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Cleome or cleome (Cleome) is an annual or biennial herbaceous plant belonging to the Cleome family. There are about 70 species of cleome; they can be found all over the world in warm and temperate regions. Due to the peculiar form of flowering, on german name plants sounds “spinenpflanze” - means “spider plant”. It is impossible not to pay attention to cleome: its unusual inflorescences look like splashes of champagne, exude a unique aroma, and flowering lasts all summer.

Botanical description

The root system of the plant is powerful. The stems are strong, erect, branching, reach a height of about 1.5 m, and are covered with fluff. The lower leaf plates are divided into 5-7 elongated lobes and may be covered with small spines underneath; the apical leaves are small and entire. The leaves are arranged alternately and are colored light green.

Four-petalled corollas with long stamens are collected in racemose inflorescences at the top of the stem. The color can be white, yellow, purple, all shades of pink. In place of flowers, single-locular polysperms appear in the form of pods about 3 cm long. The aroma of flowering will surprise you - in natural environment habitat it attracts small ones as pollinators bats. But on fresh air in the garden it will not annoy you, so feel free to grow a beautiful cleome on your plot.

Is cleome an annual or a perennial?

The plant is perennial, but in conditions middle zone does not overwinter: it freezes out. Therefore, it is grown in our gardens as an annual.

Growing cleome from seeds When to plant

The cleome flower reproduces exclusively by seed.

When to sow cleome in the ground

There are about 70 species in the genus, growing wild in North Africa and the tropics of America. Cultural value on this moment represent only 2 of them - cleome spiny and cleome hassler, defined in some reference books as one species. Outwardly, they are very similar, differing only in the color of the flowers, and therefore flower growers call them both cleome prickly. The Germans and British see in this plant a resemblance to the most famous representatives of arthropods, therefore in the literature they often, along with official name there is a comparative one - “spider plant”.

Features of cleome

Cleome has a very powerful root system. Branched strong shoots, on their surface there is pubescence consisting of short glandular hairs. The height of the bush can reach up to 150 cm. The greenish alternate leaf plates of some species have small spines on the underside. Leaves can be simple or complex: they consist of 5 or 7 entire elongated linear leaflets. The apical leaf blades are small and entire. The apical racemose inflorescences consist of flowers that have a regular shape and are purple, pink, white or yellow in color.

The flowers have relatively long stamens that look like spider legs. The fruit is a unilocular polysperm, pod-shaped, and can reach about 30 mm in length. Most amateur gardeners do not like the floral smell of cleome, but garden plot On the street it is completely impossible to feel it, but it can scare away pests. This unusual aroma is necessary for such a flower to wildlife attract small bats, which are its pollinators.

Growing cleome from seeds When to plant

The cleome flower reproduces exclusively by seed.

When to sow cleome in the ground

• Sowing seeds in open ground can be carried out before winter from the end of September to December (depending on climatic conditions). The seeding depth is 2 cm. Mulch the bed with a layer of humus.
• In spring, sow in late April-early May. Plant the seeds to a depth of 1.5 cm. Water thoroughly.
• Thin out the seedlings and remove weeds. To prevent diseases, pour 1-2 times weak solution potassium permanganate.

When to plant cleome seedlings

How to grow cleome from seeds through seedlings? To do this, you should start sowing seeds at the end of February..

• Pre-hold the seeds for 12 hours on a damp cloth in a growth accelerator solution.
• Plant with a toothpick in boxes with a mixture of 1 part sand + 2 parts garden soil and humus.
• You can plant seeds in peat tablets.
• Distribute the seeds over the surface of the soil, sprinkle with a 1.5 cm thick layer of soil.
• Cover the crops with transparent film or glass.
• Ventilate the greenhouse regularly and moisten the soil with a spray bottle.

In a couple of weeks, shoots will appear. It is necessary to remove the shelter, move the container with the crops to a bright place, and in the evening provide additional lighting with special lamps. Water until it dries out between waterings.

