For decorative bells common in gardens, growing and caring for them does not present any particular difficulties, since they are generally unpretentious and can adapt to different conditions existence. However, the large size of the buds, the preservation of decorativeness throughout the entire growing season, long and continuous flowering are possible only with the creation of optimal conditions for the crop and mandatory consideration of the characteristics of various types of agricultural technology.
Majority cultural species prefers open, well-lit places, but some, naturally growing in the forest belt, develop better in partial shade and even shade. At the same time, even light-loving varieties tolerate partial shade well and in such conditions bloom longer than in the open sun.
When choosing a place to plant bells, you need to take into account that the crop does not tolerate stagnation of rain or melt water; low areas with heavy clay or loamy soil are not suitable for it. The soil should be drained, loose, well fertilized, with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction. Certain species of rocky origin require poor soil with a slightly alkaline reaction, in which case it is preliminarily limed. To improve the structure of clay soils and loams, sand, weathered peat and a small amount of mineral fertilizers are added to them; leaf humus, turf soil or rotted compost are added to insufficiently nutritious sandy soils. It is not recommended to use fresh peat and manure, as this can provoke fungal diseases.
Planting and replanting of bushes is carried out in spring or autumn, this is done very carefully, with big lump soil, since there are numerous thin adventitious roots that can be easily damaged. Required for better survival abundant watering After transplanting, it is also recommended to pre-water the prepared holes. For varieties with powerful taproots (crowded, broad-leaved, etc.) optimal time planting is in early spring, and for crops with less developed roots, May is preferable, when the soil has already warmed up sufficiently. The timing of autumn planting should be chosen so that the bushes have time to take root before the onset of frost; it is best to carry out such work from the end of August to the beginning of September. There are species with a compact superficial root system that can be replanted even in a flowering state.
Among the care activities, bells require regular weeding and loosening, especially necessary in the first half of summer, before flowering, moderate watering in dry weather and regular feeding. At the beginning of the season, nitrogen is added, which promotes the growth of vegetative mass and early flowering, then, in the summer, complex or phosphorus fertilizers, and in the fall, potassium, which increases the winter hardiness of the crop. For species that prefer neutral and alkaline soil reactions, it is useful to add ash, which further reduces acidity. For fertilizing, you can use rotted manure or mineral fertilizers.
To increase the duration of flowering, it is recommended to regularly remove dried flowers. Only those from which they plan to obtain seeds are left, which are collected after browning, but before opening the capsules, in order to avoid self-seeding. In tall bells, faded shoots are completely cut off.
Most garden species are winter-hardy and do not need shelter, only a few that come from southern regions Europe and Asia, lightly sprinkled with dry leaves, peat or spruce branches. At the end of autumn, the stems of all species are cut off at the root.
Reproduction and cultivation of bells from seeds
The crop can be propagated by seeds and vegetatively; the methods of propagation of each specific species largely depend on its biological characteristics.
Reproduction of bells by growing from seeds is the most universal method, the only possible one, successfully used also for biennials and perennials. There are only a few exceptions, including double varieties, in which the seedlings may not repeat the characteristics of the parent plants, or the seeds may not set at all.
Sowing is done directly into the ground in the fall, usually in the second half of October, or in the spring, in May, or for seedlings - in March in boxes. When growing bells from seeds, use light, loose, breathable soil consisting of sand, turf or leaf soil and weathered peat. Organic fertilizers are not added.
The seeds of the bells are very small, so they are laid out directly on the surface of the soil, if necessary, only lightly sprinkled with sand. Seedlings germinate in two weeks; during autumn planting, 10-14 days after the ground thaws. Note that for many species, seeds germinate better after stratification; in this case, winter sowing is preferable.
After appearance of three seedlings dive into real leaves at a distance of 10x10 cm. In the garden on permanent place young plants are planted in early June. The seedlings bloom the next year. Almost all cultivated varieties self-sow.
Vegetative propagation methods are used for biennials and perennials. At the same time, perennial bells with a taproot or carpal root system are considered vegetatively immobile and are grown only from seeds. A number of species with short rhizomes belong to the category of vegetatively inactive; they can be divided and cuttings. Finally, the last group of plants, called vegetatively mobile, has long creeping rhizomes, and therefore can reproduce not only by seeds, division or cuttings, but also by root suckers, as well as segments of rhizomes.
