Nemesia is a beautiful, abundantly flowering shrub from the Norichen family. Its homeland is South Africa, but in the middle zone of Russia and more southern regions, the plant adapts perfectly. Despite the exotic appearance, it pleases with abundant flowering. To many gardeners, nemesia is better known as the "snapdragon". Many small bright flowers of an unusual shape form a dense shoot that can perfectly decorate a balcony, terrace or flower garden.
Botanical characteristics
Nemesia is a flowering perennial culture that is grown in our country as an annual. Branched, flexible shoots consist of soft, creeping on the ground and slightly rising shoots. The tetrahedral stem is lowered by a short hard pile along the entire length. Close to each other on it are oval or ovoid leaflets, which are practically devoid of petioles. The soft bright green leaf plate has teeth on the sides, the edge is dull.
The flowering period of nemesia begins in July and lasts until the first half of September. Single flowers persist until frost. Nemesia does not winter in open ground, as it does not withstand frosts. Airy flowers are located singly at the top of the shoot. The tubular corolla has several tiers and is divided into 4 parts. Larger are 2 lip-shaped petals with a lapel. Flowers are painted in coral, yellow, white, blue and purple. There are both plain cups, and 2-3-colored ones. The diameter of the flower is 1.5-2 cm.
After pollination, dark oblong seed boxes mature. They contain many small seeds. They retain the ability to germinate for two years.
Types of Nemesia
The genus of nemesia includes 50 species of plants. The culture uses not so much species as varietal plants with abundant, colorful flowering.
Nemesia is treelike. The height of the annual shrub reaches 35-40 cm. It forms a dense spreading crown covered with linear or oblong foliage. Whole light green leaves span the entire length and are set off by bloated flowers. They have an irregular shape with pubescence around the pharynx. The diameter of the red, orange, pinkish, yellow or blue corolla does not exceed 25 mm. Flowers concentrate on the ends of the processes in a few inflorescences. Decorative varieties:
- Royal fire - a curtain that is no more than 30 cm high has a pale green shoot and is covered with fiery red flowers with an orange center;
- King's mantle - dense inflorescences have a sky-blue upper lapel and a snow-white lower one;
- Red and White - in small flowers, the upper lip is red, and the lower lip is white;
- Orange Prince - the bush is abundantly covered with monophonic bright orange flowers;
- Triumph - large red or orange flowers bloom on a plant 15-20 cm tall.
Nemesia is azure. The flower forms branched grassy shoots about 40 cm long. They partially hang, so the species is suitable for ampelous cultivation. Flowering begins in June, when inflorescences with large white, blue or pink buds bloom at the ends of the shoots.
Hybrid nemesia. The variety combines all hybrid varieties that are grown as annuals. The stems are 30-60 cm tall. They are covered with elongated, bumpy leaves of bright green color and end with asymmetric flowers. The diameter of a large two-lipped nimbus is 2 cm. Flowering occurs throughout the summer. The color of the petals can be monophonic or two-tone.
Nemesia is multi-colored. The herbaceous annual with branched erect stems grows up to 25 cm in height. Leaves without stalks are located on the shoots quite rarely. Tubular flowers have an almost regular shape, with a lighter middle and bright edges of the petals. Popular varieties:
- Blue Bird - the edges of the petals are painted in bright blue, and the core is white or yellow.
- Edelblau - the color of the flowers resembles forget-me-nots.
Growing and planting
Nemesia is grown from seeds. They can be sown immediately in open ground or previously for seedlings. Flowering usually begins 4-5 weeks after sowing. In warm areas, seeds are sown immediately in the garden. Crops should be done in the middle or at the end of spring. A resident of Africa does not tolerate return frosts. The soil for planting should be light and fertile. It should be carefully dug up and loosened, and if necessary, add sand. Shallow grooves are made at a distance of 25 cm from each other. Seeds are distributed at a depth of 1-1.5 cm and sprinkled with soil. Crops are covered with a film, which is left even after the appearance of the first shoots. Young nemesia needs to be ventilated and moistened daily as the soil dries. Seeds germinate by the end of 2 weeks after sowing. Plants with two real leaves are thinned out or transplanted to evenly distribute them in the flower garden.
For earlier flowering, seedlings are used. Planting is done in shallow boxes with light, well-drained soil. Use garden ground with sand. Small seeds are carefully distributed in grooves on the soil surface and sprinkled with a thin layer of soil. The container is covered with a film, which is removed daily for 15-30 minutes. Humidification of the soil is carried out using a spray gun. Seedlings must be kept at high humidity.
At the end of May, young Nemesia will grow strong enough to transplant them into the open ground. Landing holes should be shallow. They are placed at a distance of 15-25 cm from each other. Nemesia prefers alkaline soils with the addition of gravel and pebbles. If necessary, lime is added to the ground.
Plant care
Nemesia is an unpretentious plant. She does not require much effort in care, but some rules will have to be followed.
Lighting. For normal development and flowering, bright lighting is necessary. Nemesia is not afraid of direct sunlight, however, in the summer heat it is advisable to shade flowers at noon. The flower heads turn behind the sun, which must be considered when choosing a place.
Temperature. Drafts of the flower are also not scary, however, in strong winds, drooping shoots can break, so reliable support is needed. Nemesia loves heat, for growth it is necessary to maintain the air temperature above + 20 ° C. In autumn, when the temperature drops to + 13 ° C, growth slows down and the shoots begin to dry.
Watering. Nemesia loves water, it will have to be watered often and quite plentifully, while the water should not stagnate near the roots. Drying of the substrate leads to illness and growth retardation.
Fertilizer. The first portion of organic fertilizer is applied to the soil during planting. Then from May to August, once a month, the soil is fertilized with a complex mineral composition for flowering plants.
Crown formation. From an early age, nemesia should be pinched, so the shoots will be more branched, and the bush will become more magnificent. Too long shoots can be cut during the entire growing season. In this case, more side stalks will appear, on which flowers also bloom.
Diseases and pests. With stagnation of moisture and dampness, nemesia is prone to damage by rot, powdery mildew and a black leg. Sick plants become covered with brown or grayish spots that exude an unpleasant, putrid odor and become wet. Damaged areas must be trimmed and the rest of the crown treated with fungicide. Parasites on the bushes settle extremely rarely. Only occasionally do spider mite signs appear on leaflets. It is enough to carry out 2 treatments with “Aktara” or “Aktellik” with a break of 6-7 days and the parasites will disappear.
Using
Juicy bright colors of Nemesia flowers will revive any flowerbed or flower bed. They perfectly decorate balconies, verandas and terraces. Nemesia is good not only in open ground, but also in flower pots or containers. Throughout the summer, abundant flowering turns bushes into bizarre clouds.
Since nemesia loves water and high humidity, it is actively used to decorate the shores of artificial ponds; flowerpots are placed near fountains. Silvery jets of water provide the perfect backdrop for vibrant colors. Nemesia is best disclosed as a tapeworm, but also goes well with petunia, marigolds and pansies.
