Blue molinia (28 photos): variegata and Heidebraut molinia, Moorhexe and other varieties

Propagation of lightning

A perennial cereal multiplies in two ways - vegetatively and by seeds, and varietal specimens are not grown by sowing - there is a high probability that the characteristics of the parent plant will be lost.

Sowing seeds

Planting material from most of the molinia is collected at the end of August.

They are stored in paper bags until spring, and in April or early May they are sown directly into open ground.

For earlier development, sowing is carried out in peat cups, which are transplanted to the garden bed after the establishment of constantly high daily temperatures.

In the southern regions, the seeds of lightning are sown in the fall: they dig shallow grooves, spill them with water to make the soil moist, spread the seeds sparsely and lightly sprinkle them with soil on top.

Crops do not need special shelter for the winter, since natural stratification is useful for them. In spring, seedlings, as a rule, are shown amicably.

Rhizome division

Lightning hybrids and varieties are divided during the transplantation of old bushes, usually in late spring or early summer. Plants that are at least 3 years old can be divided, because younger bushes can die after such reproduction.

But a mature bush will transfer the division safely, even if it is dismembered into separate shoots, at the same time receiving a mass of planting material.

Growing methods in the Moscow region

To obtain high-quality planting material when breeding lightning blue (sometimes it is also called "gray"), two methods are used:

Seed is the easiest planting method. Since the duration of the summer period in the middle climatic zone allows the seeds of moths to reach the stage of technical maturity, the planting material is obtained from adult plants. The disadvantage of this method of reproduction can be called a long waiting period for the bush to achieve a "fountain-like" appearance, since it can grow widely only after 3 years after sowing.
Dividing a mature bush is a quicker way to grow blue lightning. An adult bush is able to undergo division in early spring until mid-summer. The size of the part taken from the mother plant can be either the smallest - in the form of a single process, or more massive. In the latter case, the summer resident will receive a new live fountain much faster.

Types and varieties of lightning bolts for growing in gardens of the middle lane

The genus Molinia includes only 2 species of perennial cereals - the typical Molinia blue and Molinia japonica, the latter practically not found in domestic ornamental gardening. The species is considered one of the forms of lightning blue, but very often in various sources it appears as an independent species in the genus - Molinia arundinacea.

Variety Molinia blue (Molinia caerulea)

Molinia blue (Molinia caerulea) is characterized by grayish or bluish-green narrow leaves and bluish-purple or yellow-brown paniculate inflorescences that appear in August. Plant growth from 60 cm to 90 cm.

Variety Molinia reed (Molinia caerulea subsp. Arundinacea

Molinia reed (Molinia caerulea subsp. Arundinacea) is distinguished by a significant height - it reaches from 70 to 110 cm, and some of its varieties grow upward and up to 2-2.4 m.

Warm-growing cereal, waking up in late spring, with green foliage and brown paniculate inflorescences that open from July to September

Breeders have bred many varieties both on the basis of the type species and on the basis of its variety of reed lightning.

The best varieties of lightning blue:

Moliniya Edith Dadzus Edit Dudszus - 1 m high with green foliage and narrow purple inflorescences;
Strahlenquelle - with light, almost white stems;
Moliniya Heidebraut Heidebraut is a plant almost one and a half meters tall, loose, with bluish-green leaves in summer and golden in autumn, inflorescences are light brown;

1 of 2 Moliniya Moorhexe - bushes up to 90 cm high, dense, vertical, with bright green foliage in summer, and by autumn - yellow-brownish, purple ears; Moliniya Variegata - up to 60 cm tall with spectacular bicolor leaves decorated with light yellow longitudinal stripes, blooms inflorescences from July to August, and by autumn the whole bush blazes with orange or bright yellow fire.

Popular varieties of reed lightning:

Bergfreund - 1.5-1.7 m high;
Moliniya Fountain Fontane is a sprawling bush with peduncles tilted to the sides, growing up to 2 m;
Windspiel - reaches a height of 2 m, very bright in autumn - a rich yellow hue, inflorescences in summer are light purple, almost lilac, turn brown by autumn;
Moliniya Karl Forster Karl Foerster is a graceful, sprawling plant with gray-green foliage and wide curved brown panicles.