The division of bushes can be carried out in the third - fifth, and for some species even in the second year of the growing season. To do this, large bushes are dug up and trimmed at the beginning of May or at the end of summer. aboveground part, divided with a sharp knife or shovel so that each division has a sufficient number of roots and several points of renewal, and immediately planted in a permanent place, not forgetting to water it abundantly.
When propagating by cuttings of rhizomes, the latter are dug up, divided into segments so that each has several renewal buds, and planted in the ground, making sure that the buds are at soil level.
Root suckers are separated from the mother bush and planted separately immediately in a permanent place.
Green cuttings are harvested from young growing basal or stem shoots, rooted using fog spray installations, in amateur floriculture - a simpler option, microgreenhouses.
For almost each of the cultivated types of bells, planting and care has a number of features that you need to know in order to provide them with optimal conditions for development. Let's look at the agricultural technology of some of the most common varieties in our gardens.
Carpathian bell: growing from seeds
Carpathian bell. Growing this low-growing species works well in sunny or semi-shaded areas and loose, drained soils of a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction with a moderate amount of nutrients. Too fertilized soil leads to reduced winter hardiness and rapid aging of bushes.
The advantages of culture include ease and ease of care. The Carpathian bell is drought-resistant and requires watering only in hot weather. The feeding regime is standard; nitrogen is applied in the spring, and complex mineral fertilizers are applied during flowering. The plant needs regular loosening and weeding. Flowering is abundant, lasting from June to September; to stimulate it, faded shoots are shortened by about a third; in October, the entire above-ground part is completely cut off.
The disadvantage of the culture is its fragility; bushes grow in one place for no more than two or three years, after which they usually freeze out, since renewal buds are brought to the surface. To preserve a flower, it needs to be divided every two to three years, preferably early spring, cuttings or re-sowing regularly. Reproduction of the Carpathian bell by growing from seeds makes it possible to get a lot at once planting material, his technique does not differ from the standard one described above.
Peach bell: growing from seeds
The peach-leaf bell belongs to the group of medium-sized species. The culture is very tolerant of lighting conditions and can grow both in the open sun and in the dense shade of trees, which is its undoubted advantage. It is also unpretentious to the composition of the soil; it develops well not only on sandy, but also on clay soils. The watering and fertilizing regime is the same as for the previous species.
Mandatory agricultural practices include loosening, since the crop does not tolerate stagnant water. Flowering time is more than 30 days starting from mid-June; to prolong it, it is necessary to regularly pinch off wilted flowers.
Growing bellflower is not particularly difficult, but the plant is short-lived, usually disappearing after two to three years, so it is recommended to renew it regularly. It is preferable to divide the bushes in early spring and replant them with a large lump of earth. The crop is easy to take cuttings; green and semi-lignified cuttings are taken from the middle part of the trunk and rooted in the sand. It is also possible to use root cuttings. The species is easily propagated by seeds, which are planted directly in the ground in May or for seedlings in March. The seedlings bloom within a year. It must be remembered that when grown from seeds, peach-leaved bells with double inflorescences, as well as varietal plants, do not inherit parental characteristics, so only natural forms can be propagated this way.
Growing bellflower
The dotted bell is a very decorative medium-sized (50-70 cm) plant. In nature, it lives in forests and bushes, so the agricultural technology for growing point bells is somewhat different from most other garden species. It is quite moisture-loving and requires regular moderate watering, grows well in partial shade.
Natural forms grow strongly and can fill a fairly large area. To limit the growth of a bush, you can use, for example, a plastic flowerpot. Varietal plants much less aggressive. The plant blooms in May-June, after which it loses its decorative effect and goes into a dormant state. Easily propagated by dividing clumps, root layering, natural forms - by seeds. Planting is done in early spring or after flowering, but this resilient species takes root well at any time of the year.
Bluebell crowded and its cultivation
The crowded bell is a low-growing (10-60 cm) perennial that is very unpretentious and unusually tenacious. It develops better in sunny areas, but tolerates partial shade well and requires loose, well-drained, nutrient-poor soil. It blooms for a long time, from July to September.