When the seedlings get stronger, give up additional lighting and water more abundantly. Add a low concentration solution of potassium permanganate.

When a couple of true leaves appear, pick them up and plant them in peat pots. A couple of weeks after picking, you should feed with complex mineral fertilizers using half the dosage recommended by the manufacturer. In order for the seedlings to develop evenly, they should be rotated relative to the light source from time to time.

There can be many ways to sow cleome seeds for seedlings, the main thing is to provide good lighting and timely moderate watering.

Using cleome prickly in garden design

The status of a beautifully blooming exotic and one of the most original flowering plants For any garden, you can't argue with the prickly cleome. This is a unique summer plant that can stand out against the background of any plants and yet is the first to attract the eye even in the most variegated composition.

There is only one rule in using this plant: it is better not to use cleome in flower beds, and in the garden in general, as single plants. This spectacular beauty best reveals its beauty in groups of at least three plants.

Cleoma prickly is planted:

• in classic flower beds;
• in mixborders;
• as a decoration for groups of bushes;
• in discounts;
• for creating temporary hedges;
• in the front garden;
• in rockeries and rock gardens;
• in flower beds of exotic plants;
• in flower beds made from annuals;
• for decorating an ornamental garden.

Cleome prickly is a valuable cut plant. Its inflorescences in arrangements last up to 10 days, which does not prevent cleome from remaining an exotic favorite of florists.

Selection of partners for cleome

Cleome prickly will attract attention in any company. The best partners that highlight the beauty of the plant are rightly considered to be low-growing, beautifully flowering annuals or spices, such as oregano, sage and hyssop.

Excellent partners for cleome will be annual verbena, cosmos, fragrant tobacco, annual phlox, brilliant sage, lavatera, zinnias, delphiniums, nasturtiums, heliotropes, calendula. Of the perennials, cleome looks good together with rudbeckias, yuccas, echinacea, roses, ornamental grasses, any plants with basket-shaped inflorescences, as well as with all ornamental foliage crops without exception.

Unexpectedly, spiny cleome goes well with large climbing vegetables - cucumbers, beans, zucchini, growing which side by side allows for better pollination of both crops.

Cleome - planting and care

Cleome is a non-capricious flower and all it needs is a sunny place on your site without excess moisture and drafts. Any soil will do, but if it is dry and not very fertile, you will have to enrich it a little with mineral fertilizers before planting cleome, and then provide regular watering.

Where and when to plant cleome in open ground

Seedlings are planted when the risk of cold weather is over, that is, at the end of May or already in June. A place for planting seedlings should be chosen that is slightly shaded, but with good diffused light, and preferably without a draft. The soil needs to be fertile, with a neutral pH level; the water in it should not stagnate.

You need to prepare the soil in advance. At the end of March or early April, the ground is dug up with the addition of compost. Immediately apply fertilizer 2-3 tbsp. l. per sq. meter.

Cleome, planting in open ground

The seedlings are planted at a distance of 45-70 cm from each other. This distance gives the cleome the opportunity to develop normally and at the same time serves as a prevention of many diseases inherent in dense plantings.

Before transplanting cleome seedlings into a flowerbed, it is recommended to spray the rhizome with growth stimulant and fertilizer “Tsitovit”. This trick will help cleome successfully take root in a new place.

The seedlings are immersed in holes, the depth of which should correspond to the size of the peat-humus pots. Before immersing the seedlings, each hole must be watered with a Humate solution.

Cleome - growing in the garden in open ground

Caring for cleome is simple - you need to maintain moderate soil moisture, apply fertilizer and make sure that it is not affected by diseases. In addition, you need to promptly weed the ground around the cleome or immediately carry out mulching in order to save yourself the unnecessary hassle of removing weeds and loosening the soil.

Watering and fertilizing cleome in open ground

In order for the cloema to bloom profusely and not get sick, you need to remember an important thing - the flower is afraid of overflowing. Therefore, it is better not to top up the plant a little, than to cause rotting of the roots as a result of frequent and abundant watering.

