Likhnis: planting and care in the open field, photo

Features of care in the garden

Lychnis grows well and blooms profusely in well-lit areas. Loves light nutritious non-acidic soils. It does not tolerate waterlogged soil, therefore, it cannot be planted in lowlands near reservoirs. Without drainage and in conditions of high humidity, the roots rot, the bush dies.

The blooming period of the flower falls on the end of May-July. At this time, it is regularly watered. The next day after watering, the soil is loosened, mulched, freed from weeds.

Fertilization is carried out during planting, during the period of active growth, before wintering. To do this, add 2 tablespoons of superphosphate and potassium sulfate to 10 kg of humus. The mixture is applied under the flower bushes.

Lichnis bloom

It usually opens in early summer, blooms for 1 month. If wilted buds are removed in time, the flowering time will be extended by 2 weeks.

The inflorescence of most lychnis is a scutellum with densely spaced flowers with 4-6 carved petals. But there are panicles or dichazial inflorescences.

Dichazial inflorescence of Lychnis crown

The main varieties of viscarias

Domestic gardeners quite often breed this plant in their personal plot, because the choice of its varieties is quite large. In total, there are about 40 varieties of resin, but no more than 10 of them are used in ornamental gardening. However, there are a huge number of varieties of this culture. The most popular ones are described below.

Viscaria Chalcedony (Lychnis chalcedonica).

Most often, in comparison with other types of tar, it is grown in Russia. It is a bush 50 - 100 cm high with small fiery red flowers, collected in an umbrella-shaped inflorescence with a diameter of 10 cm, formed in the upper part of the stem. Flowering begins in early June and lasts until mid-July. The plant is highly frost-resistant. This variety has several varieties with red and orange flowers.

Among them are very spectacular "Rosea" and "Pinkie" with pink buds, "Carnea" with coral and orange flowers, "Alba" - a variety with snow-white inflorescences.

Viscaria crown (Lychnis coronaria).

A plant with dark gray shoots covered with fine hair. The height of the bush can be 40 - 100 cm. In the upper part of the stems, loose inflorescences are formed, consisting of flowers of pink, fuchsia, less often white. Flowering begins in early June, lasts until July. During this period, the bush is densely covered with bright buds. After a period of active flowering, buds continue to appear on the bush until autumn, but in smaller quantities. It is noteworthy that even after flowering, this species retains its decorative effect due to its beautiful leaves and stems with a silvery sheen.

Crowned viscarias varieties:

"Garten Wonder" - a lush bush with double flowers of deep pink or crimson color;

"Angel Blush" - the buds have snow-white petals and a pink center.

Alpine Viscaria ((Lychnis alpina).

Low-growing bush 15 - 20 cm high. During flowering it is covered with buds of light and intense pink color. The leaves are lanceolate, bright green, collected in a basal rosette.

Viscaria Haage (Lychnis x haageana).

A hybrid perennial species with large buds. Obtained as a result of crossing two varieties of resin: sparkling and Siebold. Stems and leaves are dark green, with a bronze tint. Umbrella inflorescences are formed at the top of the stems. The flowers are large, up to 4.5 cm in diameter. There are deep cuts on the petals. The bush begins to bloom in the middle of summer;

The most popular varieties of Haage viscarias are "Molten Lava" "Lengai Red", which are compact bushes about 30 cm high with red inflorescences.

Lychnis Arkwright (Lychnis arkwrightii).

It is a hybrid, the decorative effect of which is given not only by flowers, but also by burgundy leaves with a bronze tint. The flowers are large and appear one at a time. Collected in loose inflorescences - brushes. The height of the bush is 35 - 40 cm.This species is grown as a perennial that grows in one place without needing a transplant for 5 years. Possesses high resistance to low temperatures.

The most popular varieties of Arkwright viscarias are Vesuvius with coral buds and Orange Zwerg with bright orange buds.

