Reproduction of baptisia
To obtain a new generation of baptisias, it is best to use vegetative methods - separation or separation of basal shoots. But you can grow this perennial from seeds (however, the achievement of decorativeness of the bushes will have to wait for several years).
Baptisia seeds are sown immediately at the site of cultivation or on seedling beds only before winter. They need to be buried approximately 3 cm, and it is advisable to mulch the crops from above with leaves or peat, raking them off in early spring. Thinning is carried out as young baptisias grow.
It is possible to divide the bushes of adult baptisias both in the spring and immediately after flowering. To adapt parts of the bush, you need to provide maintenance watering after 2-3 days for several weeks or until growth resumes.
Using baptisia in garden decoration
Baptisia is most often used in the design of rockeries and alpine slides. Its high drought resistance, dense greenery and large size, natural beauty ideally emphasize the touching flowering of other crops for the rock garden, and the bluish bloom on the leaves interestingly echoes the stone rocks. Baptisia can serve as a visual peak of landscaping, create the most massive accents, serve as a basis, a background for compositions.
But don't limit its use in landscape design. The unpretentious and hardy baptisia will find a place in a flower garden as a background culture or textural partner, in mixborders in the middle and background, and in classic beddings. It is very good when planting on narrow flower beds, in ribbons and residual strips of soil near fences and buildings.
Baptisia looks great as a soloist. Its bushes are so dense, neat, almost perfect in shape that even single plants look very impressive.
It is a landscape plant that goes well with most classic landscape perennials. The most advantageous beauty of baptisia is emphasized by bells, monarda, anaphalis, coreopsis.
Baptisia is one of the best honey plants. It is often used in folk medicine as an antiseptic.
4. Reproduction
There are several methods of reproduction of hosts at once, each one is good in its own way. Most often, plants are propagated by division during transplantation - the bushes quickly adapt to new conditions and start growing.
You can also grow hosta from seeds, but there are a few subtleties. Firstly, during seed propagation, many plants lose varietal characteristics, only species-specific bushes fully retain their attractive appearance. Secondly, seed reproduction is suitable only for patient growers - small plants develop rather slowly. Another disadvantage is the low percentage of seed germination.
The advantage of this method is that a large number of plants can be obtained at once. Seed propagation is often used by breeders when developing new varieties of flowers.
4.1 Growing from seeds
Sowing seeds is carried out in mid-spring, at home, using special seedling boxes with transparent lids or small trays. At the bottom of the containers there should be holes for moisture drainage, and a drainage layer of expanded clay or broken brick should be laid.
The boxes are filled with nutritious soil with a loose texture - a mixture of peat and river sand, taken in equal proportions, is suitable. The soil surface is thoroughly moistened with warm water from a spray bottle and the seeds are sown.
Since the seeds are large enough, it is easy to distribute them evenly and leave a distance of 3-4 cm between them.From above, the planting material is covered with a layer of substrate about 1 cm thick and the soil is re-moistened. To maintain high air humidity, containers are closed with lids or tightened with transparent film.
Seedlings are removed in a warm and well-lit place without direct sun. Every day, the shelter is raised and the crops are aired, gradually increasing the airing time. With the appearance of the first shoots - within 2 - 3 weeks after sowing - the shelter is completely removed.
When each bush can boast 2 - 3 real leaves, a dive is carried out - the plants are transferred to separate pots along with a lump of earth at the root, trying to disturb the root system as little as possible.
A week after the dive, mineral fertilizers with a high nitrogen content can be applied for the first time, but they should be diluted to a very low concentration.
Sowing seeds can also be carried out directly in open ground - at the end of May or the first half of June.
4.2 sharing hosts
The most common way of breeding funky. The division of large adult plants allows you to get a sufficient amount of planting material and is very easy.
The division is carried out in early spring, with the formation of the first, tightly rolled leaves, or after flowering - in late summer or early autumn. Flowering specimens should not be subjected to the procedure - the formation of buds takes a lot of energy from the plants.
The bushes are dug out of the ground and the root system is shaken off the rest of the soil. You can divide the plants by simply pulling the stems in different directions at the base.
You should not divide the bushes into too many divisions - it is worth remembering that each part obtained as a result of division should have its own roots with 2 - 3 buds and several leaf plates, collected in 2 - 4 leaf rosettes. The smaller the division, the longer it will develop and the higher the probability of its death.
The root system should consist of long, elastic roots - rotten or dry areas should be trimmed to healthy tissue with sterile and sharpened pruning shears.
Too weak and small cuttings are usually planted in the garden and covered with cut plastic bottles on top - they create a greenhouse effect and help maintain high humidity. To reduce moisture loss, leaf blades from such plants can be cut to half their length.
