Clarkia is a very beautiful annual grass with unusual and vibrant colors. Due to the variety of pink shades and abundant flowering, Clarkia is often called "sakura." The plant belongs to the family Cyprus. Its homeland is Chile and the Pacific coast of North America. Bright flowers, as if strung on thin stems, form multi-colored islands in the garden. This will certainly make the site more beautiful and attract a lot of attention. A colorful flower garden will become the pride of the owners. Clarkia is undemanding in care, but thanks to small tricks, the flowering will be more plentiful and will last longer.
Botanical Description
Clarkia is a grassy annual with a fibrous, superficial rhizome. Thin erect stems branch well, so the plant forms a bush 30-90 cm high. The shoots are covered with a reddish bark with short pubescence. Regular leaves, sessile or on short petioles, are painted in dark green. Sometimes reddish strokes are visible on the surface. The sheet plate has an oval shape with a pointed end.
Flowering begins in May-June, 2 months after sowing seeds. On the tops of the shoots, single axial flowers are formed on short pedicels. They have the correct shape and a small tube. Thin petals are painted in pink, purple or lilac shades of various intensities. Petals can have smooth or dissected edges. There are simple and terry buds. Flowers exude a delicate aroma that attracts beneficial insects to the area.
After pollination, the fruits are tied - small oblong seed capsules. They hide small seeds with a brown coating. They retain viability for 2-4 years. Seed boxes after maturation open, which provokes self-sowing.
Clarkia species
Clarkia is not too numerous. It has about 30 species, but only 4 of them are used in culture. Breeders also bred several decorative varieties. Plants look good in a monophonic planting, as well as when using a mix of varieties of clarkia with colorful buds.
Clarkia is graceful. The plant reaches a height of 90 cm. It consists of thin, highly branched stems. Dark green leaves with embossed veins have an oval shape and serrated edges. Flowering occurs from June to September. On the tops of the stems, loose carpal inflorescences are formed. The diameter of each corolla is about 4 cm. Popular varieties:
- Salmon perfection ("Salmon perfection") - loose shoots 70-90 cm high covered with terry inflorescences with salmon petals;
- Albatross - snow-white terry flowers bloom on a bush 75 cm high;
- Diamond - the tops of the shoots are decorated with large terry flowers of bright pink color;
- Gloriosa - the plant is densely covered with simple scarlet flowers with a light core.
Clarkia is pretty. The compact variety does not exceed 40 cm in height. Green elongated leaves have a solid edge and a pointed apex. Axillary flowers bloom at the ends of the shoots. They are located singly or in small inflorescences. Thin, soft petals are divided into 3 parts and resemble an unusual trident or deer horns. Flowering begins in late May.
Clarkia Breveri. The view appeared only in 2006. A plant up to 50 cm tall is resistant to cold. Symmetrical delicate flowers in diameter are no more than 3 cm. Pink clarkia flowers are compared with sakura blossoms.
Clarkia Terry. This annual forms dense shoots due to highly branched shoots. The height of the bushes is 40-65 (90) cm. Dark green elongated leaves are surrounded by double flowers with white, pink, purple and burgundy petals.
Propagation Methods and Landing
The best way to propagate clarkia, like any annual, is to sow the seeds. During the season they ripen in large quantities on the plant, so there are no difficulties. Seeds can be sown for seedlings or immediately in open ground.
Seedlings can be sown in early March, then flowering is expected in the second half of May. To grow clarkia seedlings, wide boxes are prepared from seeds. The soil is made up of the following components:
- sheet land (2 parts);
- rotted humus (1 part);
- peat (1 part);
- sand (1 part).
The earth should be steamed from pests, and soak the seeds for several hours in a solution of potassium permanganate. Crops close up to a depth of 1.5-2 cm. The surface is sprayed from the spray gun and covered with glass or film. Germination takes up to 14 days, after which the shelter should be removed. Seedlings are grown in a well-lit and warm place.
Seedlings are grown without diving until the transplant into the open ground. All clarkies, but especially hybrid varieties, die when transplanted again. To avoid this problem, you can sow the seeds in peat tablets. In this case, the rhizome is not injured when planted in open ground. It is also important not to deepen the root neck.
It is permissible to sow seeds immediately in open ground. Seedlings grown in one place look stronger and bloom faster. The procedure is carried out in May, when spring frosts pass. At the planting site, you should carefully dig the soil, remove weeds and make mineral fertilizers. Seeds are sown to a depth of 1.5-2 cm with a distance of 4-5 cm.
Outdoor cultivation
The location. Clarkia is an unpretentious and rapidly growing plant. She feels equally well in the open sun and partial shade. Also, she is not afraid of drafts and short-term cooling. The plant prefers light and fertile soils through which air can penetrate to the roots. Of course, Clarkia can adapt to heavy clay soils, but it will not grow so intensively.
Landing. Since Clarkia is highly branched, it may need thinning. The distance between adult plants should be at least 15 cm. This will allow the sun and air to penetrate to the lower part of the shoots, which means greens and flowers will remain attractive for longer.
Watering. It is better to water Clarkia regularly so that only the topsoil dries out. When the roots dry, the leaves and shoots begin to turn yellow. Stagnation of water contributes to the development of root rot. If precipitation falls regularly in the summer, you can do without watering. Otherwise, irrigation is carried out in small portions of water.
Humidity. The plant does not need excessive humidity. Sunny and well-ventilated places are preferred.
Fertilizer. From the moment of landing, the Clarkia needs regular feeding. Twice a month, a solution of mineral fertilizers for flowering garden plants should be applied. They contain all the necessary substances and do not harm beneficial insects.
Crown formation. Young plants with a height of about 10 cm can be pinched to get more lush bushes. It is better to prune the flowers as they wilt, so that the plant retains decorativeness. You should immediately select a few buds for ripening seeds. When flowering is completed, it is recommended to remove the remaining shoots and dig the soil. It is highly likely that self-seeding will appear next year and Clarkia will revive without any effort in its former place.
Clarkia indoors
Clarkia can be grown not only on the street, but also on the balcony or in the room. However, a houseplant has a more modest size and smaller flowers. The clarkia pot should be placed in a well-lit place. You can grow it even in winter, using additional illumination.
If the plant in the open ground sprouted late and did not have time to bloom, it can be dug up with a large lump of earth and continue to grow at home. It should be remembered that even the most thorough care will not turn clarkia into a perennial. After the flowers fade, the rhizome begins to die.
Diseases and Pests
Clarkia is disease resistant. Only when grown in a damp place, on flooded soils, the roots and shoots are affected by the fungus. The appearance of a whitish fluffy plaque or brown spots on the stems indicates infection. It is impossible to save such plants, all shoots should be destroyed and the soil treated with a fungicide.
The most common pest of clarkia is a garden flea. She settles on young seedlings and inhibits their growth. Treatment with Karbofos or Fufanon helps get rid of parasites.
Using Clarkia
Clarkia gains the greatest appeal in large, dense groups. Then it resembles a lush carpet covered with fragrant flowers. Usually a plant is planted near fences or along paths. You can combine varieties with different colors in one flower garden. Clarkia looks good in the neighborhood of asters or phlox, roses or conifers.
Fragrant flowers attract beneficial insects, so herbs are melliferous. Clarkia can also be used to form bouquets. Brushes of delicate flowers will stand in a vase for 1-2 weeks.
