This flower crop is not popular among our gardeners. What is this connected with? Perhaps with certain growing conditions, perhaps with personal preferences in this area, one way or another, penstemon deserves attention and a separate conversation.
Description of the plant
This flower relatively recently moved to our continent from the shores of North America. The popularity of the flower came almost immediately, since... Gardeners immediately expressed a desire to start cultivating it on their plots, because with its advantages, penstemon can compete with many ornamental perennials. It is somewhat reminiscent of our usual bell, but has many varieties, including ground cover species, as well as erect and rather large varieties.
appearance of flowers
The main advantage of penstemon is that its flowering period falls precisely on that “pause” in the fragrance of the garden, when the early flowers have already finished blooming, and the later ones are just finishing the formation of buds. This is where this bright and excellent bell “comes on stage”, surprising with its shades and a whole fireworks display of the most diverse species groups. It is thanks to the selection of varieties that you can arrange this holiday in your garden.
On its branches there are whole clusters of flowers, which can be of several shades at once. This riot of colors is mounted on bright green stems and has slightly oblong leaves.
There are annual and perennials, and, of course, the latter are the most loved. Once I planted this in my flowerbed unpretentious plant, you will provide yourself with beautiful ornamental plant on long years. But in order for this to happen, you should know some of the features of growing this crop, since each plant has its own little secrets.
Varieties
The most popular varieties of this flower among domestic gardeners can be easily listed:
- - this is a plant with lilac or yellow flowers and a white center, which are collected in umbrellas and look like a thick pillow;
Alpine
- Bearded penstemon – tall plant, can grow up to a meter in height, the flowers are elongated pink or bright red;
- Campanulate– its height can vary from 60 to 90 cm, the name itself suggests that in flowers and shape it is similar to our usual bells;
- Foxgloves th - most often distinguished by a white or pinkish color.
Penstemon is a perennial shrub or subshrub crop. The plant is native to North and Central America. The flower belongs to the genus Noricaceae, although foreign botanists classify it as belonging to the plantain family, of which there are over 250 species.
General information
The Latin name of the plant translated into Russian sounds like “almost a stamen.” Due to the fact that the flower has one sterile stamen weird shape, protruding far beyond the petals, and in England penstemon is called “bearded tongue” because of this feature.
This crop is still rare for our gardens. But thanks to its brightness and unusual appearance, they are starting to grow it in our climate zone. The plant blooms in early June and flowering lasts for two to three months. It is not difficult to grow it, the main thing is to follow the advice of experienced gardeners and then the plant will delight you with its bright colors every spring.
Penstemon varieties and types of photos with names
- is a herbaceous bushy perennial with straight stems and lanceolate dark green leaf blades. The height of the crop reaches 1.2 meters. Flowers can be either tubular or bell-shaped. They are collected in paniculate inflorescences, having white, red, lilac, pinkish and other colors. The plant blooms from early to late summer.
– the culture reaches a height of up to 1 meter. The inflorescences are large, light pink. The flowering time of the plant occurs at the beginning of summer and lasts for a month. The variety is frost-resistant and can withstand winter without insulation.
– this variety is distinguished by abundant and early flowering. The height of the bush reaches up to 90 centimeters. The inflorescences have an unusual color - they are white on the inside and scarlet on the outside. Flowering time begins in May and lasts until the end of July.
– the plant was bred relatively recently. It is frost-resistant and abundant flowering. The leaf blades are dark burgundy, lanceolate in shape. Pale pink flowers are collected in paniculate inflorescences. The culture reaches a height of up to 70 centimeters and blooms throughout the summer.
– the height of the crop reaches 60 centimeters. The leaf blades are bright green and lanceolate in shape. The stems are thin and woody. Inflorescences paniculate purple tint. This variety blooms from July to October.
Externally, the variety resembles the snapdragon flower. The plant reaches a height of up to 70 centimeters. The inflorescences are large, collected in unusual racemes. Shades of flowers can be white-scarlet, orange, red and purple. Flowering time lasts from mid-summer until the first frost.