4.3 Cuttings
In late spring or early summer, shoots with a heel are separated from adult plants. Rooting is carried out under a cover made of transparent plastic or film. The fact that the plants have started up young roots can be judged by the young leaves that have appeared.
Conditions Needed by Baptisia
Baptisias are used to growing in open, sunny areas. And the brighter illumination they receive, the more beautiful and longer they bloom, release denser and more beautiful foliage. This perennial will not die even in shading, but it achieves the greatest decorative effect in the bright sun.
It is easy to pick up the soil. Baptisia need dry, well-drained soils, loose and even loose in structure. The higher the fertility, the better, but in general the plant is not very clearly dependent on the nutritional value of the soil. Baptisia can even be settled on clay soil, provided that drainage is laid, but it feels best in the loose soil of rockeries and rock gardens, loose sandy stones and even sandy soil.
Specifications
The variety was bred in 1993, and already in 1999 "Caesar" received a silver medal in the annual Kortrijk competition, which takes place in Belgium. "Caesar" belongs to an extensive group of climbers, the bush grows up to 2 meters in height, and grows up to 2.5 m in width. The flower is valued for its highly decorative qualities. A mature, healthy bush blooms twice a season, the first flowering wave occurs in June, and the second in August.On one stem there are from 3 to 5 flowers, approximately 6-7 centimeters in diameter.
The buds are colored creamy pink. The opened flowers are thick, double, have many shades of pink, from light to dark tones. In the middle there are creamy petals, which gives the flower an eccentricity. Leaves are small in size, dark green, their number is moderate.
Interesting! The creamy color of the petals fades over time and turns white.
You can grow "Caesar" in the Rostov region, Krasnodar, Stavropol Territories, as well as in the Crimea and Astrakhan. The winter hardiness of the variety is average and this is not surprising, because it was bred in France, and there the climate is much milder than the Russian one. Plants can withstand frosts down to -20 degrees Celsius, but even when grown in southern regions, they require shelter for the winter. In the middle lane, it will be quite difficult for flowers to provide proper conditions and care, therefore, it is not recommended to grow them there. The variety is resistant to high air temperatures and drought. As for rainy weather, its flowers do not tolerate well. With high humidity, plants can be affected by fungal diseases.
For a rose of this variety, it is recommended to install supports, since the plant is quite powerful. Despite the excellent disease resistance, plants can sometimes be affected by various diseases. Regular care and adherence to cultivar farming will help to protect the bushes.
disadvantages
- Cultivation is recommended only in the south of the country.
- Rainy weather has a detrimental effect on plants.
- "Caesar" tolerates frosts only up to -20 degrees and needs shelter for the winter.
Reproduction
Karyopteris Kladonsky propagates in June by apical cuttings 8-12 cm long. Cuttings are placed in a solution that stimulates root formation for 15-20 minutes, and then planted in a mixture of sand and universal soil (1: 1).
Spray water and cover the pot with a transparent bag to maintain moisture, which is opened every day for 10 minutes to ventilate.
A month after rooting, young seedlings are transplanted into pots with a drainage layer and universal soil with the addition of perlite. Leave for the winter indoors at a temperature of 10-12 ° C. In the spring, at the end of April, the seedlings are transplanted into open ground.
Garden design suggestions
The bush is perfect for decorating rock gardens and rocky gardens, it is used in potted gardening.
Compact and small bushes look good along paths, low fences or lawns.
Planting with various perennial flowers creates beautiful compositions in the English or Mediterranean style.
For example, silvery cineraria, santolina, bright yellow ursinia, cat's paw, rudbeckia, fescue and other ornamental grasses effectively contrast with karyopteris. It goes well with walnut with low roses, phlox and majestic sedum.
Features of baptisia care
This culture really needs minimal maintenance. Baptisia in general do not need watering, no feeding, or even frequent pruning. If baptisia is planted in extremely depleted soils, then in adulthood it may experience a deterioration in flowering. In this case, at the beginning of the next season, in early spring, it is better to feed the plant with organic fertilizers, using them as mulch or embedding in the soil. If there is extreme heat during flowering, then to prolong it, it is better to carry out at least one watering.
In fact, all care for baptisia comes down to formation at a young age: regulating pruning is carried out on the plant in early spring, which sets the shape of the bush and the nature of growth. Adult Baptisia do not need formations, they themselves create dense, dense and squat curtains, more like pillows.
Baptisia does not need protection for the winter and grows well even without the slightest mulching in the middle lane.
This plant is also completely resistant to pests and diseases.
Description
A dwarf plant with a compact, rounded crown, it has a late, melliferous flowering that begins in late August and ends in October, highlighting the beauty of the autumn garden.
Karyopteris kladonsky
Thanks to the numerous fluffy, bright blue or blue inflorescences that form along the shoots, the plant is called the "bush of blue fog".
