Perennials are one of the most common options for planting greenery and gardens. In this there is nothing surprising, because planting perennial, you get rid of the need to annually purchase seeds and sow them, waiting - will they get up?
In this article we will talk about cataracts, planting and care for this plant.
Cataract in the garden
The catarrhtum refers to the botanical family of kutra and is an evergreen perennial with a height of up to one and a half meters. The leaves are shiny, smooth, dark green in color, abundant in bloom, the flowers look like periwinkles. It is this external similarity that was the reason that for quite a long time scientists considered cataracts akin to the periwinkle and called it "wines" or "pink vincers".
Determining the home of the catarrhatus is difficult, because it is widespread in the wild in Africa, India, Cuba, Madagascar, Java and the Philippines.
The cataract on the flowerbed can be grown only in regions with a mild warm climate. Of course, you can land it in the garden and in the middle latitudes, but the cataracts in the open ground can not overwinter.
Cataract: Growing
The plant prefers bright areas with a limited amount of direct sunlight. The western and eastern side of the garden (or the windows facing these sides) will perfectly suit the cataract. The plant does not like excessive moistening of the soil (especially in the spring - the excess moisture in the spring period ishes the flower completely), but the air should be well moistened. For the cataract to develop well, he needs regular spraying. When growing in a pot, take care of a sufficient amount of soil, because the plant is growing rapidly.
The best soil for the cataract is a mixture of sand, peat, humus, leaf and turf (in equal amounts). In the warm season, the cataract well feels at a temperature of 19-25 ° C, and during the rest period the temperature in the room with the plant should be within 12-18 ° C.
The plant should be transplanted annually, and in case of rapid growth in summer it is possible to produce two or three transplants into larger pots. If the catarrhtas are not transplanted in time, the roots are covered with an earthen lump in the pot and the plant begins to weaken - the leaves turn yellow and the blossom diminishes or the flowering stops. To shoot cataracts are not too stretched, in spring they are cut to a third of the length.
In spring the plant needs fertilizing - complex mineral and phosphoric fertilizers twice a month will be just right.
Be careful not to introduce pests on the leaves of the cataract and destroy them in time. The most common pests of this plant are: mealybug , whitefly , scab and aphid .
Cataracts: Reproduction
There are the following ways of reproduction of the catarrhtum: growing from seeds, dividing the bush, cuttings.
Adult plants multiply by the spring transplant, simply dividing the bush into several parts and planting each of them separately.
Cuttings are also carried in the spring, dropping into the soil the remaining branches after trimming.
With proper care at home, the catarrht often forms fruits and seeds. The harvested seeds are suitable for sowing.
Sowing catarratus is best done in the spring. Seeds before planting
Remember that the catarrht is poisonous, which means that when cultivating this plant, you should take precautions - cut and transplant it should be in gloves, after working with the catarratus, you should wash your hands thoroughly with soap. And of course, you need to make sure that the flower is in a place inaccessible to children or pets.