Plant bacopa (lat. Bacopa) belongs to the genus of the Plantain family, which includes more than 100 species of aquatic, water-loving, succulent creeping rhizomatous perennials. Bacopa is native to South America and the Canary Islands. In nature, bacopa grows on marshy shores of water bodies in the tropics and subtropics of Asia, Australia, America and Africa. The second name of bacopa is suter. Bacopa flower has been in cultivation since 1993. It is also grown in temperate climates, using it as an ampel and as groundcover.
Planting and caring for bacopa (in a nutshell)
- Bloom: plentiful, gradually weakening, but then increasing again.
- Landing: sowing seeds for seedlings - in March, planting seedlings in open ground or in suspended structures- in the middle of May.
- Lighting: bright sun or partial shade in areas protected from strong winds.
- The soil: drained, humus-rich fertile soils of slightly acidic reaction.
- Watering: frequent and abundant, especially in drought.
- Top dressing: only young plants need to be fed from spring to September. Apply complex mineral fertilizers in line with organic.
- Trimming and pinching: for better tillering, the shoots are pinched from time to time, and too long lashes are shortened. Cut the plant when flowering becomes scarce, and the lower part of the shoots is woody.
- Reproduction: seeds, from January to April - apical cuttings.
- Pests: at home - whiteflies, aphids and spider mites.
- Diseases: gray rot, sooty or mold fungus.
Read more about growing bacopa below.
Ampel bacopa - description
Bacopa stems are thin, creeping, creeping or decumbent, reaching a length of 60 cm and growing strongly in width. The leaves are small, broadly elliptical or ovate, green or olive green, linear, with a serrated edge. Ampel bacopa blooms with axillary bell-shaped or tubular flowers (depending on the type and variety), small or large, simple or double, white, pink, lilac, blue, light blue, red, purple or lilac. Bacopa blooms for a long time and occurs in waves: after an abundant first wave, the formation of flowers fades, and after a while it intensively resumes. The life of the plant is short, but it reproduces easily. Growing ampelous bacopa is carried out both in the garden and at home.
Growing bacopa from seeds
Sowing bacopa seeds
For the primary cultivation of bacopa, you will have to resort to the seed method of reproduction. Growing bacopa from seeds does not involve any particular difficulties, and it is not a problem to purchase high-quality seed in the store. When to sow bacopa for seedlings? Sowing is carried out in March in a peat substrate sterilized for 4 hours in an oven at a temperature of 100 ºC, which, after cooling, is placed in a container with transparent walls. It is not necessary to deepen the bacopa seeds; it is enough to press them to the surface of the moistened substrate and cover with a film or glass. Bacopa germinates from seeds in the light, at a temperature not lower than 20 ºC. Shoots can appear in 10-14 days, and the full germination period can last 3-4 weeks.
Bacopa seedling care
Bacopa care during the seedling period is simple. Once seedlings begin to emerge, it is important not to let the substrate dry out. Remember to carefully loosen the soil around the seedlings. At the stage of development of the seedlings of three true leaves, the first picking of bacopa is carried out - the seedlings are transplanted into separate peat pots with a diameter of 5 cm. Optimum temperature for growing bacopa seedlings 22-26 ºC.
If you are going to plant seedlings in the garden, then, most likely, bacopa seedlings will require a second pick - transplanting into pots bigger size, which, for the stability of seedlings, is carried out with the deepening of the stem by one node. A week after the second pick, when the bacopa seedlings take root, they are fed with a complete mineral fertilizer with a predominance of phosphorus and nitrogen, after which the temperature in the room during the day is maintained within 15-24 ºC, and at night - about 13-15 ºC.
If you are growing bacopa as indoor plant, then the second picking is not necessary - the seedlings are immediately transplanted into a flower pot or basket.
Planting bacopa in the garden
When to plant bacopa
Planting bacopa in open ground is carried out as soon as the threat of return frosts disappears, that is, approximately in mid-May. But first, the seedlings must undergo hardening: they are taken out daily for open air, gradually increasing the duration of the sessions until the seedlings can spend the whole day in the yard.
How to plant bacopa
Bacopa grows best in sunny areas sheltered from the wind. You can plant it in partial shade, however, the less the plant receives sunlight, the fewer colors there will be. In the shade of bacopa, it generally loses its decorative effect - its shoots are drawn out, and few flowers are formed.
