Content
Planting and caring for Kampsis in the gardens and parks of Europe began in the 17th century. This deciduous vine, belonging to the Bignoniaceae family, enjoys warm climates. Its name, translated from Greek, means "twist, bend". One of the features of Kampsis is the formation of large, bright inflorescences.
Features of growing vines
Campsis is usually planted in home gardens, in park areas for vertical gardening. The plant has aerial roots that cling to supports. And foliage has a decorative appearance due to large, complex plates of 7-11 leaves with serrated edges. During the flowering period - from June to September - paniculate inflorescences about 9 cm long and 5 cm in diameter are formed on the liana.Their color can be pink, crimson, red, orange. Although the flowers of the plant do not emit a scent, they attract insects: wasps, bees, flies, ants.
The fruits are elongated pods up to 10 cm in size with a large number of membranous seeds with wings. Ripe specimens crack, grains scatter a considerable distance.
Growing and caring for Kampsis in the open field practically does not give gardeners any worries. The only problem they face is the lack of flowering. Most often this is due to the age of the plant or low air temperature. In regions with a cool climate, the vine survives, but rarely blooms.
Kampsis landing rules
When starting planting and caring for Kampsis in the open field, it must be borne in mind that seedlings obtained from seeds do not always reproduce the characteristics of mother plants. Despite the good germination, this method of reproduction is rarely resorted to. In addition, the first flowering occurs only after 5 years, and sometimes even later. In order for a vine to inherit varietal characteristics, it must be grown from cuttings. Flowering usually occurs in the third year of life.
Recommended timing
The best time to transfer seedlings to open ground is April and May, or the end of August and September. Even when planting a campsis in the fall, he has enough time to adapt. But it is recommended to postpone such work to the end of the growing season in regions with a warm climate.
Site selection and preparation
The condition for the abundant and prolonged flowering of Kampsis is a sufficient amount of sunlight. When vines grow in the shade, their inflorescences become small and pale. Therefore, an open area is considered the preferred landing site for Kampsis, which is protected from the wind on the north and west sides.
Campsis does not tolerate high humidity. It should not be grown in areas with surface water tables.And in the southern regions, where dry periods alternate with heavy rainfall, the liana should be given a place on a flat area so that moisture evenly flows to the roots of the plant and does not stagnate.
How to plant Kampsis
The planting process is not laborious. In order to eventually get a decorative liana on the site, you must:
- Prepare a planting hole 50 cm wide and about 40 cm deep. For spring planting, this is taken care of in the fall. The soil from the pit is mixed with humus, about 500 g of complex fertilizer is applied. If the soil on the site is heavy, add a drainage layer up to 10 cm thick.
- On the day of planting, the plants make a low mound at the bottom of the hole.
- The Kampsis stalk, together with the earthen lump, is transferred to a new place and placed on a mound, the roots are straightened.
- Sprinkle with earth, making sure that the root collar of the vine rises 5 cm above the soil level.
- Abundant watering is carried out. One plant requires 5-8 liters of water.
- A support is installed nearby, the kampsis is tied up.
- The soil is mulched.
How to care for Kampsis
Liana care includes standard agrotechnical operations:
- watering;
- fertilization;
- prevention of diseases and pests;
- pruning;
- weeding;
- preparation for the winter period.
Watering and feeding schedule
Being able to withstand periods of drought, Kampsis loves water. You can water it immediately after the topsoil dries up. But it is better to protect the vine root system from overflows, as it can rot.
Vines growing on fertile soils do not need additional feeding. If the soil is poor in minerals, then at the beginning of spring it is fertilized with nitrogen and phosphorus compounds. A single application of fertilizing to the plant, as a rule, is sufficient for the entire season.
Installation of supports for the capsule
Saplings need to be tied up, and all vines, regardless of age, require support. This can be a wall of a house, a fence, a gazebo, or arched wooden or metal structures, trellises.
Some craftsmen make decorative portable supports for Kampsis from thin slats with their own hands:
- They make a rectangular frame, fasten it with self-tapping screws. Along the long side, slats are placed at the same distance, running in a diagonal direction parallel to each other.
- On the reverse side of the frame, rails directed in the opposite direction are fastened in the same way. Bonded together for strength.
- The top is covered with varnish or compounds that protect the tree from decay.
Weeding and loosening
These procedures ensure the active growth and development of the vine. It is especially important to loosen the near-trunk circle of the Kampsis if it grows on heavy, dense soil.
Pruning Kampsis
Pruning is an important part of caring for a rapidly growing upward and broadly liana, a way of regulating its growth. In addition, this is an opportunity to get lush flowering, since the buds develop only on new shoots.
Pruning time is spring, before bud formation, and autumn. Principles of the procedure:
- Several of the strongest shoots are chosen on the liana, the rest are cut with shears.
