Calibrachoa (genus)

Japanese name: カリブラコア
Scientific name: Calibrachoa

[Overview]
A perennial.
Some have woody stems.
The leaves are simple, alternate and entire.
The leaves are soft and, lacking glandular hairs, are not sticky.
The flowers are borne singly in the upper leaf axils, and the corolla is salverform to funnel-shaped and shallowly 5-lobed.
It resembles the petunia, but the flowers are small.
The fruit is a capsule.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by stem cuttings.
The seed coat is hard, so nick the seeds to make them germinate more easily before sowing.
When sown in autumn, bring the plants indoors to a sunny spot for winter, or they can overwinter outdoors if protected from frost and cold wind.
Grow it in a sunny, well-drained, well-ventilated environment.
It prefers slightly acidic soil rich in organic matter.
It dislikes heat and humidity.
Water thoroughly when the soil surface dries.
It likes fertilizer, so in addition to base fertilizer, in spring and autumn apply liquid fertilizer once every 10 days to 2 weeks, besides top-dressing with slow-release fertilizer.
Growth slows in midsummer, so hold back on fertilizer then.
Pinching two weeks after planting makes side shoots grow and increases the number of flowers.
Crowded plants and mud splashed on the leaves can cause disease, so prevent splashing with mulch and promptly tidy up spent flowers, leaves and overly long branches.
To keep the plant from getting stuffy in midsummer, it is good to cut it back to 1/2 its height before the rainy season.
Pests and diseases include gray mold and aphids.

[Notes]
It was separated from the genus Petunia in 1990.

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