter garden, an insulated loggia or a hall of a municipal institution are suitable for it. In the spring, the saved bushes can be planted in open ground or used for propagation.

Ageratum can be propagated not only by growing from seeds, but also by rooting apical cuttings. They must be cut in the spring from the mother bush and planted in the same substrate that was used for sowing the seeds. Cover the cuttings with glass or polymer transparent jars and root at a temperature of +18...+20 °C. This method is excellent for propagating hybrid varieties labeled F1, the seeds of which, collected by oneself, do not germinate.

Diseases and pests

Long-flowered can not boast of high resistance to diseases and pests. Among the dangerous infections pursuing the culture, the leading place is occupied by root rot. It develops with excessive watering and planting in dense heavy soil. Affected specimens must be removed from the site, and neighboring plants should be treated with Bordeaux liquid or a suitable fungicide (Topaz, Champion). A similar "treatment" will be required if signs of a mosaic appear on the leaves of the ageratum. In the future, you need to control watering and avoid droplets of water on the green parts of the ageratum.

Of insects, most often on flowering bushes you can find gall and leaf nematodes, whiteflies, scoops, aphids and spider mites. You can get rid of pests with the help of modern insecticidal preparations: Biotlin, Aktara, Aktellik, Actoverm, Nematofagin BT. Each of the drugs must be used strictly according to the instructions offered by the manufacturer, and follow the rules of individual safety.

Conclusion

Ageratum is a heat-loving perennial crop grown in the open ground of our latitudes as an annual plant. This flower cannot be recommended to novice gardeners, but summer residents with experience can easily cope with growing spectacular, beautifully flowering specimens. And a huge selection of varieties will allow you to realize any floral fantasies and decorate the garden with a bright colorful carpet.

Ageratum, or longevity (lat. Ageratum) is a genus of plants of the Asteraceae family, or Asteraceae, growing mainly in Central and North America, as well as in India. From Latin, the name of the genus is translated as "ageless", since ageratum flowers are able to maintain freshness for a long time. There are about 60 species in the genus. In the middle lane, perennial ageratums are grown as annuals.

Ageratum flower - description

The ageratum flower is a perennial semi-shrub or herbaceous plant with numerous branched erect or ascending pubescent stems from 10 to 50 cm high. The leaves of the ageratum are alternate, serrated along the edge and have a rhombic, oval or triangular shape; the upper ones are located on the petioles, the lower ones are almost sessile. Baskets with a diameter of 1-1.5 cm from fragrant bisexual tubular flowers make up complex corymbs up to 10 cm in diameter. The decorativeness of the inflorescences is achieved due to the two-lobed stigmas, which usually rise strongly above the perianth, and the baskets seem fluffy. Ageratums bloom profusely from early summer to the first cold weather. Undersized representatives of the genus form flower arrows in several tiers, while in taller ageratums, flower stalks are located on the same level. In early September, the fruits of the ageratum ripen - five-sided achenes with a tuft, in which there are seeds that remain viable for up to three years.

Some types of ageratum are toxic, and the Houston (Houston) ageratum most commonly grown in culture has carcinogenic properties and provokes liver disease.

Sowing ageratum for seedlings

The ageratum plant usually propagates by seeds, and in areas with an early and warm spring, we plant the ageratum directly into the ground, and in regions with a cool climate, it is more reliable to grow this crop in seedlings. When to sow ageratum for seedlings? Sowing is carried out from mid-March to early April: from the moment of emergence of seedlings to the beginning of flowering, 2-2.5 months usually pass.

The substrate for the ageratum, consisting of equal parts of sand, peat and humus, is shed two weeks before sowing with a bright pink solution of potassium permanganate, and then placed in heat so that the microflora useful for plants is restored in the soil after disinfection. Before sowing, ageratum seeds are kept for half an hour in a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate, then dried, mixed with coarse sand, evenly distributed over a wet substrate, and then lightly pressed to the surface and moistened from a sprayer. Then the crops are covered with a film or glass and kept at a temperature of 20-25 ºC, regularly airing and, if necessary, moistening the substrate by spraying.

