Characteristics of the clarkia plant, recommendations for growing in a garden, advice on breeding, protection against diseases and pests, interesting facts, species and varieties.
Clarkia (Clarkia) is represented by a plant that is part of the family Cypress (Onagraceae) or, as it is also called - Donkey. There botanists include dicotyledonous representatives of the flora, that is, those in which in the embryo two cotyledons are located opposite each other. They can be grasses, shrubs or semi-shrubs, sometimes even small trees, but in the case of clarkia, we have to talk only about the herbaceous form. The native habitat is in Chile and the coastal lands of the Pacific Ocean in the United States. There, scientists have up to 40 varieties, but in our latitudes, only four are grown as annuals.
| Family name | Cypriot or Donkey |
| Growth cycle | Annual |
| Growth form | Grassy |
| Reproduction type | Seed only |
| Transplant time to the garden | Saplings are planted in the 2-3rd decade of May |
| Disembarkation scheme | Leave 15 cm between seedlings |
| Substrate | Loose, light, dry, fertile |
| Indicators of soil acidity, pH | 5-6 (slightly acidic) |
| Lighting level | High, sunny location or partial shade |
| Recommended humidity | In the summer heat, abundantly twice in 14 days |
| Special Requirements | Non-capricious |
| Height indicators | 0.3-0.9 m |
| Color of flowers | Snow white, pink, lilac and red-purple |
| Inflorescences or type of flowers | Spikelet or racemose inflorescences, occasionally solitary |
| Flowering time | May to autumn, depending on the species |
| Decorative period | Spring-autumn |
| Places of application | Formation of hedges, gardening of pillars of terraces and gazebos, decoration of balconies |
| USDA zone | 4–6 |
Clarkia got its unusual name thanks to the American explorer William Clark (1770-1838), who was one of the organizers of the first land expedition passing through the United States. This journey began from the town of St. Louis and headed to and from the Pacific coast. On this expedition, Clark caught sight of this representative of the flora with wonderful flowers, the seeds of which he brought to Europe. And already from the end of the 19th century, similar plants began to be grown in gardens and rooms.
All types of clarke have thin, but rather strong stems. Their height fluctuates in the range of 30–90 cm. The stems are colored reddish, when the flowering period ends in the lower part, they become lignified. Shoots grow erect, differ in a large number of lateral branches and on their surface there is pubescence of short villi.
On the shoots of the plant, leaf plates of oval or elongated-oval outlines unfold. The apex may be pointed. The arrangement of the foliage is next. The leaf may have a short dark green petiole or be sessile. The surface of the leaves has a bluish-green or bright green tint; red venation appears on the upper side of the leaf. On the edge, the leaves are decorated with irregular rare teeth.
It is flowering that is the dignity of clarkia and it begins from the end of spring or early summer days. From the moment of sowing the seeds to flowering, it takes about two months. Flower buds form in the leaf axils and buds with simple or double corollas open from them. Their pedicels are shortened. The diameter of the flower at full disclosure reaches 3.5 cm. The color of the flowers is quite varied, it includes snow-white, pink, lilac and red-purple hues, hybrid forms can have a two-tone corolla color. The apical inflorescences are usually collected from the buds in the form of spikelets or brushes, occasionally the flowers are arranged singly. The calyx in clarke flowers has a tubular shape, while the corolla is made up of two pairs of whole petals, or they can be three-lobed. At the base of the petal, there is a narrowing in the marigold. When blooming, a delicate scent spreads that attracts pollinating insects.
After the flowers are pollinated, a multi-seeded fruit with elongated outlines is formed. Brown seeds are small and in natural conditions, reproduction occurs by self-seeding, since the seed pods, fully ripening, are opened by cracking. Seed germination of this annual plant does not disappear for 2–4 years.
Since clarkia is a highly decorative, but unpretentious plant, even not very experienced growers can be engaged in its cultivation.
Recommendations for growing clarke in the open field - planting and care
- Choosing a landing site. This highly decorative plant can perfectly tolerate both direct sunlight and light partial shade. Drafts and short-term temperature drops will not negatively affect the clarke.