Reproduction and transplantation

Moth hybrids are propagated only vegetatively - by dividing the bush, vegetative and seed propagation is possible for varietal plants.

Growing lightning from seeds

Sowing seeds for seedlings (for reproduction in cold regions) is done in April. It is best to sow in small pots, so that then gently transfer the plant along with an earthen clod into the open ground. The soil for sowing needs light, with a slightly acidic reaction. Moisten the soil, spread the seeds over the surface and sprinkle a little earth. Covering with a film is not necessary - the seeds themselves germinate quickly enough, delighting with friendly shoots. Plant young plants in a permanent location by the end of May.

In regions with a warm climate, I do sowing before winter in open ground.

Reproduction by dividing the bush

How to split a lightning bush photo

Adult lightning bushes tolerate division and transplantation well. The procedure is performed at the beginning of summer. Moisten the soil, carefully dig out a lush bush, divide it into several parts (you can divide it up to individual shoots), immediately plant it in the ground. The plant grows in breadth slowly and only after 3-4 years a lush fountain is formed. You can carefully separate the shoots without even digging the bush completely. Thus, you thin out the thickets, and you will have more planting material for plant rejuvenation.

A planting hole for a plant is needed about 30 by 30 cm in size. It is recommended to lay compost on the bottom and add one tablespoon of mineral fertilizer.

You do not need to worry about the subsequent transplantation of the plant for a very long time - this is done almost in extreme cases, when the bush has already grown very much or you want to change its location. Repotting is recommended in the spring.

Reproduction methods

The hybrids obtained by breeders can only be reproduced by dividing the bush. Plants belonging to varieties can also be propagated by seeds.

In regions with a cool climate, seeds are planted for seedlings. This is usually done in mid-spring. For this, it is preferable to use separate pots, which will allow in the future to transplant the bushes into open ground along with a lump of earth.

If you plant seeds directly into the ground, then you need to do this before winter. The soil is pre-watered, and the seed is scattered over the surface. In this case, they do not need to be covered with foil. Towards the end of spring, the shoots can be transferred to their permanent habitat.

Dividing zipper bushes for planting is easy. After cutting the bush, plant the resulting parts in the ground. You can even separate parts of the plant without digging it up. Rejuvenation is good for plants, and the moth is no exception. By dividing, you will get new bushes, and thin out the old ones.

Lightning landing

Plants purchased in containers can be planted from spring to late August.To do this, prepare a planting hole 30 * 30 cm in size, fill it with compost with the addition of one tablespoon of complete mineral fertilizer and a glass of ash per plant. It should be borne in mind that the lightning takes on the appearance of a "green fountain" - only after 2-3 years, gradually increasing the power of the bush. Without a transplant, a moth can live a long time, and besides, the plant does not like transplants. Therefore, they are resorted to only in those cases when it is necessary to change the planting site or the plant has become too cumbersome from an aesthetic point of view. With excessive growth, it is possible to separate part of the bush without completely digging it out. Transplanting is best done at the beginning of the season.

Types and varieties

Of the 3 types of lightning, only 2 will grow in the middle lane - blue and reed. The first variety is the most popular. Usually, in the first year, her bush reaches 40 cm in length, and then stretches to one and a half meters. The length of its graceful leaves can reach half a meter, while their width is no more than a centimeter. At the ends of the leaves, there are fine hairs that are silvery.

Consider the various types of lightning that are popular in the Moscow region and other regions of our country.

Karl Forster

The sharp-flowered reed Karl Foerster is a beautiful hybrid. He can delight with his magnificent appearance for a whole year. Its upwardly stretching and slightly bent leaves are spectacularly silver. He loves both the sun and the shade, can grow strongly and reach the two-meter mark. During flowering, the color of the foliage becomes softer, at other times the color changes from deep green to brown and straw.

Molinia arundinacea

The height of the variety ranges from 70 to 110 cm, and in late summer and early autumn, the ears make its growth huge - up to 2.5 meters. Brown panicle inflorescences do not please with bright colors, but they look very elegant. The plant becomes fully mature after several seasons.

