Description of the calistegia plant, tips for growing povoy in a garden plot, how to reproduce, combating possible diseases and pests, curious notes, species.
Calystegia is often found in sources called Pova. The plant is part of the Convolvulaceae family, which has caused confusion, as it is often compared to the common bindweed. This genus has up to 25 varieties, but among them only some are used as a garden culture, and growers are purposefully engaged in their cultivation. All other species are popularly considered a weed. It is customary to call the territory of East Asia, which includes the northern regions of China and Japan, as the native lands of natural growth.
| Family name | Bindweed |
| Life cycle | Annual or perennial |
| Growth features | Herbaceous, liana |
| Reproduction | Seeds or parts of rhizomes |
| Landing period in open ground | Spring or Autumn |
| Disembarkation scheme | Leave 20-30 cm between seedlings |
| Substrate | Nutritious, lightweight yet water-absorbing |
| Soil acidity, pH | 6, 5-7 (neutral) |
| Illumination | Open area, partial shade possible |
| Moisture indicators | Watering regularly, but in moderation |
| Special Requirements | Easy to care for |
| Plant height | 2 to 4 m |
| Color of flowers | White, cream, light pink |
| Type of flowers, inflorescences | Single flowers |
| Flowering time | June to November |
| Decorative time | Spring-summer |
| Place of application | Landscaping of pillars of verandas and gazebos, formation of hedges, vertical landscaping and decoration of arches or pergolas |
| USDA zone | 2–6 |
The plant got its scientific name from the combination of two Greek words "kalyx" and "stegon", which means "cup" and "cover", respectively. This is because the flowers have large bracts that easily cover the calyx. Another name - "new" comes from the fact that with its branches this representative of herbaceous, clinging to any support, rushes up. There are other names among the people - bindweed (although this is not quite the right plant), birch and French or Siberian rose.
All types of calistegia are perennials with a herbaceous form of growth, and often they have liana-like outlines. The rhizome grows very much, and new plants "emerge" from the soil rather far from the mother. They begin to climb the trunks of perennial trees or shrubs. Twigs can grow on the surface of the ground or twist if they find any suitable support nearby. The color of the shoots in the lower part is brown, and the upper zone is green or reddish-brown. They are well branched and can cover entire walls or roofs of buildings. Often the length of the shoots reaches 2–4 m.
The leaf plates of these vines are attached to the branches with petioles. The shape of the leaves is simple, triangular or heart-shaped, arranged in a regular sequence. The color of the foliage is dark or bright green. The edge of the leaf plates is wavy, the top is pointed, there is a relief pattern of veins on the surface.
Flower buds form one in each leaf axil. The flowers are crowned with elongated pedicels. Around the calyx, large stipules with a leaf-shaped shape are located in pairs. They are almost close to the surface of the cup. It contains five sepals. The corolla has a funnel or bell shape, while the five lobes are very weak.
Inside the corolla, you can see five stamens, which "sit" on filaments, which have a greater expansion at the base than at the apex. One or a pair of stigmas with an oblong-elliptical or elliptical shape are formed on the column. The color of the flower blades can be white, cream or light pink. For today, terry forms of flowers are bred. Sometimes the blades can be separated by another lighter or greenish shade, and a dark color is present in the throat of the corolla. The diameter of the flower at opening is 2-9 cm.
The flowering period of the povoy directly depends on the place where the plant is planted: with a sunny location, the buds begin to open in the middle of summer, in shade - at the beginning of August. In this case, flowering can stretch until November, until frosts begin.
After pollination of the flowers, the fruits of the calistegia ripen, which are a box with four valves filled with two pairs of seeds. With the arrival of autumn, the calystegia stems dry out, but the rhizome remains alive and in the spring gives rise to new growth.
The plant is unassuming and does not require special care; it can be used for landscaping gazebos and pergolas. With the help of the branches, the formation of a green hedge is carried out, if you protect the povoy rhizome from "spreading".
