All about monard double

Monarda is a popular plant in Europe and America, has high frost resistance and beautiful flowering. Many people like the aroma and the presence of essential oils in this plant. The variety of species and varieties attracts new fans.

Monarda double (lat.Monarda didyma) is a herbaceous perennial belonging to the family of lamines. For the first time, the plant was noticed in North America, where it was called Indian nettle. Then it spread to Europe and Asia. Monarda is called garden bergamot because of the similarity of aromas. It can be red, pink, purple, lilac.

The culture grows in height from 70 to 90 cm, has a long, straight rhizome. The stems of the plant are dense, straight, strong in structure, have a tetrahedral shape. The flowers of the monarda are small - up to 4 cm, collected in one (rarely several) inflorescence up to 8 cm in diameter, tubular-funnel-shaped and ragged. The shape of the leaves is lanceolate-oblong, serrated at the edges.

In the countries of Europe and America, work is underway to develop new decorative varieties of monarda double. Breeding work has led to the emergence of new varieties of this species.

The flowers of the variety are pink, bright red, with a lemon, mint, memorable aroma. An adult plant grows up to 80 cm in height.

The flowers are lilac, pink, crimson and red. Lemon-mint aroma. Stems of this variety are suitable for cutting, bouquets from Panorama stand in water for up to 20 days.

Refers to wild varieties. Popular in Europe, Central Asia and Central Russia. Lemon-mint aroma. Grows up to 1 meter in height. Suitable for creating bouquets.

Compact perennial with rich pink and purple hues. It is no more than 50 cm high. It has a scent of lemon, bergamot and mint.

A low-growing plant, reaches 40 cm in height. The flowers are pink and crimson.

Perennial undersized decorative pink variety with a height of 30 cm, bred in Germany. It is resistant to powdery mildew.

To grow monarda in open ground, you need to choose a well-lit place, protected from winds or with partial shade, you should not plant it completely in the shade. The plant is not demanding on the soil, however, soils with the presence of lime should be chosen.

You need to prepare the site for planting in the fall:

• dig up the area prepared for the monarda, remove all weeds;

• apply fertilizers in proportions per 1 sq. meter of land, 2 kilograms of manure with peat or compost;

• in the presence of acidification, add phosphorus - 50 grams, lime - 40 grams to the ground.

It should be planted in the spring, after the snow melts.

Planting monarda in open ground:

• choose a dry warm day;

• water the prepared area with a solution of a nitrogen-containing mixture - 40 grams per 1 sq. meter;

• mix the soil with the earth, loosen it;

• sprouts with three pairs of leaves are suitable for planting;

• seated at a distance of 60 cm from each other;

• then water liberally.

The monarda will begin to bloom in the year of planting, subject to proper agricultural technology and care, with other planting methods, flowering begins only after a year.

It is quite simple to breed a monarda on your own in a garden plot.The plant is grown vegetatively - by cuttings and dividing the bush, also grown using seeds and seedlings.

Reproduction by seedlings:

• seeds are sown in greenhouses in February-March to a depth of 0.5-1 cm in a prepared container;

• covered with a film, leaving a hole for air to enter;

• the temperature of the content should be at least 20 ° С;

• sprouts germinate in 15-20 days;

• when three pairs of leaves appear, pick the seedlings;

• seedlings in May are planted in open ground at a distance of 50 cm;

• make abundant watering;

• seedlings tolerate frosts down to –5 ° С;

• with this method, flowering begins in the current year.

Reproduction by seeds:

• seeds are sown in autumn or early spring in open ground;

• the soil for planting is prepared and fertilized, previously covered with a film to warm the earth;

• seeds are sown at a distance of 50 cm to a depth of 1 cm, and covered with a layer of sand mixed with earth;

• flowers will bloom with this method in a year.

Reproduction through seeds in some cases disposes the plant to loss of maternal characteristics, therefore, vegetative propagation methods are mainly used.

Reproduction by dividing the bush:

• the bush is divided every 3 years;

• for this they take a three-year-old bush from a specific variety;

• the bush is dug up in the autumn or spring, the roots are washed from the ground;

• the plant is divided so that a root with three shoots is present on the stem;

• after separation, the sections on the roots must be treated with activated carbon and planted in the prepared soil;

• rooting was successful if new shoots appear and begin to grow;

• the first bloom will be in the year of planting.

Propagation by cuttings:

• choose a new shoot of the current year with two pairs of leaves;

• a twig 15 cm long is cut off under the lower leaves;

• the lower leaves are cut off, the upper ones are cut in half;

• it is necessary to plant the cutting in a container with wet sand, cover and put in a place inaccessible to the sun;

• rooting occurs after 20 days;

• transplant to another place not earlier than August.

Monarda is famous for its good health, disease and pest resistance. The scent of the plant repels most insects. However, there are times when the bush can be attacked by pests or disease. In most cases, this happens with improper plant care.

Slugs can attack the plant in Asian countries and in Russia. To combat them, you need to carry out weeding on time, and avoid high humidity near the plant.

• Powdery mildew... The appearance of powdery spots, emitting a liquid similar to dew drops, premature fall of petals. The causes of the disease can be spores in irrigation water, high soil moisture, excess nitrogen fertilizers, and a small distance between the bushes. To eliminate the disease, it is necessary to replace nitrogen fertilizers with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, and also treat the plant with 1% Bordeaux mixture or the Acrobat preparation.

• Rust... The appearance of brown spots on the leaves, orange spores on the undersides of the leaves, yellowing and greenery falling off. The reason for this is excess moisture.

• Tobacco mosaic. Appears with improper agricultural technology. Seeds need to be pickled when planting, the cuts must be treated with activated carbon, garden tools must be treated with alcohol before use.

Monarda is one of the most beautiful and useful plants in the garden. It is unpretentious in care, it gets along with almost all flowering plants. Monarda not only decorates the garden, but is also a delicious and healthy ingredient for making tea.