Growing graceful bessera is the best option for people who cannot devote a lot of time to caring for the plant. Outwardly, it resembles a bell, differs from it in color and size of inflorescences.
It pleases with its flowering once a year, but for a rather long time: two whole months. Moreover, it can be grown both in the garden and in an apartment, where it will be a worthy window decoration.
Bessera is a rather unpretentious plant: it does not tolerate direct sunlight, but the place where Bessera is grown should be sufficiently illuminated. You can transplant besser at any time of the year, excluding, of course, the flowering period.
Bessera graceful(Bessera elegans) - an ornamental corm perennial plant, which was named in honor of professor-botanist Besser. In the wild, it grows in the US state of Texas and Mexico.
In Europe, this perennial has long been called "Coral drops" for the amazingly beautiful flowers of coral color in the form of bells. There are also varieties that are purple in color or with a white stripe on the inside of the petal. Bessera's leaves are long and narrow, the plant itself reaches 60 cm in height and is very decorative.
The spherical corm has a diameter of up to 2.5 cm, each grows 6-8 peduncles up to 40 cm long. The leaves are narrow, linear, up to 50 cm long. The flowers are red, bell-shaped, drooping, on the pedicels 4-6 pieces are collected in the apical umbrella ... The stem grows from corms, which are planted in spring in a hole about 10 cm deep in well-drained, sandy soil.
Its perianths are up to 2 cm long, cinnabar-red outside, with a green keel on each lobe; they have grown together at the base, higher free, spread out. It blooms in late summer or early autumn and pleases with its bright bells for 2 months.
The place for Bessera should be light, warm, sandy loam or loamy soils with an admixture of peat or humus. When growing in a garden plot, it is recommended to add a little gravel to the hole.
Bessera requires intense lighting and long daylight hours. But regardless of the place of detention, it is necessary to provide protection from direct midday rays, which must be taken into account when landing in the ground.
Caring for the graceful bessera is not difficult, since the plant is quite unpretentious. Requires regular watering, but does not tolerate excess moisture. In summer, it is imperative to irrigate the leaves of the plant abundantly.
Bessera will be more effective if you feed her at the initial stage. Most often, soil is mixed with peat or complex potash fertilizers are used. During the growing season, it is recommended to feed the plant 3-4 times. Therefore, one should not forget that Bessera does not like organic fertilizers, but responds with gratitude to complex mineral dressings.
Bessera is easily propagated by seeds and children. Seeds are planted in well-moistened soil in spring, at the same time corms are planted.
In the garden, Bessera looks amazingly beautiful in a group planting with other autumn flowers or as a decoration for small lawns. Many gardeners choose to grow it as a container plant.
After the ground part dies off, the bulbs are transplanted into a pot and transferred to a room, or stored, mixed with sawdust, in a cool dry place. In the southern regions, if not dug up, it should be carefully covered, otherwise the plant will die.
"Ural gardener", No. 50, 2015