Growing crowded bellflower is not difficult, it is drought-resistant, has a compact, low-growing bush, only needs loosening and weeding, timely removal of faded shoots and regular renewal every three to four years. Numerous varieties Propagated exclusively vegetatively, by dividing the bush in early spring or by summer cuttings. It is better to use greenhouses for rooting cuttings. Only natural forms are propagated by seeds.
Bell (Campanula) is a herbaceous plant of the Campanaceae family, numbering 300 species, growing in countries with temperate climates. In culture there are annual, biennial and perennials. Among the wide variety of bells, there are both low-growing ones, only 10-15 cm, and tall ones, up to 2 meters in height. Plant height may vary depending on growing conditions, so it is not a characteristic feature for identifying the species.
The bell has erect, branched stems, which can be either pubescent or smooth, with alternate whole leaves. There are ampelous and groundcover types of bells with flexible, lodging shoots. In perennial and varietal biennial bells grown from seeds, flowering occurs in the second year.
The flowers of the bell are very beautiful, bell-shaped or star-shaped, white, blue, purple, pink, collected in racemes or paniculate, dense or loose inflorescences. Bellflower flowers contain large amounts of pollen and nectar, which attracts bees. The aroma of bluebell flowers is delicate, reminiscent of the aroma of a fragrant meadow or a shady forest edge.
After flowering, a fruit is formed - a capsule, which has a special structure. At the bottom of the box there are holes covered with flaps. When it is cloudy, the valves are closed, but in dry weather they open, and the seeds spill out and are carried by the wind. Seed color different types Bells can vary in color from milky white to dark red or brown.
The bell, in addition to the fact that its height changes depending on growing conditions, has one more feature: it can change the color of the corolla depending on air humidity. If the air humidity is high, the flowers become a little lighter, and this makes them seem more tender.
Light-loving bells, grow well in partial shade, some species even tolerate shade.
They are suitable for well-drained, non-acidic (or slightly acidic for some species), moderately moist, loose, nutritious soil. Bells can be planted in the ground and replanted in both spring and autumn. For garden growing Several of the most decorative types of bells are suitable.
Types of bells
Campanula ciliata (Campanula ciliate) — herbaceous perennial with a taproot, thickened root. The stems are slightly leafy, 7 - 15 cm high. There is one flower on the stem. The basal rosettes are formed by oblong, linear-lanceolate, serrated along the edges, leaves. The flower at the base of the calyx is slightly lighter, blue-violet, at the upper limbs of the corolla the color is more saturated, violet. As it fades, the flower becomes lighter and bluer. blue color. Blooms in June-July.
The ciliated bell prefers slightly alkaline or neutral, fertile, well-drained soils. If you use deep planting, the bluebell tolerates drought better, and the flowering time increases slightly.
It produces seeds, but their germination rate is low. The ciliated bell belongs to the highly decorative types of bells.
Bellflower (Campanula cochleariifolia) is a low herbaceous perennial, up to 15 cm in height, with very thin, thread-like, creeping stems, forming a dense turf. The leaves are small, elongated at the stem, semi-oval at the end, three-toothed at the edges, very decorative throughout the growing season until late autumn. Blooms white, blue, blue flowers, flower size up to 1 cm in diameter. The flowers of the bellflower are drooping, collected in small inflorescences. Flowering period: June - July. There are varieties, including those with white flowers. It looks good on an alpine hill, grows quickly, forms a continuous turf, and looks impressive during the flowering period.
Portenschlag's bell (Campanula portenschlagiana) is a perennial herbaceous evergreen ground cover plant up to 15 cm tall. When growing, it forms cushion-shaped thickets up to 30 cm wide. The leaves are round, serrated along the edges, ivy-shaped, evergreen. Star-shaped flowers of bright purple or lilac color, collected from small inflorescences at the ends of creeping shoots. It blooms from mid-June for a month. There are varieties.
Portenschlag's bell grows well in both sun and shade. Prefers alkaline or neutral, nutritious, well-drained soil. Does not tolerate clay soils at all. If the site has clay soil, you need to add sand and humus to make the soil moisture- and breathable.
Portenschlag's bell is propagated by seeds and vegetatively, preferably in spring, by pieces of shoots with roots. It overwinters without shelter, but does not tolerate stagnation of melt water and damps out, so for planting they use elevated places such as a rock garden or a retaining wall, or arrange good drainage.