The amount of fertilizing depends primarily on the composition of the soil and the nature of the development of cleome. If the soil is fertile, light and the plant is growing well, you can apply fertilizer once every two to three weeks. If poor cleome growth or insufficient budding is noticed, it is advisable to spray the above-ground part of the plant with an aqueous solution of mineral fertilizers. In both cases, a solution of Fertika fertilizer is suitable (2 tablespoons of product per 5 liters of water). A Zircon solution is suitable to stimulate the growth of buds.

Advice! Tall varieties of cleome need to be tied up, otherwise they may break or form stems irregular shape. To do this, stakes are driven around the perimeter of the flowerbed and a cord or strong thread is pulled in a circle.

Diseases and pests

Since cleome flowers have an unusual aroma for flowers, pests try to avoid it. It can get sick if the watering regime is incorrect or when planted in an area with high groundwater levels. If you choose a planting site and care for the plant correctly, then it will not get sick at all.

Cleome after flowering

Seed collection

Since cleome can only be grown from seeds, experienced gardeners recommend autumn time collect them for sowing in spring or before winter. You can tell if the seeds are ripe or not by their appearance, so they should be round, reach one and a half millimeters in diameter, and the color, depending on the flower itself, can be brown or yellow. To avoid self-sowing and not miss the moment when the seeds need to be collected, it is recommended to put bags made of gauze on several pods.

Wintering

In mid-latitudes, this flower crop is grown as an annual plant. In this regard, when frost sets in, the bushes should be pulled out and burned. In November or December, seeds collected in the autumn are sown before winter. The seeds are buried only 15 mm into the soil, and the area is covered with spruce branches on top. In spring, the shelter should be removed and friendly shoots should soon appear.

Cleome is a wonderful garden flower that will help decorate any corner of your garden with its delicate and sophisticated look. The flowering of cleome delights with its appearance, similar to the explosion of champagne, and the stately greenery can surprise the most demanding gardener. Today we will talk in detail about how to grow cleome in your garden, how to provide the plant proper care and protect from cold winter.

Cleomes are a fairly hardy and undemanding plant that tolerates sudden changes climate and temperatures. It is really original decoration the garden of the person who decided to give the cleome the opportunity to show itself and all its beauty.

Externally, this plant is an erect stem, the height of which reaches one and a half meters. Its upper part is decorated with an inflorescence that is very reminiscent of a centipede spider. The plant is very strong, bushes well, and is quite resistant to unfavorable conditions. weather events- wind, rain, etc. Cleome has a well-developed and powerful root system, which actively feeds the plant with necessary substances from the soil and strengthens it.

Cleome leaves are of two types - smaller in the upper part of the stem, and large in the middle and lower parts. The leaves are arranged along the stem in a regular order, have a light green color, and are covered with small spines on the inside. At the base of the leaves there are small stipules that form hard spines. That is why the plant received its second name - prickly cleome.

The entire plant is covered with very small hairs, which have sticky glands in their structure that secrete juice. Due to this there is an interesting aroma.

Cleome flowers with varied, uneven colors, which are collected in small racemose inflorescences, approximately 3-4 cm in diameter, look especially original and attractive. But, most often, the flowers, of which the plant has quite a lot, are colored yellow, purple, white, violet or pink color. They also have a very pleasant aroma, which is what Cleome prickly is famous for.

Blooms beautiful plant from June to September. The lower flowers of the inflorescence bloom immediately, then the upper ones. At this time, the inflorescence stretches.

Cleome fruits - middle length pod-shaped seed pods with yellow or black seeds.

Cleome in the garden (video)

Growing cleome

We decided to tell you about seed propagation of cleome, since it is the simplest and most effective.

Cleome seeds can be sown in open ground. It is best to do this in late November or early December. In this case in early spring the flower will already be able to appear on the surface of the ground. If you decide to grow a plant with seedlings, then it is advisable to start planting them in a greenhouse in the spring, around the beginning of March.

