Penstemon perennial

Long-term penstemon is a plant that many gardeners have grown fond of for their decorative qualities and excellent winter hardiness. Bright saturated colors of its flowers and luscious greens adorn any area. As a rule, for propagation methods of cuttings, bush fission or taps are used. In this article, we will consider the longest and laborious method of growing penstemon - seed.

How to grow penstemon?

There are two main ways of seed growing: directly into the ground or by seedling method. For each method, you must first select the seeds. There are varieties that should be planted for the winter, and there are also more capricious ones with an increased demand for sunlight. Some varieties should be simply sown during the period from February to March, and do not cover with a layer of earth from above. But most often in our plots there are varieties that are grown in a seedling way.

Consider the basic rules and tricks of sowing penstemona, which will allow abundant flowering.

1. Always use a cold stratification method before growing the penstemon from seeds. This is almost a 100% guarantee of good germination of the planting material.
2. Sowing is necessary only in moist soil. Without moisture, the seeds simply will not germinate.
3. After the seeds are in the ground, they must be covered with sand (a layer of no more than 3 mm) and covered with a film or glass. Preliminary, pour the water with boiling water and thereby disinfect it.
4. At this stage of growing penstemon from seeds, it is important to ensure a constant temperature in the range of 18-24 ° C. In such conditions, the first shoots can be expected within one to two weeks.
5. After the shoots appear on the surface, the temperature is slightly lowered to a level of 15 ° C. Then the seedlings must be grown in peat pots. This is one of the methods to ensure abundant flowering in the future.
6. As soon as two real leaflets form on the sprouts of the penstemon flower, you can start diving.
7. In late May - early June, the land is sufficiently warm, and the seedlings are strengthened - you can start planting in the ground. The distance between the seedlings should be at least 30 cm.

Flower penstemon with this pattern of cultivation will bloom approximately from July to September. If you start work a month earlier and plant the seedlings around the beginning of May, then the flowering will come much later, and its intensity will be noticeably lower.

Penstemon - planting and care

An excellent plant for beginner gardeners, since the planting and care of the penstemon are simple. You just need to pick the right one Place of landing and provide only a few conditions. For the landing, look for a well-lit place, which is protected from winds and drafts. The fact is that the inflorescences of this plant are very gentle and with gusts of wind or heavy rain they just fall off.

As for the soil, it is necessary to choose an easy or neutral, landing in the sour. Before working with seedlings or seeds, the soil is fertilized with humus. Be sure to add gravel and sand.

Before planting seedlings in its permanent place, it is necessary to pour enough drainage on the bottom of the landing pit, as the roots do not tolerate stagnation of moisture and begin to rot quickly. On the other hand, roots are also less badly tolerated by drought. So after the transplant, make sure that the soil is always slightly moist.

Approximately at the end of the season new seeds are ripening. If they are not collected in time, they will sprout on their own for the next year. It is also important to constantly loosen the soil near the roots and remove all the wilted flowers in time.