Godetia flowers - planting and care at home

Godetia flowers are a beautiful and unusual plant that can be used to decorate any garden area. Everyone can cope with the cultivation of such flowers, since they are unpretentious in care. However, despite this, before planting, it is necessary to familiarize yourself in more detail with the description of godetia, as well as with the features of its cultivation at home.

Short description

The godetia flower is an annual herb that belongs to the Cyprian family. This flower originated from wild ancestors that grew in America. The first European botanist to study Godetia in detail was Godet. It was in honor of him that the flowers got their unusual name.

Blooming godetia petals

The flower is popular with botanists and gardeners for its unusual appearance. It has branching and long stems, the height of which reaches sixty centimeters.

Outwardly, an adult plant resembles a compact bush of a pyramidal or spreading shape. On the stems, whole-edged leaves grow, painted in green. At the end of spring, flowers form on the plant. Their petals can have a variety of colors. Most often they are painted in the following colors:

• red;
• white;
• peach;
• purple;
• pink.

Types and varieties

There are four types of godetia, which are most often used to decorate gardens and flower beds.

Large-flowered

Large-flowered godetia is the most common type of flowers, which differs from other varieties by branching stems. Such a large-flowered bush grows up to 45 centimeters in height. Not afraid of droughts and frosts.

Large-flowered species of godetia

Popular large-flowered varieties include:

• The bride is a flower with double petals, painted white with a delicate pinkish tint.
• The diamond is a double flower, the petals of which are painted white with red spots.
• The white swan is a low-growing plant 25-30 centimeters high with snow-white petals.
• Rembrandt is a small flower that can grow up to 30 centimeters. The petals are pink, with slight white dots.
• Meteor is a plant with purple-white petals.
• Sybil Sherwood - grows up to forty centimeters, blooms pinkish-white.
• York - height reaches 45 centimeters, blooms in the middle of summer. The petals are white with a purple tint.
• Orange Glory (Orange Glory) is a variety with bright orange non-double flowers.
• Blitzstral is a spreading shrub with red non-double flowers.
• Weisser Schwann is a low-growing shrub, whose height reaches 35 centimeters. The petals are painted white with a scarlet tint.

Adorable

This type of godetia has smooth and erect stems, which over time begin to become covered with a strong crust. It begins to bloom in early July.Flowering lasts three and a half months.

Lovely godetia during flowering

Among the most popular varieties are the following:

• Kirshkenigin - blooms with bright red-pink petals.
• The crystal snowflake is a tall variety with pure white flowers.
• Rosea is an elongated shrub with pinkish flowers.
• The girlish blush is a short bush with bright pink flower petals.
• Red wine is a medium-sized frost-resistant variety that can be grown outdoors. The petals are red, with a pinkish tinge.

Terry

Terry godetia is a common flower that is ideal for growing in the garden. The main distinguishing feature of this species is the lush double flowers that bloom in the middle of summer.

Terry varieties include:

• Memoria is a plant with pale pink petals that appear perfectly white from a distance. The pinkish tint is only noticeable upon examination.
• Monarch is a godetia that grows up to twenty centimeters and is suitable for growing in a pot. It blooms in crimson color.
• The moth is a low-growing bush that blooms in summer with snow-white flowers.
• Lava is a semi-double variety with wavy reddish petals.

Azalea flower

Azalea godetia is the best choice for people who want to quickly decorate a flower bed.

Summer's kiss is one of the most beautiful azalea flower varieties

Popular azalea flower varieties include:

• Summer paradise - godetia with large pink flowers. Blooms in mid-July.
• The Kiss of Summer is a variety with red and pinkish petals.
• Maiden Blush is a low-growing flower bush with bright buds.
• Beauty - godetia with red flowers.

Godetia: growing and planting

Before growing such a flower in your garden, you need to familiarize yourself with how it can be planted and how to properly care for it.

Godetia from seed: growing

Many growers prefer to sow seeds and grow young seedlings from them, which can then be transplanted into open ground. Planting godetia seeds is carried out in several successive stages:

1. Choosing the right time for planting. Before you start growing godetia from seeds, you need to figure out when to plant it. Planting seeds should be done in the second half of February or early March.
2. The choice of capacity. You need to plant godetia in spacious plastic or peat pots.
3. Soil preparation. Flowers must be grown in fertile soil. Therefore, before planting, you need to add a little organic fertilizer to it.
4. Seed preparation. The seeds must first be soaked in water so that they germinate faster. Soaking should take about 2-3 days.
5. Planting. The soaked seeds are planted in small holes 2-3 centimeters deep and sprinkled with soil.

