Verbena

Verbena is native to South America. In areas where winters are characterized by their severity, this herb, which is a perennial, is grown as an annual. At the same time, growers love this plant very much and are ready to grow it annually from seeds in order to admire the beautiful flowers in the summer. However, in order to grow this flower, you need to know when and how to plant it on seedlings or sow in open soil.

Optimal time for sowing verbena seeds

After the verbena has matured, it will take 8 weeks to grow and develop, and then it will begin to bloom. In order for flowering to begin earlier, experienced florists recommend growing this plant in seedlings.

Sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out in the last days of March. Vervain will need to be transplanted into open soil only in the last spring weeks. At the beginning of the summer period, such plants will already begin to bloom.

You can also sow directly into open ground. And this is best done at the very end of April. The fact is that this plant is not frost-resistant, and a temperature of less than minus 3 degrees will be fatal for it.

Features of planting and growing

Seed preparation for sowing

The seeds of different plants can differ significantly from each other. That is why, in one case, it is necessary to prepare them before planting, and in the other, such events will not be required. So, it is necessary to prepare for sowing those seeds that have a sufficiently thick skin. They are prepared very simply. Seeds are laid out on a wet hygroscopic cloth. Then everything is wrapped and placed in a polyethylene bag. After that, the seeds are placed in the refrigerator (on the bottom shelf). They must stay there for 5 days. This procedure allows you to increase the percentage of germination and accelerate the appearance of the first shoots.

What to choose: growing through seedlings or sowing in open ground?

It is worth remembering that several hybrid varieties have seeds that germinate very poorly (germination rate of about 30 percent). Therefore, experts recommend growing verbena through seedlings. And this method will also help to bring the flowering time of these wonderful plants closer. However, if you do not want to mess with seedlings, or there is simply no time for this, then it is quite possible to sow seeds in open soil.But the seeds should be sown thicker, because not all will sprout. When the plants grow up, they can be transplanted if necessary.

Seedling care

As mentioned above, it is recommended to sow on the last days of March. This is done as follows:

1. Fill the box with humus soil or sand and spread the prepared seeds over the surface.
2. On top you need to pour a thin layer of humus or sand.
3. Pour, and cover the box on top with foil or transparent glass.
4. For seeds to germinate, they need a temperature of 18 to 20 degrees. Do not forget to systematically ventilate the soil, removing the shelter for a while.
5. As a rule, the first shoots appear only after 3 weeks. After the seedlings appear, the air temperature should be lowered slightly.
6. Watering is done after the topsoil dries out. It is recommended to water with a spray.
7. When verbena has 4 real leaves, it will need to be dived into separate pots or cups.
8. After half a month after transplanting, young plants need to be fed with mineral fertilizers.
9. To increase branching, it is necessary to cut off the top of the plant over 5–6 leaves.

Suitable plot of land for planting

A well-lit area with loamy soil saturated with nutrients is suitable for growing verbena. If the soil is clayey and strong, it can be improved by adding sand.

Transplanting

Make a hole and place a drainage layer on the bottom. The distance between the bush of compact varieties should be about 20 centimeters, and between the creeping ones - about 30 centimeters.

Care features

In order for verbena to delight you with its flowering for a long time, you must adhere to the following care rules:

1. Verbena is a moisture-loving plant, but it should be borne in mind that it does not tolerate stagnant water in the ground quite well. From the middle of the summer period, each time the plant needs to be watered less and less.
2. Lonely growing bushes should be weeded regularly. The plants planted by a group, growing, do not allow weeds to grow.
3. It is necessary to systematically loosen the soil, which will help increase its air permeability. Remember to remove the crust that appears after the plant has been watered.
4. In order not to weed and loosen the soil, you can resort to mulching. So, for this, the soil surface should be covered with leaf mulch.
5. During the season, 3 additional fertilizing with complex mineral fertilizers and 1 organic fertilizers should be carried out.
6. To significantly prolong flowering, it is necessary to promptly cut off fading inflorescences. The fact is that they significantly weaken the vervain. In this case, the plant will bloom until the first autumn frosts.

Now you know how to grow incredibly spectacular and long-blooming vervain in your area. It is not so difficult to look after her, but she will delight with her bright flowers for quite a long time.

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