Ageratum seedling care

Shoots will begin to appear in 10-14 days, and at this time the temperature of the content should not be lower than 25 ºC, and as soon as the germination of seeds becomes massive, the cover is removed from the crops, and the containers are moved under bright diffused light. At the stage of development of two pairs of true leaves, seedlings dive into separate cups 5x5 cm in size, since the ageratum develops quite quickly, and it will be difficult for you to remove the bushes from the common container before planting in open ground without damaging the root system of a neighboring plant. 2-3 days after picking, the seedlings are fed with a weak solution of complex mineral fertilizer, and when the seedlings become crowded in pots, they dive again into cups or larger peat pots.

The first day or two after picking, the plants are shaded from strong light, but then for their growth and development you will need good lighting and regular watering, which is carried out in the morning.

Planting ageratum in open ground

When to plant ageratum in the ground

Seedlings are transplanted into open ground after the threat of return frosts has passed, since the ageratum does not tolerate even a slight cold snap. Two weeks before planting, seedlings begin to accustom themselves to the environment in which they will soon find themselves: seedlings are taken out daily to a balcony or to a corner of the garden protected from drafts, gradually increasing the duration of the session. When the seedlings can spend the whole day outdoors, choose a cloudy day or time after sunset and start transplanting young ageratums into a flower garden.

How to plant ageratum

For growing ageratum, you need a bright area, protected from the wind. The optimal soil for the plant is a light, nutritious, but not too oily soil of a neutral reaction. Ageratum will not grow on wet and rocky soils.

Before planting, level the area well and dig holes at a distance of at least 15 cm from each other for undersized varieties and 20-25 cm for tall ones. Transfer the seedling along with the earthen clod into the hole and fill the remaining space with soil. After planting, lightly tamp the surface of the site and water each bush liberally.

Care for ageratum in the garden

How to care for ageratum

Planting an ageratum and leaving it in the open field will not require excessive effort from you. Even in the seedling period, if the seedlings are strongly drawn out, they are pinched so that they begin to bush. In the future, the density, splendor and compactness of the bushes is maintained by pinching and trimming too long shoots. Otherwise, care for the ageratum consists of watering, fertilizing, loosening the soil on the site, removing weeds and dried baskets.

Watering the ageratum

Water the ageratum in the flower bed as the topsoil dries up, and light sandy soil requires more frequent watering than relatively heavy loamy soil. However, no matter what soil the ageratum grows on, keep in mind that it tolerates drought more easily than waterlogging. For irrigation, water settled and heated in the sun is used, and after moistening, the surface should be loosened shallowly, while removing weeds.

Top dressing ageratum

Growing ageratum involves the introduction of fertilizing into the soil. During the growing season, the ageratum in the ground is fed two to three times. The first top dressing with a solution of the mineral complex for decorative flowering plants is carried out a week after the seedlings are planted in the ground, and the second time the same fertilizers are applied to the site during the budding period. Whether the ageratum needs a third top dressing, you will determine during flowering: if it is not as plentiful as expected, and the color of the leaves and flowers is not bright enough, it may make sense to apply mineral fertilizers to the soil for the third time. Ageratum should not be fed with organics and complexes with a high concentration of nitrogen, as it will begin to increase leaf mass to the detriment of flowering.

Ageratum after flowering

The ageratum grown in an annual culture, after losing its decorative effect, is disposed of: the bushes are pulled out, and the site is dug up just before the onset of cold weather. But the most attractive bush can be transplanted into a pot and kept for a week in a cool room so that the plant goes into a dormant state, in which it will remain until spring. And with the onset of March, the bush is divided into cuttings, which, after rooting, will give new plants. If you do not have a need to propagate the ageratum, then simply shorten the shoots on the bush and plant the plant in the ground in the second half of May.

Reproduction of ageratum

Ageratum reproduces not only by seeds, but also vegetatively - by cuttings. The cuttings are cut in March from the shoots of a bush that overwintered indoors. The lower oblique cut of the cuttings is treated with a root former - Kornevin or Heteroauxin, after which the cuttings are planted in a moist substrate and each is covered with a glass jar or plastic bottle with a cut neck. Rooting lasts about three weeks, and after another month, new shoots will begin to develop in the cuttings. Rooted cuttings are planted in the garden at the same time as the seedlings of the ageratum.