Planting and caring for povoy in the open field
- The landing site of the Kalistegiya. A plant in nature loves places open to the sun's rays, therefore, a well-lit location is selected in the garden. However, this vine can also tolerate light partial shade, but then it will form fewer flowers and flowering will be delayed. It is better that there are no near-passing groundwater nearby, since waterlogging has a bad effect on growth.
- Soil when planting povoy try to pick up nutritious, light, but moisture-consuming. It is important that moisture and air easily reach the root system of the vine. Water in the soil mixture should not stagnate. If the soil is heavy and poor, then river sand is mixed into it and combined with humus, peat, compost. Deciduous or peaty substrate, loam may be suitable. Since the vine has been in one place for almost 10 years, it will be necessary to partially replace the soil over time. At the same time, sod soil, river sand and manure (compost) are mixed in a ratio of 2: 1: 2.
- Planting calistegia held in spring or autumn, the summer months (when flowering) is not the most favorable period for changing the place of growth of the French rose. Where it was decided to plant a new one, the soil is dug to the depth of the shovel bayonet. Then a complete mineral fertilizer is applied to the soil (for example, Kemira-Universal). At the rate of 1 m2 take 2 tbsp. l. preparation, about 450-500 ml of wood ash and 250 g of dolomite flour. A small layer of drainage material can be laid at the bottom of the fossa, which will protect the root system from waterlogging. Such material can be small expanded clay or pebbles. Parts of the liana rhizome or its seedlings are placed in pits, 15–20 cm deep. After that, a wire is pulled for future shoots, a support or a net is placed. Watering is carried out. At first, you may need to shade from direct sunlight until the young French roses take root.
- The use of supports. In order to be able in the future to form beautiful phytodecorations or raise the shoots of calistegia to the desired height, it is immediately recommended to use supports when planting. Florists use wire stretched on posts, a netting mesh (with large cells), various posts and lattices as such devices. At the same time, it is important that the diameter of such supports does not exceed 10 cm, since it will be rather difficult for the stems to cling to and hold on to them. If there are gazebos, buildings, walls or fences on the site that need to be covered, then the bushes of this perennial liana are planted almost close to them, then the shoots with their antennae will cling to any even miniature ledge and stretch up.
- Watering. The plant can tolerate drought for a short time, it will have to be watered sparingly, but regularly. Watering will be needed only in the summer months, when there has been no rainfall for a long time.
- Fertilizers for calistegia. Since the place for perennial vines can not be changed for almost a decade, it is necessary to apply top dressing every growing season, which will be the key to normal growth and abundant flowering. Once every 14 days, it is recommended to apply fertilizers for poyas, using complex mineral preparations (such as Kemira-Universal). To prepare a solution, you need to dissolve 0.5 tbsp in a 5-liter bucket of water. l. funds. This dosage is used per 1 m2. Organics (chicken droppings or mullein) or wood ash are good fertilizers.
- General advice on care. Since this perennial vine tends to grow and its young shoots often appear one and a half meters from the mother bush, it is recommended to limit this aggressiveness in the seizure of territory. You can use a large bucket without a bottom for planting, or drive slate or plastic circles around the perimeter of the bush. It is important to note that the depth of the "barrier" should be at least 40 cm. When the flowers begin to wilt, they must be removed immediately, freeing up space for new buds and stimulation of flower buds. With the arrival of autumn, it is recommended to cut off the entire aerial part of the vine. After watering or precipitation near the bush, the soil is gently loosened, and the weeds are weeded. To prevent moisture from evaporating quickly on summer days, mulching with peat or compost is performed.
- Wintering. When the calistegia becomes old enough, shelter is not needed, but it is recommended to cover young seedlings with fallen dry leaves, peat, moss or non-woven material (this can be spunbond). The hardest thing in our latitudes is the fluffy calystegia (Calystegia pubescens) in winter, it will need to be covered at any age with the arrival of autumn until spring days.
