How to properly plant and care for godetia outdoors

The home plot is wonderfully decorated with lush flower beds that continuously bloom with a variety of buds. Godetia is perfect for planting in front of the house. Growing these vibrant flowers won't be too much of a hassle as they don't require specific care and growth conditions.

Varieties of flowers

The native land of this annual herb is Southern California, where dozens of varieties of godetia are widespread. In our country, people use it to decorate the borders in parks, to decorate flower beds, and are often planted in flower boxes on the balcony.

There are several popular varieties that are best planted for our latitudes.

• Large-flowered godetia. It differs from other species in very large flowers. Some of them reach about 10 cm in diameter. The fragile stems grow up to 40 cm, and flowering continues from July to mid-autumn. There are many hybrids of this variety that are commonly used in landscape design.
• Lovely godetia. High grade. The length of the stems of an adult plant is 60 cm. The flowers are not very large, but bright and catchy. Growing this species requires the installation of a support in order to tie up the thin stem.
• Terry godetia. This artificially bred hybrid is distinguished by its special grace and beauty. Green stems of medium length are decorated with elongated leaves. Terry velvety flower petals are brightly colored. It ranges from white and pink to deep reds. Among the varieties of terry flowers, one can single out "Diamond", "Rembrandt" and "Bride".

Advice

If you are interested in growing godetia on the balcony or in hanging pots, consider the large-flowered variety. It is very decorative, it forms a bush better and therefore looks more advantageous in such conditions. For cutting flowers and making bouquets from them, it is advisable to use high varieties.

Outdoor cultivation

Godetia are planted only by seeds. In southern Russia, they can be sown directly into open ground, and in cooler climates, it is advisable to germinate seedlings first.

Advice

Do not forget to soak the godetia seeds for an hour in a weak manganese solution before planting. This will make them less vulnerable to disease and pests.

In order for godetia to bloom magnificently in mid-summer, planting is done in late April or early May.

1. First of all, prepare the garden bed. Choose a sunny area, apply mineral fertilizers to it, sprinkle the soil with wood ash and add 5 kg of humus for every 1 m² area.
2. Dig up the ground thoroughly, water and sow the seeds 25 cm apart.
3. If you need to get seedlings as quickly as possible, cover the garden with plastic. Then the plants will hatch in a week.
4. Under normal conditions, godetia will germinate after 14 days. When well cared for, it develops quickly and forms a beautiful bush.

Sowing seeds in autumn

In southern latitudes, many summer residents practice planting godetia seeds before winter. It is believed that such flowers adapt better to the environment and are less likely to get sick.

Sowing begins in late October or early November. It is necessary that the cold weather finally sets in, and at night it will freeze a little. Fertilize and dig up the bed in advance, make grooves on it 5 cm deep. Since the germination of seeds after autumn planting is not very high, sow thickly. Excess seedlings in spring can be gently broken through. There is no need to water the garden.Such care can lead to premature germination if warm weather sets in in late autumn. In the spring, the seeds will have enough water, which is formed as a result of melting snow.

To insulate crops for the winter and prevent the appearance of a thick crust on the soil in the spring, it is advisable to sprinkle the bed with a thin layer of humus or peat.

This method allows the sprouts to appear earlier and speeds up the onset of flowering by 1-2 weeks.

Growing seedlings

Planting seeds for seedlings occurs in mid-spring. To do this, prepare the boxes with holes in the bottom, fill in a layer of drainage and fill the containers with nutrient soil from the store. Moisten the soil with water and sow seeds, which are pre-mixed by half with fine river sand. Cover the boxes with plastic. Care at this time is extremely simple: the film must be removed regularly for airing and watering. When shoots appear, remove the plastic and place the seedlings in a warm, sunny place.

Wait until the godetia has 2-3 leaves and dive it. Prepare small peat pots, carefully place the sprout there with a clod of soil on the root and cover it with earth. Place the plants on the windowsill and proceed as usual. It includes regular watering and weekly feeding, designed to accelerate the growth of flower seedlings. Heteroauxin works well. Dilute 0.1 g of the drug in 3 liters of water and water the seedlings.

At the beginning of the first month of summer, 7-centimeter seedlings are planted in open ground. Do this on a cloudy day or early in the morning, before the sun starts hot. Dig small holes in the flowerbed, pour warm water over them and place the seedlings there.

Since the sprouts are very delicate, the godetia must be planted carefully. Plants are easily injured and may die from this.

How to care for flowers

Godetia care is simple. You need to weed the flower bed regularly. The loose earth promotes rapid plant growth and development.

1. Godetia loves moisture, but does not tolerate stagnant water in the roots. Therefore, water it as soon as the soil in the flowerbed begins to dry out, but do not allow the soil to be excessively dry. Moisten the garden early in the morning so the moisture has time to soak before midday heat, or in the evening, when the heat subsides.
2. Be sure to tie up high grades. For this, wooden or metal stakes are suitable. If you do not provide such care, high godetia will begin to slope down, look undecorated and may wither.
3. Do not forget to remove faded buds in time. This will extend the flowering period of the godetia.

Sometimes, from an excess of moisture, the trunk of the plant begins to rot. If this happens, the flower cannot be saved. Remove it from the garden and burn it to prevent the fungal infection from spreading. If small dark spots appear on the leaves of godetia, it is affected by peronosporosis or rust. At the first sign of illness, purchase a fungicide-based drug and treat the flower bed. In rare cases, the flower is attacked by fleas or aphids. To combat them, you need to use insecticides.

Top dressing

In order for the plant to bloom magnificently, it must be fed. Before the first buds bloom, fertilizer must be applied twice. For the first time, you need to use a nitrophoscope with a high nitrogen content. It will help strengthen the stem and build up green mass. The second time you need to purchase a nitrophoscope with an average content of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus.

When the flowering period comes, godetia should be fed once a month with mineral fertilizers with a low nitrogen content. Apply the preparations according to the instructions, and you will provide complete care for the plants.

When to collect seeds

After the godetia has completely bloomed, small bolls form on the stems. The seeds ripen within a month, and then the capsules begin to darken and dry.Cut them carefully with a knife, open and remove the seeds. Spread the paper in a dark, warm place and spread the seeds on it. Let them dry for a few weeks. Then they can be packed in canvas bags and stored until spring. Or sow in the ground before winter.

Planting godetia from harvested seeds can take four years. All this time, the seeds retain good germination. Be sure to plant a flower in a flower bed, caring for it does not require much effort, and the result will delight you all summer long with exuberant bright colors of flowering buds.