Pests and diseases of ageratum

Ageratum diseases and their treatment

The reason for the indisposition of the ageratum is usually a violation of the rules of agricultural technology of culture. For example, excessive watering causes the development root rot, and the plant gradually fades, losing leaves and petals. At the first signs, the affected specimens must be removed from the site, and the plants that have not yet become ill, and the soil under them, should be treated with a solution of Oksihom or Fundazol.

But it is much worse if the ageratum begins to develop cucumber mosaic is a viral disease for which there is no cure. First, a yellow speck appears on the leaves, then the specks begin to increase in size, merge, and soon the leaf plate acquires a variegated color. Gradually, neighboring plants also become infected. The virus destroys tissue cells, as a result of which entire sections of terrestrial organs die, and then the entire plant dies. You can only fight the mosaic with preventive measures, preventing the development of infection, but if this viral disease nevertheless appeared on the site, at the first sign of it, remove and burn diseased specimens until they infect healthy plants. The development of cucumber mosaic and other viral diseases can be prevented by presowing disinfection of seeds and seedling substrate. After the autumn disposal of the ageratum bushes, do not forget to dig up the area and remove even minor plant debris from it, because mosaic pathogens may remain on them. Throughout the spring-summer season, regularly destroy weeds: sucking insects that are carriers of viral diseases often come to cultivated plants from weeds.

Ageratum pests and their control

Of the pests of ageratum, spider mites and whiteflies are the most annoyed. Due to its small size, it is time to detect the presence spider mites on the bushes is almost impossible, and the problem is detected only when the pests breed and begin to weave their thin web. But if you make it a rule to regularly inspect the ageratum bushes, then small light punctures that appear on the leaves, which gradually increase in number and size, will tell you that spider mites have settled on the plant. While there are few pests, you can drive them away by giving the plants a shower after sunset for several days in a row: ticks cannot live in an environment with high humidity. But if the arthropods have bred, you will have to resort to the help of acaricidal preparations: Akarina, Nissorana, Apollo or Aktellika.

whitefly easy to detect: just shake a couple of shoots, and you will see small white moths that look like moths soar above the bush. Feeding on the cell sap of the ageratum, whiteflies, like spider mites, inhibit it, the plant weakens and stops developing. In addition, both whiteflies and mites are carriers of the cucumber mosaic virus. You can destroy whiteflies with insecticides, for example, Bankol, Tanrek or Aktara. To process the ageratum on the leaves, you need to prepare a solution in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

In culture, only two types of ageratum are found.

Ageratum conyzoides (Ageratum conyzoides) - a plant with broadly lanceolate leaves with a blunt top, the base of which smoothly passes into the petiole. The inflorescences of this species are small and not very attractive. You can find cone-shaped ageratum only in the gardens of collectors.

Ageratum Houston, or Mexican ageratum ( Ageratum houstonianum = Ageratum mexicanum) found wild in the territory from Mexico to Peru and is a shrub or herbaceous plant with numerous pubescent stems. Actually, we gave a description of this species at the beginning of the article, since it is the Mexican ageratum that represents its genus in horticultural culture. This species has many varieties that differ in flowering time, flower color, bush size, shape of inflorescences and leaves. Ageratum dwarf, reaching a height of no more than 15 cm, is called pumilum, and varieties of medium height (about 30 cm) - nanum. The following varieties of Mexican Ageratum are most often grown:

Alba- a compact spherical bush up to 20 cm high with white, dense inflorescences;
Blaukappe- hemispherical compact bush up to 30 cm high with densely pubescent dark green shoots and loose inflorescences 5-6 cm in diameter from lilac-blue baskets with short stigmas;
Blausternchen- an early variety 10-15 cm high with thin branched shoots of dark green color with a purple bloom and loose, few-flowered inflorescences from blue baskets with a lilac tint, reaching a diameter of no more than 1 cm. In buds, the baskets are dark purple;
Blue Ball- a late variety, representing a low, almost spherical bush up to 18 cm high with thick and strong densely pubescent shoots and large leaves, pubescent on the underside of the plate. Baskets are dense, with long stigmas, up to 17 mm in diameter, dark lilac-blue;
Little Dorrit- an early variety with compact hemispherical bushes, strong, slightly pubescent shoots, small round-rhombic leaves on long petioles and many-flowered loose inflorescences from light blue baskets up to 13 mm in diameter;
Red C- a compact bush up to 55 cm high with powerful erect densely leafy stems and red inflorescences unusual for ageratum.

