How to care for verbena?

Verbena is a plant that is resistant to high temperatures and blooms profusely with bright flowers. Verbena, which can be grown both in the garden and indoors in pots, is generally easy to grow, but needs to be grown in a bright spot as it needs eight to ten hours of sunlight a day.

Another important point to consider when growing verbena is the choice of soil. Verbena, which loves well-drained and moist soil, should not be left in moist soil for long periods of time. Therefore, when preparing the soil for your plant, you can increase drainage by adding materials such as compost to the soil.

In this article, you can read what interests you about vervain and what tricks you should pay attention to when caring for vervain.

What is Verbena?

Verbena is a flower that is usually grown as an annual. Verbena, which blooms continuously from spring to autumn, needs eight to ten hours of sunlight per day and moist, well-drained soil. It is also important that there is enough space between the plants for air flow. Verbena is an ideal flower to keep in the garden as it attracts pollinating insects such as bees and butterflies. However, if it is possible to provide the plant with a sufficient amount of sunlight, you can look at vervain indoors.

The general characteristics and needs of verbena are as follows:

botanical name: verbena

Family: Verbena (Verbenaceae)

Type: annual, perennial

Dimensions achieved in adulthood: 20-30 cm high, 30-40 cm wide

Solar request: Full

Soil request: Moist, well-drained soil

soil pH: sour, neutral

Flowering period: Spring Summer Autumn

flower color: white, red, purple, pink

Source: Europe

Toxicity: Some species are poisonous to animals.

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How to care for verbena?

Verbena is a medium to high growth rate plant, easy to grow in the garden, and blooms profusely even in its first year. The most important conditions for caring for verbena are direct sunlight and well-drained moist soil. Watering verbena, which tolerates heat and drought well, during the hottest periods of summer, you can make the plant bloom.

Points to pay attention to when caring for vervain are as follows:

light need

You should plant verbena where it can get direct sunlight. Verbena needs at least six hours of sunlight per day, although eight to ten hours is best. If you keep verbena in a shady area, it will bloom much less.

need for water

Although verbena requires a moderate amount of water once mature, it can tolerate short periods of drought. So make sure every part of the soil is evenly moist until your plant is mature. However, if the soil is too wet, care should be taken to keep the soil moist but not wet, as fungal diseases can occur and spider mites can get on the plant.

Soil Requirements

Verbena loves soils with a slightly acidic to neutral pH (5.8 to 7.2). Since verbena is generally undemanding to the soil, good soil drainage will be sufficient. However, since the presence of materials such as clay in the soil can cause root rot, you can use materials such as compost to lighten the soil structure.

Temperature and Humidity Requirements

Verbena are plants that grow well in summer heat and humidity. It can even be said that most species have been bred to be resistant to heat, drought and disease. Verbena, which need summer heat to flower, are sensitive to cold.

Need for fertilizer

You can feed your plant by adding compost to the vervain soil. You can use an all-purpose garden fertilizer to help keep your plant growing. If you want to increase flowering, you can feed your plant with a fertilizer with a higher phosphorus content.

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How to propagate verbena?

The best way to propagate verbena is cuttings by cutting parts from the stem. To propagate a plant from cuttings, follow these steps:

• With sharp scissors, cut 10-15 cm lengths from the ends of healthy-looking stems. Remove one third of the leaves from the bottom of the cut. Then dip the cut end into rooting hormone.
• Fill small pots with porous potting mix. Plant the cuts in pots. Water carefully to keep the soil mixture completely moist.
• Cover the pots with a plastic bag and place in a bright spot out of direct sunlight. Inspect the cuttings regularly and water the soil as needed.
• After a few weeks, gently pull on the stem to see if rooting has begun. If you feel a slight resistance, roots develop. Once the roots are well developed, you can move the plant to the garden or into a larger pot.

How to revive vervain?

Although verbena is a hardy plant, it can sometimes become lifeless due to insufficient watering, extreme heat, nutrient-poor soil, insects, and disease. It is very important to identify the problem and take the right steps to revive your plant.

To revive your vervain, you must first assess its health. To do this, if the leaves wither or turn yellow, you can look for signs of cracking in the soil. If the soil is excessively damp and wet, root rot can be suspected.

If the cause of the problem is that the soil is too dry, the plant should be well watered. If the soil is too wet, you should plant the plant in new, well-drained soil. You must be careful not to overwater or water the plant.

If watering is not causing the plant to become lifeless, it should be checked for pests and diseases. If you notice any pests on the plant, you can use insecticides or natural solutions. If there is a disease, you must understand what the disease is and use the medicine accordingly. You should also prevent the spread of the disease by cutting off the affected parts.

In order to revive your vervain, in general, you can pay attention to the following points:

• Make sure your plant is in a location that receives bright, indirect sunlight.
• Water regularly. Let the soil dry out a bit between waterings.
• Fertilize the plant every 3-4 weeks with a balanced fertilizer throughout the growing season.
• Prune overgrown plants in spring and remove wilted flowers.
• Inspect your plant regularly for pests and use pesticides if pests such as spider mites are present.

How to plant verbena seeds?

You can sow vervain seeds indoors in the spring and transplant them into the garden after the threat of frost has passed. To sow vervain seeds, you can follow these steps:

• Sow the seeds into the potting mix, pressing them down but not covering them with soil.
• Make sure the seeds stay moist. Cover the pots with a transparent bag.
• Wait two to four weeks for the seeds to germinate. Make sure the pots are in a warm and bright spot during this process.
• Move the plants to the garden or large pots after the leaves begin to develop and the danger of frost has passed.

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