- a low-growing herbaceous perennial, reaching a height of up to 30 centimeters. The leaf blades are medium-sized, lanceolate, green. The inflorescences are small and lilac in color. The plant blooms from early summer to mid-autumn.
– the plant reaches a height of up to 70 centimeters and has dark burgundy leaves and stems. The inflorescences are white, racemose with a pleasant aroma. The crop blooms from June to the end of August.
– the stems of the plant reach a height of up to 90 centimeters. The flowers are small, resembling bells of a pinkish-lilac hue. The leaf blades are lanceolate in shape and light green in color. The plant blooms from June to September.
– the herbaceous perennial reaches 70 centimeters in height. The leaf blades are lanceolate, green-brown in color. The inflorescences are whitish-pink, racemose. Flowering time lasts from May to October.
It is a spectacular annual, reaching a height of up to 80 centimeters. The leaf blades are dark green, lanceolate with a sharp tip. The flowers are small, bell-shaped, blue and light violet shade. The culture blooms from June to September.
- is a low-growing, bushy perennial, reaching a height of up to 30 centimeters. The leaves are dark green, lanceolate with slight pubescence. The flowers are small, resembling a purple bell in appearance. The flowering time of the plant is in summer.
– the variety is short-growing and reaches a height of up to 45 centimeters. The leaves are dark green with a sharp tip. The inflorescences are racemose, long, bicolor, white-blue or white-red. The culture blooms from July to September.
– The bushy perennial reaches a height of up to 70 centimeters. The leaves are dark green, medium-sized with a pointed end. The inflorescences are large, bicolor white-red, white-pink and white-burgundy. The crop blooms throughout the summer.
– a low-growing variety, reaching a height of up to 20 centimeters. The bush has lush, dark green foliage and pubescent, lanceolate leaf blades. Racemose inflorescences of a pale lavender hue. Flowering time is from June to August.
The plant has large light green leaf blades with a sharp end and tall stems reaching 120 centimeters. The inflorescences are large, racemose. They are white, white-pink, white-violet, white-red and white-purple.
– a perennial crop reaches a height of up to 70 centimeters and has large leaf plates with a pointed end of a dark burgundy hue. The inflorescences are bell-shaped in white, pink, purple and red. The flowering time of the plant is in the summer.
- a low-growing plant with long, narrow leaf blades of a dark olive hue. The inflorescences are dense, reminiscent of snapdragons, of a rich sky blue color. The flowering time of penstemon falls in June and lasts until September.
– this variety of penstemon reaches a height of up to 60 centimeters and has dark burgundy leaf blades with a narrow end. The inflorescences of the culture are racemose, pinkish-white. The flowering time of the plant lasts all summer.
– the crop reaches a height of up to 80 centimeters and has tall woody stems. The leaves of the plant are green, with a sharp end. The flowers are large, cream-colored, with a purple center and streaks. The plant blooms from June to September.
– the height of the crop reaches up to 30 centimeters. Stems are straight, woody, with dark green lanceolate foliage. The inflorescences are large, bright yellow, blooming luxuriantly. Penstemon flowering time lasts from June to August.
Penstemon planting and care in open ground
Penstemon is light-loving plant, for this reason, the area for planting it should be chosen well lit, but drafts must be avoided. The soil for the crop should be light with good drainage.
plant in open ground can be planted either by seedlings or by seeds. To grow seedlings, you should take a container with fertile soil and sow seeds in it in February, digging them a little into the soil and moistening the soil with a spray bottle. The seeds must be sprinkled with fried sand on top, then re-moistened, covered with film and stored in a warm place. sunny place for germination.
In two weeks the first young plants will begin to appear. In order for penstemon to germinate faster, the temperature in the greenhouse should be maintained at least + 20 degrees, ventilated once a day and monitor soil moisture.
When the first leaf blades appear, the young plants need to be planted in peat pots. At the end of May, the plants must be transferred to open ground, taking care of the soil and drainage in advance. It is also necessary to take into account the fact that the earlier the plants are planted in the garden, the later they will begin to bloom.
