Tender and attractive plant, familiar alreadymany florists, - a nemophile. Cultivation of the seeds of this flower has become an important goal of many gardeners and owners of balcony pots. In translation from the Greek language the name nemophila is translated as "grove". This interpretation is due to the fact that in the homeland, in North America, eleven species of nemophilia grow on the slopes of the hills and in small groves. The local name of the lovely plant is the American forget-me-not. For breeding, experienced growers can use seeds.
Nemofila - growing for floristry
For floristic purposes two types are usedflower: Nemofila Mentsis and nemofila spotted. Short stems and too delicate petals do not allow the use of other species to create long-lasting compositions.
Nemofila Mentsis is a one-yeara plant that does not exceed 25 cm, which has a bright branchy stem with small pinnately dissected leaves. Inside the leaf axils there are beautiful flowers reaching a diameter of 2.5 cm. The color of the flowers of this species can vary from sky-blue to lilac color with a brown or snow-white eye in the center.
Cultivation from the seeds of this crop is consideredthe most effective and easy for inexperienced growers. The plant reaches only 20 cm in height, the stems practically lie on the surface of the soil, and on each of the five white petals there are violet-blue spots.
Summer flower of nemophile - growing out of seeds
Traditionally, the summer is grown by the simple methodsowing, without growing seedlings. For a plentiful June flowering it is necessary to spend sowing in the end of March, a maximum at the beginning of April. Spring frosts are not afraid of the flower, so no additional hardening is required.
As soil use nutrient soils withquality natural drainage. Ideal is a mixture of sand, turf, humus in a ratio of 1: 1: 1. It is also necessary to add one tablespoon of pure chalk to a bucket of ready soil - this is done in order to lower the acidity of the soil. Nemofila, growing from the seeds of which can be an excellent hobby for a young florist, sows to a depth of 0.5 cm. Watering the plant should be frequent and quite a lot. After two or three weeks, sprouting is performed. The distance between nymphophiles should not be less than 5 cm and more than 20 cm. If by the middle of summer the plant suddenly began to fade quickly - this is a sign of a lack of moisture. For prolonged flowering, additional seed sowing is performed in June, and at the end of summer adult plants are cut off dead parts, which causes the appearance of new buds.
Collected autumn seeds should be well dried,put in paper bags and store until next year in a dry and quite cool place. A very popular option for using nemophile can be called the creation of flower rugs in gardens and parks. For a long life the flower needs a little shade and a regular, high-quality watering. Also, the plant will look good on alpine hills, flower beds, in balcony tubs and near artificial reservoirs.
