Gomfrena is a dicotyledonous herbaceous flowering plant of the Amaranth family. There are annual and perennial species. It lives in tropical latitudes. Most common in South America.
Spherical gomfren is grown around the world as a decorative garden flower. Some species are found in indoor breeding. In eastern Asia, it is eaten. In a number of regions they are used for medicinal purposes.
The advantages of the plant are that it is unpretentious, has a very long flowering - before the onset of frost, the flowers do not lose aesthetic qualities, even when dried.
However, in cultivation, especially at the first stage, from germination to planting in the ground is quite laborious.
Description of Gomphrena Flower
The stems are straight, the leaves are oblong, pointed, with smooth edges, located opposite each other.
Blooms profusely, buds of purple, white, yellow and pink. They resemble clover flowers. Size 3-4 cm in diameter.
Types and varieties of homfren
About 100 plant species are known. Each of them is good in its own way.
| View | Description / Grades |
| Spherical | The most common type. The leaves have hairs, which makes them appear silvery. Ball-shaped inflorescences gave the name to the species. It has several varieties of different shades. Together, they look advantageous in flower beds and give room for a designer-florist. Tall - up to 35 cm. There are dwarf varieties - up to 15 cm. The most famous varieties:
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| Scattered | Inflorescences resemble cloves. Plants falling, creeping. Appearance wins in the alpine slides and hanging flowerpots - where you want to create a cascade of flowers. Grade Pink Pinheads retains a beautiful soft pink color, even when dried. Used in dry ikebana, floral crafts. |
| Golden flowered (Haage) | Large inflorescences. Color complex with a transition from carmine red at the tips to a golden inside. Height 30-40 cm. Leaves are long, narrow, with a silvery sheen of the back side. Very sensitive to cold. In the cool summer, it may not bloom at all. |
| Dwarf (Dwarf) | It grows no higher than 10-15 cm. White, orange, pink. Thanks to short peduncles, it is widely used in borders, planted in street pots. |
| Purple | The leaves are deep green, emphasize the beauty of bright pink flowers. It grows up to 30 cm in height, grows well in width, covers with carpet all the space allotted for it. Can grow in pots. |
| Strawberry | It resembles ripe wild strawberries during flowering due to the scarlet round buds. It reaches a height of 50 cm. It blooms from June to October. |
Growing homfren from seeds
Florists in Russia prefer annual varieties, simply because it does not tolerate the harsh climate in winter.
It’s easier to plant new plants every year than to wait for them to winter.
Preparing seeds for planting
Preparing seeds for seedlings is somewhat different from traditional.
- Seeds are poured with a sufficiently large amount of warm water (about a glass).
- Insist at room temperature for three days, change water every day and mix.
- Then, using a sieve, drain the water. Seeds are washed under running water and in a glass container, closed with a lid, placed in the refrigerator.
- There they are stratified for a week.
Seeding time for seedlings
Very rarely grows from seeds when planted directly in the ground, as it needs warmth and a long growth period. Therefore, it is grown by breeding seedlings.
Sown in February, early March in boxes with prepared soil.
Sowing rules
Sowing gomfrena seedlings has several conditions that are not difficult to comply with:
- Prepare soil from equal parts of garden soil and humus. The second option is possible - from universal soil and vermiculite in a ratio of 1: 1.
- Moisten the substrate so that it is moist, but does not stick to the hands.
- Fill in the landing boxes. Better to take cassette.
- Tamp the soil.
- In each cassette, make a hole with a wooden stick, knitting needle or pencil.
- Gently pour the wells with filtered water. It is most convenient to do this from a used medical syringe without a needle or a douche. After planting, watering the soil is no longer necessary.
- Spread prepared seeds from the refrigerator, 1-2 per well. Even two sprouts in one container will not interfere with each other's growth.
- Level and lightly compact the soil, tighten with foil or cover with glass.
- It is imperative to put the seed tray in a bright, very warm place - directly above the battery or about, on the windowsill, which faces the south side and warms up in the sun. Optimum temperature for germination + 30 ... +40 °C.