Torenia is also a member of the Norichnikov family. It can be grown with care at home without much hassle if you follow the rules of agricultural technology. All necessary recommendations You can find it in this article.
Watering penstemon
The flower needs regular watering, which is especially important if the summer is dry. However, you need to ensure that the soil has time to dry out between waterings.
To prevent water from stagnating and root system could “breathe”, when planting young animals, care should be taken to ensure good drainage in the form of a layer of coarse sand or fine expanded clay laid at the bottom of the planting hole.
To reduce the frequency of watering, you should mulch the soil around the plants with compost or dry peat. Also, after each watering, the soil needs to be loosened and weeds pulled out.
Soil for penstemon
The soil for the crop should be chosen with high acidity, nutritious, well-drained and loose.
For this purpose garden soil mixed with compost, peat, sand or fine gravel. In order to achieve the desired level of acidity, charcoal is added to the soil.
Penstemon transplant
So that the plant does not lose its decorative properties, it should be replanted every five years. Usually transplantation is carried out in the spring, by bush division. For this purpose they take mature plant, carefully dig it up and divide it into parts, trying not to damage the root system.
After this, the resulting cuttings are transferred to a new bed, not forgetting to create a drainage layer. When the plants are planted, the soil should be lightly pressed, watered and mulched. The plant's adaptation time takes about a month.
Penstemon fertilizer
The first feeding as compost is mixed into the soil when planting young animals. Organic fertilizers applied under the bushes three times a season.
Before the flowering of the crop, experienced gardeners recommend using a comprehensive mineral fertilizing with a high phosphorus content. With its help you can enhance flowering and influence decorative characteristics colors.
Penstemon flowering
The plant blooms in June and can last until the end of summer or until the first frost. Everything will depend on the variety. The flowers of the culture may look like bells or snapdragons.
Mostly, the buds are collected in dense large clusters of white, pink, blue, red, purple, orange, yellow shades, and there are also varieties with two-tone colors. After flowering, seeds begin to form, which are used for propagation of the crop.
Penstemon pruning
The plant only needs drastic pruning in late autumn in preparation for winter.
During the growing season it is necessary to remove withered leaves, stems and inflorescences, as well as thin out overgrown shrubs.
Preparing penstemon for winter
Some varieties of penstemon in our climate zone are grown as perennials due to their southern origin. In preparation for winter, perennials are cut at the root and covered with a layer of dry foliage or spruce branches.
To prevent snow melting in the spring from causing the root system to become wet, the plant must be provided with good drainage when planting and the snow mass must be removed from the planting site every spring when it begins to melt.
Penstemon growing from seeds
The most common method of propagating penstemon is to grow the plant by seed. Seeds can be purchased at the store or collected yourself after they ripen.
If you grow penstemon from seeds, then sowing them should be done either in the fall or in the spring, when the threat of frost has subsided. Sow the seeds immediately in open ground, sprinkled with a small layer of soil.
Some species require stratification, such as alpine penstemon. To do this, they can be sown under winter period, in October-November, in open ground, but it is safer to sow in a container, barely sprinkled with sand or soil on top.
The container with the sown seeds is first kept in a room with room temperature, seeds swell in moist soil and warmth. Then cover the container with one layer of lutrasil and take it out into the garden.
Lutrasil on the container must be secured with any in a convenient way, for example, they tie it around the pot with an elastic band, otherwise it will be blown away by the wind - this cover is made so that weed seeds do not get into the container with the sown seeds with the wind.
The container is left in the garden for at least two months, where they undergo natural stratification during the cold season. If there is snow on the ground, the removed container is completely covered with it - melted snow water has a beneficial effect on seed germination.
IN spring period The bowl with the crops is brought into the greenhouse or room for germination. The first shoots may appear within ten days. Some seeds bloom already in the year of sowing.
Penstemon propagation by cuttings
To obtain planting material, shoots that do not have flowers should be cut off. Then they must be treated with a root formation stimulator and placed in moist soil in a shaded area of the garden bed, covered with half a plastic bottle.
Once roots have formed, the cuttings can be planted permanent place growth.
