Planting and caring for chickweed in the open field, the best varieties and growing from seeds
Gardens and flower beds are not always filled with exquisite exotic flowers, simplicity, endurance and unpretentiousness attract no less. Particularly noteworthy is the chickweed, planting and caring for this flower is within the power of even inexperienced gardeners. The plant is great for alpine slides and rock beds, thick leaves and fast growing shoots help fill the space and become an attractive backdrop for other crops.
Description and features
Yaskolka belongs to carnation flowers and has almost 200 varieties, some of which are annual, and some are perennial.
General characteristics of the varieties:
- The rhizome of the bush grows underground, releasing straight stems to the surface.
- Depending on the variety, the shoots are pubescent and bare.
- During the flowering period, it is covered with complex inflorescences of white flowers with yellow stamens.
- The fruits are represented by capsules in the form of a cylinder with small rounded seeds.
Growing seedlings
Growing chickweed from seeds by seedling is most often used by gardeners. This allows you to grow viable plants in comfortable conditions and place them in a permanent place in the garden when the soil is warmed up and the daylight hours are large enough.
Timing
At the beginning of March, containers and suitable soil are prepared for seedlings, which you can buy in a store or make yourself. Seeds are planted in March or early April, focusing on varietal requirements. Seedlings are planted in a permanent place in July.
How to plant
Drainage is placed in a container of a suitable size, which is covered with ordinary seedling potting soil. Seeds are scattered on the ground, sprinkled a little, covered with foil and exposed to the sun. A comfortable temperature for the emergence of sprouts is within 21-23 ° С.
Watering
Before the appearance of the first shoots, the seeds are watered once every 2-3 days.Yaskolka tolerates a lack of moisture, but you should not expose young shoots to drying out.
Loosening
The roots of the shrub are demanding on the constant access of oxygen, the soil must be good for air. For this, the earth must be periodically loosened. With regard to weed removal, the grass has little effect on the growth of the bush.
Picking
Diving seedlings is not a necessary requirement for growing chickens. The procedure is carried out if the seedlings have appeared very densely and there is not enough space for the free growth of plants. Upon reaching a height of 5 cm, the seedlings are divided by planting in separate containers or in a common container at a distance of 70 mm from neighboring ones.
Hardening
A few weeks before planting in the ground, the seedlings are prepared for changing conditions. Plants are taken outside in the daytime, gradually increasing the period. It is best to start with a half hour stay and continue until you reach full daylight hours.
Landing in open ground
Seedlings are planted in the ground as follows:
- The site is dug up 3 weeks before planting.
- Fertilizers are applied.
- Dig up again before planting.
- Seedlings are planted in separate holes.
- Water the plants.
When to plant
The grown seedlings are planted in flower beds in early July. Chickweed seeds can be planted directly in open ground. The plant is planted in April or October, depending on the variety.
Seat selection
Basic requirements for the place of cultivation:
- open sunny place, no shading;
- blowing winds are acceptable;
- the top of the hill fits well;
- low-lying areas are unsuitable.
When choosing a suitable place for planting, one should be guided by the characteristics of the variety in order to find conditions close to natural.
Soil requirements
Loose soil with high air and water permeability is suitable for chippings. According to the morphological composition, it is preferable to plant the plant in sand or sandy loam, in extreme cases, loam. The soil poor in microelements is fertilized with compost or humus in the amount of 6 kg per square meter. A third of the sand is added to the clay soil, and part of the peat is added to the rocky soil.
Landing scheme
The distance between individual plants is at least 30 cm. Perennial varieties grow in a circle 0.7 m from the center. A low-growing chick should not be planted near tall plants with active growth. In narrow flower beds, the flower is planted in one line at a distance of 20 cm. Single bushes are placed in the crevices of stones, between the brickwork.
Choice of neighbors
Large bulbous crops are planted next to a low shrub:
- tulips;
- daffodils;
- rhizome irises;
- lilies.
But the plant is not recommended to be grown together with muscari, crocuses and bulbous irises.
