Liana thunbergia (thunbergia) in recent years began to gain popularity among gardeners and florists. Many people like to grow ampelous, winding cultures in their garden plots and apartments. They are planted in open ground, hanging drawers or flowerpots, decorating balconies and verandas. Since the selection of such plants is small, tunbergia comes in handy thanks to its bright and unusual buds.
Features of Tunbergia
Tunbergia flower is a vivid representative of the acanthus family. The creepers are home to the tropical regions of Africa, South Asia and Madagascar. In total, about 200 varieties of the bush are known. The plant got its name in honor of the Swedish naturalist Karl Thunberg, who studied flora of South Africa and Japan.
Tunbergia in landscape design
Characteristics and description of the plant
Thunbergia can be perennial or annual. It can be a vine growing up to 10 meters in length or a bush up to 8 meters high. The leaves have a soft pubescence, serrated edges and a heart-shaped. Blooming buds reach a diameter of 4 cm, funnel-shaped.
Additional Information! Thanks to the dark core in Europe, the flower is called Black Suzanne.
Tunbergia classification
All types of garden plant species are divided into several groups.
Thunbergia winged (Thunbergia alata)
African representative of the family with short stems. The flowers may be white with a red spot in the center or orange with a purple core. The leaves are jagged, terry bottom.
Thunbergia grandiflora (Thunbergia grandiflora)
Grassy flower with wide oval leaves. The buds are bright blue with a white core, gather in small inflorescences.
Thunbergia fragrant (Thunbergia fragrans)
An evergreen plant native to Australia and Southeast Asia. Liana can grow up to 6 meters in length. Egg-shaped leaves have a pointed apex. White buds reach 5 cm in diameter and grow one by one.
Thunbergia Battiscombe (Thunbergia battiscombei)
The flower has wide leaves, is a perennial vine. Blue buds grow on a bush individually.
Interesting! Thunbergia can bloom singly or in inflorescences and have almost any shade: white, blue, purple, orange, blue.
Varieties in great demand among gardeners
Tunbergia cultivation which is carried out at home, has a number of common varieties.
Black eyed suzanne
The fast-growing perennial variety is popular due to abundant and intense flowering. The buds are yellow with a black middle. Suzanne can be grown both in the garden and in the pot as a home plant.
Black-eyed Suzanne is popular with gardeners
Suzy Series
Representatives of this series can reach a height of up to 2 meters and differ from each other in the color of the buds. They can be orange, salmon, white, red.
Gregor
It can grow up to 3 meters in height. When grown in the garden is a perennial. Leaves are ovoid or heart-shaped. The buds are orange in color.
Note! Gregor is characterized by high frost resistance in comparison with other representatives of the species. She feels well at temperatures up to -5 ℃.
In addition to the varieties presented, the following tunbergias are popular with gardeners:
- Minstrel;
- African Sunset;
- Sunny Lemon Star;
- Superstar Orange;
- Thunbergia Erect Bicolor.
Seedling by seedling
Preparing seeds for seedlings is necessary at the end of winter. Best of all in February. You can sow seeds from early March to May. But the later they are planted, the more branchy the bush will be.
Planting material is primarily treated with growth stimulants. Sprouting seeds is best in a paper towel dipped in water. Until the roots appear, seedlings are placed in a container with a tight lid. A special mixture is prepared for the seeds. It consists of humus, leafy soil and sand.
Additional Information! The temperature in the room is maintained at not lower than +20 ℃ so that the seeds germinate.
Throughout the time of germination, seedlings need proper care. It is regularly watered and, if necessary, fed. It is important not to overdo it with fertilizers, as this can affect flowering. To seedlings feel good, make a pick. Stimulate the growth of lateral shoots by pinching the top of the shoots.
Thunbergia planted in seedlings
Features of non-seedling planting in open ground
Planting tunbergia from seeds into open ground without seedlings is not an easy task. It is necessary to provide many conditions for the plant to take root: temperature, lighting, soil quality and the amount of fertilizing.
Thunbergia growing from seeds to open ground only when the ground is warming up properly. If you do this earlier, then there will be no seedlings. As soon as the first sprouts have formed, they are provided with thorough care. At the first stages of development, the flower is covered with a glass jar to create the effect of a greenhouse.
Can I grow in a pot
Since tunbergia is an ornamental plant, it can be grown without problems in a pot, planter or container. The container is filled with a special substrate and an entrenched seedling is placed in it. Then regular watering and top dressing is provided. It is important to place the pot in a sufficiently lit place.
Features of gardening
To grow a vine in the garden, you must provide her with the right conditions. Thunbergia is a photophilous plant. It is grown in a place exposed to sunlight for most of the day.
You should know! At home, it is not recommended to put a flower pot on a windowsill overlooking the north side of the house. A flower needs sunlight.
Most varieties of plants do not tolerate low temperatures - in this case, they stop flowering.
Watering and mulching
The plant likes moderate watering. The soil should always be moist. To preserve moisture, the root zone is covered with a layer of mulch.
Loosening and top dressing
Complex fertilizers are used to feed the tunbergia. So that the root system receives nutrients in full, the soil is regularly loosened. Fertilize the plant throughout the growing season.
It's important to know! During dormancy, the flower is not fertilized.
When and how it blooms
Thunbergia blooms from early summer to mid-autumn. Wilted buds are removed, since seeds can form in them, which will take away the strength of the plant. At the time of flowering, the rules for caring for the vine are not adjusted.
Care after flowering
At the end of the flowering period, seeds are formed in the buds. They are collected, dried and stored in a box.
On a note! Seeds do not lose their germination for several years.
Then the plant is prepared for wintering. Annual flowers are to be removed. If the plant is grown in a pot, then it is cut so that at least 4 buds remain on the branches. The container with the vine is transferred to a warm place. Indoors, the flower is stored until spring. Keep the topsoil moist.
Possible problems in growing
When planting and caring for tumberria, problems may occur. Although the plant is quite unpretentious, it can be exposed to pests and diseases. With excessive moisture, the flower often affects a fungal infection. In this case, the bush is treated with fungicides and additionally fertilized.
Of the pests for the flower, the spider mite, scutellum and whitefly are dangerous. To combat them, the bush is treated with insecticides as a preventive measure.
Spider mite - one of the main pests of tunbergia
Also, with improper care, the following problems may occur:
- cessation of flowering with a lack of sunlight;
- drooping foliage with too frequent watering;
- with dense plantings, the shoots are stretched, and the foliage thins.
The appearance of these problems is a signal to take measures to eliminate them as soon as possible. Thunbergia is a bright and unusual plant that will become a real decoration of a house or garden. The flower is easy to grow and care, so even a beginner can handle it.