- Clarkia planting soil light, but rich in nutrients is recommended, and it should also have good drainage and allow water and air to flow to the root system. However, if there is heavy soil on the site, the plant will gradually be able to adapt to it, but its growth will become less intense. Also, due to the long drying of moisture, in such a substrate, rotting of the root system from waterlogging is possible, therefore it is better to mix the soil with river sand when planting, and if it is poor, apply mineral fertilizing. For each square. meter is used for 1 tbsp. l. superphosphate and potassium sulfate, it is also recommended to add up to 1 kg of peat. Too oily soil will also negatively affect the growth of clarke. To prevent this from happening, both peat and fine sand are mixed into it. However, poor soil will not give the plant the necessary trace elements and nutrition, as a result, there will be no violent flowering, the buds are crushed and will grow singly at a great distance from each other. If the acidity of the soil mixture is too high, it is recommended to mix lime into it.
- Clarke planting. Since the shoots of the plant differ in branching, then when growing it, it will be necessary to carry out regular thinning. When planting adult specimens, at least 15 cm is left between them. This will ensure that the sun's rays will reach the lower part of the branches, while both leaves and flowers will remain attractive longer.
- Watering. This is an important element in the cultivation of clarke, as it is important to maintain the "golden mean" when the soil is not overdried, but also does not turn sour from excess moisture. The signal for watering is the drying of the upper layer of the substrate. When there has been no precipitation for a long time and the soil is very dry, the plant itself will signal the problem - the leaf plates and twigs acquire a yellow tint. But this, alas, is already an extreme stage and the decorative effect will decrease. If moisture stagnates in the substrate, then sooner or later this will lead to decay of the root system. If it rains regularly in the summer, this natural moisture will be enough clarke. Otherwise, you will have to do weekly watering using small portions of water.
- Fertilizers for Clarkia should be worn not only at the time of planting seedlings, but also throughout the growing season. Once every two weeks, it is recommended to use complete mineral complexes for flowering plants, for example, Kemiru-Universal, Mister-Tsvet or Kemiru-Lux. To ensure abundant flowering, many growers use ash as top dressing.
- Crown shaping. When young clarkies reach a height of 10 cm, you can carry out the first pinching of their shoots - this will stimulate subsequent branching.
- General advice on care. As soon as the flowers begin to fade, it is recommended to immediately remove them so that the clarke bush does not lose its decorative effect, and the plant does not waste its energy on ripening seed pods unnecessary for the gardener. To get seeds for future sowing, several of the largest buds are chosen at once. When the flowering process comes to an end, all the shoots will need to be cut off, and the soil on the site must be prepared for a new planting (dig up and fertilize). There is a possibility that some overlooked buds will ripen without your participation, then with the arrival of spring you will be able to see young clarkia fallows, that is, reproduction took place by self-seeding and the plant itself is reborn in the same place. To prevent the seeds from spilling out of the ripened pods themselves, it is recommended to put a bag of gauze or bandage on them in about 1–1, 5 months. Then the boxes are cut off, the seeds are removed from them and thoroughly dried for a week. If you cut off branches with blossoming delicate flowers and put in a vase, then they can stand from a week to two.
- Application in landscape design. Clarkia will look best when planted in a group, when its shoots create a lush green carpet of foliage, interspersed with decorative flowers that spread a delicate aroma. Often these plants are planted along paths or near fences so that they can cover them with branches. Due to the fact that clarkia flowers have various shades of petals, it is customary to combine the most different types of this specimen of Cypriot in one flower garden. The neighborhood of this plant next to representatives of conifers, as well as phloxes, tender asters and rose bushes will be quite good.
Diy clarkia breeding tips
To get a bush of this highly decorative annual, only the method of sowing seeds is used. For this operation, growing seedlings or sowing seed material directly into the soil is suitable.