You can see how the types and varieties of resin plants look like in the selection of photos below, which also shows how they look in a flower garden:

6 home care

Mostly undersized, dwarf varieties are suitable for placement in pots, and success will depend on the availability of a well-lit place.

When grown at home, a soil is prepared for the plant, consisting of sod and leaf humus, peat of garden soil. To improve the cultivation capacity, river sand, perlite or vermiculite are mixed into the ground.

The optimum air temperature is considered to be a range from 20 to 25 degrees in the spring-summer period and about 12 degrees in the winter months.

For planting, select pots with large enough drainage holes, slightly cramped. In a container that is too large, plants will bloom less abundantly. A drainage layer is placed on the bottom of the pots and a nutritious flower soil is poured.

Plants are placed in the center of the pot together with a root ball, sprinkled with soil in a circle and lightly tamped after planting. The surface of the soil should be 1 - 2 cm below the walls of the pot. The flower is watered and placed on the southwestern or southeastern windowsill.

Since the plants manage with a small amount of soil, they need timely feeding. Immediately after watering, 3 times a month, mineral fertilizers are applied for flowering plants.

In the summer months, whenever possible, plants are taken out into the fresh air - in the garden, on the loggia or balcony.

As the top layer of soil dries up with a thickness of 1 - 2 cm, watering is carried out with warm and settled water for a day or more. The excess moisture that appears in the pan is poured in immediately after watering.

Peduncles with fading buds are cut with a sharp sterile secateurs.

Since annual plants lose their attractiveness after flowering, they are simply sent to compost. Perennials are pruned, maintaining a compact shape and in the autumn - winter time they are sent to a rather cool place with a temperature of about 12 degrees Celsius.

This dormant period will encourage abundant flowering in the next season. If the air temperature is not lowered, then the plants will continue to develop, and in conditions of a lack of light in the winter months, they will become elongated and ugly.

Watering during the dormant period is minimized, simply not allowing the soil to dry out, and the flower is completely denied feeding.

Lychnis crown - reproduction

Lichnes crown can be easily propagated by dividing the bush, cuttings and seeds. Moreover, it is very easy to propagate by seeds, no special hassle and worries are required.

Lychnis crown reproduction by dividing the bush

If you have purchased a healthy bush with roots and young shoots, then you need to divide it into several parts and plant it in separate holes. It is enough to dig them up, pour some sand and rotted humus, moisten, and then place the planting material and fill it with an earthen mound. Water each bush from above too. The best time for planting is April and May. It grows and develops rapidly.

Lychnis crown propagation by cuttings

For propagation by cuttings, it will be necessary to cut young shoots in June, about 20-25 centimeters long, dipped in a weak solution of potassium permanganate and after one hour plant them in a greenhouse or in large dishes and cover it with foil.

Air for 20 minutes every day and spray gently with a spray bottle. As soon as the twigs take root, then they need to be transplanted into a flower garden for permanent residence. It is very successful to transplant in the second half of September.

Lychnis crown seed propagation

This flowering plant, unlike other mini-shrubs, multiplies easily and does not require special skills and knowledge. The only thing you need to know:

1. Sow seeds in warm areas in early May directly into the ground, and where weather conditions are not particularly stable, it is recommended to sow at the end of winter at home directly in a container, planting trays, pots. Expose closer to the light and pour into saucer trays. Externally for 10-15 days before disembarking, space 15 cm (6 inches) apart.

2. The temperature should be 18-20 C and not less.

3. In order for the seeds to germinate more efficiently, they should be covered with foil; after 10 days, you can already see the sprouted shoots.

4. It is required to keep the space between the planted flowers at least 15 centimeters from each other.

5. Lichnis tolerates a transplant without any stress, even during the early flowering period, but without disturbing the earthen coma.

6. The disadvantage of seed propagation is that the flowers may not bloom in the first year.

Lychnis crown, chalcedony and other species

In total, more than 30 varieties of lychnis have been bred. Only a few of them are planted in the garden:

Care

It is easy to care for lichnis, you just need to provide him with timely watering, feeding, loosening, treatment from diseases. In cold regions, the bush will need shelter for the winter.

