Description of a representative of the flora, the secrets of growing cineraria, how to propagate a plant correctly, the fight against difficulties, diseases and pests, when caring for an ashtray, facts for the curious, types. Cineraria (Cineraria) is a member of the genus of representatives of the flora, attributed to the family Asteraceae (Asteraceae) or as it is also called Compositae. This genus is quite close in characteristics to the genus Senecio, and even some varieties of cineraria are ranked among it, using it in horticulture as an ornamental culture. The native territories of the plant fall on the lands of the African continent, where the tropical climate and the island of Madagascar rule. This genus has up to 50 different species of cineraria, and scientists have counted from one to three thousand varieties in the gusset genus.
The Latin name of the plant is translated "ashy" and the people often call this representative of the green world "ashtray" or "silver dust". All this is due to the fact that the stems cast a grayish tint.
Basically, all cineraria have a herbaceous or semi-shrub form of growth. Although in the wild it is a perennial, but in horticulture, basically all species are grown as an annual or two-year crop. The root of cineraria is thick, takes the shape of a rod and goes deep into the soil, and it gives the plant nutrition and moisture even in severe drought.
The height of the "ashtray" can reach 30–90 cm. Its shoots are distinguished by rather strong branching. Petiole leaves are large and take on an oval or lyre shape. In many species, leaf plates are mostly pinnately dissected. On the entire foliage and shoots on the surface, there is pubescence, from delicate and soft grayish or bluish-silvery hairs, which give the plant the appearance of sprinkled with ash. From shoots and foliage, cineraria forms, growing, continuous and soft sod.
During flowering, inflorescences-baskets are formed, from which the scutes at the tops of the shoots are collected. The baskets are simple or terry in shape. Inside, on a kind of disk, there are small tubular flowers of bright yellow, golden, blue, silver or orange colors. They are surrounded by lingual flowers, the petals of which are painted in snow-white, yellow, red and purple shades. Today there are hybrid varieties of cineraria, which differ not only in abundant flowering, but also in incredible and variegated colors. The flowering process stretches from the middle of the first month of summer to the first frost. All this is because the inflorescences bloom gradually, replacing each other, from this the whole flowering process seems to be continuous.
After the pollination of flowers on cineraria occurs, the fruits ripen in the form of seed pods, which dry out over time. Inside these capsules there are a large number of small seeds, colored in a dark brown (almost black) shade. The shape of the seeds is oblong.
Caring for the "ashtray" is quite simple and even a novice florist can handle it, and the delicate and bright appearance of the plant rarely leaves anyone indifferent.
Secrets of growing cineraria, planting and care on the site and indoors
- Place for landing "ashtray". The place where the seedlings should be placed should have good lighting, but in the midday hours it is better to be covered from direct sunlight. If this condition is not maintained, then the leaves are sunburned and covered with brown spot. Indoors, an east and west direction is recommended.
- The soil. On the site intended for planting cineraria, you should dig up the substrate and add a little sand, peat and compost to it - this will ensure its lightness and nutritional value. After that, shallow holes are dug at a distance of 20–25 cm from each other and the seedlings of the "ashtray" are placed there. Since the root system of the plant is very sensitive, you should act very carefully and if the seedlings are in peat pots, then they are planted directly into the soil. After the plants are planted, then the soil around should be slightly moistened, crushed and mulched with peat - this will help the substrate not dry out so quickly. When growing in rooms, cineraria seedlings should be planted in medium-sized pots, while the soil is composed of leafy soil, peat and compost. Crushed pine bark and charcoal are also added there.
- Content temperature. Cool thermometer readings in the range of 15-18 units are best suited for cineraria. If the temperature rises to 20 degrees or more, then the foliage and shoots begin to wither. At night, the "ashtray" can withstand lowering the thermometer column to 5 heat units. If the seedlings are in a container, then from April to mid-autumn it is recommended to keep them on the balcony, veranda or terrace, where there is a constant supply of fresh air.
- Air humidity when growing cineraria, it is maintained elevated, but due to pubescence, spraying is undesirable. You can put vessels with water or wet expanded clay in the rooms nearby. In the garden, watering is carried out away from the roots.