Portenschlag's bell grows quickly and blooms profusely. It can be used not only on an alpine hill, but also in continuous plantings. In the rock garden it looks beautiful with phlox, carnation grass, fescue, geranium, sedum, and sedum.
Campanula garganica (Campanula garganica) is a perennial herbaceous plant, up to 15 cm in height, with fragile, creeping shoots, rising tops. Forms a low compact bush. The leaves are medium-sized, round, jagged along the edges, on petioles. The flowers are blue, fully open with outstretched petals, resembling stars, up to 4 cm in diameter. Flowering period is July. It blooms very profusely, during flowering the leaves are not even visible. There are varieties with pale blue, light lavender flowers.
Gargan bell is a very whimsical plant for the garden. Prefers only non-acidic, well-drained, nutritious soils, usually loams, and does not tolerate stagnation of thawed and waste water, does not grow in shade.
Propagated by pieces of rooted shoots in spring or late summer; if necessary, cuttings are grown in a greenhouse.
It is best to grow the Gargan bell in the summer in an alpine hill, borders, and flowerpots. For the winter, the bell can be transplanted into a pot and kept as a houseplant in winter.
Pozharsky's bell (Campanula poscharskyana) is a herbaceous perennial that can be used as a ground cover plant, as it forms cushion-shaped spreading thickets up to 20 cm high. The basal leaves of Pozharsky's bell are quite large, rounded, with jagged edges. During the growing season it forms long, up to 80 cm, creeping shoots. Star-shaped flowers up to 2.5 cm in diameter, blue, lavender, lilac, dark blue, collected in loose inflorescences up to 10-20 cm in diameter, located at the ends of the shoots.
Flowering period: July-August for 30-40 days. There are varieties.
Pozharsky's bell is very hardy, unpretentious and ornamental plant. Grows well in well-drained neutral and alkaline soils, prefers lacy partial shade.
It overwinters without additional shelter, as it can withstand frosts down to -40 o C. It is very easily propagated vegetatively, by cuttings of stems with roots in the spring and by seeds. Looks good on an alpine hill next to carnation, carnation, saxifrage, and subulate phlox. Pozharsky's bell can be used for carpet plantings.
Campanula rotundifolia (Campanula rotundifolia) is a widespread herbaceous perennial. The height of the plant varies from 10 to 60 centimeters. The rhizome is thin, creeping, branched. The bell received its name because its basal leaves have round shape. The stem leaves, like those of many bellflower species, are lanceolate. May have several stems.
In the round-leaved bell, the basal leaves dry out earlier, and the stem leaves, fresh and green, are perfectly preserved until autumn.
The flowers are small, blue, collected in paniculate inflorescences at the ends of the stems. There are garden varieties: velvety, garden, arctic.
Campanula equifolia (Campanula isophylla Moretti) - perennial herbaceous hanging plant with small, up to 30 cm, flexible, drooping stems. The leaves of Campanula equifolia are round, sometimes pubescent, light green or olive. The flowers are bell-shaped, up to 4 cm in diameter, white and blue. It is much less common to find a form with purple flowers. IN indoor floriculture Campanula equifolia is widely known by the names: groom - with blue flowers, and bride - with white flowers.
In the garden, the bellflower blooms all summer and during flowering it is completely covered with flowers. Very beautiful! To prevent flowering from weakening, you need to remove faded flowers in time and pinch shoots for better branching. It can be grown in hanging baskets, on retaining walls, or in rock gardens.
Campanula equifolia is light-loving; in the shade the shoots grow, flowering becomes less intense. Loves moisture. Tolerates summer temperature changes well, but open ground in our climatic conditions with cold winters it does not overwinter, so in the fall it needs to be transplanted into a pot and kept as a houseplant in the winter.
Bluebell Carpathian (Campanula carpatica) is a perennial herbaceous plant with branched stems 30-50 cm high. The basal heart-shaped-rounded leaves on long petioles are collected in a rosette. The flowers are large, blue and white, bell-shaped, up to 3 centimeters in diameter.
Flowering is long-lasting, from June to September. Carpathian bellflower reproduces well by seeds, dividing the bush and root suckers.
It grows very well in open areas and in partial shade, prefers fertile soils with the addition of peat and humus, and is frost-resistant. It can grow in one place for up to 5 years.
Carpathian bellflower is suitable for creating carpet plantings instead of lawn grasses, it can be planted in the border, it looks great on an alpine hill.
