Calibrachoa Petunia (Calibrachoa hybrida)

The Callibrachoa hybrida is an herb with beautiful flowers

Image - Wikimedia / David J. Stang

How do you take care of Calibrachoa hybrida? This is a plant that is widely grown on balconies, as it is simply perfect. As it is small and also has stems that hang a bit, it beautifies the facade of the house or floor. As if that were not enough, it produces a large number of flowers throughout the season.

If I had to say something bad about this plant, which is not really such, it is that it is very sensitive to cold, therefore if temperatures drop below 10ºC we will see that it wilts. But don't let your spirits drop, because before that happens your seeds will have matured and will be ready to sow next spring.

Origin and characteristics

Calibrachoa hybrida is a cold sensitive plant

Image - Wikimedia / David J. Stang

Our protagonist is a hybrid between several species of Calibrachoa. Now, if you want to know the origin of his parents, then I can tell you that it is Brazil. In addition, it is a species that in tropical regions can live for several years; not in vain, it is a perennial plant. The problem is that in places where the climate is temperate, once autumn arrives, it starts to get ugly, and finally with the first frosts, even if they are very weak, it dies. That's why grown as a seasonal or annual plant.

It reaches an approximate height of 20 centimeters, maximum 30 centimeters. It has stems that, as we anticipated at the beginning, hang down, and are very thin. The leaves are oval and dark green in color, and are about a centimeter long. Its flowers are flared and sprout throughout the spring and summer. These can be yellow, pink, red, white, or blue.

As a curiosity, you should know that is related to petunias. In fact, it is known as mini petunia or calibrachoa petunia, but botanists discovered that genetically they are a little different.

Caring for the Calibrachoa hybrida

If you want to have a hybrid calibrachoa in your home, I assure you that maintaining it is not complicated. It doesn't take much to be okay. This is another reason why it is used both in the decoration of gardens, balconies, patios and terraces. So, let's see how it is cared for:

Location

Calibrachoa hybrida bloom in spring and summer

Image - Flickr / -Merce-

It is an herb that it has to be in a sunny place. In this way, the stems can grow strongly, and their flowers open normally. As it is a small plant, you can have it wherever you want: on a table, in a planter with other herbs hanging from the balcony, in a flower bed in your garden, ... you just have to see that it gets direct sun all day, or less until mid afternoon.

Earth

  • Potted: it is advisable to plant it in one with a universal growing substrate that contains perlite.
  • In the garden: if it is to be kept on the ground, it is important that the soil has good drainage. Likewise, it must be rich in organic matter, so that if it is a soil that, for example, has a tendency to erode, it is important that you make a planting hole of about 40 x 40cm, and fill it with universal substrate for plants.

Irrigation

You have to water your Calibrachoa hybrida very often. In summer it will be done 3 and, if necessary, 4 times a week. During this season the sun can be very strong, so the land will dry out fast. What's more, if you see that one day the stems and leaves wake up "drooping", as if without strength, and if when you pick up the pot it feels light, then it needs water urgently.

The rest of the year you have to water less frequently. The soil stays wet longer, so we don't have to water it as often as during the hottest season. Of course, when watering, you only have to moisten the soil: the flowers do not have to get wet, otherwise they will wither before their time.

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You have to fertilize your plant throughout the spring and summer. To do this, use a fertilizer for flowering plants, or an organic fertilizer such as manure or guano. The only thing you should keep in mind is that if you have your calibrachoa in a pot, the product you use to fertilize it has to be liquid. This is because if it is powder, it would obstruct the passage of water when watering, and consequently the roots could be damaged.

Plagues and diseases

La Calibrachoa hybrida he does not usually have too many problems of this type. In hot, dry summers it can be affected by aphids y White flyBut nothing that cannot be removed with soap and water, or a little diatomaceous earth. Of course, you have to be especially careful with snails and slugs, since they can eat the leaves and weaken it a lot. Because, it is advisable to use some repellent during the rainy season.

On the other hand, if the soil remains wet for a long time, pathogenic fungi, which are microorganisms that could leave us without a plant. So do not hesitate to check the humidity of the substrate before watering, and to treat it with copper-based fungicides (such as this, which is an envelope that is diluted in 15 liters of water) both to prevent the appearance of fungi and to try to eliminate them (depending on how bad the plant is, sometimes it is not easy to recover it. But if it has stems and leaves green and firm, then it can still be saved).

Rusticity

Can't stand the cold. When the temperature drops below 18ºC you have to put it at home, in a room where a lot of light enters.

Grow Guide Calibrachoa hybrida

The Calibrachoa hybrida produces many flowers

Image - Flickr / Serres Fortier

Would you like to know how to spread it? Getting new plants is easy, since the seeds have a high germination power. This means that if you sow ten seeds for example, it is almost certain that more than half will germinate. Next you will know how they are sown:

  1. Choose a seedbed: it can be a pot of about 10 centimeters in diameter, but it is better that it is a horticultural seedling tray (for sale here). This will allow you to sow more seeds and thus get more seedlings. In addition, you can have better control of them.
  2. Fill the seedbed with substrate: uses a specific substrate for seedlings (on sale here). If you can't find it, use universal earth (for sale here) but mix it with 30% perlite.
  3. Water: now is the time to water well, conscientiously. The earth must be very moist.
  4. Sow the seeds: Place one or two in each pot, or in each socket if you have chosen to plant them in a seedling tray. Bury them a bit; They just have to have a very thin layer of soil on top.
  5. Place the seedbed in full sun: so that the seeds can germinate well, it is important that they are in a sunny place.

Then, you will only have to water when you see that the soil begins to dry out. That way they will sprout after a week, maybe sooner. Once the roots of the plants appear through the holes in the seedbed, they can be transferred to individual pots, planters, or if you prefer, to the ground.

How about the Calibrachoa hybrida?


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