Bacopa is a relatively new herbaceous shrub that grows well at home or in the summer in flower beds, near a pond or in hanging pots. To get beautiful early flowering, you need to grow bacopa from seeds at home.
Correct choice of sowing dates
It is recommended to grow bacopa at home or in a heated greenhouse through seedlings, and transfer the already grown seedlings to a permanent place.
This plant begins to be sown for seedlings in mid-February. First, the hanging varieties are planted, and in early March the remaining species are sown. Specific sowing dates are chosen in accordance with the climate. In the southern regions you can sow a little earlier, and in the northern part - a little later.
Creating favorable conditions for growing
For rapid germination of seeds, the containers are sent to a bright room where a stable temperature is maintained at +20–25 OC. Lower rates will affect the rate of emergence. Containers should not be placed in a draft or in direct sunlight.
After germination, bacopa is transferred to a lighted windowsill. The temperature should be approximately 22–25 OC. After picking, the value is reduced:
- until 16–23 OWith day;
- 15–18 OC - at night.
The room must have a high level of humidity.
Competent care
Caring for bacopa at home and in a flower bed is not much different.To cultivate the plant at home, you will need to fill the hanging pot with nutritious soil. Be sure to provide a drainage layer that will protect against stagnation of water.
Water the flower often and abundantly. The plant loves moisture very much, but does not tolerate stagnation. For active continuous flowering, it is necessary to feed the flower every 1.5-2 weeks. The prepared nutritional composition is poured strictly under the root, without getting on the leaves and stem.
Trimming and cutting
To prevent the plant from stretching out and growing into a lush bush, it is necessary to pinch it regularly. If long shoots appear, they are cut off.
On a note! Cut branches from the top can be used as cuttings. With their help you can get new young bushes.
You can renew the bush if few flowers begin to appear on it, and the stem at the base has already begun to become woody. Cut all shoots to 1/3 of the length. A similar haircut is performed in the fall.
Proper preparation for winter
Perennial bacopa, which grew in a flowerpot on a balcony or in a street flowerbed, will not be able to survive the winter on its own. She definitely needs to be taken home. Place the pot with the plant in a room with high humidity and temperature +12–15 OWITH.
The winter period is a rest period for bacopa, but even during this time the plant needs care. Water the bushes regularly, but much less often than in summer. It is important that the soil does not dry out. It is not worth feeding the flower in winter.
In the spring, the bush should be trimmed, and the resulting cuttings should be rooted for planting new plants.
In fact, bacopa is an unpretentious plant, when growing which it is necessary to follow the basic principles of agricultural technology. The most important thing is to provide the culture with a lot of light and moisture, and it, in turn, will respond with lush, abundant flowering.