It is also worth paying attention to the leaves - oblong, jagged, green or silvery above and whitish below. Some hybrid varieties are characterized by a variegated color.
Leaves and young stems, when damaged, give off a pleasant aroma similar to eucalyptus.
Of the varietal forms, I would like to note: "Blue Fog", "Havenly Blue" with gray leaves, "Long Blue Forest", "The Dark Knight", "Pershore", "Janice", "Q Blue", "White Surprise" with white flowering , pink-flowering "Pink Chablis".
karyopteris "Havenly blue"
And also variegated varieties: "Summer sorbet" with lemon-green leaves, and "Worcester Gold" with golden foliage.
The underestimated beauty of a gigantic beauty
Baptisia is one of the most hardy perennials that can decorate the garden for decades to come. Reaching a height of at least 60 cm, this beauty most often produces candles of inflorescences up to 1.5-2 m, and according to this parameter is able to compete with any classic tall plant from loosestrife to ivan tea. At the same time, the height of baptisia directly depends on what kind of soil they grow in and what kind of lighting they receive. Gray shoots with dense, tripartite leaves of a bluish-gray hue, reaching 8 cm in length, form a very picturesque mass with a beautiful texture. The attractive foliage (and most importantly, the density of the sod) makes the baptisia look good all season, but it is especially effective during flowering, when the cushions of greenery are covered with a veil of gentle flowering.
Baptisias are often blamed for not very attractive blooms. But it simply cannot be called long-lasting, while it is hard to argue with the beauty of airy lace. Unusual flowers with a diameter of 3 cm and more are collected in airy, loose, very elegant clusters of inflorescences. The inflorescences themselves are slightly reminiscent of lupins, but more weightless in appearance, lacy and rare. In length, they reach 30 cm. Flowering lasts only 2-3 weeks, its timing varies depending on the weather and in a favorable climate, the period can be extended. The traditional term is June, but with very cold springs in regions with severe winters, baptisia may be late and bloom in July.
The color range of baptisia ranges from pure white to off-white, subtler and more saturated, but still natural shades of the blue and yellow spectrum.
General principles of care
Despite the fact that a plant with the right climate for it is able to withstand many diseases, it needs care. This unpretentious variety loves spacious areas when planting so that there is enough space for air circulation and successful growth of shoots. For each bush, breeders are advised to allocate at least 2.5-3 square meters of land. But that's not all. "Caesar" does not tolerate excess moisture near its root system, therefore, before planting this plant in your area, you need to know the depth of groundwater. Ideally, a rose needs groundwater to pass at a depth of at least two meters.
When choosing a place for planting a climbing rose, pay attention to the fact that other varieties of roses do not grow next to it, and the site is well lit by the sun's rays. The proximity of other varieties of roses and the close location of fruit bushes can increase the risk of infection with various diseases and the number of attacks by parasitic insects.
The best place to grow "Caesar" will be a small hill with a slope.This will provide the plant with the necessary outflow of excess moisture. In addition, it is worth remembering that this variety has a very well-developed root system, therefore it is not recommended to plant a plant near capital buildings. It is best to do this at a distance of 60-100 centimeters in order to allow the roots to form freely and get enough nutrients.
Due to the fact that the climbing rose "Caesar" is famous for its abundant flowering, each branch has a rather large load. Large double flowers contribute to the fact that the shoots bend under their weight to the ground. In this case, the decorative appearance of the bush may deteriorate noticeably, and the branches may break off. To avoid this, experts in the cultivation of roses advise creating supports for long shoots, with which you can not only weaken the weight load, but also form the direction of growth of the shoots.
After the roses have bloomed, you need to remove the broken and dead shoots. Branches that are older than three years are also subject to removal. The fact is that after 3 years few buds appear on the shoots, but they take nutrients from the plant, thus inhibiting the development and flowering of young branches. After such pruning in the spring, as a rule, a lot of young growth appears and the rose bush becomes very voluminous.
At the end of autumn, before the onset of the first frost, the rose needs to cover its shoots. At the same time, the props are removed, and the branches themselves are bent to the ground, covering them with spruce branches or special non-woven agrofibre. Sometimes a shelter is made around the bush in the form of a hut made of boards, which will keep the bush from wind and other damage.
Planting baptisia
Soil condition can be improved before planting by adding fresh organic fertilizers. Laying compost and manure prior to planting will ensure a lush bloom for years to come. But the main thing is to dig up the soil well before planting baptisia, because it does not like poor water permeability.
Baptisia bracts (Baptisia bracteata)
Baptisia is placed at a distance of about 50-60 cm from other crops, because over time the bush increases in diameter, but does not lose its shape beauty and does not creep chaotically. The planting holes are the simplest, in terms of the volume of the rhizome. On dense and clayey soils, it is better to lay drainage at the bottom. After planting, all Baptisia are provided with at least some maintenance watering.