Moliniya blue "Edith Dudzus"

At first, the stems of Edith Dudszus grow straight, but after a while, she begins to scatter the stems in different directions. The hummock grows up to half a meter, and the peduncles stretch to a height of 180 cm. In September, they turn orange and, under favorable climatic conditions, can retain their shape throughout the winter.

Molinia variegated

A low variety, which, even with the appearance of ears, does not exceed 40 cm. It is unpretentious and looks neat on the site, it goes well with other plants, creating an unobtrusive background for them.

Description

The molin is distinguished by a dense leafy thicket, which begins immediately from the root. Its top is represented by oblong stems, empty inside and with ears at the ends. A plant can be compared to a fountain when it sways in the wind. This cereal blooms in July, but it cannot be said that during this period the appearance of the plant changes noticeably. Molini inflorescences are small, thin, they do not have a bright color.

In its natural habitat, the plant is found in wild desert places throughout the Northern Hemisphere. The genus includes 3 species and also hybrids. Its creeping roots hide shallowly, almost at the very surface of the earth. Lush bushes grow 0.4-2.5 meters.

Cirrus leaves of a molin begin at the very base, they have a pointed shape. Their color is usually green, but there are also varieties with colored edges.

The use of lightning in landscape design

Plant applies as for single landings, and in a group, in flower beds. As a tapeworm, the reed moth is best suited. Near the bushes, on the shore of the reservoir, all varieties grow and look great. Moliniya blue is suitable for growing in containers. Good partners will be autumn perennials, for example, bush aster, helenium, sedum, rudbeckia. When planted next to shrubs, the lightning will look beautiful next to geraniums, periwinkles, and tenacious. Near the reservoir, a good neighbor is a meadowsweet, a willow weed.

Growing lightning from seeds

In regions with a warm climate, I do sowing before winter in open ground.

Seat selection

In the natural environment, the plant lives in temperate climates in flooded meadows and at the edges of swamps. So it is better to avoid arid and sunny areas - bright greens will dry quickly and lose their decorative effect, and moisture and shade will only benefit.

Choose a plot of moderately sunny or shaded with fertile soil.

In the first half of the growing season, it is necessary to water abundantly, maintaining a constant soil moisture. From the second half of active growth, the plant is able to tolerate drought.

Moliniya blue Molinia caerulea

Moliniya light blue Molinia caerulea photo

The most popular type. In the first year of life, this perennial reaches a height of about 40 cm and gradually increases to 1.5 m. Long erect stems rise above the ground. Leaves are elongated, pointed, slightly bent, reach a length of 8 cm to half a meter, width is 3-10 mm. Spike inflorescences are silvery with a slight purple tint.

Decorative varieties of lightning blue:

Moliniya blue hydebraut heidebraut photo

Heidebraut - stems are strictly straight, narrow bush with sparse leaves,
Rotschopf - a narrow bush with straight stems, green leaves are framed with a burgundy border,
Dauerstrahl - a wide bush with slightly bent stems,

Moliniya blue morhex moorhexe photo

Moorhexe, moorhexe - the bush is a dense, narrow bunch with straight stems,

Moliniya light blue Edith Dudzus Molinia caerulea Edith Dudzus photo

Variegata - bushes from 30 cm to half a meter high, green leaves are covered with veins of a golden hue,
Strahlenquelle - wide bush, arched stems, bright green color.

Molinia reed molinia arundinacea

Molinia reed transparent molinia arundinacea transparent photo

The second most common species in nature and the most popular in decorative cultivation. The habitat is the light deciduous forests of Europe. Already in the first year of life, the lush bush reaches a height of 70 cm, then it grows to a maximum of 110 cm. Inflorescences, which are loose panicles of a brown or brown hue, are unattractive. The peduncle is slightly inclined. The thinnest leaves develop beautifully in the wind. Dense bushes reach their maximum growth after a couple of years, and retain their decorative effect for a long time, without needing a transplant.