A reckless way
If you don't feel like growing seedlings, it is recommended to place the seeds in the soil in mid to late spring when it is warm enough. Also, the procedure can be performed before winter (in November), so that the seed material undergoes natural stratification - aging for a long period (3-4 months) at a temperature of 4-6 degrees, which will be provided under a snow crust. Before sowing, about 14 days in advance, it is recommended to dig up the soil with potassium sulfate and superphosphate, at the rate of 1 tbsp. l. per 1 m2. Add 1 kg of peat crumbs there.
Since clarkia seeds are very small, they should be sown in "nests", that is, place 4–5 pieces in one hole, keeping about 20 cm between the holes. You do not need to cover the seeds, just press in a little and sprinkle with a very thin layer of soil on top. Then the crops are sprayed and after two weeks you can see the first clarke sprouts. After most of the seedlings hatch and grow a little, thinning is performed, in which the weakest specimens are removed. However, it should be remembered that if the bush is dense, then the flowering looks more decorative, so you should not get too carried away with the removal of sprouts.
If sowing is carried out in the autumn, then even before the onset of cold weather, the clarke seedlings are already germinating and can survive under the snow cover. But if they don't show up before the snowfall, then there is no reason to worry. As soon as the soil warms up well with the arrival of spring heat, friendly seedlings will appear, which must be thinned out in the same way as carrot plantings.
Advice
When sorting the seed, tweezers or a special strainer (sieve) can be used.
Seedling method
The seedlings obtained by this method will be stronger, since indoors they are protected from sudden temperature changes, possible frosts, cold spring rains and other troubles that young plants grown in open ground are exposed to. Therefore, many growers prefer this method of clarkia propagation.
To obtain seedlings, it is recommended to sow seeds in a peat-sand mixture at the beginning of spring, then you can wait for flowering at the beginning of summer. Before sowing, they are kept for several hours in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection. The soil should also be pre-planted so that the seeds are not infected, for example, steamed in the oven. It is not necessary to cover the seed material, but only slightly press the seeds into the substrate using a plank. Then the crops are sprinkled with water from a spray bottle and the container is covered with plastic wrap or glass is placed on top. This will create conditions of high humidity and warmth, reminiscent of a greenhouse. The place in which the box with crops is placed should be well lit, but without direct sunlight.
Care for future seedlings will include daily airing for 15–20 minutes. If the soil begins to dry out, it is sprayed with warm water. As soon as the first shoots are visible from the ground (and this is not earlier than 1, 5-2 months), then the shelter can be removed, and the container with the seedlings can be transferred to a dry and warm place, providing the plants with good ventilation.
Important
It is recommended to dive young clarks as early as possible, because the older they become, the more painful they will be to change the place of growth, since thin roots can be injured. The operation is carried out with the disclosure of a pair of true leaves on the seedling.
Seedlings are transplanted into open ground as soon as mid-April or early May arrives in pre-prepared soil.
Protection of Clarkia flowers from diseases and pests
If agricultural technology is violated, the plant can be affected by both diseases and harmful insects. Usually, problems begin when the weather is very humid, the temperature drops sharply, or there is no precipitation for a long time.
Of the pests, a mealybug can be noted, which is easily detected due to plaque on the leaves and in internodes on the stems of clarkia. Such formations are somewhat similar to cotton-like waxy lumps. In order to get rid of the insect and its manifestations, it is recommended to spray with insecticidal preparations, such as Aktara, Aktellik or Fitoverm.
Pest number two is a garden or cruciferous flea. These insects are small black bugs gnawing holes in young leaves. To prevent the appearance of such "uninvited guests", it is necessary to weed the clarke plantings, dig up the soil and remove weeds with the help of herbicides. It is natural to spray with insecticidal agents. But to protect the seedlings, their plantings are covered with a special non-woven material (for example, lutrasil or geotextile).
If the soil in your area is heavy, loamy, then the plant can be affected by fungal diseases due to waterlogging of the soil. In this case, spots appear on the foliage that have a rusty yellow color with a brownish rim. When the disease is at its initial stage, it is possible to carry out treatment with fungicides, which is Bordeaux liquid or oxych. Such spraying is performed twice a week.