Germinated seedlings of godetia

Caring for godetia seedlings is quite simple. It needs to be watered daily with water warmed to room temperature. There is no need to feed young seedlings. The first feeding is carried out after transplanting into open ground.

Diving and replanting sprouted seedlings are done in the spring, when the air temperature warms up to 10-15 degrees Celsius. To transplant a young flower, you must carefully remove it from the pot and place it in a previously dug hole. The planted seedlings are sprinkled with soil and watered.

Winter planting

In regions where there is a lot of snow in winter, you can sow flowers before winter. It is necessary to plant seeds 1-2 weeks before the start of snowfall. This will help the planted seeds to absorb moisture and adapt to new conditions.

The depth of the hole for winter planting should be 7-10 centimeters. It is impossible to make holes that are too small, since the seeds planted in them can freeze.

Care features

In order for a flower to grow normally and bloom on time, it must be properly looked after.

What conditions do godetia like?

It is necessary to grow flowers in a well-lit flower bed. It must be reliably protected from drafts so that the gusts of wind do not break the plants.

Most of all, the flower is afraid of severe frosts. Therefore, at the end of autumn, you need to mulch the soil to protect the flower bushes from severe frosts. If the plant is grown on a balcony, it must be moved to an apartment in winter.

Watering

Watering flower bushes is not necessary very often, 2-3 times a week is enough. During drought, soil moistening is carried out daily.

You only need to use warm water heated to room temperature.

Mulching

Mulching the soil around the flowers is done a few weeks before the start of frost. Dry tree branches, grass and fallen leaves can be used as mulch.

Dry grass is the best mulch for flowers

Loosening

After each watering, the soil surface is covered with a dense crust, which impairs the rate of moisture absorption.

To get rid of the crust, you need to regularly loosen the soil. This can be done with a hoe or a rake.

Top dressing

Godetia, which is grown in the garden, must be fed. This should be done regularly, at least once every 15-20 days. You need to feed the plant with mineral trace elements, which contain a lot of nitrogen and phosphorus.

Do I need a pinch

Flowers bloom profusely and therefore new ovaries need to be pinched periodically. This is done to make the flowers larger.

Garden shears are the best pruning tool

You also need to cut off excess shoots on which there are no formed flowers.

Transfer

Godetia does not tolerate transplants well and may even die because of them. Therefore, flowers that are already grown in the open field are contraindicated to transplant.

Flowering features

Many novice florists are interested in how and when godetia blooms. The plant blooms in mid-summer and stops blooming only in September.

Cup-shaped blooming godetia flowers

During flowering, cupped flowers appear on the seedlings. The types of flowers can be different, it all depends on the characteristics of the variety. Most often, flowers are found with white, pink, red or purple petals.

Blooming godetia must be looked after more carefully. Such plants need increased watering and organic fertilizers.

Seed collection

Seeds are harvested 20-30 days after flowering ends. To do this, you need to cut off the already darkened capsules and remove the ripe seeds from them. The harvested seed can be used for winter and spring planting.

Growing problems

The main problem that people face when growing godetia is disease. Flower bushes can look painful due to the development of the following pathologies:

• root rot;
• powdery mildew;
• rust.

Plants can also be attacked by pests. The most dangerous insects include aphids, spider mites, thrips and scale insects.

Signs of improper care

The fact that a plant is improperly looked after can be understood by the following signs:

• yellowing of foliage;
• stopping growth;
• the appearance of yellow spots on the stems;
• falling of petals and leaves;
• wilting of the bush.

Yellow foliage is the main sign of improper care

Use in landscape design

People who have recently discovered godetia and want to grow it should familiarize themselves with the peculiarities of its use in landscape design.

This flower is ideal for decorating borders and flower beds. It must be grown together with violets, nasturtium, carnations, rosewort and lobelia.

Godetia is an unusually beautiful flower that is popular with flower growers. Before growing it, it is imperative to deal with planting and caring for godetia, as well as with the most common flower varieties.