When to plant dimorfoteka

Despite the fact that it is winter outside, gardeners and flower growers are not sitting idle. February is the perfect time to decide on the assortment of flowers that will decorate the garden plots during the season. Most often, the choice of gardeners is influenced by factors such as ease of cultivation, flowering time and the beauty of the inflorescences. One of the popular flowers that are mandatory for planting for many flower growers is Dimorfoteka. Growing from seeds of this unusual and beautiful plant is not particularly difficult.

Brief description of the plant

Dimorfoteka is a low plant intended for growing in a personal plot, in flowerpots, flower beds, on loggias or balconies. But before you grow Dimorfoteka from seeds, it is important to familiarize yourself with the rules of planting and subsequent care.

The homeland of flowers belonging to the Astrov family is South Africa. Occasionally, because the baskets of Dimorfoteka look like Calendula flowers, it is called “Cape marigolds” or “Cape daisies.” Dimorfoteka appeared relatively recently on personal plots. But flower growers have already noted the benefits of this unique plant, which are as follows:

• ease of cultivation;
• long flowering period;
• resistance to many diseases and pests;
• universality.

In its historical homeland, Dimorfoteka, growing in the wild, is a perennial. But flower beds and flower beds are decorated in most cases with annual plants bred by breeders.

Flowers Dimorfoteka resemble modest, but beloved by all large, garden daisies. That’s just the color scheme of the reed petals is represented by a variety of colors. They can be snow-white, pale cream, yellow, orange, pink, burgundy, lilac. The centers of the flowers are usually a few shades darker than the petals.

The first buds appear on Cape Marigolds 3 months after planting the seeds. Dimorfoteka blooms luxuriantly in sunny weather. Bright, beautiful flower beds look like a fairy carpet. In cloudy weather and as evening approaches, the inflorescences close.

The height of the Dimorfoteka varies from 20 cm to 40 cm, depending on the variety. The size of the flowers is from 6-7 to 10 cm in diameter. Lush and long flowering Dimorfoteka, grown from seeds, will delight flower growers from mid-June to the end of August.

Thanks to the tireless work of breeders, over the past decade, more than 20 types of Dimorphotheca have been bred, the color scheme of which is simply amazing. But the most widespread at the moment in Our Country are only three types:

• Dimorphotheca notched. Differs in a peculiar form of leaves. Plant height 30-40 cm. Flowers up to 7 cm in diameter. Orange or yellow inflorescences with a dark brown center. Dimorfoteka blooms very plentifully, covering home gardens with a bright, luxurious carpet.
• Dimorfoteka rain. Plants are almost half as low, up to 20 cm in height. Petals are white, dark purple at the base. The underside of the petals is also purple. The size of the inflorescences can reach up to 10-12 cm in diameter.

  

• Dimorfoteka hybrid. An annual plant with a height of 15 to 40 cm. Flower baskets up to 7 cm in diameter can be of the brightest color: yellow, azure, pink, pale lilac, orange, purple. Most often, seeds for growing Dimorfoteka hybrid are sold in mixtures.

See how beautiful Dimorphoteca flowers are

Growing methods

Dimorphotheca annual is a self-pollinating plant and reproduces mainly by seeds. You can plant flowers immediately in open ground in early to mid-May or grow Dimorfoteka for seedlings.

With a seedless method of growing Dimorphoteka from seeds, the first inflorescences appear on the bushes a month later than with seedlings. That is, you can enjoy the beautiful view of the first flowers only in mid-late July.

Dimorfoteka also reproduces well by self-sowing in central Our Country. Seeds perfectly tolerate winter frosts, and in spring the first shoots appear in the flower garden, which will only need to be thinned out.

If you wish, you can choose the most beautiful and favorite flowers, and as soon as the buds fade, darken and wither, cut off the flower baskets. Dimorfoteka seeds should be dried well in a warm place and sent for storage. Seeds remain viable for two years. Subsequently, the percentage of germination decreases significantly every year.

seedless way

This method of cultivation is not suitable for all regions. Mostly, it is possible to grow Dimorfoteka from seeds immediately in open ground only in the southern and central regions. But in areas with a more severe climate, where spring comes a few weeks later, it is still better to plant Dimorfoteka for seedlings. When to sow seeds, and how to care for plants, you will learn from the article.

 When growing Dimorfoteka in the open field, it is important to follow a few rules:

• The place for the flower garden should be adequately illuminated by the sun’s rays.
• Dimorphotheca critical to moisture.
• Seedlings will require care for several weeks after sowing.

Loose and fertile soil is a prerequisite for the abundant and long flowering of Dimorfoteka. The selected site must be carefully prepared in advance – fertilize and dig.