- Watering "Ashtray" needs abundant, but without stagnation in the soil. After moistening, the soil is loosened.
- Fertilizers. Fertilizing of complete mineral complexes for ornamental and flowering plants is applied twice a month. In the spring, fertilizers with a high nitrogen content are needed, and in the summer for flowering - with phosphorus. Sometimes alternations are carried out with organic preparations (mullein).
- Pruning cineraria. If the shoots are too elongated, then they are shortened, and the inflorescences, as they dry out, are cut to the first leaf plate.
Vegetative propagation of cineraria and growing from seeds
The "ashtray" can be propagated both by seeds (decorative-flowering species) and vegetatively (decorative-deciduous varieties).
To grow cineraria using seeds, you must first get seedlings. This is due to the fact that the plant has a very long growing season and it is necessary to sow the material from the beginning to the end of the winter period. If the seeds are sown in February, then flowering should be expected only in the fall. For reproduction from the seeds of a variety of cineraria, the seaside sowing is carried out at the end of March, since its flowering has no decorative effect, and the plant will begin to delight the foliage already in the days of May.
For sowing, seedling boxes are prepared, in which the peat-sandy substrate is laid. Small seeds are distributed on its surface, which are buried using a ruler. Then they are sprayed, and the box should be covered with plastic transparent film. After 7-10 days, friendly shoots appear, after which it is recommended to immediately remove the shelter and move the container with crops to a place with good lighting and thermometer readings of 20-22 units.
After a pair of real leaves unfold on the seedlings, a pick is carried out in separate pots made of pressed peat. Since the rhizome of the plant has a rod-like shape, further transplants are not recommended. Dived young cineraria should be kept at a temperature of no more than 15 degrees. When the May morning frosts pass, you can plant the "ashtray" in the open ground without removing it from the peat pots.
Ornamental-deciduous varieties (including silver cineraria) can be propagated by cuttings. In summer, the tops of the shoots are cut off so that their length is at least 10 cm. They are planted in seedling boxes with peat-sandy soil. Before planting, the sections are recommended to be treated with a rooting stimulator (it can be Kornevin or heteroauxinic acid). Then the blanks should be placed under glass jars or cut plastic bottles. When the cuttings develop their own root processes, the shelter is removed, but not immediately, but gradually, increasing the ventilation period by 30–45 minutes, every day, until it is completely removed.
In the autumn months and the first winter, cineraria seedlings are not yet transplanted into open ground, but are transferred to a room with low (cool) temperatures and only in the new spring, when the morning frosts have passed, cineraria can be planted on flower beds.
When the "ashtray" bush grows very much, then it is divided and its divisions are planted. To do this, in the period from May to August, the cineraria bush can be dug out with a fork and carefully removed from the ground. The overgrown root and overgrowths of strong shoots are separated. Each division should not be too small and better so that it has several points of growth and a sufficient number of roots and stems. After planting the delenok, it is recommended to keep them in shade with a cool temperature. After the adaptation period has passed, they are planted on a flower bed.
Difficulties (diseases and pests) arising from the cultivation of cineraria
If the type of "ashtray" is decorative-deciduous, then due to high soil moisture and high temperatures it can be affected by powdery mildew (parts of the plant are as if sprayed with a lime solution) or rust (when areas of reddish-brown color are formed on the foliage). Then spraying with fungicides is used.
Aphids and spider mites are isolated from cineraria pests. In the first case, insects manifest themselves by the formation of a large number of green bugs and a sticky sugary bloom, the second pest is determined by a light cobweb that covers foliage and shoots. Treatment with insecticidal preparations should be carried out.
However, due to the fact that pubescence is present on the leaves and shoots of cineraria, and spraying is a problem, it is better to prevent infestation with pests and diseases than after taking steps to cure.
Facts for the curious about cineraria
Often, cineraria is used by landscape designers to create unique flower arrangements. With the help of this plant, borders or flower beds are made out on the front tier. The variety cineraria maritima, which is called silvery cineraria, is most often preferred to be planted against the background of garden plants with a bright color of flowers. A rather decorative border on the soil is obtained from it, and also shoots with foliage look good in cracks in stony masonry and among decorative stones in rockeries.
