Content
Many gardeners like to grow beautiful and lush flowers in their summer cottage. They are a wonderful decoration for flower beds, fences and paths. One of the unusual flowers is ivy-leaved calistegia. It belongs to the Bindweed family, but when it grows rapidly, it begins to resemble a weed.
Description of ivy calistegia
Calistegia first appeared in Japan and North China. It belongs to the climbing plant family and is considered perennial. Flowers look unusual and beautiful, therefore they attract the attention of many gardeners. The plant is distinguished by its rapid growth, unpretentiousness, vitality and endurance. Has a powerful root system. But sometimes calistegia brings a lot of inconvenience, because it spreads over large areas like a weed in a short time.
There are many different plant species, one of which is ivy-leaved calistegia.
Shoots grow up to 2.5 m in height. The flowering period is observed from mid-July to early September. The leaves are small and bright green in color. The diameter of the buds is 8-9 cm. They are terry with a white or pink tone.
Ivy calistegia Flora Pleno
Calistegia Flore Pleno is recognized as another common species. The trunk reaches 3 m in length. This variety belongs to the fluffy species and has a pleasant aroma. The leaves are slightly drooping, have a sagittal shape and a green tint. The inflorescences are large. The buds resemble pompons. Their color is white with a pink tint.
Application in landscape design
Ivy calistegia grows like a liana, so it is more often used to decorate vertical surfaces. With the help of a plant, mesh gazebos, terraces and arches are decorated. Calistegia can also be grown as a hedge. Thanks to such a flower, it will be possible to visually increase the area of the site.
It is not recommended to grow bindweed in a flower bed, as the plant grows rather quickly. At the same time, it has powerful roots, so other flowers will experience a lack of water and grow worse.
Reproduction methods
Calistegia ivy is a very beautiful and unusual plant. It is propagated by creeping rhizomes in small greenhouses. The planting process is carried out from the end of the summer season until the moment when snow appears.
Also bindweed is propagated by cuttings. To do this, cut stems with 3-4 buds and 2-3 leaves. The cut site is treated with a special agent that promotes growth. Then they are dried and placed in water until the first roots appear.
Planting and leaving
Calistegia Captivity can be planted both in spring and late autumn. It all depends on the breeding method.
To plant a plant, several manipulations are performed:
- Dig a hole, the depth of which is equal to the bayonet of the shovel.
- The soil is fertilized with a special mineral complex. Ash and humus can also be added.
- Bindweed are transplanted into a prepared hole at a distance of 5-15 cm from each other.
Calistegia ivy is considered an unpretentious plant, but it is necessary to take care of it
The control is carried out as follows:
- Lighting. Bindweed should be planted on a surface well accessible to the sun.It is allowed to be in light partial shade.
- Top dressing. In the period from May to September, the plant needs to be regularly fed with useful microelements. To prepare a solution, a tablespoon of fertilizer is diluted in 10 liters of water. The earth around the calistegia is covered with ash or humus.
- Pruning. It is recommended to remove withered inflorescences. Thin shoots are also removed. When the foliage withers, part of the flower must be cut off.
- The soil. The ground should be loose. The presence of sand and clay is allowed.
If you adhere to all the rules, the bindweed will not grow so rapidly and prevent other plants from germinating.
Landing terms and rules
Planting dates directly depend on the breeding method. If root shoots are used, then planting is carried out either in early spring or in late autumn - before the ground is covered with snow. If you choose the second option, then the soil should be insulated with fallen leaves, spruce branches, straw or peat.
In early spring, cuttings are planted, after pretreating the cut site with special means. If the gardener does not want to spend a lot of time on ivy calisthegia, then you can use seed material.
The plant is planted at a distance of 5-20 cm from each other. If you do not control the growth of bindweed, this will lead to the fact that Kalistegia will turn into a weed and fill the entire area. Therefore, after planting, it is necessary to dig in a sheet of slate or cut iron blocks.
It is better to plant no more than 5-10 cuttings in the ground.
