All about phacelia tansy

Phacelia tansy is also often referred to as purple tansy. This herbal annual is considered a highly productive honey plant, which is especially appreciated by beekeepers. And the honey from these flowers is almost magical - surprisingly aromatic and healthy.

Phacelia is a garden annual and is most often grown as a honey plant, but this is not its only "specialization". It is also a cover plant and green manure. During its flowering, it is very decorative.

What else is worth mentioning in the description of the plant:

• phacelia is tall, grows up to 80 cm;

• its stems are green, in places there may be reddish blotches;

• stems covered with short hairs;

• the leaves have a strongly dissected, pinnate plate, their outlines are triangular;

• leaves help phacelia bushes look delicate;

• the inflorescence is a dense panicle, the flowers are tightly collected in it;

• the corolla of a plant is five-petal, funnel-shaped or bell-shaped, about 3 cm in diameter (or slightly less);

• the sepals of the phacelia are considerably pubescent, they tightly embrace the corolla tube;

• the plant has 5 long stamens with darkish anthers;

• the petals themselves are light purple in color, and may be purple;

• the fruit of the plant is represented by a nut (by the way, the seeds show germination for 4 years).

Phacelia can be safely called a decorative leafy specimen, it will also bloom: both characteristics are true. The culture looks good due to its lacy foliage, is distinguished by long flowering, and also abundant.

Phacelia blooms in 40 days from the moment of sowing, and blooms about the same amount. The honey obtained from the places where it blooms will be light and very fragrant, but the aroma is light and unobtrusive. In honeycombs, it does not have crystallization, but the present will be white.

Specifically, phacelia tansy (or as it is also called - Ryazan) is only one variety of phacelia. And there is also twisted, bell-shaped, silvery and silky.

What distinguishes the tansy variety:

• it is the most common;

• there is a bristly fluff on the surface of the stem, similar to a plaque;

• it is a versatile green manure plant that will grow well after anything (for example, mustard is more capricious in this sense);

• the variety grows well on any soil, but it will be especially good on acidic phacelia - or rather, it will be better for the soil with it, because it is this plant that will normalize the acidity of the earth;

• phacelia tansy enriches the soil with potassium and nitrogen;

• it is extremely hardy;

• this variety quickly grows green mass;

• this plant is also good for suppressing the growth of weeds.

In a word, this variety has a lot of advantages, it makes sense to grow it in your garden.

If the phacelia is supposed to be used exactly as a honey plant, or just a garden decor, you need to choose well-lit areas for planting. In shady areas, it will stretch a little, bloom worse. Actually, very dense plantings also lead to the same.

Because mowing will still happen before flowering. Yes, and it grows well anywhere: on loams, and on sandystones, and on peat bogs and, of course, on black soil.In the ground with a root, it grows 20 centimeters.

Correct seeding:

• in spring, you can do this immediately after the soil thaws, but you can safely sow phacelia throughout the summer season;

• the minimum possible temperature for seed germination will be + 3 ... 4 degrees, but it is better to carry out this at +10 degrees;

• you need to close the seed by a centimeter or a little more, up to 2 cm (if you sow deeper, germination will deteriorate significantly);

• if sowing takes place exactly like green manure, 150-200 g will take per hundred square meters;

• sowing is carried out directly on the beds;

• by the way, when the young flowers grow a little, you can make holes right between them (yes, inside the flower "carpet"), and plant cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini and cabbage in them;

• but after a week, the phacelia is usually mowed, left with mulch - but a week of joint growth gives vegetable seedlings protection from the wind, from night thermal shock.

If the purpose of sowing phacelia is honey harvest, it can be planted three times per season: in early spring, then 3 weeks after the starting planting, and at the same interval. Yes, it will be possible to organize continuous summer flowering, which is good in itself. If you want the plant to oppress the weeds, the planting step is 25 cm.

As for agricultural technology, phacelia is unpretentious here. The only thing she is really demanding for is the stagnation of water in the area. Therefore, on wet lands, it will grow poorly. And rainy days can interfere with plant germination.

The flower is propagated by seed. They are sown from early spring to late autumn, and shoots can be expected in 8 days, maximum 2 weeks. The distance between crops is not more than 20 cm... No other breeding methods are used. You need to remember that it is useless to store seeds for more than 4 years, they simply will not germinate.

In general, it is better to sow it with alfalfa, corn, and also sunflower. This is an excellent example for improving soil fertility. By the way, nitrogen-fixing bacteria are formed on the roots of the phacelia. And the roots, dying off, additionally loosen the soil. In a word, a very "working" plant with a decent list of useful properties.

Not only is it a super-resistant plant to pathogens, the phacelia is also an active rescuer for many crops. It is appropriate to sow it where aphid attacks are observed. Phacelia will attract aphidius, as well as hoverflies, which will not leave a chance to aphids.

Useful predators, attracted by the purple flower, will deal with berry bugs, golden-tailed bugs, and willow wolf-bugs. And also the plant - and this has been proven - produces phytoncides that inhibit the development of pathogenic flora (that is, bacteria and fungi). It is believed that this particular plant is capable of suppressing the development of wireworms, as well as root nematodes. This is why phacelia is often grown in rows between potatoes.

A wonderful phacelia, no matter how you look: and unpretentious, and beautiful, and useful, and melliferous. And everyone can be convinced of this!