Content
In home floriculture and in summer cottages, a decorative, flowering flower is gaining popularity - Ipomoea Batat or "sweet potato". For a long time, the plant was grown as an edible crop and only recently began to be used in landscape design. Planting and caring for the perennial morning glory Batat is simple. In regions with a warm climate, the crop is grown in the open field, in cities with unstable weather, like a flower plant.
General description of the species
Morning glory Batat is a perennial crop, but in home floriculture, the plant is grown as an annual. The deciduous plant belongs to the Bindweed family and grows up to 5 m. Botanical Description:
- The root system is tuberous, fusiform. The orange-yellow flesh contains antioxidants that reduce the likelihood of cancer cells forming.
- The shoot is smooth, liana-like.
- The leaf plate is heart-shaped with a pointed end, from 3 to 14 cm long. The color can be varied, from light yellow to red-purple.
- Flowers - funnel-shaped, of various colors, up to 5 cm in diameter, inflorescences are formed by single buds, collected from 1-3 pcs.
- Seeds are elongated, up to 6 mm in length. The seeds are in a flat, woody box, angular in shape. The seeds are placed singly in each chamber.
There are more than 7000 species, which are divided into decorative, fodder, dessert and vegetable.
- Dessert ones taste like melon, pumpkin or banana. They are used for making fruit salads, jams and aromatic alcoholic beverages.
- Vegetable - has a rich taste and aroma, easily replaces potatoes. It is used boiled, raw, or baked. On its basis, aromatic vegetable and meat broths are obtained.
- Fodder - goes to feed livestock.
- Ornamental varieties - Ipomoea Batat is intended for growing in the open field, as an ampelous and indoor plant.
As a food product, morning glory sweet potato is of great benefit to the body. The plant is low in calories, it contains vitamins, minerals and other useful substances. Useful properties of Ipomoea Batat:
- improves the functioning of internal organs;
- removes bad cholesterol, toxins and toxins;
- stimulates the work of the heart muscle;
- has anti-inflammatory effect;
- strengthens the nervous system.
Morning glory Sweet potato is unpretentious in cultivation and care, it can grow on sandy loam or loamy soil with neutral acidity.
In most cases, Ipomoea Batat is grown outdoors. The place should be well lit, protected from gusty winds. After flowering, perennial varieties are transplanted into a pot and brought into a warm room. When growing morning glory sweet potato in room conditions, after flowering, the top is trimmed and installed closer to the window, making sure that there are no drafts and sudden temperature changes.
Ipomoea varieties Batat
Morning glory Batat is popular not only for its beautiful flowering, but also for its decorative foliage. It can be grown in open beds and at home. A variety of colors will decorate any corner of the house and garden plot.
There are many varieties of Ipomoea Batat, but in order to choose the right variety, you need to read the description and view the photo.
Margarita
Ornamental deciduous plant with large pale green heart-shaped leaves. Ipomoea of the Margarita variety grows up to 30 cm, lashes can reach 1-2 m. The variety does not bloom, has gained popularity for its decorative foliage about 15 cm long. In regions with an unstable climate, it is grown at home as an annual. In open ground, the plant is planted under a film, after the end of the spring frost. Margarita is used as an ampelous, ground cover plant. It is planted in containers, hanging pots. For rapid growth, during the growing season, it is necessary to pinch the top.
Cairo
The variety came to the country from Australia and Asian countries. The plant produces shoots 5 m long and flowers are sky purple in color. Abundant flowering, during the growing season the plant is covered with numerous buds, forming a beautiful carpet of delicate petals.
Purple
An annual plant with a pubescent stem reaching up to 8 m in length. The leaf blade is smooth, dark green in color. At the beginning of summer, the plant is covered with simple or double flowers of pale pink, red, purple and snow-white color. The tropics of America are considered the homeland of the variety.
Ivy
The liana-like plant produces shoots up to 3 m long. The variety got its name because of the shape of the leaf, resembling an ivy leaf plate. A flower 5 cm in diameter, painted in red, pink, burgundy or blue with snow-white edging.
