Lychnis: planting and care in the open field, description of species, growing from seeds

Lychnis is a perennial flower, a member of the clove family. Translated from Greek, the name sounds like "lamp". Flowers decorate any garden, create a cozy atmosphere in it. Planting lychnis in open ground and caring for a crop rarely cause difficulties. Even an inexperienced summer resident will cope with it, subject to all recommendations.

Description and characteristics

Lychnis has been cultivated since the 16th century. Perennial bushes are widespread in the northern states. In the CIS countries, only 15 varieties are in demand.Lychnis grows up to 1 meter in height. Hairs are located on the stem, leaves are rounded, heart-shaped. The flowers are 20 mm in diameter. They are pinkish, white, bright red, pale yellow and rich apricot. The fruits are multi-nutlets with kidney-shaped seeds of a dark brown shade, 0.2 cm in diameter. Lychnis is grown in 1 place for up to 5 years.

Propagation from seeds through seedlings

After the end of the pollen of lychnis, you can wait for the maturation of the seed material. This happens in the fall, when the inflorescences dry out. Seeds can last up to 4 years if stored properly. The first shoots appear after 3 weeks, if the daily air temperature did not fall below +18. When the shoots have sprouted very close to each other, thinning is done. The procedure ensures the free, full development of sprouts.

After they get stronger, the first leaves appear, they transplant. Each shoot is planted in a separate hole at a distance of 30 cm from each other, taking into account the further growth of the bush in breadth.

Date of planting

Seeds are sown directly into the ground from April to July. The air temperature should be kept within 8-12 degrees Celsius. Flowering will be next year or even summer. The first inflorescences will not be as thick as in the future. This is considered normal.

Preparation of planting material

Seedlings can be bought from nurseries, 1-2 years of age. It should not be damaged, signs of disease. Pay attention to the soil in the container so that it is moistened. Lichnis seedlings should be lowered into a clay mash before planting. You can add a growth stimulant to the mixture. Keep in solution for about an hour. This will help the rhizome develop faster, get stronger.

When it comes to sowing seeds, first sort out the rejected specimens, leaving only he althy ones. It is desirable to carry out stratification. The procedure involves placing them in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.Put the seeds in a wet napkin. To speed up the process of their appearance, before sowing, soak in warm water or a growth stimulant solution for 5 hours. After, dry thoroughly.

How to plant

Lychnis is planted with seeds or seedlings. To quickly get pollen in the first year, you should resort to the second method. For 1 month, make holes in the chosen place. Their size is determined depending on the diameter of the rhizome.

When planting several plants, keep the optimal distance between them - 20-25 cm.

Pour sand or fine gravel into the bottom of the hole. Gently place the bush in the recess, sprinkle with soil, slightly compacting with your hands. After, pour plenty of water, loosen the ground.

Select site

Lychnis prefers to grow in a damp, swampy, elevated area where the sun's rays fall. Shrubs also grow safely in partial shade. High grades are selected along house walls or other structures, a fence or gazebo, along the banks of a pond, reservoir.

Low varieties take root well in single or group plantings in flower beds, rock gardens. Crowned lychnis varieties are best placed in light shade.

Soil preparation

Choose well-drained, light soil. The culture does not tolerate stagnant water. The soil must contain sand. The earth is first loosened so that it is saturated with oxygen. Add potassium magnesia, superphosphate, humus to it in advance.

Care

It is easy to take care of lychnis, you just need to provide it with timely watering, feeding, loosening, and treatment for diseases. In colder regions, cover the bush for the winter.

Irrigation

Lychnis is a moisture-loving crop, it should be watered as the earth dries up. This usually happens once a week. Water must be settled. In summer, you need to irrigate flowers more often, 2 times in 7 days. Watering is carried out in the morning, as the plant actively absorbs moisture in the daytime.

Loosening and weeding

Loosen the soil around the lychnis bush 1-2 times a month. Weeding ensures the removal of weeds, saturation of the earth with oxygen. Loosen shallow, about 5 cm deep. Weed between the rows with a chopper, trying not to touch the bushes.