Penstemon propagation by layering
For rooting by layering, weaving and low-growing varieties. For this purpose, bend the outermost shoot to the ground and sprinkle it with soil.
In a month, roots will appear on the layering and then it will need to be separated, dug out of the ground and transplanted into a prepared hole.
Penstemon propagation by dividing the bush
This propagation method is used during transplantation. To obtain planting material, an adult plant must be dug up, the root system must be cleared of soil and the bush must be divided into several parts. Then each division should be planted in a separate hole in a permanent place of growth.
It is important to note that only those plants that are already three years old are suitable for propagation by bush division. If you divide earlier, they will die.
Division for the purpose of rejuvenation is carried out every five years. There is no point in abandoning the procedure, as the crop begins to age, ceases to form new shoots, cease to bloom, and ultimately loses its decorative effect.
Diseases and pests
Most often, when growing this crop, gardeners are faced with drying of the tops of the penstemon . If such a problem is discovered, you should trim the penstemon at the root. Refusal of such radical measure will lead to the death of the plant. After pruning, it will quickly recover and produce new shoots.
When the soil is heavily flooded and water stagnates in the root system, develops gray mold, which makes itself felt by the withering of the plant stems . To save penstemon, it is necessary to loosen the soil and water the crop with a fungicide solution.
Since the plant is not interested in pests, there is no need to be afraid of their invasion.
Conclusion
Growing a plant is not difficult. Even a novice gardener can cope with this task. The culture is moderately capricious, it is easy to propagate and it can grow quite successfully in our climate zone.
It is for this reason that every gardener who loves beautiful, bright and unusual plants, you simply must have at least one specimen of penstemon in your garden.
Penstemon is a perennial shrub or subshrub crop. The plant is native to North and Central America. The flower belongs to the genus Noricaceae, although foreign botanists classify it as belonging to the plantain family, of which there are over 250 species.
General information
The Latin name of the plant translated into Russian sounds like “almost a stamen.” Due to the fact that the flower has one sterile stamen of a bizarre shape, protruding far beyond the petals, and in England penstemon is called “bearded tongue”, due to this feature.
This crop is still rare for our gardens. But due to its brightness and unusual appearance, they are beginning to grow it in our climate zone. The plant blooms in early June and flowering lasts for two to three months. It is not difficult to grow it, the main thing is to follow the advice of experienced gardeners and then the plant will delight you with its bright flowers every spring.
Penstemon varieties and types of photos with names
- is a herbaceous bushy perennial with straight stems and lanceolate dark green leaf blades. The height of the crop reaches 1.2 meters. Flowers can be either tubular or bell-shaped. They are collected in paniculate inflorescences, having white, red, lilac, pinkish and other colors. The plant blooms from early to late summer.
– the culture reaches a height of up to 1 meter. The inflorescences are large, light pink. The flowering time of the plant occurs at the beginning of summer and lasts for a month. The variety is frost-resistant and can withstand winter without insulation.
– this variety is distinguished by abundant and early flowering. The height of the bush reaches up to 90 centimeters. The inflorescences have an unusual color - they are white on the inside and scarlet on the outside. Flowering time begins in May and lasts until the end of July.
– the plant was bred relatively recently. It is characterized by frost resistance and abundant flowering. The leaf blades are dark burgundy, lanceolate in shape. Pale pink flowers are collected in paniculate inflorescences. The culture reaches a height of up to 70 centimeters and blooms throughout the summer.
– the height of the crop reaches 60 centimeters. The leaf blades are bright green and lanceolate in shape. The stems are thin and woody. Inflorescences are paniculate, purple in color. This variety blooms from July to October.
Externally, the variety resembles the snapdragon flower. The plant reaches a height of up to 70 centimeters. The inflorescences are large, collected in unusual racemes. Shades of flowers can be white-scarlet, orange, red and purple. Flowering time lasts from mid-summer until the first frost.
- a low-growing herbaceous perennial, reaching a height of up to 30 centimeters. The leaf blades are medium-sized, lanceolate, green. The inflorescences are small and lilac in color. The plant blooms from early summer to mid-autumn.
