The snowflake flower, also known as Sutera cordata and Bacopa, is a beautiful perennial balcony plant that has the advantage of growing and flowering very well even in the shade. From May to October it enchants with its overhanging, bee-friendly flowers in white, blue, pink and purple. Below we will reveal which location is optimal for the snowflake flower for the balcony and garden, what kind of care the plant needs, as well as tips for propagation and combating diseases.
Planting snowflake flowers: What is the best location?
It is recommended to plant the Bacopa in spring in a mixture of garden soil and potting soil.
- Choose a partially sunny location, but make sure the plant is not exposed to the blazing midday sun. The snowflake flower for the balcony also thrives in partial shade, but in locations that are too shady it cannot develop its full blooms.
- The soil should be humus-rich, nutrient-rich and well-drained. Good drainage in the pot protects against waterlogging.
- For a hanging pot, choose a special potting soil mixture.
- Space each plant at least 12 inches apart to give the snowflake flower room to grow.
- Water regularly after planting and during prolonged dry periods (particularly for potted and hanging plants).
What care does the snowflake flower need for the balcony?
As a rule, Bacopa is an easy-care plant that thrives without much effort from the gardener and produces wonderful small (usually white) flowers throughout the summer season. Nevertheless, we will give you some useful care instructions that will ensure the plant grows optimally.
To break out faded inflorescences or not?
To promote flower capacity, you should regularly remove wilted flowers. If you don't do this, the plant will still bloom profusely, but the old flowers won't look as nice. Removing the flower heads is especially necessary for young plants that do not yet have many flowers.
Pour Bacopa
Water snowflake flowers grown in pots, containers or window boxes regularly as soon as the soil has dried out. Be sure to avoid waterlogging in the saucer, as the roots cannot tolerate excessive moisture. In summer, you can mulch the soil to keep it cool and conserve water.
Do you have to fertilize the snowflake flower for the balcony?
Flowering balcony plants have a high nutrient requirement, so you should supply the Bacopa with liquid fertilizer once a month. The plant blooms really lushly and beautifully.
Propagate snowflake flowers
The best and easiest way to propagate Bacopa is through cuttings, but sowing the seeds also works well.
- You can either water the cuttings or plant them directly in a pot with potting soil.
- Cut stems that are about 10 – 15 cm long. Ideally, they are stems that have not yet flowered.
- Remove the bottom leaves.
- Either place the stems upright in a glass of water (rainwater is best, but tap water is also suitable) or stick them in a hole in the ground.
- Wait for roots to form and periodically change the water in the jar or ensure the potting mix remains moist.
- Plant them in a pot when the roots appear stronger, about an inch.
You can also sow the seeds in a bowl and grow them.
Diseases affecting Sutera
Pests and diseases can also attack our balcony plants in the warm season. In principle, pests rarely appear on this plant, but in some cases the snowflake flower can be affected by powdery mildew.
Snowflake and powdery mildew
If smallwhite spots on the leavesappear on the plant, it is probably powdery mildew. It looks like white dust or flour. The leaves quickly become covered, turn yellow and die. This is particularly quick with new plants grown from seeds or cuttings.
Since mildew usually starts on the lower leaves, you can still collect the tips and take healthy cuttings. Young leaves and foliage near the ground and are the first to become infected.
To eliminate the problem, you can take the following measures:
- Remove infected leaves – pick each infected leaf and disinfect your fingers with denatured alcohol or rubbing alcohol after each leaf. Pull out severely infected stems or shoots that are more than half covered. Burn the leaves or dispose of them in the trash, not in the compost.
- Reduce watering – during infection it is better if the soil is drier. Water less and less often. Water in the morning, not in the evening.
- Do not wet the leaves – apart from treatments, you should not wet the leaves. Insert a funnel into the soil to water, but keep the soil surface dry. For hanging snowflake flowers, use a watering can with a long spout.
- Increase air circulation – set up a fan to gently ventilate and dry out the seedlings. Place your plants in a location where there is more wind or drafts, such as B. near an open window.
- Improve soil drainage – add sand or more potting soil to the planting mix. Try not to use clay or clay soil for the seedlings.
Snowflake flower for the balcony and as a ground cover in the garden
The snowflake flower combines wonderfully with other flowers and plantscombine in the balcony box. The most beautiful planting partners include geraniums, angelonias, begonias, Mauritius, coleus, calibrachoa and others
Because Sutera cordata grows into mounds in nature and easily develops long, drooping stems, it is ideal for hanging and wall-mounted planters. Such an easy-care plant is also ideal as aflowering ground coverfor the garden.
It is very similar to the cute bluebell. The bluebell has similar small flowers, but it doesn't droop as much. They can be used interchangeably along rock faces and edges.
