Poor man's orchid or growing schisanthus

The first time they see this plant blooming, many people mistake it for an orchid. But in fact, schisanthus belongs to the Solanaceae family. This plant with flowers of exotic colors and bizarre shapes was even popularly dubbed the “poor man’s orchid.”

Schizanthus bushes are made decorative by scatterings of flowers, albeit small ones (up to 2 cm in diameter), but of such a variety of colors that the eyes run wild: purple, salmon, lilac, red, crimson, yellow, white, pink. Various specks, dots, strokes, and spots on the petals are added to the bright colors.

Growing schisanthus you need to start by choosing the right place in the garden. Preference is given to a sunny area with fertile soil.

Plant feeding is carried out at the height of flowering every week. To do this, use small doses of complex fertilizer for flowering plants.

It is necessary to water the schisanthus so that the soil is slightly moist at all times. Dry air and dry soil are detrimental to the growth and development of plants. Schizanthus will tolerate cool weather more easily than dry conditions.

The plant reproduces by seeds. But first it is grown for seedlings indoors. Sowing of seeds is carried out in March-April. In this case, flowering begins in late June - early July. If you have a heated greenhouse, you can plant seeds much earlier - in January-February. Flowering can then be expected at the end of May.

As you can see, growing schisanthus is not difficult.This is a rather unpretentious and grateful plant.

In the fall, the varieties of schisanthus that particularly appeal to you can be dug up from the flowerbed, transplanted into pots and kept as indoor plants until next spring.

Since schisanthus is a biennial, next year you will again be able to admire its charming flowers by planting the overwintered plant in a flowerbed.