– the plant reaches a height of up to 70 centimeters and has dark burgundy leaves and stems. The inflorescences are white, racemose with a pleasant aroma. The crop blooms from June to the end of August.
– the stems of the plant reach a height of up to 90 centimeters. The flowers are small, resembling bells of a pinkish-lilac hue. The leaf blades are lanceolate in shape and light green in color. The plant blooms from June to September.
– the herbaceous perennial reaches 70 centimeters in height. The leaf blades are lanceolate, green-brown in color. The inflorescences are whitish-pink, racemose. Flowering time lasts from May to October.
It is a spectacular annual, reaching a height of up to 80 centimeters. The leaf blades are dark green, lanceolate with a sharp tip. The flowers are small, bell-shaped, blue and light purple. The culture blooms from June to September.
- is a low-growing, bushy perennial, reaching a height of up to 30 centimeters. The leaves are dark green, lanceolate with slight pubescence. The flowers are small, resembling a purple bell in appearance. The flowering time of the plant is in summer.
– the variety is short-growing and reaches a height of up to 45 centimeters. The leaves are dark green with a sharp tip. The inflorescences are racemose, long, bicolor, white-blue or white-red. The culture blooms from July to September.
– The bushy perennial reaches a height of up to 70 centimeters. The leaves are dark green, medium-sized with a pointed end. The inflorescences are large, bicolor white-red, white-pink and white-burgundy. The crop blooms throughout the summer.
– a low-growing variety, reaching a height of up to 20 centimeters. The bush has lush, dark green foliage and pubescent, lanceolate leaf blades. Racemose inflorescences of a pale lavender hue. Flowering time is from June to August.
The plant has large light green leaf blades with a sharp end and tall stems reaching 120 centimeters. The inflorescences are large, racemose. They are white, white-pink, white-violet, white-red and white-purple.
– a perennial crop reaches a height of up to 70 centimeters and has large leaf plates with a pointed end of a dark burgundy hue. The inflorescences are bell-shaped in white, pink, purple and red. The flowering time of the plant is in the summer.
- a low-growing plant with long, narrow leaf blades of a dark olive hue. The inflorescences are dense, reminiscent of snapdragons, of a rich sky blue color. The flowering time of penstemon falls in June and lasts until September.
– this variety of penstemon reaches a height of up to 60 centimeters and has dark burgundy leaf blades with a narrow end. The inflorescences of the culture are racemose, pinkish-white. The flowering time of the plant lasts all summer.
– the crop reaches a height of up to 80 centimeters and has tall woody stems. The leaves of the plant are green, with a sharp end. The flowers are large, cream-colored, with a purple center and streaks. The plant blooms from June to September.
– the height of the crop reaches up to 30 centimeters. Stems are straight, woody, with dark green lanceolate foliage. The inflorescences are large, bright yellow, blooming luxuriantly. Penstemon flowering time lasts from June to August.
Penstemon planting and care in open ground
Penstemon is a light-loving plant, for this reason the area for planting it should be chosen well lit, but drafts must be avoided. The soil for the crop should be light with good drainage.
The plant can be planted in open ground either by seedlings or by seeds. To grow seedlings, you should take a container with fertile soil and sow seeds in it in February, digging them a little into the soil and moistening the soil with a spray bottle. The seeds must be sprinkled with fried sand on top, then re-moistened, covered with film and put in a warm, sunny place for germination.
In two weeks the first young plants will begin to appear. In order for penstemon to germinate faster, the temperature in the greenhouse should be maintained at least + 20 degrees, ventilated once a day and monitor soil moisture.
When the first leaf blades appear, the young plants need to be planted in peat pots. At the end of May, the plants must be transferred to open ground, taking care of the soil and drainage in advance. It is also necessary to take into account the fact that the earlier the plants are planted in the garden, the later they will begin to bloom.
Torenia is also a member of the Norichnikov family. It can be grown with care at home without much hassle if you follow the rules of agricultural technology. You can find all the necessary recommendations in this article.
