Common lumbago: medicinal properties, growing from seeds, planting and care, preparation for winter

Common lumbago is an unusual lush plant, about which there are legends and fairy tales. This early flowering windflower, or sleep herb, as it is also called, saves you from insomnia if you keep it under your pillow. Our ancestors believed in this.

In common lumbago, a sufficient degree of resistance to adverse environmental factors and unpretentiousness in care are noted. Even a novice plant grower can grow it.

General information about the plant lumbago

Common lumbago belongs to perennial crops, it is extremely rare to meet it in its natural environment.All 45 of its species are in the Red Book. In nature, the common lumbago grows on the slopes of mountains, in forests and meadows in the form of entire plantations. He decorates the territory near the house, and front gardens, and flower beds.

The birthplace of this amazing and useful plant is Siberia, it grows in the Caucasus and Europe.

In home floriculture, the common backache appeared in 1530. Its root system is oblong, sometimes oblique or strongly vertical, which allows the flower to conquer rocks without any problems. In addition, the decorative culture quickly adapts to new conditions and is able to stay without moisture for a long period.

There are types of lumbago with an erect or slightly curved stem, on which a light fluff is visible. It reaches a height of 30 centimeters, the leaf plates collected in a basal rosette are distinguished by a green color.

The bushes are almost 50 centimeters in diameter, they consist of many lacy petals and flower stalks that germinate almost immediately, as soon as the snow thaws.

The bright cannons on the buds disappear after they bloom. The flowering phase of the common backache begins in April and continues until the beginning of the summer season. Single buds in diameter reach 9 centimeters, they have fluff, various colors: white, purple, lilac, scarlet.

Healing properties

Due to the rich chemical composition, in particular the presence of saponin, tannins, protoanemonin, micro- and macroelements, the common lumbago has such healing properties as:

antimicrobial;
anti-inflammatory;
sedative;
diuretic;
painkillers.

Drugs using sleep-herbs are effective in depression, headaches, diseases of the stomach, gallbladder and liver, kidneys, bladder, as well as hives, frostbite, eczema.

Variety varieties and characteristics

The lumbago flower is not in vain referred to as the most beautiful alpine plants. The leaf mass is mostly thinly dissected, the flowers are quite large with soft pubescence on the outside. This cold-resistant perennial surprises with its variety of varieties and high decorative effect.

Regular

The backache reaches only 30 centimeters in height. Its flowers are silver-white pubescent. The leaf mass is rich green, almost 20 centimeters long, collected in a rosette. The flowers are painted white, light purple or purple, they are up to 9 centimeters in diameter.

Grows best in well-drained and limed soils. There are copies of lumbago with red flowers. The blooming phase is in April. The plant is able to withstand temperature drops down to -23 degrees.

Spring

The height of the shot does not exceed 30 centimeters. Planting it on alkaline soil is not worth it, otherwise it will often hurt. The flowers are only 6 centimeters in diameter, they are painted white and purple. The best option for landing a spring backache is an open area. Bronze-golden pubescence gives even more originality to the plant.

The leaf plates are almost 12 centimeters long, their color is bright green. They are collected in a basal rosette. The spring backache is unpretentious and outwardly quite beautiful.

Multi-cut

Highly decorative backache stands out with blue-violet flowers that have the shape of wide-brimmed bells. After some time, they become open-stellate. Flowering stage May-June. In nature, it is found on rocky slopes, gravel tundra, meadows, scree.

The plant is 12-30 centimeters tall. The flowers are almost 4 cm in diameter. Pulsatilla has established itself as a hardy and frost-resistant plantation.

Pink

Perennial attracts attention with pink bell-shaped flowers. Their diameter is 8 cm. Flower stalks appear as soon as the snow thaws. The buds are quite fluffy, the leaf plates are dark green in color. It is recommended to grow backache in sunny glades with calcareous, well-drained soil.

Red

The plant stands out with bright red flowers with a diameter of 8 centimeters and a large leaf mass. You can see the luxurious flowering of the lumbago already in early spring. Stems 30 centimeters long have strong pubescence.

Leaves grow pinnate. Choose a site for its planting should be with a sufficient level of illumination and calcareous, loose soil.

Feathers

Semi-double flowers 4-6 centimeters in diameter, they are collected in inflorescences, but there are also single ones. They are painted in pink, red or white. They bloom in April-May in the second year of life.

There is pubescence on the stems and dark green leaves. Grow it in partial shade on fertile and well-drained soil.

Pulsatilla Spring Sensation

Unusual flowers of the variety consist of more than 20 oval-shaped petals. Their diameter is 5 centimeters. Color is: pink, purple-red, white. The height of the stems is 25 centimeters.