Watering

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

Loosening and weeding

Loosening the soil around the lichnis bush should be 1-2 times a month. Weeding ensures the removal of weeds, saturation of the earth with oxygen. Loosen shallowly, about 5 cm deep.Weed between the rows with a hoe, trying not to touch the bushes.

Removing wilted inflorescences

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

Top dressing

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

Harmful beetles and diseases

Lychnis is capable of undergoing root rot, leaf spot, rust. Usually, diseases develop with stagnant water in the root system. When the first symptoms of the disease were noticed, treat the affected specimen with fungicides. If the bush has been attacked by aphids, leaf rollers, they are taken out with a decoction of tomato or tobacco tops. Pour soap crushed with a grater into the mixture, stir 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 soil.

Pruning

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

Growing lychnis from seeds

What time to plant

Lychnis can be easily propagated by seeds, which are sown in open soil before winter or at the beginning of spring. For the first time, such a plant will bloom only next season, regardless of when you sow it. Very rarely, when sown before winter, under favorable weather conditions, flowering can begin in summer, but not in full force.

If you grow these flowers through seedlings, then they will bloom already this season. Before sowing seeds for seedlings in March, they should be stratified by placing them on a refrigerator shelf for 15-30 days. Crops must be harvested in a warm enough place (from 18 to 20 degrees). The first seedlings will appear a few weeks after sowing. Seedlings are planted in open soil in the last days of May, pre-hardened for 14 days. If you decide to sow seeds directly into open soil, then you need to do this in April ― June.

We plant LIKHNIS KHOLTSEDONSKY PART 1

Landing in open ground

This flower is not particularly demanding on growing conditions. For planting it, you should choose a sunny area with nutritious, well-drained and moderately moist soil. Lychnis crown grows well in shaded areas. Before you start sowing seeds, you need to add 1 bucket of river sand, 40 grams of potassium magnesium and 50 grams of superphosphate to the soil per 1 square meter of the plot. In clay soil, compost or humus should be additionally added. Before sowing, it is necessary to liming the soil if it is acidic. Before sowing, seeds should be refrigerated for 4 weeks so they can cold stratify. Pre-prepared seeds must be sown into the grooves, then they are sealed. Crops should be well watered. For friendly shoots to appear, the air temperature should be about 18-20 degrees. The first seedlings can be seen in 2.5–3.5 weeks.

Lychnis species

In nature, there are more than 30 species. About 15 are popular among gardeners. The most popular of them are presented below.

Lychnis chalcedonis (Lychnis chalcedonis) or Lychnis Zorka

A bush 0.8-1 meter tall with several shoots and with red, pink or snow-white lush inflorescences up to 10 cm in diameter. It blooms in June-July. Leaves are lanceolate or oval. Flowers are ordinary or double, bilobed. Resistance to frost allows it to be grown in Siberia, Mongolia, and the European part of Russia.

Lychnis viscaria (Viscaria vulgaris, Lychnis viscaria, Silene viscaria)

A voluminous bush with numerous shoots 0.4-1 meter high. The top of the stem is covered with a sticky liquid that attracts insects. Therefore, it received a second name - tar. 5-7 flowers form panicle-shaped inflorescences. Color - raspberry, milk. Found in central Europe, southern Siberia, the Caucasus. The most famous varieties are Lichnis Rosetta, Flore Pleno.

Viscaria bush

Lychnis alpine (Lychnis alpina, Viscaria alpine, Steris alpine)

Miniature bushes 0.1-0.2 meters high, having up to 10 shoots creeping along the ground with small raspberry inflorescences. Frost and drought resistant. Grows on sparse stony soils. Used in compositions for alpine slides. In wildlife it occurs in the tundra, forest-tundra, mountain alpine meadows. The most famous variety is Lara.