Bacopa is undemanding to the composition of the soil, but well-drained, fertile, humus-rich soils of a slightly acid reaction are most suitable for it. When planting in open ground, the distance between seedlings, depending on the variety, is kept within 10-25 cm - the higher the plant, the more space it will need.
Bacopa care in the garden
Growing bacopa in the garden involves performing such gardener activities as watering, weeding, loosening the soil, fertilizing, pinching and pruning, as well as protecting against diseases and pests. Delete withered flowers no need - bacopa can self-clean. Water the plant often and plentifully, especially in dry, hot summers. After watering, loosen the soil slightly, being careful not to damage the surface root system of the plant. Weeds also need to be removed carefully, and it is best to do this manually.
As for dressings, only young plants need them. Fertilizers are applied from spring to September, but with the approach of winter, top dressing is stopped. Bacopa is fertilized with complex mineral solutions, alternating them with organic solutions bird droppings or cow.
Bacopa care at home
How to care for bacopa at home
The conditions for growing bacopa in an apartment are not much different from garden ones. How to grow bacopa indoors? The plant is planted in a substrate of approximately the following composition: humus, sand, garden soil and peat in a ratio of 2:2:1:1. The soil for ampelous bacopa should prevent waterlogging, since the fragile roots of the plant are prone to decay, and that is why a thick layer of drainage material must be placed in the pot. Watering home bacopa, like garden bacopa, should be frequent and plentiful, however, avoiding prolonged and chronic waterlogging of the soil, since this is much more dangerous than rare and insufficient moisture. After watering, the soil in the pots must be carefully loosened. Once every 10-14 days, liquid mineral fertilizer for flowering plants is added to the water for irrigation, so that the bacopa greenery is always juicy and bright, and the flowering is plentiful. A solution of fertilizer is poured under the root, trying not to get on the leaves of the plant.
Bacopa placement
Bacopa at home, as well as in the garden, requires good lighting and a certain amount of direct sun rays daily. It also grows well in partial shade, but by placing it away from the light, you can not wait for flowering. Since the plant normally tolerates temperature fluctuations and even frosts down to -5 ºC, bacopa is in pots from spring to late autumn can decorate a balcony, terrace, veranda or loggia.
bacopa pruning
In order for the bacopa to grow well, the ends of its shoots are pinched from time to time, and if the lashes of the plant become too long, they are cut off. The apical cuttings left after pruning are used for propagation. Bacopa is also cut when the lower part of its shoots begins to lignify, and flowering becomes scarce. In this case, the shoots are shortened by a third of the length, and it is better to do such pruning in the fall.
Pests and diseases of bacopa
At improper care or non-compliance with growing conditions, bacopa can be affected by gray rot, sooty or mold fungus, especially if planted too densely. If bacopa is affected by fungi, its crown must be thinned out, and then the plant should be treated two or three times with a solution fungicide preparation with breaks of two weeks.
Of the pests, bacopa is affected by whiteflies, aphids and spider mites. All these insects are sucking, that is, they feed on bacopa cell sap, so they can be destroyed with acaricidal preparations in two or three stages.
Bacopa reproduction
Except seed method propagation for breeding bacopa, cuttings are used, for which they use apical cuttings about 10 cm long. They take root easily and quickly in moist, loose soil, consisting of vermiculite and sand in equal parts. The cutting is deepened by 5 mm so that one node is underground - it will give new roots. The other node must remain above the soil surface - shoots will develop from it. The roots grow within 2-3 weeks, but to accelerate root formation, it is desirable to treat the cut of the cutting with a growth stimulator or phytohormones. The stalk planted in the ground is covered with a transparent cap to create a greenhouse effect, after which it is placed in a well-lit place, protected from direct sunlight. During rooting, the soil should be slightly damp. When the cutting begins to form shoots, pinch it to encourage tillering.