Tetra Varie (blue ageratum), Summer Snow (white ageratum), Blue Perfection and Blue Mink (lilac-blue ageratum), Fire Pink (pink ageratum) are also popular.

Recently, gardeners prefer to grow heterotic hybrids of ageratum(F1) characterized by compactness, fast development, earlier, more abundant and longer flowering and also uniformity in many ways, which makes them ideal border plants. The most popular hybrids are:

Adriatic- a plant 15-20 cm high with blue baskets;
Atlantic- bushes about 20 cm high with purple-blue baskets;
Blue Ribbon- early variety up to 17 cm high with blue baskets;
ocean- also an early variety with light blue baskets;
Nose Xi- a variety with dark blue baskets with a purple tint;
Purple Fields- a hybrid variety that received a special award in 2000. In height, a bush with purple baskets can reach 25 cm, but it spreads on the ground to a width of up to 30 cm, which is why it was called "purple fields";

A series of varieties of Hawaii mixed represents compact plants up to 15 cm high, the baskets of which can be painted in white, blue, pink and purple.

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Ageratum (long-flowered) is a beautiful plant that came to us from Central America, East India 2 centuries ago. Its natural habitat is the hot and humid tropics, and in our climate it grows as an annual.

Ageratum does not adapt well to soil, temperature fluctuations, and water. But this does not stop flower growers, and the plant adorns the backyards of many summer cottages. In translation, the name ageratum sounds like “ageless”, and it is very suitable for an overseas flower - after cutting, the flowers retain their freshness for a long time.

Ageratum is a small bush, the stems of which can reach a height of 60 cm. It has dense rich green stems that are crowned with small fragrant flowers. From afar, several bushes of flowering ageratum resemble a flat field of lilac, blue and white, pale pink. There is also a purple, burgundy, yellow shade of ageratum.

For 1 season, more than 10 thousand seeds can be collected from a flower bush, which remain viable for more than 3 years. Unfortunately, this flower is not adapted to the harsh climate of Russia and the CIS countries, and it will need to be planted every year. Note that flower lovers know how to grow ageratum at home, but we will talk about this a little later.

In its natural environment, this flower is a perennial.

Varieties of ageratum

There are a lot of species of this plant, but in our climate in a greenhouse, in open ground and even in a flowerpot on a window, the following varieties can be grown from seeds:

White ageratum - 20 cm in height, differs in white flowers, as the name implies.
Ageratum Blue Mink is a 25 cm bush that is densely covered with small blue flowers. From afar, they really resemble mink fur, the inflorescence reaches 8 cm in diameter.
Spring drop is a bush that grows up to 30 cm, covered with inflorescences 1.5-2 cm in diameter. It blooms in June and decorates the site until October. The bush is very dense, the inflorescences retain elasticity in the strongest wind.
Snow Ball - the whitest inflorescences on beautiful green stems will complement a bright flower garden. The bush is covered with a large number of inflorescences and blooms in late June - early July.
Blue fairy tale - a plant covered with sky-blue inflorescences. There is also a darker shade of the sea wave. This variety of ageratum is most often used for bright flower beds and is loved by landscape designers.
Blue Lagoon and Dondo are among the tallest varieties of Ageratum, reaching a height of 40-60 cm. The sky-blue bush blooms in June and retains its freshness until the first frost. It is not capricious and can grow in the shade, even withstands a short drought.
And the smallest plant of the genus Ageratum is the hybrid group of Hawaii. The growth of varieties White Hawaii and Royal Hawaii does not exceed 18 cm. Each variety is dwarf, but this does not diminish their beauty during flowering with snow-white flowers.
Faye Pink and Bonjour seed mixture - dark pink and burgundy flowers, reaching a height of 30–35 cm. Inflorescences no more than 5 cm in diameter.

The most popular varieties in addition to the above are Blue Clutch, White Ball and Blue Ball, Blue Mink, Houston, Leda, Mexican, Cloud Nine.

We have chosen a variety, and now it's time to move on to planting seeds in the ground. And you can see photos of different varieties of ageratum in the gallery.