Lychnis arkwrightii

Differs in green leaves in the shape of hearts, orange-red flowers up to 3 cm in diameter. Inflorescences are small, consist of 3-5 flowers. The height of the bush is up to 0.3 meters. Blooms in June-August. Brings variety to flower beds and alpine slides. The most common variety is Vesuvius Lichnis.

Lychnis crown (Lychnis coronaria, Lychnis coriacea)

A lush bush with silvery shoots. Branches well. At the end of each branch, a single flower of crimson or snow-white color appears. The height of the silvery lychnis is up to 1 meter.

Planting and care in the open field of crown lichnisa has a number of advantages:

• not afraid of cold weather;
• blooms from June to late autumn;
• unpretentious in care
• grows on depleted soils;
• suitable for flower beds and single plantings.

Notable varieties are Mysterious Island, Angela Blanche.

Note! Unlike other varieties, crown lychnis grows well in shaded areas

Cuckoo adonis (Coronaria flos-cuculi)

The bush is high, rare. The height of brownish stems is up to 1 meter. On each of them there are narrow, lanceolate, opposite leaves. Their size decreases the closer they are to the inflorescences. The flowers are pink or snow-white, rare, large, up to 40 cm in diameter. They are divided into 4 petals, which are lowered to the bottom. Found in the European part of the continent. Famous varieties - Alba, Nana, Rosea captivity.

Lychnis sparkling (Lychnis fulgens)

The bush is about 0.6 meters high. Shoots are green, erect with oval lanceolate leaves. Shield-shaped inflorescences are formed by large scarlet flowers with 4-5 narrow petals. Blooms in July-August. In the wild, it grows in China, Japan, and the Far East.

Lychnis haage (Lychnis haageana)

A small bush 0.5 meters high with oval pointed leaves. Inflorescences are medium-sized, with scarlet flowers with a diameter of 5 cm.It does not occur in wildlife, since it is a hybrid variety. Blooms in late June-July.

Breeding Haage

Lychnis Jupiter (Lychnis flos-jovis, Coronaria flos-jovis)

The bushes are rare, up to 0.8 m high. The stems are covered with many lancet-oval leaves. Inflorescences are purple, snow-white. In wildlife, it grows on the slopes of the Alps.

Botanical description of the lychnis plant

A plant from the temperate latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere.

Lychnis (Lychnis) - from the Greek word "lychnos" - "lamp", "light". White flowers bloom at night and are visible far in the dark, like the light of a lamp.

According to its botanical description, lychnis is a rhizome perennial with erect, weakly branched, annually dying stems from 50 to 100 cm in height. Several straight shoots can develop from one rhizome. Branching specimens are sometimes found. The bark of the stem is reddish or gray, with a dense or short hair.

The leaves are oblong-lanceolate, opposite, pubescent along the edge, pointed at the end, bright green. Form a dense basal rosette.

The flowers are tubular, wide open, bright red, pink, white, cream, collected in dense, large corymbose inflorescences.

The plant blooms from June to July for 20 - 30 days.At the end of flowering, the fruit ripens - a rounded nut containing many small, rough, dark brown seeds. The seeds remain viable for 4 years.

The description of lychnis is supplemented by the photo below, in which you can see what this plant looks like:

Lychnis care

Lichnis, grown in the garden, needs to provide systematic watering, especially if there is strong heat. When the plant is watered, it is necessary to systematically loosen the soil surface on the site, while removing all weeds. Please note that such a flower can easily drown out weeds, in this regard, the future of this plant depends only on you. In order for the lychnis to bloom longer, it is necessary to promptly remove the inflorescences that have begun to fade, while pulling out all the plants that are trying to get into the area of ​​the lychnis.

During the growing season per season, such a plant should be fed only 2 or 3 times. Slightly grown and strengthened seedlings are fed with complex mineral fertilizer. Then such feeding is carried out 1 time in 15-20 days.