- The use of povoy in landscape design. Like any vine, calistegia can be used for vertical gardening. Columns and posts are covered with its shoots, arches and pyramids are formed, pergolas and gazebos are landscaped. Such a plant will look good as a tapeworm against the background of a well-groomed lawn. If you want to create a phytostructure, the height of which will not exceed 2 m, then the stems are also suitable for this. If there is an ugly wall, fence or garden extension on the site, you can hide them with the shoots of the plant. The Siberian rose is planted in balcony boxes, garden containers or pots, for landscaping balconies, terraces or decorating the facade of a house. In flower beds, this representative of the flora is rarely used, since the plant requires special care, but it is also unsuitable for cutting, since in rainy weather or with the arrival of evening time, the corolla of the flowers closes.
How to breed calistegia?
To get a new French rose plant, they are engaged in sowing seeds or planting parts of the rhizome. For cultivated varieties, the vegetative propagation method is suitable.
For example, Calystegia pubescens reproduces only vegetatively. For planting, spring time is selected (most often May), but they are often propagated again in autumn. When choosing a cut, you need to focus on its stems, which were formed during the growing season. It is because of this that the autumn planting is easier, since the grown branches act as a good guide. After planting in autumn days, the plants will need to organize a shelter so that they do not die from frost during a winter with little snow. Next year, such measures will no longer be needed.
The soil must be carefully shaved off from the root system of the mother vine and a horizontal shoot must be separated from the rhizome, on which there are a sufficient number of vertically growing shoots. The landing site must be prepared in advance (dig up and fertilize). The cut is cut off with a sharpened shovel, the cut is carefully sprinkled with crushed charcoal. A hole is dug, and a French rose divider is installed in it. In the first year, the stems will grow up to half a meter, and during the next growing season they will reach a length of about 3 m.
You can dig up parts of the calistegia in the fall and plant them in boxes filled with wet river sand, so you can keep the plant until spring. With this care, the substrate should always be evenly moistened, but not flooded. In the place where French rose cuttings will be stored, it is recommended to maintain a temperature of about 10-15 degrees. In late winter or early March, part of the vine is removed and divided into pieces with buds. The groove has the ability to quickly recover, even a small part of the rhizome releases root shoots.
Each section in length should reach 5-7 cm. The sections are sprinkled with coal powder and planted in prepared pots (seedling boxes) with peat-sandy soil to a depth of about 5 cm. After planting, watering is carried out. After the shoots of the French rose have reached 5 cm, they need to be pinched to stimulate branching. With the arrival of May, when the soil warms up well, you can plant Kalistegia seedlings in open ground.
Vine seeds in our latitudes form very rarely, therefore this method is used only by breeders to develop new varieties.
Fight against possible diseases and pests when growing calistegia
If the summer is cold and rainy, or the irrigation regime is violated and the soil does not have time to dry out, the new one can be affected by fungal diseases (powdery mildew and various rot). Also, the appearance of these problems is facilitated by the thickening of the plantings, the presence of weeds next to the Siberian rose bush, the use of contaminated garden tools, and uncleaned fallen leaves.
At the same time, a whitish bloom forms on the leaves and stems, which resembles a frozen lime solution. This layer does not allow air and sunlight to reach the surface of the plant, and then the process of photosynthesis slows down, and soon stops altogether. Liana begins to turn yellow and then die off. After a thin web becomes visible on the surface of the leaves, the plant dies. To eliminate the problem, it is recommended to spray with an iodine solution or treat with fungicidal preparations, which are in large quantities in specialized stores (for example, Fitosporin).
If yellowed or browned areas are visible on the leaves, the stems and foliage have become soft, then perhaps these are symptoms of the onset of putrefactive processes. All affected parts of the calistegia must be removed and treated with fungicides. Often, only the removal of the affected specimens with the transplantation of healthy bushes to a new place helps. It is also necessary to even out the watering regime after it becomes clear that the disease has been stopped.