Moliniya reed Karl Forster karl foerster photo

Common varieties of reed moth:

Skyracer - a shrub with thin stems reaching a height of up to 2.5 m, Windspiel - flexible, thin stems sway beautifully in the wind, the maximum height is 2.1 m,

Moliniya reed skyracer skyracer photo

Fontane - is a fountain-shaped bush with two-meter stems,
Staefa - a bush in the form of a column up to 1.5 m high,
Transparent - a wide bush with a height of about 2 m, erect stems create a dense shock, and the leaves are slightly deflected from them, forming a gap.

Growing and caring for a zipper outdoors

How to plant a lightning photo

Seat selection

In the natural environment, the plant lives in a temperate climate in flooded meadows and at the edges of swamps. So it is better to avoid arid and sunny areas - bright greens will dry quickly and lose their decorative effect, and moisture and shade will only benefit.

Choose a plot of moderately sunny or shaded with fertile soil.

Watering

In the first half of the growing season, it is necessary to water abundantly, maintaining a constant soil moisture. From the second half of active growth, the plant is able to tolerate drought.

Top dressing and pruning

Feeding the moth is not needed, it is completely content with nutrients from the soil.

Despite the fact that the leaves and stems of the plant are thin, they quickly recover from gusts of wind and heavy rains, so there is no need to tie up the bushes.

By the end of the season, the ground part of the plant dries up and needs to be pruned. But the procedure can be postponed for the spring (by the beginning of May).

Diseases and pests

Lightning is resistant to pests and diseases. Rotting is possible. It is worth periodically inspecting the bushes. The affected parts must be ruthlessly removed so that the rot does not spread further.

Plant care

Further care of the plantings consists in regular moistening and frequent loosening. Compliance with these basic conditions will allow the plant to develop as quickly as possible. After a few weeks, watering can be reduced, since the adult moth is quite capable of being content with natural rainfall and tolerating drought.

It does not require additional feeding. Throughout the summer season, the grass receives nutrients from the soil.

Wind gusts are not terrible even for thin hollow peduncle stems, so the plant does not need any additional support or tying up.

Pests and diseases

Molinia is a plant for the most part growing wild, therefore, even in conditions of cultural cultivation, it has a strong and disease-resistant character. Of the insects that can harm her, ants and slugs can be distinguished. These insects can adversely affect the root system, especially when it comes to a fragile seedling. You can get rid of insects by using specialized chemicals - Anteater, Slime-eater.

Of the common plant diseases, only rot is terrible for a plant, which occurs when agricultural techniques are not followed, or when the plantings are excessively thickened. When the first signs of the disease appear, the planting is thinned out, diseased plants are removed, and the remaining seedlings are transplanted onto more drained soil.

Lightning transplant is not scary.

Preparing for winter

A perennial representative of cereals is able to maintain its vital activity for 5-7 years. At the end of the summer season, new planting material is collected from the ripened ears, or ripe peduncles are removed to avoid subsequent self-seeding.

Dried shoots are cut and used in the preparation of winter bouquets and dry decorative compositions. The plant itself should be covered with mulch, humus or fallen leaves to prevent the freezing of the root system when a snowless winter sets in.

Zipper care

Moliniya does not have any special requirements for soils, but nevertheless it develops better on fertile humus lands. In nature, mothballs inhabit damp meadows and the outskirts of bogs. In our gardens, elegant and textured cereal is not yet very popular. Its graceful beauty can be used in any flower garden, it can be planted in curbs, it is beautiful as a solitaire. The lightning is especially beautiful among low plants, which do not interfere with the integrity of the perception of the fountain of its "streams". Molinia grows well anywhere in the garden, in any light, but its optimal place in the garden is light partial shade. Abundant and regular watering is necessary in the first half of the growing season. In the second half of active growth, the moth is able to tolerate drought.

Zipper care

The plant does not tolerate the presence of weeds, therefore, weeding must be carried out regularly and the growing weeds must be removed in a timely manner.

Lightning is often watered, especially in regions with hot summers and rare rainfall. They try to shed the soil to a depth of 30-50 cm, and maintain constant moisture around the root collar.If in the second half of summer the cereal already adapts a little in the heat and one irrigation per week is enough for it, then at the beginning of summer the thunderbolt is watered 2-3 times a decade.