Removing wilted inflorescences

Dried flowers to be removed. This is necessary so that the plant does not waste extra strength, the bush does not become heavier. Timely excision of wilted inflorescences helps the bush form new buds faster.

Feeding

Lychnis is fertilized 3 times a year, before pollen, during and after. As a nutrient material, 10 kg of compost, 50 g of superphosphate and 40 g of potassium magnesia are used per square meter. These substances are dissolved in 10 liters of water.

Harmful bugs and diseases

Lychnis is able to undergo root rot, leaf spot, rust. Usually, diseases develop when water stagnates in the root system. When the first symptoms of the disease were noticed, treat the affected specimen with fungicides. If the bush was attacked by aphids, leafworms, they are removed with a decoction of tomato or tobacco tops. Pour crushed soap into the mixture, mix thoroughly. In addition, you can treat the crop with insecticides.

Wintering

The plant does not require shelter for the winter, when it comes to middle and southern latitudes. In the north, it is covered after pruning with a layer of spruce branches, peat or dry earth.

Cutting

To preserve the decorative appearance of the bush, timely pruning of the crown is required. The procedure involves cutting off faded inflorescences. Before wintering, the entire aboveground part is cut off.

Breeding

Reproduction is produced by two species.

Business division

The most he althy part containing young shoots is separated from the mother bush with the root system. She is being moved to a new location. This method is often used by gardeners, since bushes need to be transplanted once every 5 years. A plant under 5 years old should not be divided by this method. It is better not to shake off the earth from the rhizome. A sharp pruner is taken, they carefully divide the bush into 2-3 parts. If it is quite old, you can do without a knife, the rhizome is divided by hand. After, plant the young bushes in the prepared holes at a distance of 25 cm from each other. It is desirable to divide lichnis in the fall, but you can do this in the spring.

Petioles

Lychnis is propagated in this way at the beginning of summer. Young shoots 25 cm long are cut, their lower part is treated with Kornevin or another solution that stimulates root formation. Place the prepared petioles for half an hour in a container with this preparation.After, plant them on the prepared territory, cover with covering material like burlap. Then the petioles will take root faster. In the fall, they are transplanted to a permanent place. You can check whether rooting has occurred with a detailed examination. A sign of the development of the root system is the appearance of young leaves.

Views

Each variety of Lychnis differs in size, flower color, bush height.

Depending on the wishes in the landscape design of the site, a certain variety of perennial is selected.

Arkwright

Bushes grow 35-40 cm tall. The stems and foliage are narrow, painted in a crimson hue. The petals are orange, collected in a corolla with a diameter of 3 cm. Pollen falls at the end of June, lasts until mid-August.

Alpine

Perennial grows up to 0.2 meters in height. Inflorescences are similar to panicles, consist of flowers of pinkish-red or raspberry tone.

Viscaria

A variant of the perennial Viscaria has dark, burgundy stems that rise up to 1 meter. The flowers are white, pinkish or fuchsia. The variety blooms for 2 months, from June to July.

Knotted

Lychnis Crown grows up to 0.9 meters high. The inflorescences are loose, racemose, consist of flowers of a pinkish tone. Sometimes there are white buds.

Kukushkin

The variety grows along roads or river banks. The variety is most resistant to excessive soil moisture. At the base of the stem is a dense rosette of oval, short leaves. Above it is a mass of shoots 90 cm high. The top of the stems is branched, decorated with dense pinkish inflorescences. The diameter of each bud is 4 cm. The petals are thin, carved, painted in a pinkish tone.

Perennial blooms in late May.

Sparkling

Lichnis variety Sparkling grows up to 60 cm high. The inflorescences are rich red, 4-5 cm in diameter, the leaves are straight, rich green. Pollen falls in mid-July and continues until the end of August. The variety bears fruit.

Haage

The height of the Haage perennial is 0.45 meters. Leaf blades are ovate, oblong. Inflorescences racemose, consist of 7 flowers, orange-scarlet. Their diameter is 50 mm. On each side of the petal there is 1 long narrow tooth. The plant shows high winter hardiness.