The best time for cuttings is the period from January to April - at this time, adult bushes are divided into cuttings. It is good to root cuttings at the end of summer, when there is a lot left after pruning. planting material. Cuttings of white bacopa are best rooted, other types of plants are more capricious and require the use of drugs that stimulate root growth.
perennial bacopa in winter
In the open field or in the garden, perennial bacopa will not survive the winter, therefore, with the onset of cold weather, it must be brought into a room in which there are no drafts, high humidity and the temperature is maintained at 12-15 ºC. IN winter time watering bacopa should be infrequent, as its growth stops. The wintering plant also does not need top dressing.
Many gardeners do not plant a perennial bacopa in the spring with a whole bush, because during the winter it still loses its decorative effect. They disassemble the overwintered plant into cuttings.
After pruning, homemade bacopa is also placed in cool conditions until spring. It can be glazed balcony, loggia or unheated veranda or room.
In addition to the species and varieties of bacopa that exist in nature, in Lately many varieties and hybrids bred by breeders appeared. The most popular of them in amateur gardening are:
- a plant native to the eastern United States, reaching a height of 30 cm. It has thick erect stems, planted in pairs crosswise with oval leaves, light green in the shade, and copper-red in the bright sun. Small bright blue flowers open at the ends of the stems. This is an aquarium bacopa - it is often grown in water under glass. In gardens, caroline bacopa is planted along the banks of water bodies, artificial or natural, or directly in them. The depth of water in this case should be at least 30-35 cm;
- a low-growing plant with thin stems that develops in the water column. Australian bacopa shoots are covered with light green oval or rounded opposite leaves up to 18 mm long. Light blue flowers of the plant open on the surface of the shoots;
- succulent with creeping stems, oblong sessile leaves from 8 to 20 mm long, entire or sparsely toothed and rounded at the top. The flowers of this plant are axillary, with a blue, white or purple corolla up to 1 cm long;
Bacopa heart-shaped (Bacopa cordata)
- herbaceous perennial up to 15 cm high with small or medium-sized green leaves;
Ampel bacopa at correct selection its varieties are able to decorate with itself not only a balcony, loggia or terrace, but also the most refined interior country house.
In the plantain or burrow family, there are a large number of interesting flowering plants suitable for growing in the garden or for decorating the house. One of the very popular is the whole genus Bacopa (bacopa), which includes both garden and aquarium cultures. Growing in the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia, America and Australia, it boasts a rather large variability of its species, which, by the way, are about 70.
Many of them are used for growing in letniki, flowerpots and hanging planters as an ampelous representative (bluetopia and snowtopia), often they are also presented as ground cover specimens. Ampel bacopa is long unpretentious, growing from seeds with your own hands begins with sowing for seedlings around mid-February, timely picking and planting on permanent place development.
In this issue, we will learn about the brightest representatives of the suter genus, look at the flowers of the ampelous bacopa in the photo and understand what kind of beautiful plant it is and how to care for it.
Different types of ampel bacopa
Types and varieties of ampelous bacopa for a garden, balcony, apartment and aquarium (with photo)
These are annual garden crops, often used to decorate gardens. But, there are perennial species and varieties of ampel bacopa related to house and aquarium plants. Herbaceous representatives on average can reach 70 cm in length, the stems of individual ground cover species extend up to 1 meter. The shoots of the suter are thin, creeping along the ground and can be easily directed upward due to the fact that they tend to wrap around the support. Thus, by the way, some gardeners create beautiful partitions from the culture on the site.
There are a lot of nodes on the lodging shoots, which, upon direct contact with the soil, begin to take root - this should be taken into account when caring for the plant. The fact is that even though the ampelous bacopa has a superficial rhizome, it will be very difficult to direct the stems upward when they are rooted in the soil of the garden, which happens quite quickly. When choosing a plant for an apartment or an aquarium, a garden or a balcony, you should pay attention to the recommended agricultural technology of the variety. 
Small leaves, shaped like an egg, have shades depending on the type of ampelous bacopa and the plant variety. So, for example, openwork tops can be created by beautiful leaf plates of gold, olive and dark green hues. Most species have a regular arrangement of leaves with a serrated edge, but there are also those in which they are arranged oppositely on the stem. 
At garden species sutera there is a very abundant powerful flowering. During it, formed small flowers, no more than 2 cm in diameter. The funnel-shaped tubular corolla remotely resembles a bell bud. Single flowers are formed at the very base of the leaves, which gives the flower an even more solemn and elegant look during the growing season. Like many garden annuals, the sutera plant begins to bloom when the weather is warm and ends with the onset of frost. 