Watering penstemon
The flower needs regular watering, which is especially important if the summer is dry. However, you need to ensure that the soil has time to dry out between waterings.
To ensure that the water does not stagnate and the root system can “breathe,” when planting young trees, care should be taken for good drainage in the form of a layer of coarse sand or fine expanded clay laid at the bottom of the planting hole.
To reduce the frequency of watering, you should mulch the soil around the plants with compost or dry peat. Also, after each watering, the soil needs to be loosened and weeds pulled out.
Soil for penstemon
The soil for the crop should be chosen with high acidity, nutritious, well-drained and loose.
For this purpose, garden soil is mixed with compost, peat, sand or fine gravel. In order to achieve the desired level of acidity, charcoal is added to the soil.
Penstemon transplant
To prevent the plant from losing its decorative properties, it should be replanted every five years. Usually transplantation is carried out in the spring, by bush division. For this purpose, take an adult plant, carefully dig it up and divide it into parts, trying not to damage the root system.
After this, the resulting cuttings are transferred to a new bed, not forgetting to create a drainage layer. When the plants are planted, the soil should be lightly pressed, watered and mulched. The plant's adaptation time takes about a month.
Penstemon fertilizer
The first feeding as compost is mixed into the soil when planting young animals. Organic fertilizers are applied to the bushes three times a season.
Before flowering, experienced gardeners recommend using complex mineral fertilizers with a high phosphorus content. With its help you can enhance flowering and influence the decorative characteristics of flowers.
Penstemon flowering
The plant blooms in June and can last until the end of summer or until the first frost. Everything will depend on the variety. The flowers of the culture may look like bells or snapdragons.
Mostly, the buds are collected in dense large clusters of white, pink, blue, red, purple, orange, yellow, and there are also varieties with two-color colors. After flowering, seeds begin to form, which are used for propagation of the crop.
Penstemon pruning
The plant only needs drastic pruning in late autumn in preparation for winter.
During the growing season, it is necessary to remove wilted leaves, stems and inflorescences, as well as thin out overgrown shrubs.
Preparing penstemon for winter
Some varieties of penstemon in our climate zone are grown as perennials due to their southern origin. In preparation for winter, perennials are cut at the root and covered with a layer of dry foliage or spruce branches.
To prevent snow melting in the spring from causing the root system to become wet, the plant must be provided with good drainage when planting and the snow mass must be removed from the planting site every spring when it begins to melt.
Penstemon growing from seeds
The most common method of propagating penstemon is to grow the plant by seed. Seeds can be purchased at the store or collected yourself after they ripen.
If you grow penstemon from seeds, then sowing them should be done either in the fall or in the spring, when the threat of frost has subsided. Sow the seeds immediately in open ground, sprinkled with a small layer of soil.
Some species require stratification, such as alpine penstemon. To do this, they can be sown before the winter, in October-November, in open ground, but it is safer to sow them in a container, barely sprinkled with sand or soil on top.
The container with the sown seeds is first kept in a room at room temperature for about three weeks; the seeds swell in moist soil and warmth. Then cover the container with one layer of lutrasil and take it out into the garden.
Lutrasil on the container must be secured in any convenient way, for example, it is tied with an elastic band around the pot, otherwise it will be carried away by the wind - this cover is made so that weed seeds do not get into the container with the sown seeds with the wind.
The container is left in the garden for at least two months, where they undergo natural stratification during the cold season. If there is snow on the ground, the removed container is completely covered with it - melted snow water has a beneficial effect on seed germination.
In the spring, a bowl with crops is brought into a greenhouse or room for germination. The first shoots may appear within ten days. Some seeds bloom already in the year of sowing.
Penstemon propagation by cuttings
To obtain planting material, shoots that do not have flowers should be cut off. Then they must be treated with a root formation stimulator and placed in moist soil in a shaded area of the garden bed, covered with half a plastic bottle.
Once roots have formed, the cuttings can be planted in a permanent growing location.
Penstemon propagation by layering
Climbing and low-growing varieties are suitable for rooting by layering. For this purpose, bend the outermost shoot to the ground and sprinkle it with soil.
