Content
Catharanthus is an evergreen herbaceous perennial, whose homeland is considered to be Madagascar. This plant has been cultivated since the 18th century. In Russia it is grown as a houseplant or annual. The flowering period of catharanthus begins in May and lasts until October. With proper care, a whole cap of buds is formed that completely hide the foliage, for which this subshrub has gained recognition from flower growers. But in order to grow catharanthus from seeds by the beginning of the season, you need to know all the intricacies of this process and strictly follow the recommendations.
In cold seasons, watering is reduced
Features of propagation of catharanthus by seeds
Experienced gardeners recommend growing catharanthus in seedlings, and not by direct planting in the ground.This is explained by the fact that this crop is very vulnerable at an early stage of growth, and the probability of death of young seedlings is very high. But for the idea to be successful, you need to understand what the planting material of this perennial looks like and what varieties can be grown in this way.
What do catharanthus seeds look like?
Under natural conditions, after flowering of this perennial, fruits are formed in the shape of a crescent-shaped bileaf. Inside each of them, up to a dozen elongated seeds approximately 3-4 mm in size are formed. When ripe they acquire a dark brown hue. It is impossible to collect planting material, even if there is an adult catharanthus bush, since they do not form in a temperate climate, but only in tropical conditions.
You can purchase high-quality planting material in specialized stores. But you need to pay attention to the packaging, expiration date and price, since certified seeds of this perennial cannot be cheap.
Before planting, seeds are disinfected against insects.
What varieties can be grown from seeds
Nowadays there are a sufficient number of hybrid forms of catharanthus on the market, which are distinguished by lush and long-lasting flowering. All of them can be grown from seeds, the main thing is to be patient.
The most common series:
- Titan F1. An annual plant that forms shoots up to 15 cm high. It is characterized by compact bushes, early flowering, and increased resistance to drought. Does not require formation, forms buds before autumn frosts. The height of the bush reaches 25-30 cm, and the width is 15-20 cm. In the catharanthus “Titan F1”, the diameter of the flowers reaches 5 cm.
- Bark Cascade F1. An ampelous species that can be grown in hanging pots.The series is presented in different shades. It is characterized by compact bushes with a height and width of 30 cm. The diameter of the flowers is 3-4 cm. Catharanthus “Bark Cascade” is resistant to drought and direct sunlight.
- SunStorm F1. Early flowering compact series. Plants grow 25-30 cm high and 30 cm wide. This species easily tolerates temperature changes and is easy to care for. Catharanthus "SunStorm F1" is suitable for growing in high density conditions.
Timing for sowing catharanthus seeds for seedlings
In order to obtain already strong seedlings of this plant by the beginning of May, it is necessary to plant the seeds in February, namely in the first half of the month. The peculiarity of this plant is that at the initial stage the catharanthus develops very slowly. Therefore, it is important not to miss the optimal period for planting in order to be able to admire the flowers by the end of May.
Planting catharanthus seeds for seedlings
Planting catharanthus does not require complex actions. Therefore, any novice gardener can cope with this task. But it is important to follow all these recommendations, since any mistake can cause failure.
Selection of containers and soil preparation
The peculiarity of catharanthus is that it forms a long tap root. Therefore, for planting seeds, you need to choose wide containers, at least 15 cm high. Each of them must have drainage holes to remove excess water, since this perennial does not tolerate stagnant moisture in the soil.
You can purchase a suitable substrate for sowing seeds in a store by choosing a soil mixture for seedlings.But in this case, you additionally need to add a little sand or perlite and coconut substrate.
At home, catharanthus seeds can be sown in self-prepared soil. To do this, you need to mix all the proposed components in equal volumes:
- turf;
- sand;
- peat;
- humus;
- leaf soil;
- coconut substrate.
Before planting seeds, the resulting soil mixture must be disinfected. To do this, it should be poured with a bright pink solution of potassium permanganate a day before, and then dried a little.
The substrate for sowing catharanthus seeds must be nutritious and loose
Seed preparation
Planting material must be stimulated before sowing, which activates growth processes. To do this, soak it in the Zircon working solution, which must be prepared at the rate of 2 ml per 1 liter of water. Soak the seeds in the resulting liquid for 10 hours, and then dry a little until characteristic flowability appears.
How to plant catharanthus seeds for seedlings
Planting of this perennial occurs according to the standard scheme. Therefore, it is very easy to follow the procedure and strictly adhere to all recommendations.
Landing algorithm:
- Place a 1 cm thick layer of drainage on the bottom of the container.
- Fill the rest of the volume with the substrate, adding a little to the top.
- Water the soil and wait for the water to be absorbed.
- Level the top layer and carefully spread the seeds at a distance of 1.5-2.0 cm.