Cultures grown in aquariums also bloom, but not as brightly as garden hybrids and cultivars. The buds are formed above the water level, painted white or pale pink.
Garden flower ampelous bacopa snowtopia and bluetopia
As garden decoration ampelous bacopa bluetopia and snowtopia are often grown, and almost always it is a ground cover plant with bright, uninterrupted flowering in small buds. In total, there are 110 hybrids and varieties in the genus, but let's talk and look at the photo only those that deserve it more than others and are more popular.
The largest number of hybrids are bred on the basis of a terry species, which is distinguished by very voluminous foliage and a large number of small axillary buds of pale pink color with a yellow throat. In the photo of the ampel bacopa below you can see some very beautiful varieties garden flower to decorate the site:
Examples of using ampelous bacopa snowtopia in decoration landscape design garden 
This is how you can use suter white color V flower arrangements From garden hybrids you can often find ampel bacopa bluetopia and snowtopia on loggias and balconies, differing from each other only in the shade of the corolla petals. The length of the stems of these cultivars is on average no more than 30-35 cm, they have olive-colored leaves that form dense foliage. Blutopia has axillary flowers blue color, while in snowtopia they are white. 
Often, a suter variety called Snowflake is used for growing in flowerpots. This is a very large terry hybrid with shoots about 1 meter long. Creeping stems are strewn with small leaves, creating delicate, luxurious foliage with small buds. It is important to know that representatives of this variety are perennials, but under conditions harsh winters- it is better to grow them at home, and in the summer to take them out into the fresh air. Sunbathing plays an important role in flowering plants. 
Looks very decorative in gardens annual variety Olympic Gold due to golden foliage framing white flowers. During the flowering period of this plant, the green tops shimmer in the sun. Hanging and curly specimens are perfect for growing in letniki and flowerpots.
Snowtopia (ampel bacopa with white buds) 
Blutopia and snowtopia in the photo Another pretty big one. terry variety- this is Snowstorm, it has pale blue corolla petals. The flowers of this plant rarely reach 2 cm in diameter, but this makes it even more decorative, since there are a lot of buds. Look at the photos of bluetopia and snowtopia, where the ampel bacopa is presented in the most elegant angles: 
Growing ampelous bacopa at home from seeds
It takes a lot of effort and patience to get a beautiful suter plant for your garden or home. Be sure to pay attention to the fact that when propagated by seeds at home, not all of them will have a good germination percentage, which by the way decreases every year. Also, you should be aware that the process of obtaining a new plant largely depends on where exactly the ampelous bacopa will be grown - in the garden or in conditions closed ground. We will try to talk in more detail about all these nuances, about how ampelous bacopa is grown from seeds at home and on the site.
To begin with, in order for the suter to grow beautiful and strong, you need the right substrate. To do this, you can take a slightly acidic mixture of garden and peat soil in a ratio of 1/1. Before sowing seeds, the soil is disinfected with boiling water or by keeping it in an oven heated to 100 degrees for 4 hours. After the soil is sterilized, its surface must be compacted and sprinkled with a small layer of snow. Snow is needed so that after the seeds are carefully laid out on it, melting contributes to proper deepening. 
It is important to know when to sow ampel bacopa seeds for seedlings - most often it is advisable to do this in mid-February or early March, when daylight begins to arrive. Sowing time falls on the middle of winter - February. Some flower growers do not use snow, but spread the seeds on a loose substrate, repeating the sowing twice. In this case, the first wave is without deepening, and the second wave is with a slight deepening.
For good seed germination, a certain temperature regime- from 18 to 23 degrees. Its preservation can only be ensured by creating a distributing mini greenhouse. To do this, the container is tightened with cling film or covered with glass. Also, it is necessary to take dishes with transparent walls for growing and propagating by seeds. The penetration of sunlight and light into the soil will favorably affect the germination of seeds.
After sowing ampelous bacopa with seeds, it is also important to observe and high humidity soil, for this accurate drip irrigation is used. 
The first sprouts can be seen in 15-20 days, if this did not happen, then re-sowing in the same soil is required. After the appearance of 3 leaves on a young stem, the plants dive in peat pots with diameters of about 5 cm.
