Platycodon: description and varieties, planting and care

Platycodon is one of the favorite plants of gardeners because it has an ideal shape and a bright appearance that does not leave anyone indifferent. This flower is unpretentious to grow, therefore it is ideal both for planting in garden plots and in pots. The varieties of this ornamental plant are represented not only by the classic blue color, but also by a variegated palette, which makes it possible to use it when creating an original landscape design.

Platycodon (Platycodon grandiflorus) is a perennial crop that belongs to the Kolokolchikov family. Gardeners often call it "shirokokolokolchik", as the flower has inflorescences of unusual beauty (bells). This plant is usually found in Siberia, the Far East, as well as Korea, Japan and China. The bell prefers to grow on the outskirts of forest belts, forest edges, and also loves rocky terrain (slopes). Unlike other decorative flowers, the culture has a completely bare stem, the height of which reaches from 40 to 120 cm, it is smooth, simple and straight.

The bell root is shaped like a white radish; it is fleshy inside. Leaflets are placed alternately or oppositely at the base. They have a light green color, a pointed tip and edges with blunt teeth. Bellflower inflorescences are highly branched. Their sizes can be different, from 10 to 25 cm in length and 8-10 cm in diameter. The most beautiful is the large-flowered Platycodon, its inflorescence color is usually white and blue.

The period of active flowering at the bells falls on the end of July or the beginning of August, after which upwardly protruding capsules with egg-shaped fruits are formed on the plant. Each box may contain several dozen black seeds.

Today, there are many ornamental varieties of Platycodon known, each of which differs in its color, bush height and leaf shape. Terry hybrids are considered the most popular for growing at home, since they can be used to create spectacular compositions in the garden. Breeders have also bred new varieties that amaze with their color.

The standard color of bells is blue. They look exquisite in the garden against the background of other ornamental plants. Common varieties of blue platycodons include the following.

• "Blues". Representatives of this species reach a height of up to 15 cm, so they are excellent for decorating rocky hills and rock garden. The flowers at the bells are large, there may be several of them in the inflorescence (from 1 to 3). They are painted white, and the veins give them a blue tint.

• Mariesii blue. The height of the plants of this variety does not exceed 0.35 m. These bells have a gorgeous appearance due to the delicate lavender shade of the inflorescences. Mariesi Blue can be grown both in open areas and in pots.

• Album. This is a tall plant that usually grows up to 80 cm. The bell has rather large flowers with a diameter of 8 cm. Ideal for creating group compositions in gardens.Looks beautiful with phlox and peonies.

• Fuji Blue. This platycodon has a height of up to 0.8 m. Recommended for single planting, which allows you to favorably emphasize its light lilac color. Easy to grow and highly resistant to disease.

• "Blue Lake". This is a short perennial that grows only up to 0.2 m. The inflorescences of the plant are distinguished by an unusual blue-violet shade. Most often, this variety is chosen to decorate rockeries and rock gardens.

The platycodon "Astra Blue", "Fiji" (a mixture of colors) and "Komachi" also deserve special attention.

Bells of a snow-white color are a real decoration of the garden plots - they look elegant and gentle. The following varieties are recommended for home planting.

• "Astra White". This is a new terry variety that is compact in size. The height of the bell stem does not exceed 20 cm. The plant is characterized by abundant flowering, which usually lasts about two months.

• Hakone White. The height of such a bell can be about 15 cm. It loves to grow in well-lit areas, but it also feels good in the shade. When planting this variety, it is important to consider that the plant is best placed in areas with moist soil, but without liquid stagnation. It is characterized by snow-white semi-double flowers, which are perfectly combined in landscape design with other ornamental plants.

In addition to the white and blue color, varieties of pink bells are also often found. They are ideal for creating miniature flower beds, and look gorgeous on window sills in pots. The following varieties are very popular among pink platycodons.

• Shell pink. It is considered a real miracle among all known hybrids, as it has a rare pink tint. The plant is compact and pleases with abundant flowering, which can last for several months. The flower is easy to grow and undemanding to care for.

• Pop Star Pink. This is a terry perennial, reaching a height of up to 20 cm. Its flowers are wide and large. They inflate at the beginning, turning into a full bowl, then turn into a star. "Pop Star" blooms throughout the summer, sometimes even before frost.

• Maser of Pearl. This variety is represented by tall shrubs that grow up to 0.6 m. The color of the inflorescences is pale pink. The plant is suitable for growing both in pots and in open areas.

Platycodon is usually grown by seed. This method can be used both for planting in the garden, when a flower bed is being formed, and for pots, which will serve as an original decor item in the interior of loggias and balconies. Since the seed has excellent germination, the seeds do not need to be soaked before sowing. At the same time, it is best to choose autumn for planting. This will allow the seeds to overwinter well and give the first shoots in May, which in a month can be planted in open ground.

In the first case, you need to do the following.

• The first step for planting is to choose an area with fertile soil, in which you can add a little sand. Then the soil must be loosened and the seeds must be carefully laid out in it, observing a distance of 2-3 cm between them.
• Then the place where the seeds are sown is sprinkled with a thin layer of river sand and watered with warm water from a spray bottle. Everything is covered with foil. It is important to ensure that the area is well lit by the sun. As the soil dries out, watering is necessary.
• After two weeks, the first shoots will appear. They need to be dived when three leaves are formed on the stems.Since young plants are very fragile, it is recommended to carry out all work on caring for them carefully, without damaging the stem.