In a month, roots will appear on the layering and then it will need to be separated, dug out of the ground and transplanted into a prepared hole.
Penstemon propagation by dividing the bush
This propagation method is used during transplantation. To obtain planting material, an adult plant must be dug up, the root system must be cleared of soil and the bush must be divided into several parts. Then each division should be planted in a separate hole in a permanent place of growth.
It is important to note that only those plants that are already three years old are suitable for propagation by bush division. If you divide earlier, they will die.
Division for the purpose of rejuvenation is carried out every five years. There is no point in abandoning the procedure, as the crop begins to age, ceases to form new shoots, cease to bloom, and ultimately loses its decorative effect.
Diseases and pests
Most often, when growing this crop, gardeners are faced with drying of the tops of the penstemon . If such a problem is discovered, you should trim the penstemon at the root. Refusal of such a radical measure will lead to the death of the plant. After pruning, it will quickly recover and produce new shoots.
When the soil is heavily flooded and water stagnates in the root system, gray rot develops, which makes itself felt by wilting of plant stems . To save penstemon, it is necessary to loosen the soil and water the crop with a fungicide solution.
Since the plant is not interested in pests, there is no need to be afraid of their invasion.
Conclusion
Growing a plant is not difficult. Even a novice gardener can cope with this task. The culture is moderately capricious, it is easy to propagate and it can grow quite successfully in our climate zone.
It is for this reason that every gardener who loves beautiful, bright and unusual plants is simply obliged to have at least one specimen of penstemon in his garden.
Penstemon - beautiful decorative flower. You've probably seen unusual bluebells, collected in large clusters on bright green stems. This is penstemon. Flowers are found in two types: erect varieties and creeping ones.
Characteristics of the variety
Plants, whether erect or creeping, require the same conditions for germination, flowering and care. Penstemons bloom during the period when the first spring early flowering plants fade.
Penstemon, which is best grown from seeds at the end of winter, will produce large inflorescences of bells that will bloom during the transition period. summer period. At that moment when spring is gaining momentum every day, and matinees are gradually disappearing. This is exactly the time interval when spring flowers that bloom in mid-summer begin to gain strength and form buds.
The penstemon flower is a plant that can be said to be universal, in the sense that wherever you plant it, it will look wonderful everywhere. Therefore, these flowers are used for planting alpine roller coaster, ridges, flower beds. It is advisable to plant in groups of other plants. Firstly, it coexists with almost all colors, and secondly, it beautifully emphasizes the decorativeness and shades of different colors.
Perennial penstemon can also be planted in pots. They are best hung from overhead supports because when the plant blooms, its many clusters of bells cause the stems to sink to the ground under the weight of the flowers. It looks very impressive.
Growing
Penstemon, grown from seeds starting in February, usually manages to reach the required maturity for flowering at the right time. Let us remind you that this is somewhere in early-mid July.
The seeds are laid out on wet soil, they lay it out without burying it in the soil. To germinate they need sunlight. The future flowers are sprinkled with wet sand on top, covered with film or glass and left warm. In this state, sprouts will appear within 10 days.
To increase germination, you can also do this. But even without such an operation, it is quite easy to germinate planting material of a plant such as penstemon. It is advisable to grow seeds at a temperature of about 24 o C, and when the first shoots appear, it is better to reduce it by ten degrees. The seedlings feel more comfortable this way.
Seating
So that you can enjoy the beautiful blooming view penstemon, it will definitely need to be replanted in the future, and this should be done correctly, otherwise it may affect its flowering. Picking can only be done when the seedlings have two full leaves. It will be just wonderful if you plant flowers in peat pots. Penstemon is a perennial plant that does not really like being replanted often.
In addition, peat pots create the preconditions for flowers to bloom earlier, longer and more abundantly. IN open land Penstemon is planted at the very end of May, or at the beginning of June. Most importantly, do not forget that the larger your penstemon becomes, the more difficult it will be for it to take root in a permanent place. Again, this problem can be solved peat pots.