Bacopa can be planted in open ground after the establishment of warm weather, in late May or early June. Well-drained soil with some peat soil is suitable for this. Broken rubble or brick can be used as drainage. Often, river sand is often added to garden soil to make it lighter. 
In closed ground conditions, the cultivation of ampelous bacopa is carried out in the soil with the addition of humus or sand. 
To save the ampel bacopa for the next year, you will need to know how to propagate it by cuttings. The fact is that even if you manage to create for her favorable conditions, next summer flowering will be more scarce. Therefore, the mother bush is placed for wintering at a temperature of 10-15 degrees, and in the spring the strongest shoots are cut from it, 12-15 cm long. The cuttings must be placed in clean water which needs to be changed daily. Roots form within 2 weeks, after which bacopa can be planted in a permanent place.
Ampel bacopa care
Like any flowering plant, the suter is not picky and takes root well even at home, if proper care is provided for it. Most often, plants are grown in flowerpots and hanging planters, which greatly facilitates its maintenance. It is not difficult to provide decent care for the ampelous bacopa of snowtopia and bluetopia if you know the simple methods of agricultural technology of this culture - we will talk about them further, but for now look at the next portion of the photo: 
Many types of suter tolerate small temperature changes perfectly, but severe frosts make even hardened perennials annual crops. If you want to save the plant for the next year, then in winter it is best to keep it in a dormant period, at 10-15 degrees Celsius. sunbathing for bacopa are not only useful, but also necessary. The fact is that if you put it in the shade, then it can completely reset all the buds, which by the way happens even with insufficient soil moisture. 
Regular watering with a large number water is the foundation proper care. In the hot season, outdoors, it is recommended to water the plant at least 2 times a day - in the morning and in the evening after sunset. Spraying is also important for active growth and flowering bacopa. It is worth making sure that the earthen ball does not dry out, but stagnant moisture can seriously affect its health and cause rotting of the rhizome. That is why it is necessary to provide a powerful drainage layer and loosen the soil after watering in order to avoid cracking, which, with the superficial root system of the ampelous bacopa, can cause the death of the plant. 
Look at others for the garden and apartment - a huge variety of shapes, colors and family representatives.
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Flowers - the best decoration at home and personal plot. Every year, gardeners get acquainted with new types of decorative and fruit plants and master methods of growing exotic crops.
In this article we will talk about bacopa - we will talk about growing from seeds and the features of caring for this unusually beautiful South African flower. Today, in addition to the traditional white bacopa, there are many varieties with flowers. different shades- purple, blue, pink, yellow, blue, red, purple. But a plant with white flowers is the most stable, unpretentious and resistant to various kinds of external influences. In addition, many bacopa varieties tend to degenerate and pollinate, turning from colored to white forms after a few years.
Bacopa: planting and care
Bacopa (sutera) is a low perennial with many small single five-petalled flowers (about 2 cm in diameter), blooming almost continuously from spring (March) to autumn (October). Most often, bacopa is grown as (decorating fences, poles, walls of buildings with flowerpots), but it also looks great as an unpretentious and spectacular perennial ground cover. If desired, other types of ampelous plants can be grown in the same flowerpot with bacopa: petunias, nasturtiums, fuchsias, lobelia, aregatum. In ground plantings, bacopa is used as an attractive background plant, forming a lush blooming carpet around the central plant of the composition. The advantages of the plant can also be attributed to resistance to prolonged rains - bacopa does not lose its attractiveness even in such conditions. In addition, even in the absence of flowers, the plant is quite decorative, due to the presence of many small bright green leaves.
The very first thing to find out for those who want to grow this beautiful flower- how to plant bacopa. After all, it is proper fit makes it possible to grow quality seedlings, which means healthy and beautiful plants. Planting a bacopa is a simple task, but here, as in any other business, a certain algorithm of actions should be followed.
First of all, you need to choose the right soil. For bacopa, a slightly acidic mixture (peat and garden soil 1: 1) is best suited. For growing in flowerpots, you will also need to add humus and sand to the mixture (2 parts each). It is also imperative to ensure good drainage, since stagnant water has a bad effect on the condition of the root system.