Care
Yaskolka is an unpretentious plant, easy to care for. With the right planting site, timely moderate watering is an important condition for its beautiful appearance and condition. Additionally, you can dig and fertilize the ground, prune and replant bushes.
Watering
Despite its high resistance to lack of moisture, the chickey needs regular watering. Especially if it grows on steep slopes or rocky surfaces. The amount of water depends on the weather conditions and the season, as the bushes can be watered less in spring and autumn.
Loosening and weeding
The root system of the bushes must be provided with a good flow of air and moisture. The soil must be periodically loosened, based on the density and degree of compaction. The plant does not need frequent weeding, but flowering occurs faster in clean soil.
Pruning
The sprawl is growing at a fairly rapid pace. Pruning the plant is required to regulate the appearance of the bushes. At the very beginning of spring, before the beginning of the growing season, old, dry and diseased shoots are removed.For single plants and groups, molding pruning is also carried out. At the end of flowering, the peduncles are cut off.
Top dressing
The chickweed grows well without additional feeding. When planting, the plant is fertilized with organic matter. And during the growing season, if necessary, apply complex mineral fertilizers.
Transfer
As the dry shoots are removed over the years, the yaskolka loses its decorative effect. For revival, the bushes must be transplanted at least 1 time in 4 years. When planting, humus or compost is reintroduced into the soil, and abundant watering is also carried out.
Preparing for winter
The shingle has a high degree of winter hardiness, but to prevent its freezing, it is recommended to prepare a shelter. It is best to use a covering material that is not too warm, such as lutrasil. Under natural shelters such as spruce branches, shrubs can rot. In regions with heavy snowfall and mild frosts, additional insulation is not required.
Diseases and pests
Good immunity allows the chickweed to avoid contracting dangerous diseases. When planted in a waterlogged, shaded area, the shoots can be infected with a fungal infection. And excessive watering and stagnant water often leads to root rot. Pests do not find this crop attractive, so insecticide prophylaxis is unnecessary.
Rejuvenation
Most varieties of chickweed are grown in one place for 5 years or longer. In order to preserve the lush crown, it is necessary to rejuvenate the plants at least once every 4 years. The bushes are planted in fresh soil, dividing the rhizome into smaller parts.
Reproduction
The chrysalis reproduces in various ways:
- seeds;
- dividing the bush;
- layering;
- dividing the rhizome.
Seeds
Seed propagation is natural for the plant, and if the peduncles and ripe fruits are not removed, then the shrub will grow by self-seeding. Collecting seeds for subsequent planting is ineffective, as the plant may lose varietal qualities. Chickweed, grown from seeds, blooms in the 2nd year.
By dividing the bush
The bushes are divided into parts mainly in the spring. In autumn, the procedure is carried out only in warm southern regions. The bush is dug up together with a lump of earth, divided into 2-3 parts. Each piece is planted in a new place and watered abundantly with water.
Layering or dividing rhizomes
Rhizomes are divided in early spring, when they have released small young shoots. The root is cut into pieces, leaving 2-3 points of growth at each. You don't have to dig up the entire bush. You can cut off a suitable shoot in June, before or immediately after flowering, and dig in in a new place, covering it with a transparent cap.
Kinds
Not all types of chickweed have decorative qualities, most are weeds and significantly interfere with the growth of other crops. In horticulture, several varieties are used with a long growing period.
Alpine
Alpine chippers traits:
- small growth up to 15 cm;
- large flowers, 20 mm each;
- small leaves with a silvery sheen;
- blooms in May;
- prone to freezing in mid-latitudes and farther north.
Bieberstein
The most common type of chive has its own characteristics:
- the plant reaches a height of 20 cm;
- narrow leaves are covered with fluff;
- large flowers up to 30 mm in diameter;
- flowering from late April to late May.
Felt
The main differences of this type:
- heavily pubescent leaves with silvery leaves;
- plant height 30 cm;
- grows quickly in a horizontal direction;
- flowers are small, no more than 10 mm;
- flowering period from May to June.
White
Features of the white yaskolka:
- bush height 20 cm;
- prefers sandy soils;
- has a strong winter hardiness.