Interesting facts about Clarkia
It is important to remember that if a hybrid variety of this decorative flowering annual is planted, then such plants rarely sprout, which will have all the characteristic differences of the mother clarke. Therefore, you will have to buy species obtained by selection again.
Often, ordinary people can confuse the blooming clarke with her sister Godetia, a representative of the same family. But to this species, some botanists refer only to the graceful clarkia (Clarkia unguiculata), the pretty clarkia (Clarkia pulchella) and the Breveri clarkia (Clarkia breweri).
Types and varieties of clarkia
Clarkia graceful (Clarkia unguiculata)
may occur under the name Clarkia marigold (Clarkia elegans). The native range of natural distribution in the wild falls on the Californian lands. It is an annual herbaceous plant. Shoots with good branching can reach a height of almost a meter. Strong and thin stems tend to lignify in the lower part over time. The foliage, unfolding on twigs, is oval in shape, colored in a bluish-greenish tint with reddish veins on the surface. The edge is unevenly sparsely toothed.
The flowering process stretches from July to early autumn. When blooming, buds with the correct corolla bloom. Their diameter is about 4 cm at full disclosure. Both simple and terry forms can be found. The color of the petals is white, red, purple, pink or blue. Usually, the buds form singly in the leaf axils at the tops of the stems. Small seeds ripen in multi-seeded capsules, which do not lose their germination properties over a 4-year period. The plant can be used as an annual in our climate. The most popular among florists are varieties:
- Albatross (Albatross), with terry flowers with snow-white petals. The bush reaches a height of 0.75 m. Branched shoots.
- Purpurkenig - blooms with double flowers, which are painted in a carmine shade, when opened, the corolla reaches 3.5–4 cm in diameter. The bush itself varies in height in the range of 0.8–0.9 m.
- Salmon perfection. The plant is represented by a loose bush, the height of which is no more than 0.9 m. Single flowers with double corollas bloom in the leaf axils. The petals are colored salmon pink. When fully opened, the diameter of the flower is 3.5 cm.
- Diamond highly decorative bush which is decorated on the tops of the stems with large flowers with terry corollas. Petals of a bright pink color scheme.
- Gloriosa when flowering on the branches in large numbers, flowers with a simple corolla open, in which the petals are scarlet, and the core in them is lighter in tone.
Clarkia pulchella
- a plant with a dwarf size. Stems are well-branched, grow erect, but their height does not exceed 0.4 m. The leaves are green, their shape is elongated and narrowed, the edge is solid, there is a sharpness at the top, and the plate narrows towards the petiole. In the process of flowering, buds with simple or double corollas can bloom. Flowers are located singly or are collected at the tops of branches in axillary inflorescences in several units. The shape of the petals in the bud is divided into three lobes, which are widely spaced from each other. Due to this structure, the plant is called "moose horns" in America. Flowering begins about 14 days earlier than the previous species and falls in late spring.
Clarkia breweri
A cold-resistant variety that can stretch up to half a meter in height. The outlines of the flowers resemble butterflies. When fully expanded, the diameter of the corolla reaches 3 cm. The buds are collected in loose inflorescences. When blooming, a strong and pleasant scent of flowers is heard. Recognized as one of the best varieties Pink Ribbons. It blooms flowers with pink petals, outlines reminiscent of rag stripes. Inflorescences are loose, few-flowered, but at the same time a large number of buds bloom. The flowering of this species is often compared to sakura. The height of the bush does not exceed 0.3 m, the stems are well branched.
Clarkia terry (Clarkia elegans)
is an annual plant that has dense shoots composed of highly branched shoots. The bush is in the range of 40–65 cm in height, sometimes it can reach 0.9 m. The leaf plates are dark green in color, their shape is elongated. The foliage is surrounded by flowers, in which the petals can take on snow-white, pink, purple or burgundy shades.
The rest of the varieties of Clarkia, which are mentioned elsewhere, already belong to the genus Godezia by botanists.
Clarkia cultivation video:
