Sanvitalia is a low-growing plant that belongs to Asteraceae. Sanvitalia can be found in America. This species was named after an Italian who worked as a botanist and discovered the species. This species began to be cultivated back in the 18th century.
There are several varieties of Sanvitalia. One of them is a honey rescuer. This variety blooms more abundantly than others. The ligulate flowers are usually yellow, while the tubular flowers are brownish. Another popular variety is Bright Eyes. Here the ligulate flowers are orange-yellow, the tubular flowers are dark brown. The flowers of the Gold Braid plant are yellow. The bushes are quite tall – 20 cm. This variety is similar to Aztec Gold, but the flowers have a greenish middle. And the species called Million Suns has ligulate flowers that are light green or yellowish. In this case, the plant seems to creep along the ground.
Appearance
The bushes of this plant are spherical. Their height is usually 15-20 cm. The length of Sanvitalia shoots is about 0.45 meters. They are highly branched and creeping. The leaf blades are opposite, they have a spherical shape. Usually bright green. The inflorescences, which look like baskets, are 2.5 cm in diameter. In these inflorescences, they are represented by ligulate flowers of yellow or white color and tubular flowers of brown or black color. This annual plant blooms in mid-summer and fades in autumn. The fruit of this plant is achene.
Where to grow
Usually Sanvitalia is grown in boxes on the balcony, baskets or rockeries. Often, the shape of the bushes is changed to an ampelous one and the plant is transplanted to a rocky area or to places near the terrace, and empty spaces in the garden are closed. A flowerbed, as well as an alpine slide, is decorated with sanvitalia. Sanvitalia is often used to cover the soil to cover unwanted areas, because it is quite unpretentious. Sanvitalia is usually combined with both Salvia and Iberis.
Seeds
Sanvitalia is propagated by seeds, which almost always germinate. They are usually harvested in the fall. Seeds are planted for seedlings at the very beginning of spring. To sow them qualitatively, you need to cover the bottom with drainage, fill the hole with sand and nutrient soil in a ratio of 1 to 3. The seeds should be buried no more than 10mm. They are covered with a thin layer of soil, then the crops are “watered” with a sprayer. The container must be covered with glass and placed in a ventilated place at a temperature of about + 20 ° C. Young shoots usually show up after 10 or 12 days. Once a day, you need to ventilate these crops and water them once every 2-3 days.
When the first leaves appear, the plant usually dives, moreover, 2 Sanvitalii are placed in one glass at once. Then, when the plants take root, they need to be hardened for about two weeks and after that they can be planted in open ground.
Growing
Seedlings should be planted in the soil in May if no frost is observed at this time. In order for the seedlings to take root well, you need to choose an area that is well lit. The soil is no less important: it must be fertile. Before disembarking, you need to make 10-centimeter holes where the seedlings should be planted, I keep a small distance of 20-25 cm between Sanvitalii. Expanded clay must also be placed on the bottom of the holes. Only after that it is necessary to plant the plant and cover it with a layer of soil. After the soil is compacted, Sanvitalia will need to be watered well.
Where spring comes early, moreover, the temperature is quite high, you can sow directly into the ground around May-June. The future Sanvitalii are thinned out only when the height of the bushes is more than 10 cm.
Care
Sanvitalia is undemanding in terms of care, therefore it needs to be watered about 1-2 times a week. In wet weather, you can forget about watering and loosening the soil, the plant will have enough rainfall. It is important to remember that stagnant moisture can cause rotting of the root system, but drought will not cause visible damage to this annual, as well as lack of feeding. After all, if Sanvitalia grows in fertile soil or fertilizers were applied at the time of planting, there is no point in feeding. If the soil is poor, you need to “feed” Sanvitalia once every two weeks, moreover, use mineral fertilizers.
If the territory in which Sanvitalia grows is constantly under the influence of the wind, gardeners recommend using props. This is necessary in order to maintain the shape of the bushes. And in order to make the bushes more extensive, you need to pinch the ends of the stems before flowering.
The plant treats the transplant normally, so this can be done often.
Diseases
Sanvitalia rarely gets sick with something and becomes a victim of a pest. Problems can appear if you water the plant very rarely or, conversely, too often. If the leaves of a perennial are twisted and change color, it needs to be watered urgently. And if a fungus appears, watering should be stopped, the seedlings should be ventilated and an irrigation plan should be developed.
After flowering
This plant, after flowering in temperate latitudes, dies off, because it does not withstand sub-zero temperatures. However, it is possible to extend the life of a culture. To do this, it should be transplanted into a flowerpot for the whole autumn and winter. The temperature in this room should not be lower than + 5 ° С.