Diseases and pests

If such a flower is watered too abundantly or very often, then this can cause the development of rust, root rot and leaf spot. For preventive purposes, it is recommended to develop such an irrigation schedule, taking into account the weather characteristics of your region, so that no liquid stagnation occurs in the plant root system. If the first symptoms of the development of a fungal disease are noticed, then the affected specimen must be sprayed with a fungicidal preparation.

If leafworms or aphids settle on the bush, then to destroy them it is necessary to use a decoction of the tops of tomato or tobacco, into which you need to pour soap chopped with a grater. If there are too many harmful insects, then you can deal with them by treating the bush with an insecticidal agent.

After flowering

For wintering, this flower does not require shelter, since it has a very high resistance to frost. However, if you grow terry lychnis varieties, then they must be covered for the winter. After the yellowing and wilting of foliage and shoots begins, they must be cut to the base. Terry bushes after they are cut off should be covered with a layer of leaves, peat or dry soil.

Features of Lychnis care

A plant that is undemanding to care for does not like abundant moisture, therefore it is watered only as the soil dries up. Otherwise, the roots will start to rot and the flower will die.

During the season, the soil in the flowerbed where lichnis grows, it is necessary to remove weeds, loosen and mulch the soil. To prolong flowering, faded and withered buds are regularly removed, and dried shoots are pruned.

When caring for lichnis, fertilizers are applied to the soil 2-3 times throughout the season. The first top dressing before flowering during the period of active growth is made with a solution that is prepared from the following minerals:

Each ingredient must be taken one tablespoon and diluted in a bucket of water. Each square meter of soil is fertilized with three liters of the prepared solution.

The second time during flowering, the shrubs are fertilized with another solution. For its preparation, one tablespoon is diluted in 10 liters of water:

• the drug Agricola;
• potassium sulfate;
• superphosphate.

One square meter consumes 5 liters of fertilizer. Lichnisi are fed with the same solution after flowering in autumn.

Planting and growing lychnis, with photo

At first, three types of lychnis received approval for landing: chalcedony, crown and sparkling. However, in the process of growing flowers in the country in quantity, as a result of natural selection, only the first species remained. And all due to the fact that only Lichnis of Chalcedony is able to put up with a small shadow. As you understand, these flowers are not the most central in the landscape design of the summer cottage, therefore, certain places were allocated for them.

Ask, why did we decide to grow such flowers? Yes, all due to the fact that the coloring of representatives of this genus is painted in all the colors of the morning sky: from purple to fiery red. By the way, the second name of flowers - dawn, fully corresponds to this.

The most spectacular of the lychnis is crown, with silvery pubescent leaves and large flowers. In our conditions, it is biennial, gives self-sowing and, of course, seeds that should be sown in spring.

The smallest one is sparkling, quite capricious in terms of light and, most importantly, is prone to freezing, which is no wonder in our Far Eastern frosts of forty degrees. Of course, very large flowers have their own charm, but not so much that growing and caring for them turns into an annoying and difficult tedious job.

As a result, the most viable and, from our point of view, not the worst type of plant remained - the perennial lychnis chalcedony. With him, no trouble is observed. And a perennial, and grows in the shade of Amur grapes and hydrangeas, and withstands frosts "just once". Easy weeding and red heads of lychnis flowers are guaranteed to you from the beginning of June until the very frost. Only for this it is necessary to regularly remove faded inflorescences.

Their height is, depending on the summer, solid, up to a meter. The flowers, although not large, but collected in rich orange thyroid inflorescences, are very attractive. White flowers are also attractive. They, too, easily got a residence permit at our summer cottage.

Chalcedony Lychnis, along with tenaciousness, is able to resist weeds. Plants propagate by seeds (bloom in the second year), cuttings and division. The last action can be carried out in four years. By the way, we did not plant terry plant species precisely because to preserve the variety, only cuttings are suitable for them, and this is an extra headache.

Well, as you know, the ability to grow in one place constantly and the almost complete absence of pests in a plant only adds pluses to the flowers of perennial lichnis.