The subtleties of growing stockrose

There are quite a few types of ornamental plants that attract people's attention. This article will focus on stockrose. It is worth noting that this crop needs very careful care and requires careful cultivation.

The cultivation of perennial flowers such as stockrose is possible only when transplanting seedlings. Of course, you can try other methods, but when using them, it is impossible to count on flowering this year. The best sowing time is the last days of February or the first days of March. Although the culture is unpretentious, young shoots can be planted in open ground only after the ground has completely warmed up. Therefore, the specific moment of sowing and transplanting should be selected in accordance with the climatic zone where the gardener works.

If annual seedlings are used, then they must be grown starting in February in a pot culture. The time for disembarkation in the open land comes in mid-May. Perennials are planted for seedlings in the last third of summer or in the first third of autumn. It is precisely such moments, as the experience of breeders shows, that make it possible to achieve the best effect. Some gardeners choose to grow seedlings from January to March. Outdoor planting is possible in June, July and August. These times vary depending on the specific weather.

It is advisable to plant stockrose in a film greenhouse at the end of April and in the first days of May, unless there is a danger of frost. Transplanting the resulting seedlings into open land is carried out in the last decade of June.

It is important for gardeners to know how to harvest stockrose seeds for optimal results. First you need to wait for the yellowing of the seeds. The collection of fruits is done strictly by hand. For 1 fruit of the "box" type there are 14 to 40 seeds. Usually, the collection is carried out from half of summer until the onset of frost.

The branches are cut and dried in the manner of a bouquet. In the process, the seeds will ripen on their own. The germination capacity of the planting material lasts for 2-3 years. The best result is obtained when using seeds 18-24 months old, which have a strong shell.

The planting material must be stratified. Planting seeds without stratification does not yield a good harvest. It takes about 72 hours to harden the seed. All this time, he is kept on the bottom shelf in the refrigerator. Stockrose seeds are additionally treated with preparations that protect against fungus. Keeping the seeds in warm water overnight before planting helps to speed up germination.

Planting stockrose at home is easy. You just need to comply with the basic requirements for soil, planting capacity and care of seedlings. Stockrose needs fertile soil with good structure. If there is no desire to take risks by purchasing ready-made planting mixtures, you can always compose a suitable soil with your own hands. The ratio of compost, river washed sand and sod soil is 2: 1: 1.

Before planting, the soil mixture must be improved by introducing complex mineral fertilizers.It is necessary to make sure that such fertilizers contain all the necessary micronutrients and macronutrients in the required quantities. Next, the prepared soil is spilled with boiling water, to which a little potassium permanganate was added. This procedure will destroy pathogens of dangerous infections and insect larvae. The readiness of the land for sowing is achieved after it has cooled down.

It must be remembered that a rod-type root will develop in a stockrose. It can be easily deformed during transplantation. It is also easy to avoid this - you must immediately sow in separate containers. The use of peat pots is recommended. But good results can also be obtained from plastic cups or ceramic pots with a capacity of 250-300 ml. When filling the container with soil, leave a few top centimeters free. The earth needs to be moistened a little more.

The advantage of peat pots is that they free growers from the need to use additional fertilizers. DIn addition, it is worth mentioning that the root system of the stockrose does not suffer when grown in a peat environment. Usually they put 2 seeds in a pot to insure in case one of them dies. If a couple of seedlings come out, one of them is removed or transplanted into another container. Sowing is carried out to a depth of 0.02 m, then the tanks are covered with film and kept at home temperature until sprouts appear. You can wait for the seedlings to come out in about 2 weeks. Until they appear, the shelter is periodically removed for a short time. If you do this every day, fairly good ventilation is provided.

The main requirement for stockrose seedlings is sufficient illumination. Otherwise, caring for the seedlings is not difficult. In February and March, there is absolutely not enough light, so you should initially use fluorescent lamps or LED lamps. But experienced summer residents are advised to use specialized phytolamps. Fertilizers are not added at the stage of growing seedlings.

You can transplant seedlings into the garden only in specially designated places. An area with an elevated level of soil water is not suitable for this purpose. The lowland is also obviously unsuitable, since water accumulates there. Given the high height of the stockrose, it is advisable to place it near fences or near the walls of the house. In such places, the plant is sheltered from the winds and can be supported.

Stockrose necessarily requires sunlight. In the shade, it will grow very poorly. Almost always, the transplantation of crops to flower beds is carried out in May. But Siberian and Ural growers need to focus on later dates, starting from June 10. It must be remembered that stockroses are planted only after the frost is completely over, therefore, pay attention to the actual weather.