In mid-late May, the ideal time comes when it is time to plant Dimorphoteka in open ground. The main thing is that the air temperature at night is firmly established at + 8˚С + 10˚С.

It is necessary to sow the seeds of Dimorfoteka in grooves, the distance between which should be at least 15-20 cm. Do not deepen the seeds too much, otherwise the germination process will take too long. The optimal depth is 3-5 mm. Pour the flower bed generously with warm, settled water. The first shoots of Dimorfoteka should appear in 1,5-2 weeks.

A couple of weeks after germination, remove excess seedlings so that the plantings are not too dense. Further care when growing Dimorphoteka from seeds is to carry out standard procedures for each grower:

• watering;
• weeding;
• loosening;
• top dressing.

In mid-late April, the ideal time comes when you can plant Dimorfoteka in greenhouses or greenhouses. After sowing, the land must be covered with a film or lutrasil. When the seedlings grow up, it needs to be transplanted to a permanent place.

Water the flowers as needed, given that Dimorfoteka does not like waterlogging. Feed Cape daisies with mineral complex fertilizers 2-3 times until the first buds appear. Subsequently, it is better to refuse top dressing.

As you can see, growing Dimorphotheca from seeds is a simple process that does not require special skills or abilities.

We sow Cape marigolds for seedlings

Growing Dimorfoteka from seeds for seedlings is the most common method used by most flower growers. And this method has many advantages:

• flowering begins a few weeks earlier, in early June;
• seedlings grown at home are much stronger and more stable than Dimorfoteka planted immediately in the ground;

  

• growing seedlings of Dimorfoteka at home, you will protect your seedlings from the destructive invasion of pests, for which young growth is a favorite delicacy.

In addition, you can carefully plan and plant these unpretentious flowers in your backyard without haste. And with the cultivation of Dimorfoteka from seeds at home, a novice florist will also cope.

Terms of planting

In order for your flower beds to be decorated with the first flowers in early June, the optimal time to plant Dimorfoteka for seedlings comes in late March – early April. In this case, transplanting into open ground is planned for mid-late May.

Residents of the southern regions can sow the seeds of Dimorfoteka a couple of weeks earlier. And in areas with a harsh climate – on the contrary, a couple of weeks later. On average, at least 1,5-2 months should pass from sowing to transplanting into open ground. This time will be enough to grow strong and healthy seedlings of Dimorfoteka.

Therefore, when determining the timing of when to plant Dimorfoteka, be guided by the climate of your region. It is important that at the time of transplanting the seedlings, the threat of spring frosts has passed.

Preparation of suitable containers and soil

When growing Dimorfoteka from seeds at home, it is important to properly prepare the soil. The composition of the soil should be soft, loose and fertile, with a good ability to pass excess moisture.

The soil purchased in special stores is perfectly balanced in terms of the composition of minerals and nutrients and does not need additives or processing before sowing.

But the garden soil before sowing the seeds of Dimorfoteka needs pre-treatment. First of all, the soil must be disinfected. This can be done in two ways.

The first is to abundantly water the earth with a pink solution of potassium permanganate. After that, the soil should be left at room temperature for several days. The second method is to bake the soil in the oven for 30-40 minutes. Water and leave to settle for a day.

Be sure to add peat and sand, as well as humus, to the garden soil. The optimal ratio per 1 kg of garden soil:

• peat – 0,5 kg;
• sand – 0,8 kg;
• humus – 0,5 kg.

Thoroughly mix the soil mixture, water and let it settle for a day.

There is only one requirement for a container for growing seedlings of Dimorfoteka from seeds – the presence of drainage holes. Otherwise, you can pick up a container from the series “what happened to be at hand.” Disposable tableware, plastic and plastic cups, cut bottles, containers – you can use anything.

When growing Dimorphotheca of different varieties, it is advisable to choose different containers and label them in accordance with the name of the variety and the day of planting.

Seedlings of Dimorfoteka grow well in peat pots or tablets, which will allow you to eliminate the picking process and facilitate later transplantation to a permanent place.

Lay a small layer of drainage on the bottom of the prepared containers, and fill 3/4 of the volume with ready-made soil. Spread the seeds of Dimorfoteka on the surface at a distance of 2-2,5 cm from each other. Sprinkle a very thin layer of sand or earth on top, purely symbolically. Moisten the plantings with a spray bottle, cover with foil or glass, and place in a warm place.

The temperature in the room where Dimorphoteka seedlings are grown should not fall below +16˚С +18˚С. Landings should be aired daily and moistened as needed. As soon as the first green sprouts appear, that is, 7-10 days after sowing, remove the shelter and place the container with Dimorfoteka seedlings on the windowsill.