Moonflower
Late flowering variety with large, heart-shaped leaves of a pale green color. In July, 3-m shoots are covered with large snow-white flowers with a diameter of 10 cm. Flowering is one-day, but long. The buds open before the first frost. The variety is grown in hanging pots and used for vertical gardening.
Mina Lobata
Ipomoea mine Lobata is an annual, densely growing plant with flexible shoots up to 3 m long. The stem is covered with three-lobed dark green leaves. In their sinuses, inflorescences of an unusual shape appear. Spike-shaped racemes are bright red at the initial stage of disclosure. As they bloom, the flowers take on a color from orange to snow-white cream. Before planting the morning glory mine Lobata, you must view the photo and read the reviews of the flower growers.
Breeding methods
Ipomoea Sweet potato can be propagated in 3 ways: by seeds, tubers and cuttings. Each method has its own characteristics and degree of complexity. Vegetative propagation is most suitable for beginners, experienced flower growers will be able to propagate morning glory with sweet potato seeds.
How to grow a flower of morning glory sweet potato from a cutting
Ipomoea Batat can be propagated in the simplest and most labor-intensive way - by cuttings. In autumn, cuttings 10-15 cm long are cut from the plant, the lower leaves are removed, the cut is processed in a root formation stimulator. The prepared material is dipped in warm water until roots appear. If the cut is rotten, it is carefully trimmed and placed in clean water with the addition of Kornevin. After the appearance of 5 cm of roots, the plant is transplanted into a pot with nutrient soil.
How to propagate tubers
The method is suitable for plants growing in open ground. In the fall, the morning glory is dug up, the upper part is cut off, the tubers are placed in wet sand or sawdust. Planting material is stored in a dark, cool room.
In December, after the appearance of buds, the tubers are divided into several parts, so that each division has one bud. After the cut is treated with charcoal or brilliant green, each part is planted in a pot with nutritious soil. In the spring, the prepared material can be transferred to a permanent place. After planting the morning glory, the Batat will show flowers in early June, gradually covering the bush until the first frost.
Is it possible to grow from seeds
Seed propagation is a complex method with a small percentage of germination. Therefore, to obtain 2-3 plants, about 10 seeds are planted, which have undergone pre-sowing preparation. Usually breeders use seed propagation to obtain a new variety.
Growing morning glory sweet potato from seeds takes place in 5 stages:
- Soil preparation - to increase germination, seeds are sown in light, nutritious soil. For this, purchased nutrient soil is mixed with sand in a 2: 1 ratio.
- Presowing seed preparation - planting material is soaked for 24 hours in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Thus, they are disinfected and hatch faster. You can also increase germination by puncturing each seed with a sterile needle. But, according to gardeners, this option is risky, it should be used only if sterility is observed.
- Planting seeds - the container is filled with moist, prepared soil. Seeds are placed at a distance of 3 cm from each other, deepening by 2 cm. For rapid germination, the container is covered with film or glass and removed to the warmest place. The ideal temperature for germination is + 20 ° C. 2 weeks after the emergence of shoots, the shelter is removed.
- Dive - after 2-3 true leaves appear on the shoots, the seedlings are dived in separate containers. Seedling care is simple, it is necessary to provide it with sufficient lighting and carry out regular irrigation, since with a lack of moisture and sunlight, the young plant may die.
- Transplant to a permanent place - seedlings are planted in open ground after the end of spring frosts, when the plant height is at least 10-15 cm.
Ipomoea Batat seeds are planted in mid-May, and seedlings are planted in early June.
Planting and caring for Ipomoea Batat
Ipomoea Batat is often grown outdoors as an annual plant. To do this, select a well-lit area without direct sunlight and drafts. Therefore, the southern or southeastern sides are suitable for cultivation.