Soil, sowing and growing from seeds of overseas ageratum

To begin with, the seeds of this plant are very small, almost like strawberry or coleus seeds, so be careful when planting them in open ground.

It is best to plant in the second half of March, when the weather returns to normal and there is no threat of late frosts. It can be planted in open ground, but some gardeners recommend planting in boxes. When planting seeds, it germinates better in greenhouse conditions, and if cold weather happens, the seeds will not die.

Under the seedlings, take a wooden box that needs to be filled with simple soil with organic top dressing. The soil can also be prepared in the following proportion: equal parts of sand, peat, humus.

To plant seeds, loosen the ground, remove about 1-1.5 cm of the top layer and you can carefully sow the seeds, then cover them with earth. No need to bury the seeds too deep: they simply cannot get out from under a thick layer of earth. Also, do not tamp the earth too much, spill it with water. The soil should be fluffy, airy.

Mini greenhouse for seedlings

After all these manipulations, sprinkle the ground with water from a spray bottle and cover with a film to create a greenhouse. From watering from a watering can or cup, the water is washed out, and the seeds are washed out from under the earth layer.

Put the finished greenhouse in a warm place, ideal - under the first rays of the sun. The nights in March are cold, so take the box with future seedlings into the house for the night. The temperature for the growth of seedlings should be above 15 degrees. It is also necessary to regularly ventilate and water the seeds, remove the film during the day for 30 minutes or 1 hour.

By the way, if you don’t want to plant and personally grow the ageratum, then at the end of April just advertise “I will buy ageratum seedlings”. And that's all, this pleasure is inexpensive, and it is not so difficult to germinate seedlings in the open field.

When is the ageratum picking made, and why is it needed?

5 days after planting, expect the first shoots, on the 7th day you can already see thin stems. When they appear, the film is removed and they wait until the plant throws out 1-2 leaves. The development of the ageratum is proceeding rapidly, therefore, when you see the first leaves, pick the seedlings in different pots. If they are cramped, then the bush will form incorrectly or completely stop growing.

Picking in the case of ageratum is simply necessary, and in order for this process to be less painful for the plant, it is better not to delay it. The fact is that plants grown from seeds begin to pull useful substances from the soil, their roots can intertwine, and if they are not planted, then 20% of seedlings die.

If you do not want to pick after the seedlings germinate, then you can do it easier: plant the seeds in different cups or pots. Make holes from below to drain excess water and ventilation; in the first phase of growth, the root system of any plant needs oxygen.

But the ageratum dive twice: after the first shoots and 2-3 weeks after the planting of the grown seedlings. After the second transplant, the plant in warmth and with moderate humidity waits for its finest hour - transplanting into the soil.

When to plant ageratum in the ground?

There is no exact information about the planting of ageratum in the soil in our climatic environment. This can be done in mid-May, if the weather is hot and the soil has already warmed up. Even the hottest sun will not warm up deep layers of soil, groundwater in 2-3 days. It is best to start a transplant in late May or early June, so that the plant takes root, then in 20-30 days the first color of the ageratum will bloom.

When transplanting a flower, remember that he is afraid of hard soil with acidic water that has stagnated. Under such conditions, the plant will get sick, its sore spot is root rot. Choose a piece of land that is well lit by the sun, but do not plant the plant under direct rays. And when making out the plot, try not to cover the ageratum with high-growing flowers.

So, we have chosen a well-lit piece of the garden without a strong shadow, and now we need to dig holes for the number of seedlings. The distance between the bushes should be 20-30 cm, and the holes should be well shed with water. When the water leaves a little, we plant seedlings. You can not plant an ageratum in soil fertilized with manure - it dies.

How to save a plant until next year: propagation by cuttings

In addition to growing from seeds (and this is the most popular option), ageratum is propagated by cuttings. Not all gardeners know about this, but cuttings are also very convenient. After all, you can save the plant until next year, so as not to worry about the seeds in the future. How to do it?

In anticipation of the first frosts, you need to dig out the most beautiful bushes and carefully transplant them into large pots. Put the pots on the windowsill in the room, kitchen, the flower will winter well on the balcony, the room just needs to be warm. Under such conditions, the ageratum may bloom for several more months, and in March you will dig up the queen cells or cut the cuttings.