Installation of supports
Calistegia ivy grows like a vine. In order for the bindweed to grow vertically and not fill the entire area, you need to install supports. To do this, you can take unnecessary slate sheets. They are dug into the ground to a depth of 40-50 cm.
Some gardeners use 200 liter iron barrels. They are cut into several pieces and dug into the ground. Calistegia will go up as it grows and beautifully cover nondescript iron walls.
Watering and feeding schedule
The bindweed begins to feed from the beginning of spring and continues until the end of autumn. To do this, use fertilizers rich in minerals - fluorine, sodium, potassium. The procedure is carried out every 7-10 days.
The plant is recommended to be moisturized only on dry days.
The bindweed is watered abundantly, but moisture stagnation should not be allowed, otherwise the roots will begin to rot and the flowers will fade.
Pruning
Calistegia ivy belongs to annual plants, therefore, closer to autumn, the liana from the root node and the flower withers. At the end of the season, gardeners carry out sanitization - they remove the whip from the root and completely burn it. Weak and lagging parts are also pruned in the spring.
In some cases, you have to engage in pruning those roots that have gone beyond the barrier.
Preparing for winter
The ivy-leaved calistegia tolerates wintering well. Usually, only those plants whose age is no more than 2 years old need protection from the cold. Adult bindweed, which is fully rooted in the ground, can easily tolerate frost.
If a frosty and snowless winter is expected, the plant is covered with fallen leaves, peat, straw or spruce branches. In early spring, with the threat of frost, young shoots are covered with a film.
The need for a transplant
The root system of ivy-leaved calistegia is distinguished by its aggressiveness in terms of growth. If you do not monitor her condition, she will destroy the nearby plants. Therefore, after planting, the bindweed is fenced.
The transplant process is optional. It is necessary only when the owner of the site needs to change the place of growth of the bindweed. But in this case, you will have to work very hard, since the ivy-leaved calistegia is a tenacious flower.
It is not worth replanting the plant where there is too little space, as this will lead to early death of the plant.
If the gardener decided to take up this process, then you should not do this in the summer. But in spring or autumn, ivy-leaved calistegia grows rapidly, takes root and grows well.
Pests and diseases
The main enemies of the bindweed plant are snails and slugs. Most often, pests are activated during the flowering period. The fight against them consists in the use of an insecticide. The soil around the ivy-leaved calistegia is recommended to be mulched with dry needles. Straw should not be used, as slugs pick up well on it. Dark beer traps can also be set around.
With improper care, diseases appear on ivy-leaved calistegia, which significantly affects the appearance
Most often, Bindweed suffer from rot and powdery mildew. The first type of disease can be overcome by washing the leaves and stems with soapy water and fungicides.
If we talk about powdery mildew, then this disease is fungal in nature. When infected, a whitish bloom appears on the plant. After a while, a thin cobweb forms. If you do not help the ivy calistegia in time, the leaves, stems and flowers will begin to die off. Most often, infection occurs by air. But the fungus can also live in fallen leaves.
To prevent the appearance of powdery mildew on the bindweed, you must:
- collect and dispose of fallen leaves in time;
- remove weeds;
- provide good ventilation of the plant;
- disinfect garden tools;
- watering in the morning.
If powdery mildew appears on the ivy-leaved calistegia, then the following measures should be taken:
- In the early days, spray the bindweed with a solution of whey.
- Treat with ash and laundry soap.
- Loosen the soil and thin out the plant.
- Spray the bindweed periodically with iodine solution.
In addition, experienced gardeners do not often advise feeding ivy-leaved calistegia. This increases the risk of developing diseases during the wet season.
Conclusion
Calistegia ivy is one of the unusually beautiful plants. Bindweed can become the real pride of any owner of a summer cottage. What is remarkable, the plant is unpretentious in care. The only drawback is that the uncontrolled growth of flowers can lead to the filling of the entire area. Kalistegiya will not allow other cultures to develop fully. Therefore, when planting, it is recommended to make a fence made of slate or iron sheets.
