The cineraria belongs to the Astrov family. The structure is similar to the genus Krestovnikovs. In the wild, grows mainly in hot African countries. The flower is actively used to decorate gardens, flower beds, mixborders.
Description of Cineraria
In Latin, the name of the flower means ashen. This is a herbaceous perennial in the form of an ornamental shrub. It does not tolerate frosts, so in Russia it is planted as an annual, biennial.
Reaches 30-90 cm, has branched shoots. Most varieties with cirrus dissected leaves. Plates are rounded, pubescent, wide.
Reed flowers in the form of tubules form shield-shaped inflorescences. Petals of various colors: crimson, white, canary, pudding. Flowering is long: from the first summer month to frost.
Types and varieties of cineraria
The genus cineraria includes 50 species. However, not everyone is grown in an artificial environment. Cultivated species are usually divided into 2 groups:
- decorative foliage - planted in open ground;
- decorative flowering - designed for home maintenance.
Silver (seaside)
Grown in the gardens. Basal leaves are greenish-silver, collected in a rosette. Seaside cineraria is popular in landscaping. This variety is also called silver dust.
The most popular varieties:
| Title | Height (cm) | Leaves |
| Silver Dust | 15-20 | Ornamental, lace. |
| Cirrus | 20 | Toothed, oval. |
Bloody (hybrid)
This is the only variety grown indoors. However, in the literature on botany it belongs to the Krestovnikov family.
Up to 30 cm, sometimes more. The foliage is large, oval, reaches 10-20 cm. A colorful contrast with greenery is created by variegated flowers similar to gerberas or daisies. Popular varieties of hybrid cineraria:
| Title | Height (cm) | Flowers (circumference in cm) |
| Grandiflora | 50-70 | 5-8 |
| Double | 35-70 | 5 |
| Stellata | 70-90 | 2-4 |
| Sympathy | 20-60 | 4 |
Graceful
Branches are branching, up to 60 cm. Shoots and plates are covered with sticky villi. Buds form baskets. The most beautiful varieties:
| Title | Height (cm) | Flowers |
| Nanus | 25 | Different tones |
| Ligulosus | Up to 60 | Terry, various shades |
Cultivation of cineraria
Planting can be done immediately on the street or on seedlings. The second method is preferable, in this case the flowering will be longer.
Growing cineraria through seedlings
Usually, seeds for propagation are purchased at a flower shop. They have good germination. Self-collection of seed is rare, because a plant is rarely found in Russian gardens.
Sowing is carried out in the first half of April:
- Pour peat with sand into the container (1: 1).
- Spread the seeds without digging into the ground.
- Tamp the ground with a wooden ruler.
- Moisten seedlings through a spray bottle with a fine nozzle or through the lower watering.
- Cover with glass or plastic wrap to create a greenhouse environment. Remove the shelter every day for ventilation, watering and removal of evaporation from the walls.
- The first shoots appear after 7-10 days. After that, rearrange the containers in the brightest room.
- After the formation of 2 real leaves, dive the sprouts with an earthen lump into separate cups, preferably in peat-humus briquettes.
Conditions necessary for cineraria
The following content rules must be observed:
| Factor | Conditions |
| Location | Choose the brightest. Shade in the midday heat. They can burn greens. This will cause brown spots. |
| Temperature | Optimal - + 15 ... +18 ° С. At +20 ° C and above, the greens will fade. At night, the plant tolerates a decrease to +5 ° C. If cineraria grows at home, then from April to October, keep it on the loggia, terrace, in a constantly ventilated room. |
| Priming | When planting in the garden, pre-dig the earth, making peat, compost and sand. Indoor plants need to be planted in medium-sized containers filled with peat and hardwood soil, compost. For both types of cultivation, it is recommended to add pieces of coniferous bark and wood ash to the substrate to prevent infection damage. |
| Humidity | Tall, but you can’t spray the bush because of the pile. In the room you can put a basin with moistened moss. On the street, water the soil abundantly without flooding the rhizome. |
| Watering | Abundant, but avoid fluid stagnation. After moistening, loosen the soil, breaking a hard crust. |
| Top dressing | Regular, especially when the flower is planted on a poor substrate. Make mineral mixtures a couple of times a month. In the spring - nitrogen-containing fertilizers to build a beautiful green mass. In the summer - phosphorus compounds for better flowering. Change minerals to organic (mullein) several times during the season. Indoor copies feed once every 7 days. |
| Pruning | After wilting, trim the inflorescences. Shorten branches that grow in the wrong direction. |
Outdoor cineraria planting and care
Planting in the garden is carried out in the second decade of May, when the probability of the return of cold weather disappears. Step-by-step process:
- Choose a drained area with nutritious, alkaline soil or neutral acidity.
- Dig out the landing pits, leaving a distance of 20-25 cm.
- Move bushes with an earthen lump to the wells.
- Compact and water the earth.
- To prevent freezing in the evening, insulate plants with covering material from polypropylene fiber. Take it off in the morning.
It is important to follow the rules of watering. With insufficient fluid, the bush weakens and fades, and with excess moisture, root rot occurs, the flower will die as a result. The plant is resistant to drought, so it usually suffers rainwater.
After watering, it is necessary to loosen the trunk circle. In the process, destroy weed grass.
Vegetative propagation of cineraria
Decorative-leafy varieties are propagated by cuttings. The shoots are planted in cuttings. This is a portable box that can be moved to another place to protect the bushes from ultraviolet rays. It is made of wooden beams and plywood sheets. Drainage holes are necessarily made on the bottom.
Landing is done in the fall:
- Separate the cuttings.
- Pour 10 cm thick garden soil into a special container.
- Lay out a layer of sand (5-7 cm).
- Level the surface and moisten with a pinkish solution of potassium permanganate (for disinfection).
- Place the cuttings in a growth accelerator (for example, Kornevin) for a couple of hours.
- Plant shoots, ram the ground around the trunk.
- Cover with a bottle (cut off the neck) by slightly sticking it into the ground. Water from above 2 times a day.
- After rooting, begin to accustom young bushes to the environment. Take shelter daily for 1-2 hours, gradually increasing the time.
- After a week, completely remove the bottle. Better in cloudy weather or rain.
- For the winter to rearrange in a cool room.
- In the spring, land on the street.
Diseases and pests
Cineraria is resistant to various diseases and insect damage. However, errors in content may cause the following problems:
| Disease / pest | Signs | Control measures |
| Powdery mildew |
|
|
| Rust |
|
|
| Aphid |
|
|
| Spider mite |
|
|
Mr. Dachnik recommends: what to do with cineraria in the winter
In central Russia, a flower is grown as an annual, because it will not be able to tolerate frosts on the street. In late autumn, all shoots are destroyed, the site is dug up.
Some gardeners keep bushes for next year. They are moved to pots and transferred to a lighted, cool room (+ 10 ... +15 ° C). In such an environment they will bloom. In the spring, plants are again planted in the garden.
In southern Russia, a flower can winter on the street. To prevent freezing, it is necessary to cover it with 10-15 cm dead wood or fir spruce branches. When the snow melts and the earth warms up (in late April-early May), remove the shelter.
Cineraria is a hardy decorative flower that does not require special skills and knowledge for breeding. Even beginners in floriculture can cope with it. When creating all the conditions for development, he is extremely rarely sick and pleases with his beauty all season.