Everything, the new ageratum seedlings for the garden are ready. They are planted in a greenhouse in early March or in boxes at the end of March, waiting for germination and decorating the site.

You can learn more about how to plant, dive and grow a beautiful ageratum from the training video.

How to feed a flowering ageratum?

After planting in open soil, the flower blooms very quickly, and it is necessary to feed it during this period 3 times a week. Mineral and organic fertilizers are suitable for it, but fresh manure should not be used.

From abundant top dressing from organic matter, the plant "fattens" and dissolves a very powerful bush. At the same time, the colors and inflorescences of the ageratum are small and dim.

Planting and care in the open field

Almost all plant varieties tolerate a short drought with ease, and growing ageratum is a very simple task. You should not worry about wintering, even if it is not possible to propagate the plant by cuttings, then from 1 gram of the fruit of the bush you will get up to 7–8 thousand fresh seeds.

For lush flowering, ageratum needs abundant watering, only with enough moisture does it become lush and fluffy. But even in watering, you need to know the measure: do not allow the formation of a puddle in the hole, the earth should be evenly damp.

Ageratum inflorescences respond well to shearing and removing dried inflorescences, which happens to him quite often. The more often you cut dried inflorescences, the sooner new ones will grow. Note that even after an almost complete haircut, 2/3 of the ageratum bush is covered with new flowers in record time.

An obligatory stage of care is weeding, because it simply suffocates a low-growing plant. When removing the weed, do not forget to fluff the ground under the ageratum bush to provide oxygen to the root system.

Diseases and problems that can be encountered during the cultivation of ageratum

Soil with stagnant water is detrimental to this flower, as we have said. But this is not the only problem that you encounter in the process of growing ageratum. Excessive moisture leads to moldy plants, you can determine this by bloom, darkening and a layer of mold on the leaves and stem.

Fungal diseases in these plants are treated by complete pruning of all affected parts. If the fungus has been started, then all infected sprouts must be removed. You can save the rest of the flowers of this variety by transplanting to a warmer place. Be sure to pre-treat the prepared soil with a fungicide, this is an antifungal agent that destroys mold.

Of the pests and diseases that are terrible for ageratum, the following can be distinguished:

Spider mite.
Greenhouse whitefly.
Cucumber mosaic.
Root rot (rot).
Nematodes.

To remove pests and diseases, a standard set of products is used, which can be bought at flower shops.

Pinching a plant

Growing and caring for the ageratum will give its results - a plant of incredible beauty blooms on the site, which resembles a sea of \u200b\u200bflowers. In the general sea of flowers, ageratum becomes a tint note and pleases with its color until the first frost.

If you plan to make the ageratum the main decoration of the landscape, then you can plant 2 seedlings of the Mexican or Hawaii variety in the hole. You can pinch even at the time of flowering - the plant will not shed its leaves, and you can form a beautiful ball. Pinching is carried out over 3-4 top leaves, and after pruning, be sure to loosen the ground and apply fertilizer.

Ageratum as a bouquet decoration and landscape design element

Low-growing varieties of ageratum grow in floors, which will allow you to create curbs on the site. You can also use undersized hybrid varieties of Hawaii to divide the flower bed into colored zones. The palette of shades of ageratum flowers is so diverse and colorful that it is called a fluffy miracle.

A large number of flowers are intertwined with each other, creating a hedge. For this type of design, it is worth choosing high-growing varieties of ageratum flowers, as evidenced by the reviews of some gardeners.

Plants are low, up to 35-40 cm, feel great in pots. They are often used to decorate hotel lobbies, patios, balconies, verandas and other indoor and outdoor spaces.

Landscape designers and gardeners respect the ageratum for its unpretentiousness, good seed germination and excellent combination with other flowers in compositions. Ageratum of blue and lilac shades looks great next to the yellow and orange flowers of calendula, salvia, alyssum.

And the red, white and yellow color of the ageratum is good when next to marigolds, bindweed, undersized asters, petunia, begonia and verbena will fit into the composition.

Ageratum is a fairly popular plant, which is increasingly used to decorate gardens and home gardens. In the landscape, it is just a picture, and in combination with long flowering and unpretentiousness, it turns into a real find.

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