There are varieties. A very common variety of Carpathian bell, Gnome, is one of the most unpretentious. The height of the plant does not exceed 30 cm, the color of the flowers is white and blue, flowering is very long, from June to September.
Bell Takeshima (Campanula takesimana), Korean bell is a herbaceous perennial that forms low thickets up to 60 cm in height. The stems are creeping, with erect tips. The leaves are heart-shaped, with a wavy edge, on petioles. Blooms white, blue, pink simple or double flowers, up to 6-7 cm long, slightly drooping flowers, appear throughout the summer.
Takeshima bluebell develops better on loose fertile soils, both in sunny places and in partial shade. It grows very quickly and produces many lateral shoots that can be easily separated in spring or autumn.
Bluebell crowded (Campanula glomerata) is a perennial herbaceous plant with simple or weakly branched leafy shoots 30-60 centimeters high. The basal leaves of the bellflower are oblong, on long petioles, the upper ones are sessile, lanceolate, serrated along the edge.
The flowers are white, blue, dark purple, up to 2 cm in diameter, collected in capitate inflorescences of up to 20 pieces. Flowering period - June-July for 1-1.5 months. In the crowded bell, usually after flowering the basal rosettes along with the stems die off, but before that the root system manages to form many new rosettes, which is why it grows very quickly.
The crowded bell can be grown both in sunny places and in partial shade. Grows best in moist, nutritious, light sandy loam or medium loamy soils. The crowded bell is easily propagated by seeds, which can be sown before winter, as well as by separating young rosettes in spring or autumn.
Bellflower peach (Campanula persicifolia) is a perennial herbaceous plant. From a rosette of basal linear leaves grows a straight ribbed leafy stem 0.5 to 1 meter high. The stem leaves are narrow, lanceolate, shiny, serrated along the edges.
The peach-leaved bell blooms with white, blue, light purple, blue-violet single flowers or collected in a racemose loose inflorescence of 3-8 pieces. The flowers are quite large, double in varietal forms, with a diameter of 4 - 5 cm. There are varieties.
The peach-leaved bellflower blooms from June to September. After flowering, it is recommended to trim the flower stalks in order to encourage new flowering, and also to prevent the bluebell from spreading throughout the garden by self-sowing. The peach bell is completely unpretentious in care and grows well both in partial shade and in open sunny areas. Prefers well-drained soils.
In hot weather, watering is advisable. Overwinters without shelter. Propagates well both by seeds and by dividing the bush. Without division, it forms a large clump in 3-4 years, so its growth in the flower garden has to be limited.
Next to the peach-leaf bell in the flower garden, you can plant evening primrose, chistets, parsley, alpine aster, matricaria, cineraria.
Campanula nettlefolia (Campanula trachelium) - a plant up to 1 m high. It has a white, cord-like, deep-lying rhizome, spreading in different directions. Numerous erect, thick, ribbed stems, simple or branched, covered with stiff hairs. The leaves are very similar to nettle leaves and are also covered with hairs. Lower leaves ovoid, up to 10 cm in length, on long petioles, the middle ones are heart-shaped, on short petioles, the upper ones are oval-lanceolate, sessile. The flowers are white, blue, blue, violet, 1-3 each, located in the axils of the leaves, collected in a racemose inflorescence up to 45 cm long. Flowering period: late June - early August.
The nettle-leaved bell grows in open sunny places and can also withstand partial shade. It grows better in well-drained, nutritious, neutral or slightly alkaline soils.
During the dry season, the bell needs watering. After flowering it produces abundant self-seeding; the flower stalks are cut off immediately after flowering, otherwise it becomes a strong weed.
The nettle-leaved bell is propagated by seeds, dividing the bush, segments of rhizomes, root suckers, and green cuttings. Reproduction and transplantation can be carried out both in spring and autumn, in early September.
Preparing for winter. At the end of September - beginning of October, all bellflower stems are cut off at the root. It winters well without shelter. However, it should be remembered that it absolutely cannot tolerate stagnation of melt water during wintering: the roots rot and the rosette freezes.
Nettle-leaved bellflower is planted singly against the background of a lawn or in groups in mixborders, ridges, borders. In the flower garden it goes well with cornflower, cornflowers, delphinium, poppy, low ornamental grasses, daylily, foxglove, calendula, phlox.