For indoor cultivation, Ipomoea Batat is placed on a well-lit windowsill. In this case, fresh air should be supplied, without the formation of drafts. At home, morning glory sweet potato is grown in hanging pots or volumetric flower pots.
Ipomoea seedlings Batat are planted in a permanent place after the ground warms up to + 15 ° C. It is better to prepare the soil for the flower in the fall. To do this, the site is dug up, humus, rotted manure or compost and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are introduced. Since morning glory sweet potato prefers to grow on neutral soil, the acidified soil is diluted with lime or dolomite flour 14 days before applying top dressing. In the spring, the earth is dug up and fed with nitrogenous fertilizers.
Algorithm for planting in open ground:
- Ipomoea is planted in a permanent place in seedlings.
- In the selected area, make a hole 15 cm deep.
- If several plants are planted, an interval of 30-40 cm must be observed.
- When planting seedlings, the cotyledon leaves should be in the ground, and the lower leaves are removed, leaving only the upper two.
- The planted plant is compacted in the ground, spilled and covered with breathable material until new leaves form.
Follow-up care
Caring for morning glory sweet potato is simple, the main thing to remember is that the plant is thermophilic, so you need to adhere to the thermal regime.
In order for the plant to please with abundant flowering, proper care is necessary, which consists in watering and feeding.
- Watering is carried out regularly, but in moderation.
- After watering, the soil is loosened and mulched. Mulch will retain moisture, stop the growth of weeds, and become an additional organic top dressing.
- During the period of active growth, Ipomoea Batat is fed with nitrogen.The main rule is not to overfeed the flowering varieties, otherwise, instead of forming buds, the plant will grow green mass.
- When growing the perennial Ipomoea Batat in regions with warm winters, it is necessary to carry out autumn and spring pruning. In autumn, damaged and dried shoots are removed, in spring - branches that have not overwintered.
Room morning glory care Batat
When growing indoor Ipomoea Batata with carved leaves, it is necessary to carry out minimal maintenance. Watering is carried out only after the soil dries out, since the plant is afraid of overflow. Frequent irrigation is necessary during the first weeks of the growing season. In a hot dry summer, it is recommended to take the plant out to the balcony and water it only when the soil dries out to a depth of 2 cm.
If white bubbles have formed on the leaf plate, then watering is stopped. Since the formation of blisters is a reaction to an excess of moisture. Therefore, it is recommended to water the plant through a tray.
Growing Ipomoea Batat on the site
Growing morning glory sweet potato on a personal plot, it must be remembered that the plant is thermophilic and can die during the first cold weather. The optimum temperature for development is + 9-30 ° C. At low temperatures, the flower stops growing, at high temperatures, the plant dies.
In the fall, before the onset of frost, the plant is dug up, transplanted into a flower pot and removed to a room with a temperature of + 16-20 ° C.
Disease and pest control
Morning glory Batat is rarely exposed to disease. But when overflowing, the root system of a plant can rot. In this case, the morning glory is carefully removed from the ground, the root system is examined, the rotten and damaged roots are trimmed. The healthy part is treated with copper-containing preparations.
Among the pests of the morning glory, the sweet potato can be attacked by aphids and spider mites. To combat insects, insecticides or folk remedies are used.
Morning glory Batata in landscape design
Ipomoea Batat makes beautiful flower arrangements. Next to Ipomoea, they will perfectly coexist:
- petunia;
- europhobia;
- lobularia sea;
- large-flowered purslane;
- decorative cereals.
Since the plant is liana-like, it is used for vertical gardening. Ipomoea is planted to decorate arches, gazebos, unsightly walls and fences.
As a winding plant, morning glory is used for ampelous cultivation in hanging pots. In a combination of several varieties, a dense, beautifully flowering morning glory looks impressive, giving comfort to even the most modest interior.
Conclusion
Planting and caring for Ipomoea Batat is simple, so the flower can be easily grown both at home and in the garden. The liana-like plant will be a wonderful decoration for a home interior and an addition to landscape design.