Ural
A rare species listed in the Red Book and has differences:
- the height of the shoots is 8-25 cm;
- leaves are large, 8 cm long;
- dissected petals;
- loose turf.
Field
The field chimney is different:
- 40 cm high;
- long flowering within 16 weeks;
- strong natural endurance.
Large-flowered
Differences of this type:
- flowers 30 mm in diameter;
- bush height 20 cm;
- bloom in July and August.
Purple
Features of the purple splinter:
- flowering occurs in June;
- small leaves remain green even in winter;
- plant height 25 cm.
Snow-white
Special features of this species:
- high decorativeness of bushes without flowers;
- silvery shade of leaves;
- bloom from May to July.
Ordinary
Features of the common chickweed:
- the growth of bushes within 30 cm;
- grows in the wild;
- pubescent stems and leaves.
Silvery
This species is characterized by:
- rich silver color of shoots and leaves;
- flowering in early June;
- miniature flower sizes.
Soddy
Special features of the turfy chickweed:
- height within 8-30 cm;
- leaves 3 cm long;
- bloom from April to October.
Popular varieties
In garden plots, not many varieties of jaskolka are used. Preference is given to those that are best suited for a particular planting site.
Columnae
Features of the variety:
- height 10-15 cm;
- small oval leaves;
- flowering from May to June;
- high frost resistance.
Crystal waterfall
Varietal characteristics:
- the growth of bushes is 20 cm;
- flowering from May to July;
- flowers are located on short stems;
- leaves persist in winter.
Snow carpet
Special qualities of this variety:
- shoot height up to 20 cm;
- small sessile leaves;
- flowering 25-30 days in May-June;
- resistance to frost and drought.
Use in landscape design
The high decorativeness of the shingle is widely used in the design of garden plots and complex landscapes. The plant is used both to accent brighter colors and as turf coverings.
Alpine slides
When forming a colorful alpine slide, the best location of the jascol is at the bottom of the slope. The plant looks good at the foot and as a natural border.
Mixborders, mixed flower beds
In flower beds with different cultures, yaskolka is given a central place, surrounded by calendula or tulips. The border of such a flower bed is santbrinki. In mixborders, the plant is planted in the foreground.
Flowerbed-stream
Flexible shoots and active growth allow the chickweed to maintain the shape of brook beds, quickly filling the free space. The plant flows beautifully around trees, benches and road slabs.
Carpet landings
Yaskolka is an attractive ground cover crop that perfectly covers unattractive areas on the lawn. Plants grow rapidly and cover the area with a silvery white carpet.
Curbs, discounts
Chickweed looks good in narrow borders and narrow ridges. Low growth and short shoots serve as dense padding.
Support walls
The silvery color of the plants harmonizes well with stones and brickwork. The chimney goes well on the supporting walls with echium and sisyurinchium.
Terraced gardens
During the construction of terraces, chippers emphasize the structure of the levels. Plants create the effect of a snow-white cloud and retain the relief of the structure.
Color combinations
The chimney looks attractive with other colors. The neighborhood with daisies, daffodils, bells and stonecrops is best suited.
Analogs
Among the plants that can be used to replace chickweed, noteworthy are:
- false sedum;
- Delosperm Cooper;
- arabis;
- saxifrage Arends.
It is unlikely that at least one ornamental culture can qualitatively replace the lush blooming chickweed in dry areas with direct sunlight.
Beneficial features
In folk medicine, yaskolka is used for its sedative and anti-inflammatory qualities. The flowers of the plant serve as the basis for decoctions against vitamin deficiency, conjunctivitis, edema, dermatitis and digestive disorders. With caution, it is worth using the yaskolka for allergies and peptic ulcer diseases.
Reviews
Olga: “Yaskolka grows on my site without arranging drainage on a steep slope. The bushes overwintered there very well, but on a more level place they got wet ”.
Tatiana: “After the first wintering, our chickweed did not look particularly good, but it grew back and bloomed very luxuriantly. It is imperative to limit the bushes, as we have grown not only on the hill, but also on the path. "