Shoots will appear in three days. If the temperature is below the optimum (but not less than + 20 ... +22 °C), germination will occur in about two weeks. - After the seeds have sprouted, remove the coating, protect the planting from direct sunlight.
- If a common rather than a cassette container was used for seedlings, it will have to be dived after the appearance of 2-3 true leaves.
- During seedling growth, it is very important not to fill it with water. Delicate seedlings from excess moisture will die.
Sprouts can be fed with a universal composition for seedling growth, for example, "Strong".
Planting gomfrena in the open ground
Gomfren loves light, not heavy soil. To do this, you can add sifted river sand to the ground before digging.
But the soil is not as important as the light.
Moreover, organic matter and mineral fertilizers should not be added before planting.
The main thing is to choose a sunny place and avoid open windy areas with drafts.
What time to plant
Gomfrena is planted only when the earth thaws and warms up, stable warm weather without temperature changes is established. This becomes possible in May, sometimes in more northern latitudes - in June.
Landing rules
The grown seedlings are transplanted into previously prepared soil. To do this, make holes at a distance of 30 cm for ordinary, 20 cm - for dwarf species.
Each plant is well crushed and watered.
Care for gomfrena in the garden
Gomfrena - loves warmth and light. She needs a lot of space for full development, growth and flowering. Flower beds should not have larger plants that can obscure or squeeze it.
It tolerates drought and heat. Not demanding on watering.
Forming pruning is recommended for plants during flowering. Cut flowers are good, stand in vases for a long time.
And the gomfrena in the flower beds will bloom even denser and more magnificent.
Watering and feeding
2-3 days after planting in open ground, you can feed with mineral liquid fertilizer. For example, potassium phosphorus and nitrogen. Also use ready-made complex mixtures.
Top dressing should be done twice, but only before flowering.
Excessive amounts of fertilizer can cause the plant to not bloom at all, or flowering to be sparse, and a leafy green mass will fill the entire space.
Therefore, during flowering, regular but moderate watering will be sufficient.
If it rains periodically in the summer, you don’t have to water the homfren at all. She will need moisture only during a short drought.
Wintering
If, nevertheless, there is a need or a great desire to plant a perennial homfren, one will have to try to provide her with safe wintering conditions.
The first, most reliable way: transplant for the winter with a lump of land in a spacious pot and put it in a warm, dry place.
Second: Trim the ground parts, mulch with dry foliage or straw, cover with a covering non-woven material, and then with a film. Remove shelter only after the end of the threat of morning and night frost.
Diseases and pests of homfren
In general, homfren is not very sensitive to diseases. She is subject to them only occasionally. But even in this case, the situation can be saved.
| Disease / pest | Symptoms | Remedial measures |
| Blackleg | Blackening of stems, loss of turgor. | Stop watering for a while. Sprinkle the soil with wood ash, loosen. |
| Aphid | The appearance of sticky plaque and insects on the leaves. | Spray with soap or ash solution. In difficult cases, use insecticidal drugs. |
| Cercosporiasis | Dark spots, deformation of the leaves. | Treat with fungicides (Fundazole, Agate, Vectra, Thanos). |
Mr. Summer resident recommends: healing properties of homfren
Homfren flowers are often used in folk medicine to treat:
- tuberculosis
- bronchitis;
- coughing.
Flowers can be used in dried form, or can be fresh - just plucked from a flower bed.
Among the useful properties of homfrena: increased immunity, a large number of vitamins, cleansing the liver, removal of toxins from the body.
It is very useful for seriously ill, debilitated people who have undergone surgery, provided that there is no individual intolerance.
From the flowers make a decoction or add to tea when brewing.
Recipe number 1 - for coughing and colds.
A tablespoon of dry inflorescences in a glass of boiling water gives a saturated, slightly sweet broth. It should be drunk in small portions throughout the day.
Recipe number 2 - for immunity and tone.
Brew flowers in a teapot along with green or black tea to taste. Drink like regular tea 2-3 times a day.