Growing a stockrose is easy. You only need to periodically water, fertilize, loosen the soil and weed it. Tall plant varieties are bound to supports. If the crop is planted near a fence, a garter directly to it is permissible. When the plant is planted in an ordinary flower bed, a long narrow stake is nailed down near the bush.

Properly caring for the plant means avoiding excessive moisture in the soil. Watering in normal warm weather is carried out weekly. At the onset of heat, watering is increased. If it rains, no water should be added at all. Excess moisture contributes to infection by fungi, including pathological rot.

Top dressing is carried out throughout the growing season. Complex mixtures are consumed monthly. Synthetic plant protection products are best used after flowering or before flowering.Otherwise, the flower is highly susceptible to the harmful effects of chemicals.

It must also be remembered that the resistance of crop varieties to winter is not the same. In most cases, she has to be covered to avoid problems. In the last decade of September, the stockrose is cut to a height of 0.3–0.4 m. Immediately before the onset of frost, the hemp is covered with cut grass, dried leaves and agrofibre. A small amount of dry peat is poured under the root. You don't need to build more complex shelters. It is enough to protect the roots from freezing.

It is possible to prevent diseases by treating with Bordeaux liquid (at a concentration of 1%). An alternative is to use laundry soap. When an outbreak does occur, the affected parts of the plant are destroyed, and the affected specimens themselves are treated with a fungicide. It is advisable to carry out at the same time and prophylaxis for still unaffected stockcrosis. But if the spread of the fungus is very large, you will have to completely uproot the planted plants... You can resume planting flowers in the same place after at least 3 years.

Stockrose often suffers from slug infestations. Suppress shellfish using beer containers as bait. They are placed in different places on the site. Later, of course, the intoxicated drink, along with the slugs attracted by it, will have to be destroyed.

Rust affects stockrose mainly in the second year of life. It concerns, first of all, buds, cuttings and leaves of foliage. Spots of light color appear on the top of the leaves, and the lower edge acquires a red-brown tone. Soon, the affected parts will weaken and fall off. In case of weak rust infestation, fungicide treatment of the stockrose is helpful. Excellent results can be obtained from the drug "Topaz", which is used during the growing season. If the infection is very strong, diseased leaves are cut out, and the bushes are disinfected with an aqueous solution of copper sulfate (1–1.5%). From branded preparations, Abiga-Peak (0.4% solution) is suitable.

Mosaic damage is indicated by the appearance of white or green areas on the leaf. At the same time, stockrose begins to develop more slowly, and soon dies. In the initial phase of the disease, treatment with Karbofos helps. Use a solution of 7.5% to spray the bushes. But in a state of disrepair, it remains only to uproot and burn the bush.

Stem cancer is triggered by soil microorganisms. Infection can occur with water, air and various tools. Plant oncology manifests itself in the formation of dark areas on the stem. You can also see places that seem to be squeezed. Soon the bushes will wither and die. Only the destruction of diseased plants with the treatment of the affected areas with copper sulfate can save the case.

Insects are also dangerous for stockroses, such as:

• aphid;
• spider mite;
• leaf beetle;
• weevil beetle.

The mites gather in a fine spider web that forms on the back of the leaf plate. Soon the leaf will dry out and fall off. Aphids attack petals and flower buds. They will be mechanically deformed. The appearance of leaf beetles and weevils is evidenced by the appearance of medium-sized holes on the foliage. To cope with a small infestation of insects, you can use a soap solution. "Antitlin", "Iskra", "Aktara" and other synthetic drugs help with more serious attacks.

Sometimes there are complaints about the systematic drying of the stockrose. It is repeated by individual gardeners with every attempt. This is usually due to cramped conditions (potted) and intense heat. Problems can also be related to the following reasons:

• poor soil;
• her excessive dryness;
• waterlogging;
• too much soil density.

Sometimes stockrose grows, but does not bloom. In this case, you need to adhere to the following tips:

• improve the quality of the land;
• achieve better lighting;
• use fertilizers;
• cut the plant in a timely manner for the winter - and the situation will improve within a year.

Stockrose is perfect for the formation of even the most intricate landscape design. It fits especially well into the compositions of the "rustic" style. Large groups of plants are often planted to camouflage old fences or bad-looking house walls. Professionals recommend using stockrose to separate large areas with an abundance of low-growing crops. They allow you to create a lush meadow of rich flowers that can become an expressive accent.

The luxurious appearance of the stockrose is emphasized when it is planted along with phlox, a golden ball, monards and delphiniums. Some varieties can have a delicate color of flowers. In this case, they are recommended to be combined with wild-growing herbaceous crops. When stockroses are planted as a background, lupine and kosmeya are planted in front of it. Calendula, aquilegia and bells can also be used in front. And you can also think about creating a country-style garden.

For information on how to grow stockrose, see the next video.