In nature, diascia can be found in the plains and mountainous regions of southern Africa. This herbaceous plant is widely used in landscape design. It is planted in pots, hanging baskets, containers, placed on mixborders and rock gardens. Along the edges of garden paths, curbs and platforms, you can also very often see a beauty called diascia. Growing from seeds is the main method of propagation of this plant used by gardeners. Today, there are a huge variety of varieties of this herbaceous flower on sale: felted, bearded, harsh, etc. In this article, you will find answers to many questions related to breeding a plant with the amiable name diascia (growing from seeds, care, propagation methods, etc. d.).
Description
The height of the flower can reach more than twenty-five centimeters. In the first months the plant is upright. Then its shoots gradually begin to grow, turning into a sprawling bush. The leaves of the diasia are quite small,glossy, dark green. The buds are also small, but there are quite a few of them. The plant begins to bloom from mid-spring and pleases the eye of gardeners until the very cold. Depending on the variety, the color of the flowers can be very diverse (white, red, apricot, pink, etc.). Light and warmth are the main factors necessary for the development of this southern flower.
Diascia: growing from seeds
This herbaceous plant is considered quite unpretentious. Small grains of diascia are sown in early spring in containers with soil. It is recommended to cover the top of the drawers with glass. +17 degrees is considered the most favorable temperature for flower growth. Since the seeds are quite small, they should be mixed with sand. This will evenly distribute the grains on the surface of the soil. It is not necessary to deepen them. Watering crops can only be done by spraying. Two weeks after planting, the first shoots may appear. After the seedlings get a little stronger, they should be moved to separate pots. Indoors, the plant is recommended to be kept at a temperature of 12 to 16 degrees Celsius. With the onset of warm days, it can be taken out for a while. Despite its miniature size, diascia is quite cold-resistant. Therefore, at the end of spring, it should be planted in open ground. The first buds begin to appear somewhere in the middle of summer. And until autumn, your garden or front garden will be decorated with a beautiful diascia. Growing from seeds, some experienced gardeners carry out directly inopen ground. But this is possible only after the end of the frost. In this case, the plant will begin to bloom no earlier than August.
Propagation by cuttings
The procedure is recommended to be done at the very end of summer. The stem cuttings are cut off from the plant, which are subsequently rooted in a loose, light substrate. For these purposes, a peat-sand mixture is best suited. Throughout the winter, the cuttings should be kept in a fairly cool, but frost-free room. In spring, they can be transplanted into open ground. Moreover, it is recommended to choose well-lit places, closed from the wind and facing south.
Care
The diasia flower feels great both in open soil and in a vase on the balcony. In the hot season, the plant likes abundant watering. However, you should also take care of good drainage, as stagnant water in the pot is simply unacceptable. In winter, diascia should be watered to a minimum. Once every two to three weeks, liquid fertilizers intended for flowering plants should be applied to the soil. But do not abuse top dressing, as this can lead to excessive growth of leaves and stems to the detriment of flowering. Pruning fading buds and pinching after rooting are the prerequisites necessary for the full development of a plant such as diascia. Growing this crop is best done in not too fertile, but loose soil. A mixture of wet peat, coarse sand and garden soil (in equal proportions) is perfect for these purposes.
Flowering
The bud set occurs quite early, eight to nine weeks after sowing seeds in the ground. In a home greenhouse, while maintaining a temperature of +19 degrees, young shoots appear after fourteen days. It is recommended to pinch new shoots several times throughout the entire growth period. Thanks to this, the bushes will branch better. To prolong the flowering period as much as possible, the old buds along with the stem should be cut off, leaving a branch about five to seven centimeters long. Abundant watering and top dressing are the main conditions for the growth and development of a plant such as diasia. Reviews of gardeners, despite the fact that the flower is considered perennial, indicate the fact that in our regions it manifests itself as an annual. The fact is that being in open ground, the plant does not tolerate severe frosts. Therefore, if you want to save a flower, for the winter it should be transplanted into a flowerpot and brought into a cool room. In the spring, diascia can again be placed in open ground.