Planting seeds

So, prepare the soil for the plant, it should consist of garden soil, humus and sand, in proportions 2:2:1. Special boxes for sowing are filled with this mixture, the surface is sprinkled with wood ash and the seeds are sown to a depth of about 1 cm. It is advisable to sprinkle the planting with compost, which will give positive effect for seedlings that usually appear on the surface after 2-3 weeks.

If you want to speed up and increase the germination of seeds, treat them properly before planting, soak them in Agate or Epin (use the instructions on the product packaging). In this way, you can provide the seeds with the ability to more persistently tolerate some unfavourable conditions. After sowing the seeds, place the boxes in a bright room and be sure to try to provide them with additional light for several hours a day. Systematically moisten the substrate and wait for germination.

Seedling care

After the germination period has expired, they need to be given a little time to get stronger and when you see the first strong leaves on the plant, you can begin to plant the seedlings. To do this, prepare separate disposable or small peat glasses with a mixture of peat and humus. Since cleome does not respond well to transplants, try not to lose the earthen lump during picking, and also carefully deepen the plant to the cotyledon leaves. If you want to do everything right, you can even sow cleome seeds directly into special peat tablets, so the survival rate of seedlings will increase significantly.

Picking should be done in the early stages of germination, so the plant survives it easier. After picking, the seedlings will develop quite quickly, even without the use of additional lighting. 10-12 days after picking cleome, you can fertilize the plants a little with mineral fertilizers, then carry out constant feeding every 2 weeks.

Watering seedlings

After the seedlings are well rooted, it is recommended to water them very carefully and rarely, but at the same time abundantly, since cleome grows well in dry-wet conditions. For prevention possible diseases, which, when they appear, can quickly ruin the seedlings, it is recommended to water them with a light solution of potassium permanganate.

Planting and care

For reasons of light and heat-loving plants, cleome is planted in open ground only at a time when night frosts have already subsided. It is advisable to do this at the end of May, and choose a sunny and unshaded place for planting, with good soil and without stagnant water.

Before planting, the soil should be prepared - add compost and two tablespoons of complex fertilizer for garden flowers for each square meter. The planting pattern is 40x50 cm. This distance will give the cleome the opportunity to grow and bloom luxuriantly, as well as avoid some diseases that arise due to excessive plant density. After planting, watering should be moderate; you should not over-moisten the soil. As experts say: it is better to forget to water cleome than to water it twice.

It is worth raising the question about soil fertilization. It should be moderate and exactly suit the needs of the plant, otherwise the cleome will bloom and bush poorly. Once every 14 days, water the plants with a solution of 2 tablespoons of Fertik per bucket of water. If the plant is already weakened or suffers from a lack of nutrition, you can carry out foliar feeding - spraying the cleome with this solution from a spray bottle.

Favorite flowers in the garden (video)

Seed collection

When the flowering of cleome stops, seed pods appear in place of the inflorescences, without keeping track of which you may unwittingly become the owner of a carpet of cleome. If the plantings on the site are measured and complement the landscape design, then collect the seeds from the boxes in time so that they do not fall into the ground without permission. From the collected seeds you can sow seedlings for next year and replenish your plantings with excellent flowers.

Types of cleome

Today we know the following varieties of cleome:

• Cleome Champagne splash, Hasler's cleome;
• Cleome colored fountain and cleome white;
• Cleome Cherry Queen, as well as varieties 'Violet Queen', 'Helen Cambell', 'Rosakonigin' and 'Gigant Pink Queen'.

Usage

This plant It is successfully used by landscape designers in flower beds and mixborders. Cleome also looks original in the company of fragrant tobacco, Ibeiric, lavatera, but it looks no less excellent when completely alone. Due to its large growth, cleome can be used as a background for a flower garden and placed in the background, or used as a hedge among plantings of shorter plants.

