El Tajinaste: [Planting, Care, Irrigation, Substrate, Characteristics]

The tajinaste (Echium wildpretii) is a species of plant with an exuberant beauty that is evidenced by the inflorescences it produces.

These are of variable color depending on the species, and can be found in blue or purple, for example.

The ideal is to have it planted directly in the garden as it requires very little care and in return it will give a very beautiful environment.

In addition, it is not very tall, reaching about three meters including the inflorescences, so it becomes quite useful for designing compositions.

Have you thought about giving your garden a unique and special touch?

Perhaps the tajinaste is just what you might be looking for.

Important points when sowing Tajinaste

• When? In spring.
• Where? In full sunlight or semi-shade.
• How do we prepare the land? With organic matter such as compost.
• How should we water? By drip.
• How often do you have to water? Four times a week in summer and twice the rest of the year.
• What pests and diseases does it have? You have to be careful with rotting due to waterlogging and with snails.

Characteristics of the tajinaste

Echium wildpretii is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae.

It is a biennial herbaceous plant that grows up to 3 meters high. The species is endemic to the Canary Islands, and is found mainly in Las Cañadas del Teide.

The subspecies Echium wildpretii subsp. trichosiphon is found at high altitude in Las Palmas. Common names are tower of jewels, red buglosa, Tenerife buglosa or Teide buglosa. The Spanish name for this plant is red tajinaste.

When did you plant tajinas?

The ideal time to plant the tajinaste is during the spring, preferably waiting for the risk of frost to pass.

However, as the seed germination process will be done in seedbeds, it could be started a little earlier, taking care that it enjoys some warmth.

Of course, the seeds only take a couple of weeks to germinate, so it is a fairly fast process that must be taken into account to plan well.

Where to plant a tajinaste?

The tajinaste is very adaptable around the place of planting, although it does require some amount of direct light per day.

For this reason, it is best to keep it in a sunny place or, at least, in semi shade.

How to prepare the land?

• The land for the tajinaste must meet two fundamental requirements: rich in nutrients and with good drainage.
• We can give it nutrition by preparing the land in advance with the help of some natural fertilizer that incorporates organic matter, such as compost.
• In the case of drainage, a mixture can be made with a component that helps in this process if the soil available is very clayey.
• If it is a plant that will be kept in a pot, because it accepts it without problems, making a mixture of perlite and sand will give it the necessary texture.

How do we water?

The amount of water that is used in each irrigation must be moderate to avoid puddles that harm it.

The ideal is to take advantage of a gardening instrument, such as the watering can, to offer only what is necessary.

How often do we water the tajinastes?

The amount of water will be directly linked to the irrigation times, which should not exceed four times a week in summer.

However, during the rest of the year this could be effectively reduced to about twice a week.

How to sow step by step?

The sowing of the tajinaste will be carried out through selected seeds, that is, healthy and of good quality.

The process to advance in this case is as follows:

1. Prepare the seedbed with some universal substrate and perlite. It is important that the amounts of both elements are identical to maximize the favorable environment. If you use a homemade seedbed, make sure it has holes in the bottom for moisture to drain.
2. Incorporate the seeds. As is logical that the idea is to get the most out of the process, you can use two or three seeds per seed or, if you have enough containers, one in each.
3. Add a little substrate on each seed without leaving them too deep.
4. Water with the help of a watering can so that the amount of water is not excessive. This process must be repeated frequently because humidity is very important for germination.
5. Keep the seedlings in a cool space that is in semi-shade.
6. Transplant the seedlings that are stronger to the selected pot or garden when they germinate.

The tajinaste develops quickly around the germination process, so in two or three weeks you will already be enjoying the first shoots.

If transplanting is delayed and the cold period arrives, it is best to keep it in a pot and move it to the garden when the weather is more favourable.

What care does the tajinaste need?

• One of the main care that the tajinaste needs is fertilization, if what is sought is to enjoy beautiful inflorescences.
• This will be applied between spring and summer, taking advantage of fertilizers for flowering plants that are sold in branch stores.
• These are provided through the irrigation water, so they will be very easy to apply.
• When it is kept in a pot, it will be mandatory to transplant it to larger pots as the roots protrude from the bottom.
• This, in addition to helping it grow much more luxuriantly, is a strategy to prevent the roots from being damaged by excessive confinement.

What pests and diseases affect you?

The tajinaste is a plant that is very resistant to most pests and diseases.

It is possible that it is attacked by fungi if the ground conditions are not correct and waterlogging occurs.

On the other hand, in the early stages of planting, especially when it is done in gardens, it is necessary to take special care with snails.

This is because they are pests capable of consuming young seedlings because they have a more tender texture.

Tajinaste is a very useful decorative plant and also offers few concerns about resistance.

In fact, it is capable of surviving short frosts, although care must be taken that the temperature does not drop below -3º C because it could be harmful.

From the rest, it only remains to maintain the basic care of irrigation and fertilization to enjoy its beauty and color at the right time.