Today let's talk about such a cultural weed as verbascum
Indeed, this flower can grow completely independently in almost any conditions and at the same time please with beautiful blooms.
a brief description of
Verbascum, or mullein - It is a perennial plant, which belongs to the family of Norichnikova. The natural habitat is Mediterranean and moderate subtropics of Asia.
Did you know? The people are also called “bear ear”, “archer”, “royal scepter”.
Plant quite high - the upright stalk can grow up to 2 meters. The leaves are oval or oblong, covered, like the stems, with silver coating. The main advantage - flowers that are collected in a dense spike brush. They have an open wheel shape, consist of 5 petals. The colors are the most diverse: purple, yellow, brown, pink and white verbaskums are found. Flowering occurs from June to August. Fruits in the form of a spherical or oblong box with small seeds inside. The root system is powerful and rod-like.
Location selection
The plant is not demanding to the soil, it grows well even on low fertile soils. The only condition is to avoid landing on wet clay or loamy soils. Preference is better to give a well-lit areas, although mullein grows well in partial shade.
Important! Avoid direct sunlight. - the plant may burn.
Sowing seeds in open ground
Growing willows from seed is a fairly simple process. They are sown directly in open ground in May and June. To do this, you need to distribute the seeds on the bed in a chaotic manner, sprinkle the top with earth. After germination, they are thinned, leaving a space between the bushes of about 20 cm. In the first year, a rosette of large leaves is formed, and in the second, the plant produces a long flowering stem. With proper care in the second year, mullein will bloom.
Cultivation and care
Verbascum is an absolutely unpretentious plant that can grow like a weed, withstanding droughts and temperature drops with ease. Leaving mainly consists in loosening the soil and weeding from weeds. In case of severe drought, watering is necessary. Verbacum does not require compulsory feeding, but potash and phosphate fertilizers can be applied periodically.
Did you know? The flower of verbascoma opens in the morning, closes and falls in the evening. The next day, a new flower appears.
Disease and pest resistance
Gardeners love wearsaw and for its resistance to pests and diseases. Sometimes a gnawing insect can attack a flower. To combat them use insecticides.
To combat insect pests, use insecticides: Lepidocid, Kemifos, Aktofit, Omayt, Karbofos, Aktara and Fitoverm.
Winter hardiness
Due to the presence of fluffy spraying on the stems and leaves, welsbum perfectly tolerates the winter even without shelter. By the spring, after the snow melted, it immediately goes green.
Transplant basics
Despite its unpretentiousness, mullein negatively tolerates the transplant due to the core structure of the root. Therefore, initially it is necessary to carefully consider a place to land. Varietal specimens can be propagated using root cuttings. Do it in late autumn. To do this, you must carefully dig up the plant and cut the cuttings about 7 cm long. Then they are planted in pots with a mixture of leafy earth, sand and peat (2: 1: 1) and cleaned into the room until spring.
Important! Do not confuse the upper and lower parts of the cutting. To remember where the top is and where the bottom is, usually one of the slices is made straight and the second - oblique.
Combination with other plants
In flower beds, mullein co-exists well with melissa, stachis, delphinium, young, decorative cereals, stems, salvia, phloxes. In landscape design it is used to create hedges and screens.
As you can see, mullein very unpretentious plant in the cultivation and care. You can decorate your garden with this beautiful perennial with minimal effort.