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Large-leaved Kirkazon is a liana with original flowering and beautiful, lush foliage. In the garden, it can overshadow many decorative crops. It is used to decorate vertical structures, buildings, walls of residential buildings. Kirkazon belongs to the ancient genus of plants, distributed throughout the globe. He is also called aristolochia, the woman in childbirth.
In comparison with other vines, the plant requires special growing conditions.
Botanical description of the species
Kirkazon large-leaved, or kirkazon tubular, tubular, or Aristolochia macrophylla, belongs to the genus of the same name, the Kirkazonov family. In its natural habitat, it is found on the North American continent, in forests and along river banks. The plant was brought to Europe and Russia at the end of the 18th century.
Kirkazon, or large-leaved aristolochia, is a perennial, which is a woody liana. Its length reaches 12 m. Shoots are covered with grayish bark with longitudinal grooves. The leaves sit on long stalks. Their shape is heart-shaped, size is large, up to 30 cm in length, color is light green.
Single flowers have a perianth with a three-lobed purple limb of the pharynx. Tubular Kirkazon is named precisely because of the greenish tube. A distinctive feature of aristolochia flowers is the presence of a special trap for insects in the form of thick hairs. It prevents beetles and flies from leaving the flower until they pollinate it. After this procedure, the heads of the large-leaved Kirkazon become lowered down, so that other insects cannot penetrate into them.
Aristolochia begins to bloom after reaching the age of 5-8 years. Flowers remain on vines for 25 days, then wither. Seeds ripen after 3-4 months. The fruits of large-leaved kirkazon are hexagonal capsules located on elongated pedicels. Their size is about 8 cm.
The plant needs loose, fertile soil saturated with humus. It should be protected from cold winds and drafts and provided with good lighting. Aristolochia does not tolerate long periods of drought and waterlogging.
Application in landscape design
Large-leaved Kirkazon grows rapidly and creates a dense cover. This enables landscape designers to actively use it for vertical gardening. With the help of aristolochia, you can make a beautiful green background for other plants, decorate the facades of houses, terraces, balconies, fences, arches. Any unsightly building in the summer can be easily camouflaged with a large-leaved Kirkazon. And since its large leaves are close to each other and create a thick shadow in sunny weather, it is pleasant to rest near the plant in the heat. Aristolochia protects against noise and dust.
Large-leaved Kirkazon planted in a personal plot cleans the air well
The plant has been living for over 30 years. The photo of the large-leaved kirkazon shows how impressive its curly leaf plates and original flowers look against the background of natural and artificial stone, brickwork, white pergolas and metal arches, wooden trellises.
Reproduction methods
Aristolochia reproduces in different ways:
- seed;
- cuttings;
- layering.
Viable seeds Kirkazon large-leaved gives infrequently due to the peculiarities of the structure of flowers. Seed germination is low.It is used only in the year of harvest. Seeds are planted before winter, and young aristolochia are transferred to a permanent place only in the third year of life due to poor survival in new conditions.
Cutting of aristolochia is recommended to be carried out in May, before bud break. To do this, take the lignified shoots of the last season. Cut sections about 12 cm long with two leaf plates, which are shortened in half to reduce moisture evaporation. The lower cut of the cutting is made oblique, the upper cut in a straight line. Then they act like this:
- A bed with loose soil is prepared for a large-leaved Kirkazon, sprinkled with a layer of sand about 6 cm thick.
- Water well.
- Cuttings are deepened into the soil to the level of the leaf plates.
- Cover with plastic bottles.
- Protect from direct sunlight with a non-woven fabric.
- The transplant of rooted cuttings of aristolochia is carried out after 2-3 years.
The easiest way is to propagate Kirkazon with large-leaf layering. The plant produces many shoots, which are dug up together with an earthen clod and transferred to a new place.
Reproduction of aristolochia by layering is best done in May.
Planting and caring for large-leaved Kirkazon
When planting a large-leaved Kirkazon, one must carefully consider the choice of location and preparation of the soil. Support must be provided. The liana should wind freely along it.
Boarding rules and dates
It is recommended to plant large-leaved Kirkazon in May. Sometimes gardeners do this in the fall, but in this case there is no guarantee that the plant will have time to root well before winter. The culture feels comfortable on loose soils with the addition of sand and compost. The landing site should be in the shade, close to a suitable support. Its height should be at least 2-3 m.
Aristolochia is planted as follows:
- A pit is prepared with a depth and diameter of 50 cm.
- The bottom is covered with expanded clay, crushed stone or gravel. Layer thickness - up to 20 cm.
- Sand and humus are brought in from above.
- Install a support with a length of 2 to 8 m.
- The roots of large-leaved kirkazon are shortened by a third.
- The plant is placed in a planting hole and instilled so that the root collar is at the level of the soil surface.
Growing features
Within 2-3 weeks after planting, large-leaved Kirkazon needs shading and regular watering. Further care is as follows:
- systematic watering (the soil should not dry out);
- spraying in the heat;
- two dressings per season with a solution of mullein, diluted in a ratio of 1:10;
- shallow loosening of the soil;
- weed removal;
- soil mulching;
- pruning dried shoots of aristolochia.
To get rid of the creeper, it is completely cut off and watered with weed killer.
Preparing for winter
Young aristolochia under the age of 3 years must be covered for wintering. To do this, in October, the shoots should be removed from the supports, carefully folded into a ring, and then a non-woven material should be laid on top. If the branches of the plant cannot be neatly removed under the shelter, then the root zone is sprinkled with dry earth, and on top - with fallen leaves.
With the onset of spring, the shelter must be removed. It is recommended to do this in mid-April. Shoots of Kirkazon can be lifted on supports after the probability of night frosts has passed.
Diseases and pests
Aristolochia is resistant to pests and diseases. It is susceptible to attacks by spider mites or aphids when insects live on neighboring plants. To combat spider mites, they resort to spraying with Kirkazon. To do this, prepare a decoction of creeping mustard. 100 g of dry raw materials are infused in 1 liter of boiling water for half an hour and diluted with water in equal amounts. The broth is sprayed with the foliage of aristolochia.
Conclusion
Large-leaved Kirkazon is a beautiful decorative liana, with which you can decorate any structures and vertical supports in the garden. The plant is so unpretentious, disease resistant and capable of growing rapidly that gardeners often have to deal with the need to remove abundant growth.