Pests in garden cultivation for French roses can be snails and slugs, which love to feast on foliage and buds. These gastropods gnaw holes in leaf blades and in unopened flowers, depriving the plant of its attractiveness. To combat them, processing is required with such means as Confidor, Commander or Meta-Thunder.
Curious notes about calistegia
Pova is not only an ornamental plant, it has long been used by folk healers for treatment, but you should not forget that it is poisonous.
Important!!
Calistegia should be planted in places where small children will not have access to it, as the flowers can provoke poisoning if they are eaten.
Of the properties that are attributed to new, they distinguish: laxative, sedative and hypnotic, as well as the ability to heal wounds. Calistegia tincture is used as an antiparasitic drug. If the patient suffers from fever, cancer or various types of pain, folk medicine men recommend using decoctions from Siberian rose leaf plates. If the leaves are crushed and applied to the skin affected by furunculosis, it will be cleansed.
Types of calistegia
Fluffy Calystegia (Calystegia pubescens)
The homeland of this representative of the flora is China. In the genus, its shoots are considered the longest, their parameters approach the 4-meter mark. Bright green leaves are arranged in succession on the branches. The shape of the leaf plate is elongated, the surface is leathery. This variety, when flowering, can open buds with simple or double flowers. When fully opened, the corolla varies in diameter in the range of 4–9 cm. The petals are pale pink, but there is a darker color at the base. Among florists, the variety is very popular. Flore Plena. Because of the shape of the flower, the plant is often called the French or Siberian rose. The flowers are double-textured; when blooming next to the liana, a faint aroma spreads. Flower buds are formed in leaf axils along the length of the entire shoot. The flowering process begins in late June or early July, but this time directly depends on the place of planting and growing conditions.
Intake Calystegia (Calystegia sepium)
This species has a very wide geography of distribution. It is considered by many to be a weed that has aggressive properties, invading nearby territories. The rhizome has a strong branching and is buried in the soil by more than a meter. The shoots of the plant are elongated and thin, their length is almost 3 m. Branches alternately cover leaf plates with petioles. In the axils of the leaves, flowers bloom with simple bell-shaped corollas. The color of the petals is snow-white or pale pinkish. A small funnel-shaped flower is formed from the petals. In opening, the diameter of flowers rarely goes beyond 1–4 cm. The flowering process occurs at the beginning of the summer period.
Hairy calystegia (Calystegia Pellita)
The area of natural growth is the southern regions of the Far East and Altai lands. The rhizome has the outline of thick cords that go deep into the soil. Shoots are upright, can grow up to 0.8 m in length. The stems have practically no branching, but in the upper part they are weakly branched. The leaf plates are attached to the shoots by means of petioles. The shape of the leaves is oblong, the color is light green, there is a yellowish tinge. Flowers that originate from the leaf axils have short pedicels. The diameter of an open flower is 4–6 cm. Five petals with splicing at the base form the corolla of the flower. The edge of the petals is pointed. The petals are painted pink or hot pink. The flowering process is observed from June to July.
Calystegia multiplex
This variety is frost resistant. The shoots of the plant can stretch up to indicators of 3–3, 5 m. The leaf plates grow alternately and are located very close to each other. The foliage is triangular. When blooming, flowers with a double structure open. The diameter of the flower is almost 10 cm.
Calystegia hederacea
or, as it is also called - Japanese Calystegia (Calystegia japonica). It is clear that the native territory is the lands of Japan. In this variety, shoots grow in the form of elastic whips, the length of which varies within 1, 5–2, 5 m. The foliage grows on the branches alternately, the color is saturated, green. In the axils of the leaves, flower buds form, from which double flowers open. The diameter of the opened flower reaches 9 cm. The flowering process extends from July to September.
Video about growing calistegia:
