Crop Rotation Group
Solanaceae (Potato and tomato family)
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Soil
Fertile, well-drained soil that holds moisture well.
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Position
Full sun to partial afternoon shade in warm climates.
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Frost tolerant
Very slight. Established plants in a sheltered location can sometimes survive winter in mild climates.
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Feeding
Mix a standard application of a balanced organic fertilizer into the soil prior to planting. In midsummer, drench plants with a liquid plant food to stimulate new growth.
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Companions
Showy salpiglossis blossoms look even better when the plants are framed with fine-textured flowers like frothy white sweet alyssum or dainty blue lobelia.
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Spacing
Single Plants: 11" (30cm) each way (minimum)
Rows: 11" (30cm) with 11" (30cm) row gap (minimum)
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Sow and Plant
Sow seeds in warm, moist seed starting mix, in early spring, or start with purchased plants. Seedlings grow slowly at first, so be patient.
Our Garden Planning Tool can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area.
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Notes
Salpiglossis stems are not very stiff, so the plants often benefit from staking. Most varieties produce intricately veined, bicolored flowers. A mixture of colors is fun to grow and lets you experiment with this comely flower.
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Harvesting
Snip off spent blossoms to keep plants looking neat, and to prolong flowering.
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Troubleshooting
Salpiglossis does not do well in very hot, humid weather. It grows best in climates with cool nights.
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