Tithonia is a herbaceous plant of the Astrov family. Her bright, not yet very common, bushes attract gardeners. Its other name is known - the Mexican sunflower - which reflects the appearance and place of origin of the flower. It has already become a tradition for exotic lovers to popularize plants not only in other cities and countries, but also in other continents. Therefore, we expect growth in demand for titonium in the coming years.
Description
A resident of Mexico first appeared in Europe with the Spanish conquistadors. In the native tropical and subtropical climate, the plant behaves like a perennial, but in middle latitudes it is more often grown as an annual. In order for it to please the hosts for more than one season, it is possible to grow bushes in flowerpots, which are brought into the heated room for the winter.
In nature, there are more than 10 varieties of this flower, but we have the most common round-leaved titonia. It is distinguished by oval or ovoid leaves with a smooth upper and pubescent lower surface.
The plant is large enough for grassy bushes reach 1.5-2 m in height and up to 1.5 m in width. Many shoots form a spherical or pyramidal crown, on which yellow, orange and reddish flowers are located, with a diameter of 5-8 cm. During flowering (from July to October) the garden is saturated with a light sweetish aroma. Despite the large height and length of the stems, they are very dense and stable in the wind, so an additional garter is not needed.
Varieties
Breeders are constantly working on new varieties to please gardeners. Today, such varieties are already known:
- red light - a luxurious variety with bushes up to 1.5 m and many large daisies of orange and terracotta flowers;
- torch - on the bush up to 1.5 m tall and 50 cm wide, large reddish flowers are formed on the same red stem;
- Fiesta del sol - the size of the bush does not exceed 50 cm, it is covered with smaller orange flowers;
- yellow torch - a bush about 1.2 m long is decorated with yellow flowers.
Reproduction and planting
Titonia is propagated by seedlings, seeds are planted in advance in pots to obtain it. Sowing on open ground will have to be done later, which will weaken the shoots, reduce the time of flowering and ripening of seeds.
Seed is harvested in October. Collection is carried out very carefully so as not to sprinkle seeds from the buds. The heads are carefully cut and laid out in a box or on a board, which they leave in the attic, in a barn or other room. Then they are placed in a paper or fabric bag.
The end of March or the beginning of April is considered the best time for sowing. Seeds are sown in a tray with fertile light soil. They are elongated, quite large (about 1 cm in length) and rough, so you can immediately keep a distance of 10-15 cm between them. For better germination, you can soak the seeds for 3-4 days in a wet tissue with the addition of manganese. Crops are slightly pressed into the ground and crushed by the ground. The box is placed on the illuminated window sill and maintain the air temperature at + 18 ° C. Periodically water the earth with warm water, but allow the surface to dry.
Plants emerge amicably; when 4 true leaves appear, they pick and transplant into separate pots. Now you need to slightly harden the seedlings with a short-term decrease in temperature. By the end of May, you can plant plants in the garden at a constant place, maintaining a distance of at least 50 cm between the bushes. The soil must be loosened up, peat and sand are added. Place for landing choose sunny.
Adult Care
The roots are very sensitive to stagnation of moisture, in which they quickly decay, so it is better to fill up the water than to pour it. If in summer the required precipitation falls, then watering is not needed at all. To save leaves and flowers from dust, you can periodically spray greens from a spray bottle.
To form a bush of round shape, it is necessary to pinch the upper leaves of a young seedling. This stimulates the growth of lateral shoots. In this way, the crown can be further formed, the plant can easily tolerate pruning.
Titonium supplements, which grows on nutrient-rich soils, are not needed. But if the quality of the land leaves much to be desired, then fertilizer is introduced in three stages:
- after a pick, they are fed with cow humus;
- until the buds are formed, the soil is mulched with ash;
- in the first flowering period, fertilize with mullein or complex fertilizer.
Tithonia develops well without undue care. Too frequent watering and top dressing will only hurt. They will reduce the number of flowers with abundant growth of greenery or lead to the formation of rot.
Titonium Resistance
Tithonia is a very resistant flower; the only problem may be aphids. She settles on the back of the leaves and drinks juice, disrupting his breathing and nutrient metabolism. The following decoctions will help to cope with this trouble:
- sagebrush;
- garlic;
- tobacco;
- chilli;
- bow;
- pine needles.
Some gardeners prefer to use a solution of soap or insecticides with ethyl alcohol.
Use of titonia
Single titonia bushes will become a wonderful independent decoration of the garden. It can be planted at the gates or arbors. You can use bushes to create a live fence, arches or shelter for pillars and other unsightly buildings. Titonia will make a good background for less tall plants, in which case it is placed in the background. It is well adjacent to peonies, daisies and cochia. Large flowers also look spectacular in bouquet compositions.