Dive seedlings

Before embarking on a dive, it is worth mentioning that Dimorphoteka at any stage of cultivation is difficult to tolerate a transplant. Therefore, flowers should be dived as early as possible and with extreme caution so as not to damage the root system.

Dimorfoteka, grown from seeds at home, despite its unpretentiousness in cultivation and care, has a very weak root system, which is difficult to recover even after the slightest damage.

It is advisable to start diving Dimorfoteka when 2-3 pairs of true leaves appear on the seedlings. Moisten the seedlings the day before transplanting so that the picking process goes without complications.

Prepare in advance the soil and bulk containers, or disposable cups with drainage holes at the bottom. It is necessary to dive seedlings exclusively by the transshipment method, that is, together with a clod of earth.

When diving seedlings of Dimorfoteka grown from seeds into boxes or containers, the distance between seedlings should be at least 10-12 cm. In general, Dimorfoteka’s picking is not much different from a traditional transplant:

• in containers on the bottom of which drainage is laid, pour the prepared soil;
• make a small hole and pour some water into it;
• carefully remove the plants with a clod of earth, trying to keep the roots, and place them in the finished hole;
• fill the free space with soil and again irrigate the soil with a sprayer.

Immediately after picking, the containers with seedlings should be placed in a relatively bright and cool room. Bright sunlight should not fall on young plants. After 3-4 days, when it becomes clear that the seedlings have taken root, you can transfer Dimorfoteka to the windowsill.

Further care involves the implementation of the usual activities:

• moderate watering 1-2 times a week;
• top dressing with mineral fertilizers;
• maintaining an optimal microclimate in the room.

When growing Dimorfoteka from seeds at home, plants are often affected by fungal diseases. To prevent this from happening, it is important to follow the recommendations regarding watering, planting patterns and the microclimate of the room where the containers are located.

Transplantation in open ground

In mid-late May, when good weather finally sets in and the threat of spring frosts passes, Dimorphoteka seedlings grown from seeds at home are ready for transplanting into open ground. But before that, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work:

• choose the right place for Dimorfoteka
• prepare the ground;
• harden seedlings.

An ideal place for growing Dimorfoteka would be a well-lit area. Flowers react relatively calmly to piercing winds. But pay attention to the occurrence of groundwater. Those places where groundwater passes too close to the soil surface are not suitable for a future flower bed.

Before planting seedlings of Dimorfoteka, the soil must be fertilized, if necessary, add sand and humus, and carefully dig.

It is necessary to harden the seedlings of Dimorfoteka grown at home gradually. Take out containers with seedlings daily to the street. In the early days, the hardening time should not exceed 1-1,5 hours. It is advisable to place boxes with young plants in the shade so that the bright sun does not burn the delicate foliage.

Now you can start transplanting Dimorphoteca into open ground. The optimal distance between the planting holes should be at least 15-20 cm. Cape daisies grow beautifully.

Transplant seedlings of Dimorfoteka using the transshipment method. Remove the plants from the container along with a clod of earth, place them in the prepared holes, and fill the empty space with soil. Compact the soil slightly at the base of the seedlings and water the flowers with warm water.

Dimorfoteka can be grown not only in flower beds or in a flower bed, but also in discounts, flowerpots, containers. Abundantly and for a long time flowering plants will decorate gazebos, loggias, balconies for a long time.

Further Care

The subsequent care of Dimorphoteka grown from seeds differs little from standard work in a flower garden.

Flowers need regular weeding and loosening. Weeds can cause not only a decrease in flowering, but also the emergence and spread of fungal diseases.

Dimorfoteka should be watered as needed. Pay close attention to the condition of the soil. Plants tolerate drought very well. But the slightest stagnation of moisture immediately affects their condition.

Dimorfoteka, grown from seeds at home, needs regular fertilizing with mineral fertilizers for lush flowering. Fertilize the flowers for the first time 10-15 days after transplanting. Subsequent feedings are carried out with a break of 3-4 weeks. With the advent of the first buds on the bushes of Dimorfoteka, fertilizers must be abandoned.

Diseases and pests

When growing Dimorphoteka from seeds, insect pests bypass flower beds and flower beds. But fungal diseases can often affect these beautiful and unusual plants.

The main causes of gray or root rot are non-compliance with the rules of agricultural technology and the recommended planting pattern. If the first signs of illness appear, immediately stop watering and loosen the soil in the flower garden well.

Severely affected parts of the plant must be removed from the site. If necessary, thin out and treat Dimortoteka with a Bordeaux mixture or preparations containing copper.

Conclusion

Growing Dimorfoteka from seeds on a personal plot is an interesting and exciting activity. A novice florist can also cope with this simple matter. And the reward for your labors and cares will be a colorful and delightful floral carpet stretching at your feet.