Bacopa should be watered often, but little by little, preventing the soil from drying out or waterlogging. From time to time, the plant should be fed with liquid complex mineral fertilizers.
Depending on the variety, the distance between plants should be from 10 to 25 cm (the higher the plant, the more space it will need).
In open ground, bacopa can be planted as soon as the threat of night frost disappears.
Bacopa grows best in sunny, wind-sheltered areas. Growing in partial shade is also possible, but remember: the less sun, the fewer flowers. With full shading, the bacopa stretches out and somewhat loses its decorative effect.
For wintering, bacopa is hidden in a cool, damp room (with an air temperature of 8-15 ° C). The plant is able to withstand short frosts down to -5°C. When wintering in too hot rooms, the risk of diseases increases - gray rot, soot fungus, shoots can stretch and become bare.
Do I need to pinch bacopa?
Pinching bacopa is not a mandatory procedure, but it significantly increases the number of flowers, therefore it is very popular among flower growers.
It is carried out according to classical scheme- growth points are pinched on young shoots, which stimulates the development of lateral processes and flower buds. You can pinch the shoots at any length.
Bacopa: reproduction
This plant can be propagated various methods: by sowing seeds or cuttings.
The seed method of reproduction involves growing through seedlings; bacopa is not grown by direct sowing in the ground.
The seeds are small, in 1 gram there are more than 5 thousand seeds. Germination is maintained for 2-3 years.
For the germination of small seeds, light, light, moisture and breathable soil is best suited. The optimum temperature for germination is 20-23°C. At air temperatures below 18°C, the seeds do not germinate. Seeds should not be buried deep - they are light-germinating, it is better to just slightly crush them to the soil surface. For the same reason, it is impossible to cover pots with sown seeds with opaque materials - without light, the seeds will not sprout. It is also important to provide high humidity during seed germination.
The first shoots appear on the 10-14th day.
At the stage of one or two true sheets, the first pick is carried out (2 cm between plants). From this point on, regular fertilizing with diluted fertilizer is required (50% of the rate indicated in the instructions).
At the second pick, the seedlings are transplanted into separate cups (with a drainage hole). In this case, specimens should be buried in the substrate by one node. After the second picking, the plants begin to harden, gradually reducing the temperature from +22-23°C to +15-22°C during the day and +13-15°C at night.
How to cut bacopa?
Bacopa cuttings are carried out in January-March and August-September. To do this, choose healthy young shoots, cutting them 
apical part with two nodes (up to 10 cm) and root them in a moist light substrate to a depth of about 0.5 cm so that bottom node was below the soil surface (it will form a root). The node remaining on the surface forms ground shoots and leaves. To increase rooting, cuttings can be treated with phytohormones or stimulating drugs.
The container with the cuttings should be placed in a warm, moist environment (you can cover it with a bag and put it in a warm place). Rooted plants are planted in the ground (in a permanent place) in early May.
White varieties of bacopa take root best of all.
The South African plant bacopa, also called sutera, from the Norichnikova family is gaining more and more popularity among gardeners. And it is not surprising because the ampelous suter is a perennial that is ideal for vertical gardening of balconies and terraces, and growing in flower beds turns into a real ground cover carpet, covered with many small flowers from March to October.
Not only flowers have decorative qualities, but also bright green, lanceolate leaves with jagged edges, reaching about 2 cm in diameter. The leaves are arranged in pairs on drooping shoots 30-60 cm long. From the axils of the leaves along the entire stem grow small, no more than 2 cm in diameter, five-petal flowers of white, pink, blue, lilac shades. Since the suter is a creeping plant, roots quickly form on each node of its shoots, which must be taken into account when planting in a flower bed.
Despite the title of a perennial, bacopa, which is grown from seeds in our conditions only through seedlings, the lifespan of one plant is often limited to one flowering period, since later the old bushes bloom less abundantly and in the spring they are divided into cuttings to obtain young plants.
In climatic conditions middle lane In Russia, it is possible to grow a suter from seeds exclusively by seedlings. So, Bacopa ampelous: growing from seeds.