Fertilize the plant at the beginning of the growing season with complex mineral fertilizers. Lightning welcomes and the introduction of rotted manure, humus or wood ash into the soil.

Perennial grass is characterized by average winter hardiness - without shelter, it normally tolerates sub-zero temperatures up to 15 degrees below zero. In more severe winter conditions, the zippers are covered with coniferous branches or fallen leaves.

In autumn, the aerial part is not cut off - thick dry grass reliably protects the buds of renewal from freezing, and in spring they are not particularly in a hurry to cut the lightning, since the plant wakes up late.

In regions with frequent thaws or rainy winters in late autumn, moth bushes are treated with fungicides in order to protect them from fungal infections during wintering.

Application in design

This beautiful bushy herb can be grown almost anywhere. Most often, the plant is used for ornamental purposes:

as an emphasis on mixborders;
in heather gardens;
in the foregrounds (despite the large and voluminous crown, it remains transparent enough to allow viewing the central and background of the landscape through it);
near water bodies (ponds, coastal zones);
as a padding of a mix of shrubs and short trees;
in single plantings on the lawn, as well as in conjunction with bushy plants;
in rosaries;
in dry bouquets (can be created from mid-summer to late September).

Choosing a landing site

Since in the natural environment, mothballs live near water bodies, ravines and deep plots of land that are capable of retaining the received moisture, then for sowing in your own summer cottage, you should opt for a well-moistened place. In an overly sunny, dry area, it will not be able to form a dense bush, and the foliage will lose its deep emerald color. The plant responds well to partial shade and shade.

The soil for sowing lightning should be rich in nutrients. A strong root system that develops both in breadth and in depth requires looseness from the soil. If the summer cottage has clay soil, the future planting site requires the introduction of peat, sand, humus and black soil in equal amounts.

If the zipper is planned to be used as a participant in a decorative composition, both cereals and flowering plants can be neighbors in the flower bed. It favorably adjoins any plantings, however, it requires retreating a sufficient distance to a neighbor, since it is actively developing in breadth.

Moliniya blue: cultivation, description, reproduction, use, photo, video.

Moliniya is a large perennial grass that grows into a lush bush from one root. Thin and thick leaves resemble a lion's mane, which turns from juicy green to golden autumn. Such decoration of the lawn effectively diversifies the usual design.

Description: the genus contains three species. Quite large perennial dense bush grasses can often be found in wet meadows, grass-moss bogs, damp sparse forests, clearings and heather wastelands of the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. Plants form low bushes of leaves, green in summer and golden in autumn (in some variegated varieties), above which thin, almost non-leafy peduncles with narrow panicle inflorescences rise to a height of 1 to 2.4 m. Flowering occurs in July-August, seed ripening in August-September.

Until recently, molinia was almost never used in our country as an ornamental plant. At the same time, it has many advantages. Graceful inflorescences, beautiful bush shape, cold resistance, exceptional unpretentiousness make it a very promising crop for landscape gardening.

Growing conditions

To get an unpretentious and spectacular perennial, 3-4 seasons are needed, after that the only thing he needs is watering in a severe drought. The plant is cold-resistant, not capricious at all, plastic. The soil is preferable wet, even blocking.

Molinia grows well both in the sun and in the shade.

Despite its cold resistance, it is a thermally growing plant. What does this mean? Only that the active growth of the plant occurs during the warm period. There are grasses that begin to grow in early spring; during the hot season, their growth stops and resumes in the fall. Molinia begins to grow when the soil warms up well, so you can not rush to prune the old one.

This does not prevent the lightning from being a cold-resistant and extremely unpretentious plant.

The homeland of lightning is lowlands, swampy meadows and river banks. He habitually and easily perceives wet and cool conditions. At the same time, it can tolerate slight drought, like most grasses. This means that it can grow almost anywhere. Many landscape designers (for example, the outstanding Wolfgang Oeme, who used more than a million herbs in his extraordinary projects), consider her to be the best. To add more expression to your composition, it can be paired with other herbs. To enhance the effect, give it space and a dark background.