At the height of summer, cleome, a plant that grows in all countries with temperate and warm climate. Remain indifferent to this unusual beauty It’s simply impossible: powerful bushes, crowned with original carpal inflorescences, like a magnet, attract admiring glances. What does cleome look like? The answer depends on your imagination. Pedantic Germans call it nothing more than a spider plant. More romantic flower growers compare the bright brushes of cleome with splashes of champagne, exotic butterflies or multi-colored fountains - not a flower, but a real holiday.

When to plant

So, you have set out to grow cleome and have already purchased the seeds. It's time to decide on the timing of sowing work. You can sow seeds directly permanent place at the end of April - beginning of May or in November, before winter. However, it is most reliable to sow cleome at the end of February for seedlings, and after the end of night frosts, transplant the seedlings into open ground.

Preparing the seat

Bright, festive cleome grows well in sunny areas, protected from strong winds. The close passage of groundwater is extremely undesirable. The lush-flowering beauty prefers loose, nutritious soil with a neutral pH reaction. If the soil in the selected location does not meet the listed requirements, add mature garden compost (6–8 kg/m?) and granular fertilizer for flowering crops (2 tablespoons/m?) for digging.

Sowing in open ground

If you do not want to waste time growing seedlings and decide to sow the seeds directly into the flowerbed, then proceed as follows:

• Thoroughly loosen and level the soil in the prepared area.
• To speed up germination, soak the seeds for 10–12 hours in a solution of any growth stimulant, such as Epin or Zircon; succinic acid will also work.
• Sow the treated seeds into chopped, spilled warm water furrows 1.5–2 cm deep at intervals of 25–30 cm and sprinkle with a thin layer of soil.

This is how spring work is carried out. The principle of winter sowing is the same, but there is no need to moisten the soil and treat the seeds with stimulants. In addition, for the winter, the bed must be covered with spruce paws to prevent the crops from freezing. With the onset of warm weather, the spruce branches are removed.

Cleome germinates slowly: you will have to wait about a month for the first shoots. Cover the bed with film or agrofibre, then the sprouts will hatch 10–15 days earlier. The main thing is not to let the weeds grow, otherwise they will fill the entire bed and “clog” the crops. When the seedlings form their first pair of true leaves, plant them out sparser. Since fragile plants will in the near future turn into spreading bushes, the distance between neighboring specimens should be at least 50–70 cm. Delaying replanting is undesirable; only young plants can tolerate the procedure painlessly.

Seedling method

The substrate for growing cleome seedlings at home is prepared from garden soil, humus and sand (2:2:1), after which it is sterilized in a preheated oven. It would be a good idea to spill the resulting soil mixture with sodium humate or a solution of the Energen preparation - this will speed up the emergence of seedlings. The seeds are kept in a solution of “Epin” or another growth stimulant for 10–12 hours, after which they begin sowing:

• Nutrient soil is poured into the seedling box and it is thoroughly compacted.
• Prepared seeds are sown to a depth of about 1.5 cm and lightly sprinkled with soil.
• The crops are moderately sprayed with a spray bottle.
• The box with germinating seeds is covered with film or glass and placed in warm place(+20…+22 °C).

The emergence of seedlings at home will take at least 2–3 weeks. As soon as the first green loops emerge from the ground, the box with seedlings is transferred to a bright windowsill and the temperature is lowered to +18 °C. IN cloudy weather and in the evening, growing plants will need additional lighting, so do not forget to equip the place where the seedlings are kept with fluorescent lamps or special agricultural lamps in advance.

Moderate watering of cleome seedlings is carried out as the soil surface dries. To avoid the development of root diseases, water the bushes once not with water, but with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

In the phase of the first pair of true leaves, the seedlings are planted in peat pots, buried in the soil to the base of the cotyledons. 12–15 days after picking, the seedlings begin to be fertilized every 2 weeks with a weakly concentrated solution of complex fertilizer. Periodically, pots with plants are turned towards the light so that the bushes do not turn out lopsided.

Seedlings are planted in open ground together with the pots in which they grew, keeping a distance of 60–70 cm between them. In order for young cleomes to quickly adapt to a new place, before planting, spray them with a nutrient solution (growth stimulator + Cytovit microfertilizer). Upon completion of work, mulch the soil under the plants with humus or rotted compost.

