Every gardener knows that plants grown in hanging containers are called ampelous. The fact is that from the German language the word ampel is translated as "hanging vase". This method of gardening is the best suited for decorating balconies, verandas and gardens: a basket of flowers not only looks very festive, but is also noticeable from any angle. Plus, it saves space. Today we propose to talk about garden and indoor ampelous plants. Names and photos of green pets are waiting for you below!
Petunia
Perhaps the most popular plant is the petunia. This summer plant came to Europe from America, more precisely, from Brazil. Jean-Baptiste Lamarck originally described this genus under the name tobacco. 10 years later, petunias were separated into a separate genus. The name of the ampelous plant comes from the word petun - this is how tobacco is called in Brazil.
The first variety of petunia appeared in 1839. After 16 years, terryvarieties, and after another 26 years, large-flowered representatives of the genus appeared. Ampelous petunias, bred in the sixties of the last century, deserve special attention.
Description of the plant and rules for caring for it
This ampelous plant is distinguished by the shape of the corolla: there are petunias with a fringed edge of the petal, a wide mouth. A lot of different shades: flowers can be red, purple, white, blue and pink. At present, gardeners say, only orange and rich yellow petunias do not exist. Due to the drought tolerance of petunias, they are often planted in containers. Ampelous are ideal for hanging baskets. Please note: this bright flower perfectly tolerates a tight fit, and therefore three plants can be planted in a pot with a diameter of 15 centimeters. Such a composition will delight you with its lush flowering. However, you can plant seedlings less often, so that the plants do not touch each other. Flower growers advise planting ampelous petunias with a slight slope to the edge of the pots.
Ideal soil - neutral in its acidity, quite nutritious, loose and light. In terms of care, petunias will need regular watering and fertilizing. If planted too tightly, this ampelous plant needs thinning, it is also important to remove weak and diseased shoots. In addition, after planting, the petunia needs to be pinched several times.
Surfinia
The ampelous petunia hybrid is gaining more and more popularity among flower growers,called surfinia. At first glance, it may seem that the difference between petunia and surfinia is minimal. However, it is worth noting that the latter is somewhat higher than its relative, and besides, its stems are much stronger. This variety was bred by Japanese breeders. Flower growers and landscape designers say: this flower allows you to not limit yourself in creativity.
Surfinia blooms very luxuriantly, you can verify this by looking at the photo of the ampelous plant. If we talk about shades, there are surfinias of white, pink, purple, burgundy, yellow and other tones. Incredibly bright flowers are collected in lush bunches, thanks to the huge number of long stems, a lush hat is quickly formed. The lower stems lean towards the ground, forming a magnificent floral waterfall.
Types of surfinias
Today, there are about 20 species of this ampelous petunia hybrid. The following varieties are especially popular:
- Burgundy. This variety is characterized by a wine shade of flowers. The bush is quite large and dense.
- Hot Pink. This species is distinguished by bright pink flowers with crimson veins.
- Table White. The flowers of this surfinia look like small bells.
- Yelo. As the name implies, this ampelous plant has a pleasant yellow color.
Features of care
Like the petunia, the surfinia needs a lot of sunlight, and therefore it should be placed in a well-lit place.
If you decide to grow this delightful flower in your garden, provide it with a canopy to protect it from the rain. It is worth noting that surfinia is much more tender than petunia, and therefore it needs to be fed and watered a little more often. At the end of summer, the plant needs pruning. Florists recommend transferring plants for the winter to a warm room. If you save it from frost, it can decorate your garden again in summer.
Verbena
Speaking of the names of ampelous plants, photos and descriptions of them, one cannot fail to mention the beautiful verbena. This herbaceous flower is ideal for planting in hanging baskets, because its stems hang down 60 centimeters. This is the main difference between ampelous verbena and erect verbena. It is worth noting that this plant grows incredibly fast, in a short time it is able to cover an area of \u200b\u200babout 0.5 m2. Ampel verbena was bred as an ornamental plant suitable for both for the windowsill. It differs from other species in rather small flowers and openwork foliage. As for the color, it can be very different: there are flowers of purple, red, blue and pink.
Perhaps the most popular ampelous verbena can be called the Imagination variety. This plant is characterized by a pleasant lavender tone of the petals and neat foliage. In order for the plant to please with abundant flowering and bright coloring, it must be regularly fed. For this purpose, anycomplex fertilizers. At a time when vervain is growing deciduous mass, flower growers recommend increasing watering, introducing nitrogen. During the laying of buds, this ampelous plant will need phosphorus, manganese and potassium. It is worth noting that this type of verbena is extremely unpretentious, it can easily endure a cold snap of up to -3 degrees, a drought. The only thing that is contraindicated for verbena is waterlogged soils containing a large amount of mineral s alts.
Ampel fuchsia
Why is fuchsia so valued by gardeners? Most likely, the reason is a very long and abundant flowering. Outwardly, it looks like a bush or a tree, the flexible branches of which have a reddish tint.
Fuchsia flowers can be very different, and there are not only one-color, but also two-color. Hanging from the stems are lanterns of blue and pink, purple and orange, red and white. It is worth noting that fuchsia is extremely undemanding and unpretentious, its flowering begins in April and lasts until October.
Growing as a houseplant
It will be useful to know that growing ampelous fuchsias as garden and indoor plants has a number of differences. Let's start with the features of caring for an indoor ampelous plant (in the photo below you can see it at home). These plants do not like direct sunlight, so flower growers recommend keeping them on an east, north or west window. From too bright sun, fuchsia should be shaded a little. Preparation plays an important roleplants for winter. The fact is that it enters a dormant period, and therefore it should be kept cool and dark. The optimum temperature is not higher than 4-8 degrees.
Irrigation should be limited. At the beginning of spring, the ampelous fuchsia needs to be cut off, pick up a larger pot for it, transplant it and put it on the windowsill. If you did everything right, the fuchsia will give new shoots and begin to bloom. Please note: it is not recommended to rearrange or turn over the container with flowers during flowering, otherwise the flowers will begin to fall off. During flowering, the ampelous houseplant must be watered abundantly and sprayed regularly. Be careful that the soil in the flower pot is not waterlogged. Once every 10 days, it is necessary to feed fuchsia with mineral or organic fertilizers. Follow the dosage: adding excess nutrients will cause the green pet to grow leaves and reduce flowering. Regularly pick off faded flowers - this will allow new ones to gain strength.
Flower growers share the secrets of growing indoor fuchsias:
- In especially hot summers, these plants should be removed to the back of the room. It is necessary to spread ice next to the pot - this procedure will save the plants from losing buds and leaves.
- It is best to grow this flower in ceramic pots. The thing is that in hot weather, in such a container, the roots of the plant practically do not heat up.
Gardening
As an ampelous plant for the garden, this speciesfuchsia is just perfect. Gardeners say: you can grow fuchsias both in hanging baskets and in flower beds. It is important to know that the tropical beauty is very thermophilic, and therefore in the northern latitudes it can only be grown as annuals. This flower prefers moderate sun, it must be covered from the scorching rays. In addition, it needs moderate moisture. Gardeners say: the most suitable container for garden ampelous fuchsias is an ordinary wire basket filled with peat moss. You can add perlite and vermiculite: they will retain water, which means that the plants can be watered less often.
At the end of August, when the days become shorter and the nights cooler, you should think about the future of fuchsias. Some gardeners simply move the flower indoors. At home, caring for garden fuchsia is no different from caring for a houseplant. In early spring, the plants should again be placed in a warm atmosphere, start fertilizing. Fuchsias should be taken outside when the tomatoes are planted.