Alternatively, simply supplement the zipper with cultures such as:

Moliniya Variegata and Salvia varieties 'Ostfriesland'.

Where to apply:

Coastal zones, ponds, reservoirs.
Mixborders. Molinia looks great as an accent.
Rosaries.
Foregrounds. The plant, despite its power, is airy enough to view the landscape through it.
As a padding of groups of trees and shrubs.
Heather gardens.
The plant looks great both in single and in group planting.
The lightning has found application in dry bouquets. The stems for bouquets are cut at the beginning of flowering.

Several photos in the landscape at different times of the year:

There are not so few of them, they are presented below in the photo and differ in both color and height of leaves and inflorescences:

Little known in our country Moorhexe with stunning red accents:

The most common - with white variegation Varigata.

Molina caerulea 'Varigata'

Molina caerulea 'Varigata' - young shoots in spring

Molina caerulea 'Varigata'

Moliniya Windspiel is a monumental, powerful, large-scale variety. Rich foliage:

Molinia arundinacea Windspiel

The ‘Skyracer’ is the tallest variety of lightning, and it’s not for nothing that it bears that name. Wide inflorescences, the height of the stems can reach two and a half meters.

Molinia arundinacea Skyracer

Physostegia

The genus includes 3 species native to North America. Physostegia is a perennial herbaceous rhizome plant. The stems are straight. The foliage is oblong or lanceolate. Its flowers are collected in spike-shaped inflorescences. Coloring of flowers lilac, pink ...

Gardener's calendar for August

August 1 Continue loosening the soil, remove weeds, avoiding insemination. August 2 August is the month of mass ripening of berries, fruits and vegetables. The collection of apples and pears begins. August 3 Carry out the last fertilizing of flowering perennials with mineral fertilizers. August 4th For autumn use ...

Periwinkle, or its other name Vinca is a climbing or creeping groundcover of the Kutrovy family. The periwinkle grows very quickly in breadth, forming whole cushions of juicy bright greenery. The shiny leathery leaves of periwinkle can ...

Among the first spring-flowering plants, the Scylla or Scilla enchants with the touching tenderness of blue flowers. A fragile plant, making its way through the thawed soil, together with beautiful snowdrops, for which the spill is sometimes called "blue ...

Liatris got its name from the Greek words: "laios" means "smooth", and "iatros" - "doctor". Description There are over 20 species growing in North America.Perennial rhizome herb with branched or simple ...

Applying a zipper

Moliniya looks beautiful near shrubs or trees. Also very decorative in mixborders, in heather gardens or near lawns.

Moliniya is perfect for the coastal area of water bodies. The original shape of her bush and its inflorescences, swaying in the wind and resembling fountains, go well with the water surface. The lightning, illuminated by the sun, is very beautiful. Moliniya is picturesque in single plantings, as well as in small groups.

Cut stems are a good material for dry bouquets.

Paradissea

There are only two species in the genus, native to Tibet and Europe. In garden culture, only one species is used. Species and varieties of Paradisea lily grows in southern Europe in alpine meadows in the Alps, Pyrenees. Perennial ...

Monarda

Family: labiate. Form: herbaceous plant. Homeland of Monarda: North America. Description Monarda is a perennial plant, which is a beautiful dense bushes about 70 cm high. Stems are rigid, tetrahedral, hollow. The leaves of the monarda are oval-lanceolate, opposite, on small ...

cornflower

Cornflower flower is a plant for summer flower beds. Cold-resistant annual. Coloring - white, yellow, pink, red, blue, blue, purple. Flowering time - June - September. Breeders have turned the most common field weed into a colorful flower bed ...

Sedum (Sedum)

The genus includes up to 650 species, mainly distributed in the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Pubescent or glabrous with glandular or simple hairs, straight or ascending, sometimes forming mossy cushions or tussocks, annuals, herbaceous ...

Groundcover

Many growers take great pleasure in growing ground cover plants in their gardens, lovingly calling them "pillows", "rugs" or "mosses". Love for ground cover is understandable and very easily explainable, no effort to spend when growing ground cover ...