Crop Rotation Group
Miscellaneous
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Soil
Fertile soil that holds moisture well, enriched with compost, with a slightly acidic pH.
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Position
Full sun.
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Frost tolerant
Varies with species. The colorful hybrid verbenas used in containers and summer beds are best grown as annuals. Tall purple verbena and ground cover verbenas tolerate winter cold to about 0°F (-18°C).
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Feeding
In spring, topdress the area around perennial verbenas with a balanced organic fertilizer. Hybrid verbenas grown in containers need light feeding every two weeks with a liquid fertilizer formulated for flowers.
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Companions
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Spacing
Single Plants: 9" (25cm) each way (minimum)
Rows: 9" (25cm) with 9" (25cm) row gap (minimum)
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Sow and Plant
Verbena can be grown from seed started indoors in late winter, or you can start with purchased plants in spring. Some improved cultivars are propagated vegetatively, so they are available only as plants. Wait until the weather warms to set out these heat-loving plants. Verbena needs regular water when the plants are becoming established. A surface mulch suppresses weeds while making the plants look more attractive.
Our Garden Planning Tool can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area.
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Notes
Verbenas are also called vervains in Europe, where a weedy version is used in folk medicines. Among showy verbenas for the garden, annual hybrids come in a range of colors and bicolors, and they make wonderful cascading plants for mixed arrangements. Upright purple verbena is a strong, weather-resistant perennial for late summer bloom. In climates where it is not winter hardy, seedlings started in early spring usually bloom their first year.
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Harvesting
Gather stems for use in petite cut arrangements as you need them. Nipping out old flowers helps prolong blooming time of most varieties. Allow tall purple verbena and ground cover verbenas to keep their stems and foliage through winter for added protection from cold.
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Troubleshooting
Powdery mildew and leaf spots are common with hybrid verbenas, which also can fall prey to spider mites, whiteflies, and nematodes. Perennial verbenas have far fewer pest problems.
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