Four ways to breed Achimenes
The charming Achimenes have long earned the love of flower growers due to their gorgeous flowering. By purchasing just one flower, over time you can become the owner of a whole collection of wonderful plants. Achimenesses breed in several ways, and each of them has its own pros and cons. We will talk about this today.
So, you can get a new achimenes bush in the following way:
- planting root rhizomes;
- landing of air rhizome;
- cuttings;
- sheet plates.
How to root rhizomes growing in soil?
Rhizomes are modified rhizomes of plants, like tubers in gloxinia, but a feature Ahimenes is that they form rhizomes after flowering. The rhizomes sleep all autumn and winter, and in the spring buds wake up on them. Usually the sprout emerges from the top point of growth, but if it is damaged, then it sprouts among the scales.
Rhizomes are planted after wintering, when sprouts appear on them - in the period from late February to late April.
Another important difference between Achimenes and tuberous crops is that its roots do not live for more than one season. After planting a rhizome, it forms from 2 to 10 children and dies off, which is why rhizomes are the main method of plant propagation, moreover, it does not require human intervention at all (except for transplantation, of course).
After wintering, it is advisable to take the rhizomes out of the pot in which they were located and plant them in different flowerpots. This will not only allow you to get new bushes, but also maintain their abundant flowering. If you just sprinkle the rhizomes that have awakened in the pot with earth, they form one dense bush, which will affect the quality of flowering.
What are air rhizomes?
Unlike basic rhizomes, which appear underground near the maternal root, aerial rhizomes form in the leaf axils. Their storage and planting is similar to the first method, but it should be borne in mind that in this case, young bushes will develop many times slower, although by the end of the season they will catch up with the rest.
For some varieties of Achimenes, propagation by air rhizomes is unacceptable, since they do not form them at all.
On this topic:achimenes - care and cultivation!
Achimenes cuttings
For propagation purposes, you can also use the tops of the shoots from adult plants. They are rooted in greenhouses, and over time they are transplanted into their own pots, where cuttings also form rhizomes for winter. The only drawback of this method (except for laboriousness), perhaps, is that cut cuttings cannot be transported in any way, since they quickly fade. If there is a road ahead, it is better to use another method.
Cuttings should be harvested before the bush forms buds, so as not to spoil the flowering and not harm the plant as a whole.
Leaf propagation
Leaf cuttings of Achimenes also give good results. The cut leaves just need to be rooted in the soil and placed under a hood. In about a month, the first shoots will appear.
Of the disadvantages of this method, it can be noted that young plants will develop more slowly, rhizomes will form small and will bloom only the next year.