How to care for campanula and what you need to protect “the bride and groom”

Campanula is an ampelous flower. Such plants look great in flower pots, hanging flowerpots, baskets. The stems of the campanula are soft, the leaves are rather small, and there are many inflorescences. As a result, we get (depending on the subspecies) a large ball of bright flowers or even a cascade of many small "stars", beautifully falling from the pot.

"Home" types of bell

Typically, on our windowsills and balconies, the subspecies of the Campanula Equivalent: “Alba” and “Maya” (Maya) flaunt. The “Alba” has white inflorescences, for which it was popularly called the “bride”. Maya has blue ones, she is called the “groom”. But there are also two-color plants - “Bicolor”, the popular name is “lover”. But in fact, sometimes there are other varieties of campanula, for example: "Carpathian", "Terry", "Blauranka". The table shows the distinguishing features of the most common plant varieties.

Table - Varieties of "domesticated" Campanula

Campanula Care Rules

In general, the bell is a very unpretentious plant and the cultivation of campanula at home will be mastered even by a beginner grower or a person who is not at all knowledgeable in this matter.

Shine

Campanula loves light, but it must be diffused. That is, the lighting should be bright, but without direct sunlight. In the garden or on the balcony, choose a place where there is always shade. In the apartment - put the plant on the windowsills of windows facing east and west. If your windows face south, it is best to put the pot with Campanula Mix in a pot or place it on a special rack.

Temperature

Campanula loves coolness, but he can’t stand the heat with difficulty. The optimum temperature for the plant:

• summer - 23 (± 2) ° C, but not higher. If your climate is hot, it is better for the plant to be in an air-conditioned room, but set it so that cold air does not blow on it;
• in winter - approximately 13 (± 2) ° C. The flower “suffers” from excessive heat, the leaves dry out, and in the spring you can not wait for the flowering or it will be scarce.

Humidity

This moment is not crucial for the campaign. You do not have to bother with pallets, spray water from a spray bottle, trying to moisten the air, and other “dances” around the flower will not be required.

Lure

But this is a very important point for the flower. In the active phase (from March to September), rapid flowering “draws” all forces from the “bride and groom”. In such a busy period, the plant needs help.

You can feed Campanula with any store-bought fertilizer for decorative-flowering houseplants. Only the dosage must be halved from that recommended by the manufacturer. Perform the procedure optimally three times a month.

Pot

The root system of the campanula grows rapidly and quickly occupies the entire space of the pot. And then the plant dries the buds - this is a sure sign that it is "crowded" and lacks nutrients. Therefore, immediately after the purchase, it is better to transplant the Campanula into a spacious "dwelling" - a low and wide pot.

Transfer

Campanula is not a perennial plant. And you need to transplant it only if the old pot has become too small and there are clear signs of “starvation”: the leaves turn yellow, fall off, the buds dry out, the flowering fades.

Campanula loves loose "porous" soil. The best option is a mixture of peat soil, humus and sand in equal proportions. But the universal store composition for decorative-flowering plants will also work perfectly. The ideal time to plant a campanul is spring and autumn. If you decide, then proceed in five steps.

1. Pick up a pot. To start, look for a suitable pot size for the plant. It should be about twice as large as the previous one.
2. Lay down the drain. At the bottom of a new pot, pour fresh drainage, 2 cm thick.
3. Add soil. Pour soil into the drain, but not to the edges of the pot. Enough and half the depth of the pot.
4. Set flower. Move the plant along with a piece of old soil on the roots in the center of the container and not too deep - about 2 cm below the estimated boundary of the soil. Make sure that the stems look up and do not fall to one side.
5. Fill the ground. Top with fresh soil. Press the earth lightly with your fingers - you need to tamp it a little.

Watering

Caring for a flower "bride and groom" does not imply abundant watering. The main thing is that the earth does not dry out, it was always wet, but not wet. And also make sure that water does not accumulate in the pan, pour it out, otherwise the roots will rot. And the frequency of watering depends on the time of year.

• Summer. This time of year is quite hot, plus the plant blooms intensely. It may be necessary to water the campanul every day, it all depends on the climate and the size of the plant itself.
• In winter. During dormancy, Campanul can be watered every two weeks. The plant can withstand without water for up to 20 days. Just check the soil occasionally and moisten it as soon as you notice that the ground is dry.
• Off season. In autumn, it is enough to water the plant twice a week. In spring, start daily watering in small portions from the month of March.

Rest period

September-October is the period when the bell has finished rapid flowering, the plant is tired and exhausted. How to care for the Campanula after flowering so that next spring the flower has the strength for another "enchanting" season?

• The beginning of November. First of all, you need to remove everything that the plant will spend juices in the winter, instead of accumulating strength: dry inflorescences, stems, leaves. “Cleanliness” will need to be maintained throughout the rest period.
• December. Time to crop the Campanul. Cut off all the shoots, but not under the root, leave a length of about ten centimeters.
• March. By this time, the shoots will grow back, cut them at a distance of 5 cm from the ground.
• Watering. Two to three times a month, watch as the soil dries.
• Shine. It is better to “winter” the plant in a well-lit, but protected from direct sunlight.
• Temperature. Do not place the Campanula near the radiators, but do not take it out onto the cold balcony.
• Top dressing. At rest is not required.

And spring is the time to propagate the campanula to the desired number of plants.

