Gentle Veronica - a plant that boasts a variety of attractive flowers, without requiring special care in return. Compact and durable, these colorful inflorescences hold onto a bush for a long period.
Many gardeners say that even despite the lack of top dressing, Veronica continues to bloom from year to year. Veronica’s peculiarities of the mysterious plant, planting and caring for this crop in the open field will be discussed in this article.
- Planting and breeding flowers Veronica
- Seeds
- Division bush
- Cuttings
- Where better to plant Veronica in the garden
- Partners for Veronica and use in landscape design
- How to care for a plant in the garden
- Possible difficulties in growing
Planting and breeding flowers Veronica
Veronica is usually propagated by three known methods: seeds, dividing the bush and cuttings. Each of these methods requires attention and compliance with the rules and a certain sequence. You can use any of the available methods.
Seeds
Consider the most common way of breeding Veronica - how to plant this culture with seeds. Propagation by seeds allows you to get a large number of plants.
It is desirable that the seeds are fresh, of good quality, healthy, genetically pure and, accordingly, have good germination. Before sowing, add a little water at room temperature.
Seeds are placed at a distance of 2 - 5 cm from each other, sprinkled with earth. Veronica requires sowing her seeds to a depth of about 3 cm. Next, we cover with plastic wrap or plastic lid.
Then closely monitor the soil moisture. The soil should in no case dry. Soil moisture is checked daily. To avoid the formation of fungi, make a few holes in the lid for air ventilation. The time of emergence of seedlings depends on the size of the seeds and the variety of Veronica.
Division bush
For flowers Veronica division of the bush includes the complete digging of the plant and its division into two or more parts. This practice is usually carried out by gardeners in order to keep the plants healthy and create additional stock.
Perennial flowers, such as Veronica, favorably tolerate such shock procedures.Veronica bushes divide every 4 years, or when the plants grow too much. Procedures are carried out in the fall.
Sharing a plant is easy: just dig the entire root, and then carefully divide it into several sections, depending on the size of the rhizome. You can cut the roots with a garden or old kitchen knife. After that, shake off the excess earth and remove all dead parts. Replant new young plants immediately into open soil or into large pots.
Cuttings
This method is most often used if they want to get homogeneous specimens of a plant, propagate and preserve their favorite species and varieties. In addition, when cutting, young seedlings bloom earlier than when grown by seeds.
Works are carried out in early spring.Several shoots are cut from the central stem of the plant. Cuttings should be cut with a sharp knife so as not to damage the tissue. The length of cuttings on average is about 5 - 10 cm.
Next, place the cuttings to a depth of 2 cm in pots with loose, moist soil (the best option would be a mixture of peat and sand). Cover the Veronica seedlings with plastic wrap or plastic lid and place for 6 weeks in a warm place.
Rooted cuttings are planted in pots. Pots should be in a bright, cool room. Keep out of direct sunlight. Plants need to be ventilated and watered periodically.
Within two weeks, young saplings form roots. It's time to take cover. Gradually accustom new plants to sunlight. With the onset of sustainable heat, in May or June, plants can already be transplanted into open ground to a permanent place.
Where better to plant Veronica in the garden
Veronica is an excellent plant, which is characterized by high efficiency in growing. Most varieties of Veronica are very hardy and meet the requirements of our climate zone.
Flowers like sunny places with partial shade. Therefore, for best results, plant them in a place where they will receive the morning sun and daytime shade.
Veronica is tolerant to a wide range of soil types, but thrives in moist, well-drained and acidic soil, which at the time of planting was enriched with a generous amount of compost or other organic matter.
The soil should be brought to normal water balance. If the soil is dry, the flowers of Veronica tend to wither quickly. But if you resume watering, plants can be quickly revived.
Partners for Veronica and use in landscape design
Veronica in landscape design can be used to design alpine slides, rockeries, flowerbeds and mixborders. This culture can give any landscape naturalness.
Shrubs look great near ponds, even the curb and other places perfectly adorn where not every garden plant takes root. In addition, the flowers of Veronica look great with partners such as Badan, Buzulnik and Highlander. A composition with a simple chamomile will also look harmonious.
How to care for a plant in the garden
The blooming period of Veronica is from June to the end of October. Plants can reach a height of about one to two meters. Care for perennial plants is quite easy: the requirements for the care of Veronica are minimal.
The only thing you need to remember - watch the soil moisture! Since the root system of Veronica leaves much to be desired,The plant responds well to the addition of clay to the soil and regular watering during a long drought (at least in the first season after planting).
Or try to increase the acidity of the soil to prevent rapid loss of moisture from the soil and control the growth of weeds. For top dressing of bushes you can use any recommended and commercially available fertilizers. Process immediately after the beginning of the growing season, then resume work in mid-May. Since the end of July, potash fertilizers have been used, which increases the frost resistance of the plant in the event of a long and cold winter.
Flowers Veronica should be reliably protected from exposure to cold and winds. For this purpose, the best air frame made from the branches of coniferous trees. Ensure the proper circulation of air to the plants and prevent the occurrence of fungal diseases.
Veronica does not require pruning, except for the removal of faded inflorescences and stalks damaged by frost or disease. Therefore, try to remove dried flowers or stems from time to time - thus you prolong the flowering season.
Possible difficulties in growing
Veronica flowers attract many butterflies, bees and other insects. But, fortunately, resistant perennials are immune to such threats and cope with them effectively. Veronica is also almost not affected by diseases and pests.
The only thing that threatens it is gray mold and powdery mildew (fungal diseases).
To fight these fungi, use chemicals (for example, Horus, Oxio, copper sulfate).
Or use biological analogues (Topsin, Fundazol, Falcon, Tekto), which will be non-toxic to humans and animals. To combat fungal diseases of plants in enclosed spaces, the use of biological preparations is more acceptable.
In addition, the bushes of Veronica are sometimes attacked by aphids and thrips. But if they do not meet in large numbers, you can be calm and not take any action. After 2-3 weeks, the plants independently cope with their natural enemies, there will be no trace of the pests.
Veronica seems to be a small and defenseless bush, but in reality it is a perennial with a very strong character.By planting Veronica's tubers in your garden, every year, from spring to autumn, you will enjoy this unpretentious and bright plant. The graceful flowers of Veronica will shine brightly in your garden in blue, pink and white.