Verbeinik and its cultivation

Verbeynik is a plant that not everyone has heard of and can compare it with a willow by its name. The leaves of the herbaceous plant really look like the leaves of the willow (i.e. willow). True, it also has a scientific name - Lysimachia. Cyclamen and primrose are considered close relatives of loosestrife.

Verbeinik is a large and varied genus. Herbaceous primroses have found distribution throughout the world; loosestrife grows in China, the Caucasus, South Africa and North America. The plant can be both annual and perennial. And also erect and creeping, having different forms of leaves and inflorescences. There are varieties whose panicles are very lush, and there are those where the bud is single. Colors are limited to white, yellow and pink, others are very rare.

The verbeinik develops quickly, blooms for a long time, knows how to resist weeds, is resistant to pests, rarely gets sick. Just a gift, not a plant. If you choose this crop from the primrose family, the site will quickly transform, and the flowering will be long and really beautiful.

The loosestrife has more than a hundred species, this is a lot, but only the most common ones are worth considering in more detail.

• Ordinary. This culture has a straight stem, oval leaves, it grows up to a meter in height and blooms in late June. The flowers are very pyramid-like. The culture grows where the level of humidity is high, preferring shady places. As an ornamental plant that transforms the landscape, this species is remarkable. And he is also an excellent honey plant and medicinal raw materials (tones, knits, is considered a natural diuretic).

• Coin-shaped. Its height is no more than half a meter, the leaves are small, round, on low petioles. The flowers have a golden hue, bloom immediately in buds, without inflorescences. It grows mainly on moist soil, therefore, near the water, the monochromatic loosestrife can be found more often. Surprisingly, it can be both ampelous and ground cover.

• Point. This species is especially in demand among gardeners. It grows up to 80 cm, forming a shrub with a high density and bright green leaves. The flowers resemble bells, golden, with an orange core. Blooms in late June, flowering can last a month and a half.

• Cellular, or lily of the valley. Or just kizlyak. Not a very tall bush plant, but with an unusual structure. The top of the kizlyak stalk is decorated with star-shaped flowers, light, small. Prefers to grow in dry meadows.

• Ciliated. Its grade "Firecracker" is especially popular. Herbaceous perennial with large leaves that turn purple in good light. The flowers are small and inconspicuous, but still this type of lysimachia looks impressive.

• Cartilage. The bush has strong shoots with narrow-lanceolate leaves. Small flowers form fluffy inflorescences. In this erect species, flowering begins in late May - early June.

Any of the listed species will take root well in the garden. But you need to consider the requirements for planting and subsequent care.

It is good if the soil is moist enough, most species and varieties of plants prefer just such a soil. And also it is worth looking after the shaded area for the loosestrife. Almost all varieties take root well, grow quickly. Once every 2-3 years, the plant needs a transplant, usually done by dividing the root, because the method is simpler, affordable and predictable.

Other landing features.

• Clay and heavy earth is not a verdict for a plant at all. It, on the contrary, easily acclimatizes in it. The place for planting must be dug up, compost must be added, which binds moisture in the ground.
• In sandy and rocky soil, planting a loosestrife is not an idea. But if you have already planted it, you need to moisten it often and a lot.
• Since this culture is expansive (that is, it captures large areas), you need to think about a planting plan. The rhizomes of the plant should not invade adjacent beds. Experienced growers say that it is better to plant a loosestrife in pots with a remote bottom, or to limit the planting site.
• You can plant lysimachia near the lawn, just mow it regularly, shoots should not exceed 6 cm.
• Seedlings are planted from May to August - you need to either dig out young plants from the root growth, or plant purchased seedlings.

Probably the main (and, in fact, the only) disadvantage of a plant is its expansiveness. Therefore, the planting should not be uncontrolled, otherwise the loosestrife will simply drown out other decorative crops.

A flower growing in the open field must be properly watered, if necessary, feed it and organize it correctly for wintering.

As already noted, the loosestrife prefers moist soil. But if the drought is short-lived, nothing bad will happen - as soon as the rain passes, the plant will recover. On hot days, those flowers that grow in a sunny place need regular watering. Only this should be done not during the daytime, but in the morning or evening. Dry periods in autumn and spring will also be a reason to water the plant.

Lysimachia does not need special feeding according to the schedule. And sometimes it is not just meaningless, but even harmful. You can fertilize the soil 2 months before planting, just with standard digging. At the end of autumn, after flowering, a little humus can be introduced into the ground closer to wintering.

This plant will calmly survive the winter without shelter. Loosening the soil after adding humus, mulching with peat is all that is needed. In this case, the previous actions of the owners of the site are important. For example, cropping. It should be annual. The first time the shoots need to be cut off when the loosestrife has faded, the second time - on the eve of wintering. It turns out that the first pruning will happen in the summer, usually in August. Before wintering, it is important to cut off the entire above-ground part of the bush, the remaining stump should be no higher than 5 cm.

If you decide to transplant the plant, you can feed it with complex fertilizer at the same time. As already noted, you can transplant the loosestrife in the country every season.

Vegetative methods are much more attractive - dividing the bush and cuttings will show higher productivity. A perennial will give many shoots and branches, they almost always take root easily, quickly begin to bloom, and do not cause further problems in growing.

How exactly the loosestrife reproduces.

• Seeds. Sowing will be in late autumn or early next season. Before sowing, the seeds must be stratified - mixed with wet sand, sent to the vegetable section of the refrigerator for a month and a half.But stratification is needed only in spring, autumn planting presupposes that the seeds will be hardened already in the ground. A pick occurs after the appearance of two or three pairs of true leaves. If it is decided to grow the seedlings indoors, the box with young seedlings must be covered with glass or foil; for germination, the temperature must be maintained around 15 degrees. The loosestrife grows well in a mixture of garden soil with teaspoons of peat and sand.

• By dividing the roots. In the third year of life, the plant already has enough shoots so that the division of the roots does not injure it. You can divide it in autumn or early spring. It is necessary to dig out the mother bush, separate the shoots, plant in another place prepared for this. If each seedling has developed roots and 2-3 young shoots, it will be successful to propagate the plant.

• By cuttings and layering. To cut loosestrife, you need to cut the shoots, put them in the water until the roots appear. Cuttings up to 20 cm long, cut from the top of the stems during autumn pruning. But you can also use the formed layers (each must have growth points). Cuttings with roots are sent to the nursery, and in the spring they can be planted directly on the flower beds, after which the ground must be fertilized and watered. The plant will bloom next year.

Usually there are no problems with the reproduction of lysimachia.

The immunity of this culture is enviable, it very rarely gets sick and is under attack by pests. She has no specific diseases at all. Someone to be wary of are aphids and slugs. But insecticides usually cope with this scourge calmly.

Greening the territory, quickly making a flowering corner out of an empty place - this is the purpose for which a loosestrife (and it is also called meadow tea) is usually planted on the site. In mixborders, this herb can be an excellent element that sets the dynamics of the entire floral arrangement. The loosestrife will look good on alpine slides, in rockeries. Since many plant species prefer to be near the water, they are cultivated near artificial ponds in the garden. And there the blooming loosestrife looks amazing, creates just fabulous views.

This plant has almost no flaws, and therefore it is suitable for those gardeners who are still inexperienced and afraid to grow crops with a list of requirements and nuances in cultivation. Verbeynik will only help you to feel like a confident summer resident faster, and it will also grow quickly, and you will not have to wait for flowering for several seasons.