In the event that the bells are planned to be planted in open ground from seedlings, then the following should be done.

• First, you need to water well the containers in which the seedlings were grown. The seedlings are very fragile and can be transferred to a new planting site only with a clod of earth, without injuring the root system.
• Then shallow pits are dug, corresponding to the size of the roots. A distance of 15-20 cm must be observed between the holes.
• The roots are carefully lowered into the planting hole, sprinkled with soil and lightly tamped. The plant loves abundant watering, so over time, the earth may sag and it will have to be filled up.
• Planting ends with mulching. The surface of the soil near the seedling is sprinkled with a fertile substrate and peat. So that the ornamental plant does not lose its varietal qualities, it should be transplanted to a new place every 5-6 years.

Platycodon is distinguished by its unpretentiousness in cultivation, since in the wild it is not spoiled by good weather conditions. But in order for a perennial bush to please with a lush color and not lose its decorative effect, it must be watered, fertilized and cut in a timely manner.

All varieties of bluebells tolerate drought well and are undemanding to frequent watering. If the summer is dry, then it is recommended to irrigate them. It is also necessary to control the level of soil moisture during the budding period. In all other cases, watering is carried out in moderation, with complete drying of the top layer of the soil.

Despite the fact that the perennial grows well in poor soils, this does not mean that it does not need to be fed at all. If the plant is planted in a garden with nutritious soil, then it is recommended to apply fertilizers only when the buds are forming.

The decorativeness of Platycodon can be lost over time, but if the plant is regularly pinched and treated with an agent that slows growth, then this can be avoided. It is recommended to prune bushes in spring and autumn, and if they are strongly extended in growth, then you need to tie the stems to the support. In addition, during pruning, it is necessary to promptly remove flowers that have withered.

Bellflower seedlings tolerate winter well, but in order to additionally protect them from severe cold weather, a number of measures should be taken to prepare for wintering. If the plant hibernates in the garden, then with the onset of cold weather its ground part is completely cut off. The flowerbed is mulched with peat, pine needles, dry leaves or hay. Watering the flowers should be stopped in the fall, since excess moisture will negatively affect the state of the root system, and it will begin to rot.

Platicodon is great for both gardening (outdoor) and potting. The indoor bell is just as undemanding to maintain as its counterparts that grow in flower beds. The only thing is that the flower needs to be planted in pots with good drainage and placed in a cool place. Watering is done in moderation. It needs to be increased only in warm seasons and hot days, in winter it must be reduced to a minimum. It is recommended to transplant indoor bells only in extreme cases, choosing for this the winter period, when the plant is at rest.

Most gardeners choose sowing seeds for indoor propagation of Platicodon. Some people prefer planting a flower from seedlings, for which the seeds are sown at the end of February.For this, seed is prepared by placing the seeds in gauze bags. They are placed in a large vessel filled with water and waited for several days. Then they are planted in large flowerpots or boxes filled with a mixture of fine sand, peat soil and humus.

The seeds should not be buried too deep in the ground; it is better to sprinkle them with a thin layer of sand. After that, the soil is moistened with warm water, and the container is covered with a film.

Today, there are several methods for breeding bells, with the generative method being especially popular. The seeds are sown in the prepared soil, then they are transplanted to another place without damaging the roots. You can also propagate the plant by cuttings, but this requires experience in gardening.

When Platycodon is grown in areas with sandy soil, it is also possible to reproduce it by dividing the bush. For this, the plant is carefully dug up, the root system is examined and the shoots with buds are looked for. They are carefully cut with a sharp knife. Places of cuts must be treated with ash or sulfur, then the cuttings obtained in this way are planted on the site.

The main advantage of bells is their high resistance to pests and diseases. Sometimes the plant can be subject to a disease such as gray rot. This happens when the bushes are grown in flower beds, in which the soil is rarely loosened. To avoid this, you should control the level of moisture in the soil and loosen it regularly. In addition, you can eradicate rot by treating the plant with special preparations, after removing diseased seedlings from the site. The treatment is repeated after 10 days using copper sulfate, Topsin or Fundazol.

As for pests, bells most often suffer from moles and mice, which gnaw at their roots. Each gardener has his own measures to combat these pests. Insects bypass this plant.

The popularity of platycodon is explained by the fact that this decorative flower looks gorgeous both in pots placed on window sills and in any garden landscape design, being an adornment of mixborders and flower beds. Since bells love shaded areas, they can be planted along houses and gazebos, creating interesting compositions with peonies and other perennials. To get a gorgeous flower bed, it is recommended to plant flowers of different shades on it - some of them will serve as the main background, and others as an additional color effect. For example, compositions created from platycodons, phloxes, adenophores, peonies and irises look original.

Bells are often used to decorate alpine hills, placing them on rocky hills. During the budding period, the plant will become an unusual addition to landscape design. You can also plant flowers next to vertical landscaping. In indoor conditions, the bells will be the subject of decor for balconies, loggias and terraces.

For information on how to grow Platycodon, see the next video.