- Sprinkle soil on top, in a layer of no more than 0.5 cm.
- Using a board, compact the surface and moisten with a spray bottle.
After this, cover the container with a transparent bag and move it to a dark place where the temperature will not be lower than +24-25 degrees.
How to grow catharanthus from seeds
In the future, everything will depend on proper care. Therefore, you need to try to provide the plant with favorable conditions for growth in order to ultimately get beautiful flowering bushes of this ornamental perennial.
When does catharanthus sprout from seeds?
If the entire procedure for planting seeds has been followed as a rule, the first shoots will appear on day 5-7. Friendly shoots of catharanthus can be seen within a day after this.
Microclimate
When sprouts appear, the containers must be moved to a bright windowsill and the temperature reduced to +19 degrees. This will slow down the growth of the above-ground part and activate the formation of a powerful root. The best option for catharanthus may be eastern and western windows with light shading from direct sunlight.
It is advisable to add coarse river sand and a little peat to the soil
At this stage, it is important that a greenhouse effect is maintained inside the container to maintain an increased level of humidity. But in order to minimize the risk of developing a fungal disease, the film must be periodically removed and the sprouted seeds ventilated.
After a week of such conditions, the temperature should be increased to +20 degrees and kept at this level constantly. When the seedlings become well established and grow, they need to be adapted to external conditions. To do this, remove the film for 1 hour for the first time, and with each subsequent day increase the interval by another half hour.After a week, seedlings grown from seeds can be fully opened.
Watering and fertilizing
Catharanthus is a moisture-loving plant, but adult bushes need to be watered abundantly. Therefore, when growing seedlings from seeds, it is necessary to moisten the soil in containers only as needed, avoiding stagnation of moisture. This plant also responds well to foliage spraying. This should be done in the periods between waterings.
When the seedlings are well established and begin to grow, they need to be fed for the first time. To do this, you should use a balanced fertilizer for seedlings, which can be purchased at the store. In the future, fertilize the catharanthus every 2 weeks.
Picking
When the seedlings have 4 true leaves, they need to be planted in separate containers. To do this, you should prepare containers with a diameter of 9-10 cm and a height of 15 cm. The soil for catharanthus seedlings can be used the same as when planting seeds.
During picking, you need to pinch 1/3 of the root of each seedling, which stimulates the growth of lateral shoots. Also, when planting, the catharanthus should be buried 0.5 cm into the soil.
When picking, it is necessary to pinch the root
Possible problems
When growing this perennial from seeds, some difficulties may arise. Therefore, you should study the most common problems that may arise in the process and how to solve them.
Why there are no catharanthus sprouts, what to do
Many gardeners complain that when planting catharanthus seeds, seedlings often do not appear. This can happen for a number of reasons.
The most common problem may be deep seeding. In this case, you don’t need to do anything; sprouts will appear, but a little later.
Also, the reason for the lack of seedlings may be shallow planting of seeds. To correct the situation, you need to sprinkle them with a layer of earth and place them in a dark place with a temperature of +25 degrees.
Catharanthus seeds may not germinate if the soil dries out. In this case, planting should be repeated and the containers should be covered with film to create an optimal microclimate inside.
Diseases and pests
Catharanthus has high natural immunity. But if the growing conditions are not met, this perennial is affected by the following pests:
- spider mite;
- aphid;
- scale insect;
- felt
Therefore, at the first signs of damage, the plant should be treated with Actellik twice every 7 days.
Catharanthus must be constantly inspected in order to notice pests in time
Catharanthus is little susceptible to fungal diseases. From time to time it may have problems with leaves, which indicates a lack of watering, low air humidity and exposure to direct sunlight. In this case, it is enough to adjust the conditions of detention.
Transplantation into the ground
Catharanthus seedlings grown from seeds can be transplanted to a permanent place in a flowerbed when the soil warms up to a temperature of +18 degrees to a depth of 20 cm. This usually happens in late May - early June.
The site for the perennial needs to be prepared in advance. It needs to be dug up, humus added (5 kg per 1 sq.m.), and an additional 30 g of superphosphate and 15 g of potassium sulfide added. Seedlings should be planted at a distance of 30 cm from each other.
When does catharanthus bloom from seeds?
Seedlings of this perennial grown from seeds bloom after 11-12 weeks. If the conditions of detention are not met, the deadlines may be shifted by 1-2 weeks. Therefore, in order to get flowering bushes by the beginning of the season, you need to strictly comply with all the requirements of the plant.
Conclusion
Every gardener can grow catharanthus from seeds. This process is long and painstaking, so the most patient will be able to cope with this task. But in gratitude for this, the plant will delight you with lush flowering throughout the season. The main thing is to provide it with regular watering and sufficient sunlight.