The optimal distance between plants is from 30 to 40 cm. A little advice: you should not plant the sprout too early, it needs warmth, and the cool temperature in May days and nights will stop its growth, so it will take a long time for the flowers to grow again. In general, it turns out that in order for plants to bloom profusely and on time, they need to be planted in a permanent place on time.
Growing conditions
Penstemon (photos given), even perennial, lives about 4 years. Therefore, if you want these flowers to constantly be in your garden, it is best to update the plants and take cuttings from the bushes regularly. It is easier to grow new flowers from an adult penstemon than from seeds.
If you do not prune the bush, the plant can grow greatly. As a result, such a flower does not look very aesthetically pleasing. Pruning can be done safely. Penstemons love pruning; they devote all their energy that they could spend on new shoots to flowering.
Despite the fact that the plants are completely unpretentious, better growth and flowering can be achieved in places well lit by the sun, where it is warm and there are no drafts. IN ideal The soil for penstmons should be light and acidic. It would be a good idea to fertilize it with rotted organic matter.
The most important thing for these flowers is very good and deep drainage. If the root system of the plant is constantly in stagnant water, then in winter the penstemon may simply become wet and die.
Penstemon care
Despite their unpretentiousness, flowers cannot be planted in the ground and simply forgotten about them. Be sure to mulch to avoid moisture evaporation. Plus mandatory feeding twice a month. To do this, use a complex of complete mineral fertilizers. Loosening and removing faded and dried stems will make life wonderful for your penstemon.
Before the onset of winter, you also need to take care of the flower in order to reduce the damage from severe frosts as little as possible. To do this, when the plant has completely bloomed and shed its leaves, its ground part is completely cut off and covered with spruce branches or fallen leaves (layer thickness is about 15 cm).
Reproduction
So, we already know that penstemon, the cultivation of which from seeds begins in winter, blooms profusely in the first year. Flowers can be propagated from cuttings, which are cut when new young shoots appear, around mid-summer.
You can also propagate the penstemon flower by dividing the bush. Growing from seeds is not, as we see, relevant when you decide to get acquainted with the most beautiful flower for the first time. By the way, dividing the bush is carried out in a strictly defined period. This is early spring - a time when the plant has not yet entered the active growth phase.
Creeping varieties are propagated by fixing part of the stem. At one point it is lightly pressed into the ground, sprinkled on top. After the shoot produces roots, it can be disconnected from the main bush.
Penstemon is a flower introduced from North America, common in Europe and Asia. High. It is easy to grow at home even in Siberia, as there are positive reviews, Photo and video. There is little trouble with him at home. You can prepare seedlings to grow penstemon from seeds next year.
Growing from seeds
Perennial penstemon can be grown from seeds or seedlings, but planting from seedlings will not be as easy. When to plant? In early spring or at the end of winter sowing begins. A month before sowing, place the seeds in a cold place to speed up the process. A young plant needs sunlight and warmth, so the room should have a lot of light, and the temperature should not be lower than +22 °C. Plant very close to the surface of the soil, lightly sprinkle with sand on top and be sure to water. Capacity with planting material cover with cellophane film to create a greenhouse effect. After 14 days, the first timid shoots will appear.
Remove the film from the container and transplant the sprouted seeds into peat pots. One of the conditions for early flowering of penstemon is a relatively low (+14... +17 °C) temperature in the room where the seedlings will subsequently stand. The dive should be done after two full-fledged leaves have blossomed.
The time for planting in open ground is the second half of May, depending on the climate. Penstemon does not tolerate wind and weather changes, so a bright area should be allocated for it, protected on all sides. First add humus to the neutral soil, add gravel or coarse sand to ensure good drainage. Plant young bushes 35 cm apart.
Penstemon: care and reproduction
As the plant grows, it requires regular watering, mulching (to retain moisture in hot weather) and weeding. Complex fertilizers are suitable for feeding. It is enough to apply 2 times a month. During the growth process, the upper part of the plant may dry out. In such a situation, you need to cut out the damaged area or trim the entire plant. Young shoots will not keep you waiting. Do not be afraid of excessive flower falling. Soon new beautiful flowers will grow in their place.
