Content
Planting and caring for loosestrife according to all the rules of agricultural technology will guarantee a healthy plant with a full vegetation. The culture is grown to decorate the landscape. An unpretentious herbaceous shrub will adorn any composition in the garden. To grow a loosestrife (pictured), you must adhere to planting dates and crop care rules.
What a loosestrife looks like
In Russia, in addition to common loosestrife, there are 8 types of culture; in gardening, decorative forms created on their basis are used.
Verbeinik prefers to settle on the waterlogged soil of flooded meadows, along the banks of water bodies or in marshy areas
The characteristic of the plant depends on the type of culture:
- the biological cycle can be one-year, two-year or long-term, the latter is the most common;
- herbaceous plant in the form of a bush with upright stems and drooping tops or ground cover, creeping type;
- leaves are simple, with even edges, opposite, whorled or alternate;
- the color is green, maroon or variegated;
- the fruit is a round box.
The root system in all species and varieties, powerful, highly overgrown, creeping type.
When and how the loosestrife blooms
The flowering time depends on the variety. This is mainly June - August, the seeds of all varieties ripen in September.
How culture blooms:
- inflorescences are corymbose, paniculate or single flowers located in the leaf axils;
- the color is yellow, white or pink;
- cups are pentpartite with a bright core.
The culture is characterized by intense shoots, flowering is always abundant, bush forms are dense, dense.
Types and varieties of loosestrife with photo
Verbeinik (pictured) is a common plant in Russia, distinguished by a variety of varieties. Each of them has its own flowering period. All representatives are united by the same agricultural technology and biological requirements.
Common loafers
The most common species is the common loosestrife, which grows throughout the European part, in the North Caucasus. In the landscape, it is used as an unpretentious field plant to imitate a corner of the wild. The common loosestrife is not used in breeding work.
Characteristic of herbaceous plant:
- shoots up to 1 m long, tough, pale green, with a dense edge;
- leaves are whole, lanceolate, with smooth edges, light green, collected in 4 pieces in whorls;
- five-petal flowers, bright yellow with an orange center, form panicle inflorescences located at the tops of the shoots.
Blooms in mid-June.The plant has medicinal properties, so it is used in folk medicine.
The common loosestrife bush is dense, blooms until early August
Loose mint
Ground cover variety up to 15 cm in height, expanding, covers an area of up to 60 cm. It is a perennial herb with creeping stems. In the leaf sinuses, root processes are formed, with which the loosestrife is fixed to the surface, quickly takes root, forming a new bush.
External characteristics of the plant:
- the stem is smooth, knotty, completely covered with leaves;
- the leaf plates are round, opposite, light green;
- flowers are flat, reminiscent of a coin (hence the name of the species), consist of five petals with sharp tops, singly located in the leaf axils;
- the color is bright yellow, the anthers are beige, there is no obvious contrast with the core in tone.
The coin-shaped variety blooms from late May to August
Available in two varieties. Loose leaf Aurea with a light yellowish color of the leaves. The plant is more spreading, the length of the stems is up to 30 cm. The flowers are solitary, bright yellow with black blotches.
Aurea has an abundant flowering from May to August.
Variety Goldilocks (Goldilox) - ground cover perennial with long creeping stems and golden leaves. The flowers do not differ from a wild plant, the species is valued for the decorative effect of the crown.
Goldilox is suitable for growing in pots for vertical gardening
Verbeynik point
The loosestrife grows in the form of a herbaceous bush, the height of the stems is 1.2 m. The wild species is characterized by yellow panicle inflorescences with drooping tops. The most common variety in gardens is Alexander. The exotic look of the bush is given by the unusual color of light green leaves, which have a pronounced white border around the edge.
The flowering period of spotted loosestrife is from mid-June to the second half of August
Variety Goldilocks is a herbaceous shrub up to 1.3 m high with spike-shaped drooping inflorescences. It resembles curls of hair, hence the unusual name. The flowering of the variety is not too long, the first buds open in June, they do not bloom at the same time, so the process continues until the end of July.
The flowers are large, orange, with a dark red or burgundy core
Ciliated loam
A perennial herbaceous shrub found in the wild. Has an unattractive appearance. Loose bush, yellow flowers, collected in paniculate, rarely located inflorescences. Leaves are lanceolate with a brown tint.
Often found along the edge of swamps and on the banks of muddy bodies of water
In ornamental horticulture, the purple loosestrife variety Firecracker is used. Plant up to 50 cm in height with a dense crown. The leaves are maroon, lanceolate, with a glossy surface, paired. Flowers are small, yellow, collected in several pieces in inflorescences.
Firecracker - late variety, blooms from August to September
Lily of the valley
One of the rare varieties of loosestrife is considered to be cage or lily of the valley. The distribution area is the Primorsky Territory, less often the Far East. This is a good option for creating white gardens. Grows only in the shade on wet ground. The bush is tall, very dense, with intensive stem formation. Milky white flowers form a lush pyramidal inflorescence up to 30 cm tall with a drooping crown.