Chalcedony

Herbaceous perennial grows up to 1 meter high. The shape of the leaves is ovate-lanceolate, the diameter of the inflorescences is 10 cm. The petals are fiery red, 30 mm in diameter. The variety easily tolerates frost. It has been cultivated by gardeners since 1561. In the people, the variety is also called "Dawn".

Jupiter

Lychnis variety grows up to 0.8 meters high, shoots are branched, densely leafy. On their surface is pubescence. Lavender flowers, 30 mm in diameter. There are white-flowered and terry forms.

Rosetta

Lichnis variety Rosetta is famous for its double inflorescences of bright crimson color. The bush grows up to 1 meter high. The stem is rough, the leaves are heart-shaped, sharp, lowered. The buds are short, up to 2 cm in diameter, dark red.

Pollen is long, lasts 1 month. If you periodically remove wilted inflorescences, it can be extended.

Terry Flore Pleno

The bushes grow up to 0.3 meters high. Inflorescences racemose, consist of double flowers with a diameter of 30 mm. The color of the buds is rich lavender. The leaves are narrow, rich green.

Angela Blanche

Perennial grows up to 60 cm in height. Shoots are ash-gray, hidden under rich green foliage. The buds are rich crimson. Pollen falls in mid-May and lasts until October.

Mysterious Island

The domestic variety of crowned lychnis is famous for its pinkish buds, white edging is visible along the edges of the petals. The height of the bush is about 50 cm. The leaves and branches are rich emerald. Flowering occurs in mid-June, lasts until early September.

Nana

The variety grows up to 0.15 meters in height, the flowers are rich pinkish with a lavender undertone. Their diameter is 10 cm. The petals are elongated, oblong, narrow.

Alba

The inflorescences are painted white, with a diameter of 10 cm. The height of the bush is about 80 cm. The foliage is a rich green hue.

Rosea Plena

The bush grows up to 70 cm tall, the leaves are emerald. The flowers are double, pinkish.

Molten Lava

Lychnis variety Molten Lava grows up to 25 cm tall, leaves are emerald green. The shade of the inflorescences is rich red, the petals are small, with pointed edges, slightly twisted.

M altese Cross

Lichnis buds are bright red, inflorescences are small, up to 5 cm in diameter. The foliage is green, wide, the stem is strong. A bush grows up to 90 cm tall.

Lara

Lychnis Lara is famous for its lavender, small flowers up to 5 cm in diameter. The inflorescences are collected in a bud, the petals are short, wavy at the edges. The height of the bush is an average of 70 cm. The leaves are muted green, like the stem.

Vesuvius

The variety is distinguished by wide, heart-shaped leaves of a bright green tone and dense flowers. Their shade is rich red-orange, more fiery. Small inflorescences are collected in a bud. The stem and leaves are bright green. The height of the shrub is 40 cm.

Smolka

The bush grows up to 40 cm high, the leaves are light green. Flowering is in May. The flowers are bright lavender, small, collected in buds like lilacs.

Gibr altarian

Gibr altar lychnis is the rarest variety. Inflorescences pale white, small, medium length. The stem and leaves are light green. The bush reaches a height of up to 80 cm.

Use in garden decoration

Lychnis is widely used for site decoration. Group plantings are good in the middle of a green lawn, next to water bodies. Nearby you can plant primroses, nivyaniks, bluebells. You can make a combination of different varieties of Lychnis.

Reviews

Gardeners' responses to Lychnis are mostly positive. They will help you learn more about the plant.

Ilya Livanov, 70, Moscow

Hello! I have been breeding the plant Lychnis Vesuvius since 2005. Bushes bloom all summer, beautiful flowers. The plant is unpretentious, I recommend it to everyone!

Oksana Zavalskaya, 66, Kyiv

Hello everyone! Planted 6 years ago Lychnis Smolka. The plant bloomed in the second year, with beautiful lavender inflorescences. The garden is fragrant.

Natalya Rozenko, 48 years old, Sevastopol.

Hello! I have been breeding lychnis for over 10 years. Culture decorates the garden in the middle, planted dahlias nearby. Lychnis Molten Love and Alba grow in the garden. A couple of times the bushes were sick with aphids, but brought her out with vodka.

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