Campsis (tekoma) or bignonia - One of the most popular plants used by gardeners and landscape designers in vertical gardening due to its high decorativeness. Its unpaired leaves consist of 7-11 small leaves. At the ends of the shoots, panicles of large tubular, gram-like flowers, flowers are formed, the color of which, depending on the variety, varies from orange-red to pink.
Blooms tekoma from June to September. This deciduous liana got its name for the ability of its shoots to bend and curl in the most bizarre way.
Camppsis can be grown even by a novice gardener. However, despite its unpretentiousness, it is still worthwhile to first learn the features of planting and caring for the campis, in order to admire its abundant flowering annually.
Campsys views
The campsys genus includes 2 species that are cultivated in horticulture:
• Rooted campsis - a vine capable of "rising" to a height of 15 m with the help of aerial roots. Complex leaves reach a length of up to 20 cm and consist of 9-11 leaves. Funnel-shaped flowers are collected at the ends of the shoots in panicle-shaped brushes of 10-15 pieces. They are revealed sequentially, due to which flowering is continuous;
Campsis rooted
• large-flowered campsis - a feature of this species is the absence of aerial roots in the shoots (the plant clings to the support with the ends of the shoots). For this reason, it has a lower height than the campsis rooting. Most often forms a low bush.
Campsis large-flowered
Campsite Landing
Kampsis is a thermophilic culture, therefore in regions with a temperate climate it is planted in open ground after the second decade of May. For landing, a place on the site is chosen well-lit and protected from the prevailing winds. It is not recommended to plant bignonia near the windows of houses, as this plant strongly attracts insects.
Soil for campsite is suitable for anyone, but the plant will bloom profusely only on fertile soil with a slightly acidic or neutral pH. Therefore, if the land on your site is poor in nutrition, then you should prepare a place for planting in the fall.
They dig a planting hole with a depth of 0.6 m and a width of 0.5 m. At the bottom, drainage is made of gravel or expanded clay. The excavated soil is mixed with humus or compost (5 kg per well) and complex mineral fertilizer (500 g per bush), it is poured back into the hole and left in this form until spring. Plants are planted in prepared pits in April (for the southern regions) or May (for the mid-climatic zone). After planting, the seedlings are watered, the ground in the trunk hole is mulched with peat. Be sure to establish a support for this creeper (pergolas, arches, etc.) or plant it along the fences.
Campsis propagation
Bignonia is propagated both by seeds and vegetatively (by cuttings, layering, root shoots).
Seed way
This method has two drawbacks - seedlings do not retain the varietal characteristics of the parent plants and bloom later. Seeds do not require stratification, they have good keeping quality and germination. In the spring they are sown in boxes with loose fertile soil to a depth of 0.5 cm and germinated at room temperature. After about 3-4 weeks, seedlings begin to appear. Seedlings are transplanted into the open ground after they have grown 3 pairs of real leaves.
Campsis Seeds
Cuttings
Propagation of the campsis with cuttings is simple as it is due to their high survival rate.
Green cuttings of bignonia are harvested in June - July from the middle parts of shoots, on each of which only a couple of leaves are left. The lower ends of the cuttings are dipped into the powder of the root stimulant and planted at an angle of 45 ° to the prepared place. After planting, the garden is watered and mulched.
Lignified cuttings are cut to a length of about 25-30 cm at the end of March, when the liana is still “sleeping”. For this, shoots of last year are used. Cuttings are planted immediately after cutting (if it is still cold outside, then they are rooted at home).
Successful rooting of lignified cuttings of the campsis: lateral shoots started to grow
Propagation by layering
For propagation of tecome by layering, the lower shoot on the plant is bent to the ground and pinned. The place where the stem touches the soil is periodically watered. The next spring layering is separated from the "parent" and planted in the selected place.
Propagation by shoots
Campsis provides copious growth that can be used for reproduction. The procedure is carried out in early spring or autumn, when the liana is at rest. The sprout shoots are dug together with a part of the root and planted on the selected site.
Campsite care: watering, top dressing, pruning, shelter for the winter
Bignonia is not demanding in the care, which consists of watering, removing weeds, feeding, pest and disease control.
Watering
This southern liana is drought-resistant, however, to maintain its presentable appearance and abundant flowering, the irrigation regime needs to be adjusted so that the plant does not experience both a lack of moisture and its oversupply. To ease their labor, trunks circles mulch.
Top dressing
If the land on your site is quite fertile, then you can do without fertilizing. On poor soils, plants cannot do without additional nutrition. The application of nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizers will provide abundant and long-lasting flowering of the campsis.
Cropping and shaping the crown
Tekome needs regular pruning, as this vine grows rapidly. The plant begins to form after planting. Shoots are shortened at a height of 15-20 cm from ground level. As they grow back, the weak are removed, and the strong (4-5 pieces) are guided along the support in the desired direction. Finally, the campsis will form in 3-4 years. Thanks to pruning, the campsis can be given a different shape.
Campsis can be trimmed to any shape.
Lateral shoots on skeletal branches are cut annually, leaving 2-3 buds on them. If the skeletal branch has frozen out in the winter, then it is completely cut "into a ring", and a substitute shoot is sent to its place. Older plants undergo anti-aging pruning, in which all branches of the plant are shortened to 0.3 m. This procedure is carried out in early spring, before the dissolution of the buds. During the growing season, in order to maintain a neat appearance of the vine, all faded shoots are cut off, leaving 3-4 buds on them.
Wintering training
In regions with prolonged frosts below -20 ° C, the campsis will need shelter for the winter. The branches are removed from the supports, laid on a pillow of spruce branches, covered with dry leaves or sawdust, covered with a film over it.
If the liana is already quite old and it is not possible to remove it from the supports, then it is insulated as follows: the trunk circle is covered with lapnik, the branches are wrapped with lutrasil and a film.
Pests and diseases
Of the pests, kampsis is affected by aphids, which feed on the juicy juice of young shoots and leaves. To combat it, spraying plants with insecticides is used.
With excessive watering of this liana, the likelihood of root rot development is high. Therefore, the irrigation regime should be adjusted, especially for young plants.
Why is campsis not blooming?
Bignonia may not bloom for the following reasons:
• insufficient age - this happens with those plants that were grown from seeds. They bloom only for 6-7 years of vegetation;
• spring frosts;
• damage by root rot;
• cold climate (in regions with a cool summer, the campsis refuses to bloom).