During flowering, the loosestrife bush attracts many butterflies with its aroma.
The Lady Jane variety was created on the basis of a wild crop. The bush is more dense, up to 85 cm tall, the leaves are narrow, collected in whorls. The inflorescences are longer (up to 35 cm) and lush. The flowers are white with a pinkish tinge, red or crimson core.
Lady Jane is distinguished by its late flowering: from August to the end of September
Loafers dark purple
In its natural environment, this type of loosestrife is rare, it can be found in the Northern latitudes.In the gardens, the Beaujolais variety is grown - a rare cultivar that does not produce seeds, with dark purple flowers that form from the base of the stem and along its entire length. Shrub 40 cm high, compact, leaf plates are located in the lower part, oblong, with a blue tint.
Beaujolais grows only on soil with stagnant water, blooms in the second year
Verbeynik ephemerum
In nature, it is common in the Far East. Ephemerum is known as Daurian loosestrife. The plant is endowed with medicinal properties. It is rarely found in ornamental gardening. The plant forms a loose bush with long (up to 80 cm) stems, completely covered with small light red buds. When blooming, the petals appear white with a slight pink tint. The field species does not have an ornamental variety.
The loosestrife ephemerum is propagated on the site only vegetatively, the plant does not give seeds
Verbeinik Dubravny
The natural form of the wild species is quite decorative - it is a ground cover plant 15-20 cm high. The branches are open, smooth, without root processes. The leaves are round, large, collected in rosettes, have a bright green color. The plant completely covers the soil with a dense green carpet. Flowers are solitary, formed on high pedicels, rarely scattered over the crown. The petals are bright yellow with beige anthers.
Dubravny is the earliest variety that blooms in mid-May and delights with its beauty until the end of July
Verbeynik brush-colored
Looseweed is a perennial plant listed in the Red Book as an endangered species. Found in Siberia, Kamchatka, Chukotka, Urals. It does not grow in regions with a warm climate. In design, they are used to decorate the banks of artificial reservoirs.
A plant with a powerful branched root, giving single shoots, not collected in a bush. The height of the stems is up to 1 m. The leaves are formed from the middle of the shoot. Inflorescences are rounded yellow racemes on long peduncles growing in the upper part from the leaf sinuses.
The cartilaginous variety is often found in shallow stagnant bodies of water (closer to the coast)
The use of loosestrife in the landscape
Several examples with a photo of the use of flowers of perennial varieties of loosestrife in a flower bed and decoration of the territory:
- planted for landscaping rock gardens and rockeries;
- in the foreground discounts near the fence;
Verbeynik harmoniously combines with tall plants with blue or blue color of inflorescences
- to create a corner of wildlife;
- for the design of park areas;
- the culture is included in the composition on the flower beds;
- to delimit flower beds;
Creeping variety of monetaceous loosestrife with a bright crown color emphasizes the color zones
- as a lawn covering near the garden path;
A ground cover loosestrife covers the ground with a solid carpet, preventing weeds from growing
How can you propagate loosestrife
All methods are suitable to propagate a species. When breeding from seed, there is no guarantee that the crop will completely retain the appearance of the mother plant. Most often they use the vegetative method or division of the bush.
Seeds
Collect the material after it ripens in the fall. You can immediately sow in open ground, the seeds will undergo natural stratification and will sprout in the spring, the loosestrife will bloom only after 2 years. Planting can be carried out in the spring in the last days of May, after placing the material for 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
The generative method is possible with seedlings. Seeds are planted in a fertile substrate in February, the container is covered with transparent material and left at a temperature of + 150C. After the emergence of the shoots, it is dived into separate containers and transplanted to the site in the spring.
Cuttings
Cutting is a possible method, but not productive; gardeners rarely use it. Cuttings are harvested from the middle part of the shoots before budding. The material is placed in water until root shoots appear.Then they are placed in the ground in a shaded place, arcs are installed and covered with a film to create constantly high humidity, periodically the covering material is removed for air circulation. In the fall, the rooted seedlings are seated in the designated place, they are covered for the winter.
By dividing the bush
The best breeding option, a well-grown loosestrife bush not younger than three years of age is suitable for it. The work is carried out in the spring after the appearance of the first shoots.
The plant is dug up, carefully divided into parts, so that there are several vegetative buds on each plot.
Ground cover varieties reproduce well with rooted cuttings.
Planting and caring for loosestrife in the open field
Verbains are completely unpretentious if conditions are created for them that meet biological requirements. Subject to the timing of planting and the right place, there will be no problems with growing.