- Such operations are carried out for 3-4 years until the trunk grows to the desired height.
- Then lignified branches and 3-4 young ones are left, which are shortened to 3 buds.
- If the main trunk is damaged, it is removed and replaced with the most powerful shoot.
- In summer, the faded branches of the plant are also cut into 3-4 buds. This allows you to maintain a decorative appearance throughout the entire flowering period.
The nuances of the spring cropping of Kampsis in the video.
Preparing Kampsis for winter
In regions with mild winters, the vine does not need to be covered. If the air temperature drops to -20 degrees and below, then the plant cannot survive frost without additional protection. Both the root system and the shoots require shelter.In autumn, Kampsis is pruned, leaving only skeletal and main branches. Then they are removed from the support, laid on the ground, covered with sawdust and spruce branches, and on top with polyethylene.
There is another way to prepare the kampsis for winter, without removing it from the vertical support. Sprinkle the roots with sand, cover with foliage or spruce branches. The shoots are wrapped with lutrasil folded in several layers, then with plastic wrap.
The nuances of growing in the regions
Caring for a thermophilic vine in regions with different weather and climatic conditions has its own characteristics. The gardener must take them into account.
In outskirts of Moscow
For cultivation in the Moscow region, you should choose the following varieties of Kampsis:
- rooting;
- hybrid.
The best time to plant is late May or early June.
In the middle lane
Liana is frost-resistant, so planting and caring for Kampsis in the Middle Lane does not cause difficulties for gardeners. The seedlings are transferred to open ground in May. During the season, they carry out standard agrotechnical operations. For the winter, the branches of the lianas are carefully laid on the ground and a shelter is built. With proper care, Kampsis blooms profusely.
In the Urals
On the territory of the Urals, the landing of Kampsis begins at the beginning of summer. Plants do not have enough warmth, they can suffer from frost. For this reason, gardeners often fail to achieve flowering. For the winter, the vine needs shelter.
In Siberia
Cold winters with temperatures down to -40 degrees Celsius determine the peculiarities of growing campus in Siberia. This region is considered unfavorable for the plant. It is recommended to plant it in greenhouses or winter gardens.
Growing problems
Difficulties in keeping Kampsis are most often associated with the lack of flowering and the appearance of diseases. Pests rarely affect the culture.
List of reasons why Kampsis does not bloom
In some cases, gardeners fail to achieve flowering vines. This can be due to several reasons:
- The age of the plant. Campsis begin to bloom 3 years after planting when breeding by cuttings and 5 years after seed propagation. And specimens that have reached 10 years old usually stop blooming and require complete pruning for rejuvenation.
- Lack of lighting. Contained in shaded areas, the vines are strongly stretched, which takes away the strength necessary for the formation of buds.
- Excess nitrogen fertilizers. Their introduction activates the growth of green mass. Kampsis cannot bloom. To remedy the situation, the plants are fed with phosphorus compounds or bone meal.
- Spring frosts. Low temperatures damage the buds, from which young flowering shoots should form.
- Invalid trimming time. The "haircut" of the plant must be carried out in late autumn or early spring, before the appearance of young shoots.
- Cold snap in spring and summer. This interferes with bud formation.
Diseases and pests
Liana has a strong immune system. However, inappropriate care often provokes disease.
Diseases | Reasons for the appearance | Signs | Treatment |
Bacterial rot | Excess moisture or contamination with pathogenic bacteria | Darkening of the petioles of leaves and shoots, softening and wateriness of the leaf plates of the plant | Removal of affected parts of Kampsis, treatment with fungicides |
Fungal infections | Cool weather combined with high humidity | Dark gray and brown spots on the leaves | Spraying vines with Bordeaux liquid, fungicides |
Viral infection |
| Lack of flowering, yellow rough spots on the leaves of Kampsis | Removal of affected parts or all plants completely, spraying with copper sulfate |
Among the pests that attack campis, aphids are the most common.It usually appears in dry weather or with excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers. To combat aphids, insecticides are used.
How to get rid of kampsis on the site
Once having planted a vine on the site, many gardeners, after a few years, are wondering how to destroy the root system of the Kampsis flower. It tends to grow rapidly over a large area.
To prevent the problem, it is necessary to enclose the near-stem circle of each plant. For this, you can use sheets of metal or slate. They must be dug to a depth of 80 cm into the ground so that the diameter of the circle is 3-4 m.
Conclusion
Planting and caring for Kampsis is an easy way to decorate a site with a perennial vine. It looks great against the backdrop of gazebos and terraces, log and brick walls, along fences and on arches. But when planting a plant, it is necessary to enclose its near-stem circle so that the shoots of Kampsis do not flood the site.