Preparation for sowing bacopa for seedlings
1. Ground. For sowing bacopa, loose, breathable and moisture-intensive soil with a low level of acidity is required. The plant feels best on soils consisting of a mixture of humus, peat, leafy soil and sand (2: 1: 1: 1). Also, wet compost is used to germinate seeds before the first pick.
2. Capacity. There are no special requirements for choosing a bowl for growing bacopa seedlings. The main thing is that it is possible to create greenhouse conditions for crops by covering the container with film or glass.
3. Suter seeds are very small, and 1 g can contain about 5 thousand grains. They retain a high degree of germination for 2-3 years, which must be taken into account when choosing seeds in a store.
When to sow bacopa for seedlings?
The vegetation period of bacopa from sowing to flowering is quite long, therefore, they begin to sow it for seedlings already in early March. If it is possible to provide the plant with additional lighting, then some gardeners resort to sowing bacopa seeds as early as February in order to get earlier flowering.
How to grow bacopa from seeds: technology for sowing and growing seedlings
1. Planting bacopa seeds and germination conditions. Given the small size of the seeds, sowing is carried out superficially on a moist substrate. It is not worth covering the seeds with soil, just press them lightly to the surface and sprinkle with water from a spray bottle.
It is critical to create greenhouse conditions for bacopa with high humidity, because the crops are covered with a film, placed in a transparent bag or covered with glass. Seeds germinate in the light at a temperature of 20-23 degrees and high humidity. The first shoots appear within 10-14 days.
2. Seedling care. At this stage, caring for ampelous bacopa is simple: seedlings are gradually accustomed to keeping without shelter. Since the plant is moisture-loving and many of its relatives grow in water bodies, it is important to maintain a sufficient level of humidity by carefully watering the suter seedlings with a spray bottle.
3. Pick. Speaking about how to grow bacopa from seeds, one should not miss such a trick as diving. Moreover, bacopa bluetopia grown from seeds is dived twice. The first pick is carried out in the phenophase of two true leaves. In this case, the plants are transplanted with a soil clod into larger boxes according to the 2 × 2 cm scheme. At this stage, the temperature regime for optimal bacopa growth is 22-26 degrees.
When the plants grow noticeably, the bacopa is re-picked into separate pots with a drainage hole. If at the first transplant the plants did not deepen, then at the second transplant the seedlings are deepened by one node. During this period, the plants begin to gradually harden and the temperature of growing bacopa snowtopia from seeds is reduced to 15-23 degrees during the day and 13-15 degrees at night.
4. Feeding seedlings. Bacopa, grown from seeds of which is carried out by seedlings, is ready for feeding after the first picking. To do this, use full mineral fertilizers at a concentration half that indicated in the instructions for the drug. After the second picking, complex fertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorus are used for top dressing.
5. Pinching shoots. In order for the ampelous suter to bush better, growth points are pinched to young plants. This can be done at almost any length of the shoot, although some gardeners recommend pinching when the shoot reaches about 10 cm in length.
It should be noted that ampelous bacopa, growing from seeds of which at home is not particularly difficult, is generally not whimsical at the seedling stage. For its cultivation, elementary care is sufficient with regular watering, periodic top dressing and good lighting. When stable warm weather is established and the threat of frost disappears, the hardened seedlings are planted in open ground.
A plant from the Norichnikov family. From South Africa. Bacopa has appeared in culture since 1993. They named her Sutera. The plant blooms almost continuously from March to October, dividing its flowering time into two stages, each stage has a peak of profusion and a decrease in flowering, in other words, flowering is undulating. Bacopa ampelous is an unpretentious perennial plant. It is grown as an ampelous or ground cover.
Bacopa ampelous
Ampelous bacopa looks beautiful in hanging baskets. Used for decorating fences and walls.
Bacopa leaves and flowers are small, blue, white, pink. Bacopa is a creeping plant, therefore, when it is grown in the ground, it forms roots at each node of the shoot with contact with the soil.
Bacopa goes well with lobelia, petunia, ageratum, nasturtium, fuchsia. Bacopa is grown by amateurs beautiful compositions in hanging pots, to form an unusual screen.
Bacopa can be planted as a background plant, emphasizing the brightness of the color of nearby plants. It is planted with standard-shaped plants. However, like a single plant, it will conquer everyone with its sophistication.
