Cleome - a grandiose flower in the garden, description and cultivation
There are flowers that are not only ubiquitous, but also capable of, if not correcting any shortcomings of a flower garden or garden, then at least covering up and camouflaging unsuccessful plantings. One of these is a flower cleome (cleome). It’s worth getting to know this wonderful plant better.
Content:
Description of the cleome plant
Cleome is an annual or biennial herbaceous or semi-shrub plant from the Cleome family, order Brassicas. The genus is quite numerous, it includes more than 170 species. These flowers grow almost everywhere:
- in Europe
- in North Africa
- in America
The stems of cleome are straight, quite powerful, with developed branching in the upper part. The height of the stems is up to 150 cm. At the bottom, the stem may have lignified areas. Leaves, shoots covered with hairs. The hairs are glandular and sticky. The leaves are petiolate, alternate, imparipinnate. A light green leaf of five, less often seven, leaflets.
The flowers have long stalks and four petals. The flowers are up to 3 cm in diameter. The petals are most often in all shades of pink, purple; you can find cleome with white, lilac, purple or yellow flowers. The flowers are collected in loose clusters. In place of the flowers, a pod-like fruit ripens - a box up to 3 cm in size. Many types of cleome have flowers that look like spiders. For this similarity in Russia the flower was called spider.
And in England, cleome is called a spider plant precisely because of its appearance, and not because of its predatory habits. This appearance of cleome is given by elongated thin stamens. Most species bloom for a very long time. In autumn, until frost, you can observe both flowers and ripe fruits on the plant. In the wild, amateur gardening and landscaping of populated areas, you can most often find the following species of this plant:
- cleome prickly
- grayish cleome
- cleome birdfoot
It is noteworthy that grayish cleome is used in the Caucasian republics as a spicy seasoning with a mustard taste. Cleome decorates the garden both in single and group plantings. Looks good next to it with evergreens. You can plant cleome quite densely and it will create a background for other low-growing flowers.
Cleome has a very pleasant, delicate smell; it attracts many pollinating insects, so you can place vegetable beds next to it. Some of the plant's thorniness is completely offset by its spectacular appearance. Before planting cleome, you need to choose a suitable place for it.
Cleome in the garden
Cleome does not require any special requirements from the gardener regarding the planting site and care. A flower is one of those plants that you plant and forget. Cleome will remind you of itself with its chic and unusual flowers. The only thing you need to remember is that cleome is afraid of cold weather. The time to plant in the garden comes after the threat of frost has passed.
Cleome flower on video, overview of the species:
The plant is very sun-loving and heat-loving; it is better to place it in well-lit places. Cleome will grow in the shade, but its varietal qualities will not be fully manifested.The plant needs soil with a neutral reaction; it can be placed on slightly acidic or slightly alkaline soils with good drainage. The plant does not tolerate waterlogging and stagnation of water. Cleome can be watered during particularly dry summers.
Most Popular varieties cleomes:
- Queen Cherry
- Queen purple
- Rosakyonengin, pink flowers
- Giant Pink Cussen, pink flowers, large
- Golden Sparkler, dwarf, yellow
- Helen Kemball, white flowers
- Color Fontaine, multi-colored
If the variety is chosen, then all that remains is to plant it correctly.
Planting and caring for cleome
Cleome propagates by seeds. It can be grown:
- through sowing seedlings
- sowing in the ground before winter
- sowing in the ground in spring
In addition, if there is already cleome in the garden, it has a tendency to self-sow. All that remains is to transplant the seedlings to the right place in the spring. Growing cleome through seedlings is not much different from growing seedlings of other annual flowers. Sowing time is March. The prepared boxes are filled with soil. You can take ready-made mixtures for cabbage crops or mix your own garden soil with sand and peat in equal parts.
Before landing Moisten the soil and spread the seeds. Sprinkle them with a layer of about 1 cm of soil on top and cover with glass. Shoots appear mainly after two weeks. After the emergence of seedlings, caring for them comes down to watering and, if necessary, picking. The seedlings are transplanted to a permanent location in late May - early June.
It is important to remember that the plant tolerates transplantation well only at the very beginning of its growth. Therefore, if cleome was not sown in individual pots, then the seedlings need to be planted in separate cups so that when transplanted into open ground the root system is not damaged.
Landing in the ground
In spring, seeds are sown in prepared soil at the end of April - beginning of May, when the soil is well warmed up. Incorporation into the ground up to 1.5 cm. Before winter, sowing is carried out at the end of September - mid-October, depending on the climate. Embedding in the ground to a depth of 2 cm. After embedding in the ground, the bed is mulched with a layer of humus.
After emergence, caring for young plants comes down to removing weeds and watering if necessary.
It is better to water less frequently, but more abundantly, allowing the soil to dry out between waterings. It is advisable to spill a solution of potassium permanganate once or twice for prevention. diseases. For any growing method, feed cleome during the flowering period with complex fertilizer every 12 - 14 days. Even with minimal care, cleome will delight the eye with its grandiose flowers.