The leaf mass of the lumbago attracts attention with its delicacy and splendor. Grows best in sandy soil in partial shade.

Meadow

A distinctive feature of the plant are lowered heads, the diameter of which is 5 centimeters. They are painted in pale lilac, dark red or greenish yellow.

Narrow-leaved

A plant with erect stems begins to bloom in early spring - April-May, and the fruit ripens in May-June.Long-term lumbago has a powerful root system. Leaf plates are collected in a basal rosette, have a green color. Light yellow flowers decorate the shot.

Albanian

The height of sleep-grass is 5-18 centimeters, and during the fruiting period - 30 centimeters. The length of the basal leaflets is 2.5-6 centimeters, they are oblong, pinnately dissected. Perennial with yellow bell-shaped flowers. The phase of their blooming is observed in May-July.

Chinese

The height of the herbaceous plant is 7-25 centimeters, its massive rhizome has a cylindrical shape. Stems erect. On densely felt petioles, 4-5 root leaves are formed. The flowers are medium in size, erect, blue-violet or dark purple in color. The phase of their blooming falls on March-May.

Pulsatilla in landscape design and floristry

Because of the original appearance, the lumbago is especially appreciated by modern florists and gardeners. It is often used in flower arrangements. Sleep-grass is used for spectacular decoration of rocky hills, gravel gardens, in combination with alpine plants. Windflower looks best against the background of tall plantations.

What is required to grow a flower

Despite the undemanding nature of the plant, proper planting and care allow you to grow a lush and beautiful decoration in your garden.

Climatic conditions

Pulsatilla equally effectively takes root in regions with a moderately humid climate, and more arid places. The main thing for him is enough light.

Soil

For the normal growth and development of sleep-grass, the soil must be moderately nutritious. But you should not overdo it with organic fertilizers.Lime must be present in the soil for better rooting of the flower. To increase the air and moisture permeability of the soil, sand or gravel is added when digging.

Illumination

When choosing a place for landing a lumbago, preference should be given to sunny glades. It is possible to plant a plant in partial shade under tall plantations.

Good and unwanted neighbors

It is recommended to plant backache near crocuses, scills, pushkins. It also grows well with primrose, gentian, geyhera, saxifrage, armeria. To avoid cross-pollination, do not place different colors of sleep-grass nearby.

Planting a plant in open ground

When planting flowers in an open area, you need to know both the timing of the work and the technology.

Select site

Pulsatilla is recommended to be planted on the south side of the plot. The place should be well lit, protected from through winds and not close to groundwater.

Timing

Sowing seed material is done in late April-mid-May. It must be harvested 4-5 weeks after the completion of the flowering phase. Seedlings are recommended to be slightly dried and determined in the ground.

Technology of landing operations

To achieve the desired result, you should adhere to the following algorithm of actions:

Form shallow grooves up to 1.5 cm on the prepared area.
Distribute seeds at 20 cm intervals.
Sprinkle with soil.
Moisturize.
Mulch with dry grass, straw.

Sowing in late autumn is an ineffective occupation, it is better to do it in the spring.

Crop care

Caring for the backache is not difficult, the main thing is to water it regularly, fertilize and protect it from various kinds of problems, harmful insects.

Irrigation

Irrigation should be as the topsoil dries up. Overwatering is fraught with rotting roots.

Fertilizer and top dressing of lumbago

In the spring, 2 times a month, it is advisable to add lime and nitrogen in small doses. Twice in the summer, it is advisable to fertilize with a potassium-phosphorus composition.

Diseases and pests: control and prevention

Against the black leg, the soil is treated with a fungicide before sowing the seeds. It is good to fight rodents with Tornado, Testox, Amus. Slug-eater, Thunderstorm helps with slugs.

Methods of reproduction

You can breed backache in two ways: vegetatively and by seeds.

Seeds

It is better to sow seeds in the ground fresh, then the percentage of germination will be higher. The plant will bloom in the second year. The seed grows at a temperature of + 21-25 degrees. You don’t need to make deep grooves, 1-1.5 centimeters is enough.

Shanks

The vegetative method of reproduction, in contrast to the seed method, requires a different approach. The recommended time for harvesting cuttings is spring, when the flowering stage ends, or in August. Before deepening into fertile soil, the wound surface is disinfected with ash.

Pulsatilla - an amazing and unpretentious plant with beautiful flowers. Thanks to the extensive range of varieties, it will not be difficult to choose the right one.

Even beginner gardeners can grow sleep-grass. The main thing is to correctly determine the place and adhere to the landing technology.