How to propagate a bell

Once again, Campanula is not a perennial. The average life span of a plant is two years, sometimes a little more. If you do not want to say goodbye to the “shooting star” a couple of years after the purchase, multiply it. You have several options to choose from:

• cuttings;
• division of the bush;
• seeds.

Cuttings

When you will carry out spring pruning, pinch off a stalk with a heel from the mother plant. That is, you need to tear off the young shoot at the very bottom so that part of the skin and core of the mother stem remains on it. And at the bottom of the handle should be two or three leaves. To root the Campanula with cuttings, proceed in five steps.

1. Water treatments. Dip the shoot in a glass with a weak potassium permanganate solution for about seven to eight hours. It is not necessary to completely immerse it, it is enough to “dip” the place of cut and a couple of centimeters from above.
2. Stimulant treatment. Before planting in the ground, you can treat the shoot with a growth stimulator. According to reviews, after this treatment, the campanula grows stronger and blooms more actively.
3. Disembarkation. Deepen the shoot into the ground by about 3 cm.
4. Greenhouse conditions. Cover the pot with plastic wrap or a large glass jar if the pot is small. To prevent the plant from rotting, it needs to be aired daily. Put the pot in a cool place.
5. Spraying. Once a week spray the shoot with warm, filtered water.

Dividing the bush

Campanula can be propagated in this way directly during plant transplantation. It is better to do this in the spring or at the very beginning of summer. Here is the seven-step instruction.

1. Remove the bush with a lump of old earth.
2. Divide it into several parts - just cut the roots with a sharp knife.
3. Delen should not be too small.
4. Put each piece in your pot. Do not forget to put drainage at the bottom.
5. Deepen the plant 2-3 cm into the ground.
6. Top up with the required amount of land and tamp lightly.
7. Water the plant.

Seeds

Propagation of the campanula by seeds is carried out in spring, in early March. This is if you already have a mother plant. Or buy seeds at the store. So, in the fall, when the bell has faded, look for miniature boxes on the stems - there are seeds. But do not tear the box - let it remain on the plant, it will burst when the seeds "ripen". Campanula seeds are very small, rather reminiscent of dust, by negligence they can even be blown away. And then follow the instructions in six steps.

1. Carefully open the "house".
2. Prepare a clean container and suitable soil.
3. If possible, spread the seeds evenly on the ground.
4. You do not need to deepen the seeds. Just sprinkle them a little with soil or sand.
5. Spray the soil from the spray gun.
6. Cover the seedlings with foil and ventilate daily.

Pests

Typically, indoor flowers affect two pests: a spider mite and a scab. If you notice a parasite on at least one plant - the risk of infection and all "neighbors" is high. Immediately isolate the diseased plant and immediately begin the fight against the “enemy”.

Spider mite

If you notice "cobwebs" between the base of the leaves and the stem - this is an occasion to think. Inspect the inside of the leaves, if you notice something similar to the stuck earth - poke a "dirty" place with a thin needle or a toothpick. It turned out to be not dirt at all, but a meager sized brown bugs that rushed all over the place? This is a spider mite. First, break off all infected leaves, so you already get rid of a large number of pests. And what to do next is described in the table.

Table - Methods of combating spider mites

Shield

This insect looks like an aphid, only flat and with a shell. It was because of him that the pest got its name - the carapace protects its "master" like a shield. Scabies often accumulate at the points of attachment of leaves to the stem, there you can notice a certain “plaque” of insects. The scabbard eats the juice of the plant and at the initial stage in the places where the parasite has attached, dark spots appear, then the leaves twist and fall off. Another sure sign of infection - sticky drops appear on the plant. This is the so-called pad, it is secreted by insects.

First things first, you need to mechanically remove the parasites from the leaves and stems. Dip a soft toothbrush or cotton swab in vodka or insecticidal solution and clean off the beetles. And then choose: the table describes the most popular methods of pest control.

Table - Methods of combating scale insects

Problems and diseases

In addition to parasites, other misfortunes can happen to the plant. For example, leaves suddenly begin to clump and fall off or rot appears. Consider the main "diseases" of the campanula and the causes of their occurrence.

• Gray rot. On the plant there are areas covered with "shaggy" grayish bloom, resembling mold. Under the plaque, the process of decay begins. This is a fungus. Reasons: excessive watering and high humidity. Isolate the plant, remove the affected leaves and stems. Put the pot where the air humidity is lower and reduce watering.
• Leaves turn yellow. Most likely, direct sunlight or insufficient moisture gets on the plant. Move the campanula to a cooler place, spray it, add water in small portions, but every day.
• Sluggish leaves. Weak, lifelessly hanging leaves are a sign that watering is too plentiful. Do not allow stagnation of water in the pan, water often, but so as to only moisten the soil, and not to spill it.
• The stems are thin and weak. Little light. Look for a more lit place, but avoid direct sunlight.
• Does not bloom. Campanula stops blooming when the plant lacks light or nutrition. And, perhaps, your bell is already old and just ended its life cycle.If the campanula is young, then it must be rearranged in a well-lit place and fed three times a month.
• The plant wilt. There can be many reasons: little light, little moisture, drafts, insufficient food, pests, rot. Analyze the care, find the mistakes and fix them. If the plant was attacked by parasites, see the tables above.

These are the main tips on how to care for the campaign so that it does not hurt and blooms profusely. Admiring the "shooting stars", do not forget to look under the leaves, feel the soil, check for pests. Show a little more attention - this will allow you to fix the problems in time, then the Campanula will “thank” you with a rapid and long flowering.