Bacopa pointing up the support in vertical gardening combined with morning glory and nasturtium. In the garden, ampelous bacopa is used to decorate the bald patches of the site, forming a dense thin carpet. The plant grows quickly and with the help of bacopa you can easily reach decorative effect. The juiciness and brightness of the coloring of bacopa foliage is created through the use of various microelements in top dressing.
Bacopa is grown as an ampelous plant in flowerpots, hanging baskets, it can also be grown in mixed plantings, greenhouses. The length of bacopa shoots reaches about 60 cm.
Bacopa does not need to remove flowers because it is self-cleaning. The plant is attractive even during the period of long rains, it does not lose its decorative effect. Its small leaves on flexible long shoots are also attractive.
Bacopa varieties with different shades of inflorescences and flower sizes are common in culture. Bacopa is blue, white, blue, pink, purple, red.
The average size of flowers is 2 cm in diameter. Bacopa flowers are solitary, five-petalled. Inflorescences are two-lipped, they form in the axils of the foliage. The leaf plates on the stem of the bacopa are placed in the next order. Foliage lanceolate, small, entire.
Today it has become very popular bacopa sprawling . The work of breeders is focused on saturating the flowers of the tank with color, increasing the size of the inflorescences, and breeding new flower colors.
Brand new bacopa varieties have a red, lilac color. In the center of the flower there is a yellow eye.
Growing bacopa ampelous
The plant can be grown as an ampelous and groundcover. If you wish, bacopa shoots can be directed upwards, while installing supports and fixing the branches with wire or soft twine.
It is best to grow bacopa in sunny areas, but it is not at all afraid of a little shading. With a lot of shading, the plant will not have enough light, and its shoots can stretch out. Bacopa flowering in partial shade is not as lush as in the sun.
Bacopa prefers slightly acidic soil.
For a curvaceous form, it is desirable for the plant to pinch growth points.
The distance between specimens in one pot should be 10 cm. The height of the plant is from 10 to 24 cm. The bush is dense, in the shape of a hemisphere. Shoots of ampelous bacopa are about 40 cm long, columnar bacopa 24 cm high, erect shoots.
Bacopa should be planted outdoors after frost has passed. The soil in the pot should be kept slightly moist. It is undesirable to overdry the earthen room. With irrigation, mineral fertilizer must be applied to the substrate.
Bacopa care
It consists in constant watering, fertilizing complex fertilizers. Loosening should be easy, because the root system is superficial.
Bacopa ampelous can tolerate temperatures down to -5 ° In winter, the plant should be kept in a bright room with reduced watering. The temperature in winter should be up to 14 °C.
Best of all, she will be on the balcony or loggia. If there are no such conditions, then follow the watering and moisten the soil more often, spray the shoots to increase the humidity of the air.
The experience of flower growers shows that in a cool room bacopa does not lose its decorative effect, and in a plant that winters in warm room the leaves dry, the shoots become bare, and are strongly retracted.
Bacopa ampelous is practically not affected by pests. Only aphids and whiteflies are afraid. If infestation occurs, treat immediately with insecticide.
Bacopa reproduction
Bacopa is propagated by seeds, as well as cuttings. To get cuttings, you need to cut off the upper part of the shoot. Rooting time - from January to March, or from August to September.
Bacopa cuttings are rooted in a light substrate.
A container with bacopa cuttings can be placed in a greenhouse or covered plastic bag. When the plant takes root and begins to grow, you need to pinch the top so that the bacopa bushes and forms side shoots.
The experience of flower growers has shown that the percentage of rooted cuttings in ampel bacopa with white flowers is high. Snow-white varieties of bacopa have a greater resistance to disease. Planting cuttings produced in May.
When growing bacopa from seeds, they need to be sown on seedlings.
Sowing should be superficial, only pressing the seeds into light soil.
After sowing, it is necessary to put the container in a room with a temperature of at least 18 ° C and high humidity. best temperature 20-24°С heat. Seedlings appear two weeks after sowing.
Picking is done when several true leaves appear. Dive at a distance of at least 2 cm between plants.
The second pick is done in separate cups or pots with a drainage hole. After the second picking, you can feed with mineral fertilizers.
After the second pick, the seedlings are hardened. The growing temperature decreases, it should be about + 15-23 ° С.