Basic care

• The plantings are watered infrequently, only in the most extreme heat, but the moisture should be plentiful.
• It is recommended to feed the bushes with complex fertilizers every 2 weeks. If any of the bushes seem weak to you, dissolve 2 teaspoons of Fertika Lux fertilizer in 3 liters of water and spray it over the foliage.
• Would you like to see the spider plant bloom quickly? No problem! Treat the plants before budding with a weak solution of the Zircon preparation.
• If the soil in the flower garden is not mulched, you will have to regularly loosen and weed it.

As you can see, maintenance is minimal. In autumn, with the arrival of frost, cleome bushes must be disposed of. To resume planting, clear the area of ​​plant debris, dig up the soil and begin winter sowing.

Diseases and pests

One can only admire the durability and excellent health of cleome. Due to the specific and sometimes not very pleasant smell, harmful insects avoid flowering plants. The development of diseases is possible only if you planted your beauty in a swampy lowland or water it with special fanaticism. If you follow the basic standards of agricultural technology, you don’t have to worry about your pet’s well-being.

Types and varieties

In floriculture, only two varieties of crops are currently grown - spiny cleome and Hassler's cleome, which are similar in many characteristics and differ only in the color of the inflorescences. From the best varieties the most popular are:

• Violet Queen - inky purple inflorescences;
• Sparkler Lavender – pale lilac;
• Hellen Campbell – snow-white;

Good day to all readers!

A flowering cleome bush reminds me of fireworks. Glowing lights in flight leave a trail behind them, and cleome flowers have lights at the end of the shoot, and the stems leave a trail. It’s easy to grow such fireworks in your flowerbed. Filigree flowers on Cleome spiny appear from mid-summer until frost.

From such a small seed, shoots grow in a short time, at the end of which the lights of flowers glow. Even the spines located along the entire length of the stem do not reduce the charm of the flower; the spines seem to protect the openwork inflorescences with long stamens from any encroachment.

Description of the flower with photo

Cleome spinosa is an annual shrub belonging to the caper family. His homeland is considered South America. It produces many tall stems, at the end of which buds bloom. Herbaceous shoots become woody towards the end of the season.

Cleoma spiny is otherwise called a peduncle that grows up to a meter in length, with four petals on long stalks and staminate filaments of blue or purple color, creating the volume of the inflorescence. The diameter of the brush can reach up to 20 cm. At the end of the inflorescence, new buds appear all summer and flowers bloom, lengthening the shoots. The corolla of each flower can open up to 3 cm.

There are so many such flowers blooming on a peduncle at the same time that each individual shoot can replace a whole bouquet. More than a dozen flowers can grow and bloom on one bush at the same time. To keep such a bush from falling apart, it is recommended to use supports.

Ripe pods after flowering have ended can be used as dried flowers. The most interesting thing is that ripened pods do not reduce the number of flowers opening on the shoot.

The color of the corolla of the flower is very diverse - from snowy white to deep purple. There are varieties with flowers of two shades in one inflorescence. The leaves of the plant consist of seven lobes.

Both on the stem and on the leaves there is pubescence with odorous glands. Unpleasant smell These glands repel insect pests and therefore cleome should not be planted near the house or recreation areas.

However, the bees like this aroma and visit the cleome with pleasure. In the plant's homeland, small children really like the smell. bats, which pollinate flowers.

The plant itself is very hardy and can survive sharp fluctuations in air humidity and temperature.

Types and varieties

Flower growers currently grow only two types of cleome - Hassler's cleome (Cleome Hassleriana) And spiny cleome (Cleome Spinosa). Both species are difficult to distinguish and therefore are combined common name cleome prickly. To develop new varieties, both of these species are crossed with each other. The most successful varieties of prickly cleome:

Cleome with white flowers

Variety Helen Campbell

Cleome "Rose Queen" - Pink Queen

Attractive varieties with pink flowers.