If the variety has a lush flowering, then it is customary to plant it on balconies and verandas for decoration purposes due to the abundance of shapes and colors of inflorescences. So, having chosen a suitable sample, mixed phytocompositions are created only from this one representative of the garden flora. The "ashtray" looks best next to lobelias, petunias, phlox sage and marigolds.
Types of cineraria, photo
Usually, all varieties of cineraria are usually divided into two subgroups:
- decorative deciduous, which should be cultivated in open ground;
- decorative flowering plants grown as indoor plants.
Seaside cineraria (Сineraria maritima). The plant is often called Silver Cineraria, Silver Cineraria or Seaside Cineraria. The species is decorative-deciduous and has a long-term growing period, however, in climatic conditions with frosty winters, it is customary to grow it as an annual. Rosettes are formed from the leaf plates, which densely cover the shoots along the entire length. Because of this, growing, the plant forms dense clumps. Leaf rosettes are distinguished by a greenish-silver color (the color is bright green, but there is a silvery dense pubescence on top). The leaf plates have a pinnately dissected shape, composed of thin segments.
It is this "ashtray" that is most often used in landscape design, since because of its color the plant looks great against the background of green foliage of other representatives of garden flora, especially for those that adorn with inflorescences of bright and rich colors. Because of the pubescence that covers the stems and leaf plates, this cineraria is popularly called "silver dust". During flowering, completely unattractive inflorescences are formed, which differ in the shape of baskets. The colors of the flowers (tubular and lingual) are yellow, so they do not go well with the ash-silver color of the foliage. Because of this, most growers prefer to cut the buds before they are fully open.
Among lovers of garden flora, the following varieties are most popular:
- "Silver Dust" or as it is called "Silver Dust" is distinguished by compact bushes and small height (only 25 cm). The leaf plates have lacy, as it were, openwork outlines.
- Cirrus in height, the bushes reach 45 cm and the size of the bush is slightly larger in compactness. The leaf plates are distinguished by jagged outlines.
Cineraria hybrid (Cineraria hybrid) also bears the name Red Cineraria, Bloody Cineraria or Indoor Cineraria. The plant has a bushy shape and is an ornamental flowering variety. In height, the shoots often reach up to 30 cm and a little more. The leaf plates are large in size and rounded or openwork outlines. The length of the leaf varies in the range of 10–20 cm. Inflorescences-baskets of various shades stand out brightly against the background of beautifully outlined foliage. With their outlines, the flowers are somewhat reminiscent of garden daisies or daisies. The most popular varieties are considered among florists:
- Grandiflora (Grandiflora). Such a bushy plant can vary in height in the range of 50–70 cm. The flowers are rather large in size with a diameter of about 5–8 cm.
- Double - a bush in height can vary in the range from 35 to 70 cm, during flowering it forms flowers with a diameter of 5 cm. The color of the petals includes two contrasting shades.
- Stellata Bushes of this variety can reach 70–90 cm in height, while forming end inflorescences-baskets, with flowers only 2–4 cm in diameter. The petals of flowers are narrow in shape and resemble the rays of stars, their color is dark blue-violet (indigo).
- Sympathy. This variety attracts with the fact that inflorescences are formed during flowering, which have a wide variety of combinations of colors and their shades.
Cineraria graceful (Senecio elegans). The shrub of this variety is distinguished by a highly branched stem, which can reach almost 60 cm in height. On the surface, there is a pubescence of sticky hairs, which also covers the leaf plates on both sides. Inflorescences-baskets, made up of flowers, taking both a simple and a double shape. The inflorescences themselves have corymbose outlines and crown the apex of a single stem. The flowering process can spread from summer days to the first frost. The most popular varieties are:
- Nanus - this plant has dwarf parameters, rarely exceeding 25 cm, during flowering, large star-shaped flowers are formed. The color of the tongue petals is pink, and the tubular flowers are burgundy.
- Ligulosus flowers collected in basket inflorescences have petals of a wide variety of shades.