When to plant loosestrife
Planting time depends on the weather characteristics of the region, the land should warm up to +150C. Seedlings are placed on site in early or mid-May. By the fall, the loosestrife will take root and overwinter easily.
The division of the bush is carried out after flowering or in spring, when the condition of the soil will allow the plant to be dug up.
Where to plant loosestrife
Looseweed varieties with a bright color of flowers and leaves are best identified in a lighted or periodically shaded place. Varieties with white inflorescences only in the shade, in the open sun, burns are possible, the flowers dry out, and the plant loses its decorative appearance. Ground cover varieties with green foliage feel good in the shade, varieties with a golden color without ultraviolet radiation lose their decorative qualities.
The composition of the soil is slightly acidic, fertile, the root system is superficial, aeration of the soil does not play a role.
In arid regions, regular root watering is necessary.
How to plant a loosestrife
For planting a culture, the pit is not prepared in advance. On the day of work, peat and compost are mixed in equal parts.
Cut dry areas from the root and plant together with an earthen clod
Landing:
- The depth of the hole is 10 cm, the width is determined by the volume of the root.
- 4 kg of substrate are poured onto the bottom.
- They put the plant and fall asleep together with the vegetative buds with the remainder of the mixture.
Water and mulch abundantly.
If there are young shoots, they are left on the surface.
Loose-leaf transplant
If the loosestrife displaces more valuable cultivated plants or the place for the species is not chosen correctly, the bush is transferred to another site. In other cases, a transplant for culture is not needed.
When can you transplant loosestrife
You can transplant the loosestrife in the spring, before budding, but at this time there are disadvantages: it will not work early to carry out the work, since the earth is not warmed up enough. After the transfer, the adaptation period can affect flowering, it will not be very abundant, in some cases the culture will not bloom at all. The optimal transplanting time is when the plants have faded, so the time depends on the variety. The procedure is carried out in the fall, but no later than September.
How to transplant loosestrife to another place
The culture has a root system that is not deep, but overgrown; it will not work to transplant varieties without damaging the root. The main thing is not to damage the young processes.
How to transfer a bush to another area:
- The stems are pulled together with a rope so that they do not disintegrate, this also applies to the bush and ground cover forms of culture.
- They retreat about 25 cm in a circle, go deeper onto the bayonet of the shovel, carefully dig out the bush.
- Cloth or polyethylene is spread nearby and, by transshipment, the plant is moved onto the material along with the ground.
- A hole is dug in accordance with the size of the lump so that it fits snugly into the recess.
Features of growing loosestrife
All varieties and varieties quickly increase the root mass, it can double over the season. The plant is absolutely unpretentious if the place is properly allocated.Varietal representatives are less stress-resistant; to maintain a decorative form, it is necessary to adhere to agricultural technology.
Watering and feeding schedule
Top dressing is done in the spring with nitrogen-containing agents necessary for intensive growth of green mass. Tall shrubs are fertilized with Agricola during flowering; for ground cover varieties, this top dressing can be omitted. To lay new buds, organic matter is introduced in the fall.
Watering depends on the location, in a swampy area or near a reservoir, the crop is not watered, the root system will fully provide the plant with moisture.
In a dry area, you will have to moisten every day, covering the area around the loosestrife up to 2 m
Weeding, loosening, mulching
Mulching for the culture is mandatory, the covering material retains moisture, and the layer is renewed in spring. Weeding is necessary for seedlings; weeds do not grow under adult bushes of a ground cover type. Loosening is carried out if there is no mulch, the procedure is relevant only for young crops. Aeration for plants over 3 years old is not essential.
Loosestrife pruning rules
Regardless of the shape of the bush, the loosestrife must be cut off completely for the winter. But this should not be done too early, the plant forms vegetative buds for replacement and it does not need extra stress. The shrub in the fall changes the color of the crown to bright yellow, so it does not lose its aesthetics. The stems are harvested before frost, leaving 5 cm above the ground.
How to prepare a loosestrife for winter
Verbeinik is a culture of the Northern regions with high frost resistance, wild species can winter without additional measures. Ornamental shrubs feed and increase the mulch layer. Young seedlings huddle, bring in organic matter, cover with straw or peat.
Pests and diseases
Lostweed is characterized by strong immunity, the plant rarely gets sick. For the main garden pests, the herbaceous shrub is not of interest. The only insect that parasitizes on the crown is aphid. If a pest is found, the areas of the main congestion are cut off and treated with the "Calypso" preparation.
The effect of the insecticide treatment is noticeable after 2 hours
Conclusion
Planting and caring for loosestrife is a simple procedure, the plant is unpretentious, with a high survival rate. The main condition for full-fledged vegetation is high soil moisture, this applies to all varieties and species. Herbaceous shrub is characterized by low drought resistance. When planting a crop, it must be borne in mind that this is an aggressor plant that will displace all representatives of the flora within a radius of 2-3 m.