Cleome "Golden Sparkler"

A low-growing variety with flowers of an unusual yellow hue.

Variety with large dark pink flowers.

Cleome hassleriana "Sparkler Lavender"

Variety with purple inflorescences.

Cleome "Queen Violet"

Plants with inky purple flowers.

Cherry Queen variety

A variety with fragrant flowers 2-3 cm in size on long stalks. The petals are colored carmine pink and are turned in one direction, and the stamens and pistil in the other.

Can grow up to 1.2 m in height. The flowers, ranging in color from white to pale pink, open up to 4-5 cm in diameter. Blooms from July until frost.

Colored waterfall

Cleome "Color Fountain"

Planting and care

Preparing the site and soil for planting

No matter how you grow cleome - by sowing in the ground or seedlings, it is better to prepare a place in the flower garden in advance. The annual grows and blooms better in areas exposed to sunlight for a long time, without stagnant water after rain.

At the end of April, the selected area is dug up, the roots of perennial weeds are removed from the soil, and organic fertilizers in the form of compost or complex fertilizers - up to 2 tbsp per 1 m².

When planting seedlings in open ground, leave 40-50 cm between plants. Cleomes planted at this distance bloom luxuriantly and are well ventilated, preventing the outbreak of infections.

When sowing seeds directly into the ground in autumn, the site is prepared in early autumn. They also dig up and fertilize. Seeds are sown in rows followed by thinning in the same way as seedlings.

Growing seedlings, when to plant

Cleome can be grown from seedlings. After flowering ends, seed pods with ripened seeds are collected and stored until spring. Cleome propagates by self-sowing reluctantly. Seeds for seedlings are sown in early March. You can speed up seed germination and increase their germination rate by soaking in a stimulant diluted according to the instructions.

Sowing containers about 15 cm deep are filled with a nutrient mixture consisting of compost, garden soil and sand in a ratio of 2:2:1. Wood ash is scattered over the soil surface. Seeds are sown at a depth of about 1 cm and covered with humus. The container is covered with glass or polyethylene. Treated seeds begin to germinate after 15-20 days.

Caring for seedlings is the same as for other annuals

– water, ventilate the seedlings, plant them in individual containers, and harden them before planting in open ground. The emerging seedlings are kept in a cool, bright room and provided with additional light in cloudy weather or by extending the daylight hours.

When two true leaves appear, the sprouts can be picked into individual containers, deepening them to the cotyledon leaves. Properly transplanted plants begin to grow rapidly. They don't even need lighting.

After ten days, the seedlings can be fertilized. It is better to use nitrogen fertilizers to increase green mass. You can repeat feeding after two weeks.

Very important point– watering. You need to water abundantly, but infrequently. The soil should be moist without stagnant water. IN irrigation water You can add a small amount of potassium permanganate to prevent possible diseases.

You can sow the seeds directly into the soil in late autumn. This is the easiest way to propagate cleome. Planting holes about one and a half centimeters deep are prepared in the selected area. Seeds are laid out in them and sprinkled with earth, and covered with spruce branches or other covering material on top. Then the seeds will safely survive the winter period. In spring the cover is removed. In this case, seedlings will appear with a delay.

Another way is to sow seeds in open ground in the spring, when spring frosts have passed and the soil has warmed up to the sowing depth. Rows for sowing are prepared with a depth of no more than 1.5 cm, into which the seeds are laid out. The soil is kept constantly moist until seedlings emerge. Growing up on outdoors plants bloom faster.

Caring for flowers is the same as for other annuals - watering, loosening, weeding and fertilizing.

The most difficult thing is with watering. It is very important not to overdo it - cleome does not tolerate excessive moisture. It will tolerate a slight drought more easily than stagnant moisture.

How to properly fertilize cleome?

It depends on the composition of the soil. At the initial stages of development, complex fertilizers are applied, with a predominance of nitrogen. When buds appear on the plant, fertilizer mixtures for flowering plants are used. The amount of nitrogen in them is reduced, and the content of potassium and phosphorus is increased. This fertilizer mixture is applied once every two weeks, following the recommended dosage. To increase decorativeness, you can also apply foliar feeding with the same mixture.

What you need to remember when planting seedlings outdoors:

• Choose a place for planting that is illuminated by the sun and sheltered from the wind.
• You can plant seedlings in the flower garden only after the end of frost - cleome is very thermophilic.
• The distance between planted plants should remain about 40 cm.
• In the selected area, you need to add humus or complex fertilizer to the soil.
• When planting seedlings from a seedling box, it is advisable to treat the plant roots with Epin or Kornevin solution.
• It is useful to water the plantings with solutions of humates and spray them with a stress reliever.

Blooming cleome decorates the flowerbed from June to mid-autumn. The smell attracts bees, butterflies and other insects to the garden. When the flower withers, a pod filled with seeds forms in its place. There is no need to pick them to improve their appearance or extend the flowering period - this does not affect the duration of flowering. The boxes are collected after the end of the season and used for sowing the next year.

Cleome growing in a flower garden needs to be watered, fertilized and weeds removed.

Watering. The plant only needs watering in extreme heat. It is necessary to water rarely, but abundantly.

Fertilizers. Once every two weeks, cleome is watered at the root with a solution of complex fertilizer or mixture for flowering plants. It is useful to spray weakened bushes with Zircon solution, which strengthens the plant and accelerates flowering.

soil under plantings must be kept in a loose state, and weeds must be removed in a timely manner. You can reduce the effort on this work if you cover the soil under the bushes with a layer of mulching material - the ground will remain moist and there will be fewer weeds.

Reminder for caring for cleome in summer:

• Moderate soil moisture is necessary to maintain decorativeness.
• Fertilize once every ten days.
• Arrangement of supports around the bush.
• Weakened plants are supported by foliar feeding.
• Using Zircon will speed up flowering.
• Loosening and mulching the soil.

The cleome seeds did not germinate. What to do?

The problem with obtaining cleome seedlings is the low germination of seeds; they quickly lose their viability. Because of this, the seeds take a long time to germinate. Another reason for delayed germination may be poor quality material.

Germination can be improved by soaking the seeds in a solution of Epin or HB.

The germination of seeds sown in containers for seedlings can be increased by a sudden change in temperature. To do this, during the day, trays with sown seeds are kept in a warm place, on a sunny windowsill, and transferred to the refrigerator at night. You can leave the box on the balcony, then it will be warm during the day and cold at night.

Diseases and pests

Cleome flowers exude an aroma that is far from floral. This repels many insects. Pests do not damage cleome. If flowering bushes are planted next to food plants, the smell will repel pests from there too.

A plant can only get sick if there is excessive watering or close groundwater.

Cleome is a beautiful long-flowering large plant. Most often it decorates mixborders and solitaires. At the same time, it is suitable for cutting - it can stand in a vase for up to 10 days.

This attractive flower can decorate any corner of the garden with its presence. Blooming cleome evokes delight with its appearance, reminiscent of an explosion of fireworks or champagne.

In a flower bed with annual flowers, cleome dominates. She is planted in the background, and in front of her is more low plants. It successfully solos against the background of lavatera or fragrant tobacco.

In perennial flower beds, cleome is an annually replaced bright accent.

It is better to create plantings with cut plants among vegetables: there you can cut flowers without thinking about the overall integrity of the composition.

Cleome prickly combines well with many plants.

Varieties with white flowers fit organically into the composition with white rose, white cosmos and white lobelia. An interesting combination is obtained when planting cleome and dicentra together - both plants are tall with unusual flowers.

The ideal neighborhood consists of plants with flowers of cool shades, namely forest sage, verbena, monarda, liatris or echinacea.

Tall flowers can camouflage an unsightly fence or create a low blooming screen.

Cleome flower - growing from seeds, planting and caring for cleome; how and when to plant cleome: video

Having sowed cleome once, it is difficult not to succumb to its charm and plant the flower again and again.