Medium bell (Campanula medium) - herbaceous biennial, 0.5-1 meter high. The basal leaves are oval or lanceolate, the stem leaves are broadly lanceolate. The flowers are white, blue, pink, very large, up to 7 cm in length, very beautiful. The middle bell can be grown in the garden as a perennial due to natural renewal due to shedding and germinating seeds.
Medium bell, grown from seeds, blooms in the second year, blooming from June to September. For long flowering It is recommended to trim off faded flower stalks. The middle bell prefers bright places. The plant is moisture-loving, but on damp, poorly drained soils the rosette becomes wet and damp.
The middle bell is very common in garden floriculture; many varieties and varieties have been bred, differing in the doubleness of the flowers, the size of the overgrown calyx, and the dissection of the teeth.
Campanula lactiflora (Campanula lactiflora) is a tall perennial plant, the height of the stems varies greatly from 60 cm to 1.5 m, depending on both the variety and growing conditions. It has a taproot and a highly branched stem. The lower leaves are on short petioles, the upper ones are sessile, oblong, toothed. Thanks to its root system, it grows well on heavy loams, which makes it different from other types of bells. Numerous bell-shaped flowers, up to 3-4 cm in length, milky white, blue, light purple, lilac in color, collected in wide pyramidal inflorescences. There are up to hundreds of flowers in one inflorescence. Blooms profusely in June-July. There are varietal forms with flowers of different colors.
Campanula lactiflora prefers an open sunny place. It is propagated mainly by seeds, and the seeds are sown immediately in open ground in the main place, and then the seedlings are thinned out. This is due to the fact that the bellflower does not tolerate transplantation. Although the bellflower does not tolerate division well, if desired, it can still be propagated in the spring by small, 10-15 cm long, basal shoots-cuttings, which are first rooted in a greenhouse.
The bellflower milkflower grows in one place for 10-12 years, it is one of the longest-living representatives of the genus.
Preparing for winter. At the end of September, the stems are cut off and the root rosettes are sprinkled with leaves.
The article uses materials from https://ru.wikipedia.org, http://flower.onego.ru, http://www.plantopedia.ru
Image source www.plantarium.ru (Tatiana Vinokurova), www.biolib.cz: Michael Kesl, www.99roots.com, www.perryhillnurseries.co.uk, dic.academic.ru, http://tuinplantendepauw.be, www .pinterest.com, flickr.com: mr.bong.bing, Hans Hillewaert, Andreas Kay, naturgucker.de / enjoynature.net (2), NB Photos, Finn Jensen, 11299883, Peter Laughton (2), Amselchen, Stephen Rees , Marta, Rob (2), Ross Bayton, Nicholas Turland, Vojtěch Zavadil, John Weiser, equipaje, Tango, Zuzka Grujbárová, Native Sons Melissa G, Gebr. ten Have (5), John Weiser, Changxu Pang, eleonora mariotti, Robert Strusievicz, Janet Ulliott, BEARTOMCAT (Bear) (2), Cristina, ankiask. Francis Ackerley, JardinsLeeds (2), Ben Rushbrooke, Linda Daley, Florian Brault, Megan Hansen (2), jacki-dee (2), Ewa, Shawn Beelman, Valery Chernodedov, Chironius, Alan (2), Valleybrook Perennials, Shigemi. J, Michel Pierfitte, longk48, Takashi .M @Mon jardin (2), Winsors Farm, caroline, b1zarr0, angela garrod (3), Javier Pelayo, Peter Hegi, Angle Shades, gianna elena, tomokotouzaki tomokotouzaki, Süleyman Demir, Nobuhiro Suhara , ntson, Un jardí al riu Anoia, Debbie, Sylvi, Swaentje5, Van Swearingen, Michael Ruecker, Randal Atkinson, Dietmut Teijgeman-Hansen, Jean-Maurice Turgeon, fromseeds, mentos2
Bluebells are herbaceous plants whose flowers resemble bells. They can often be found in forests. Cultivated species are grown in the garden. Perennial bushes are easily propagated by dividing the rhizomes, but if there is nowhere to get your favorite plant, you can purchase seeds and grow seedlings.
Let's look at how to do this correctly.
Sowing bell seeds and growing seedlings, photo of the process for beginners
If you come across bluebell seeds in the fall, you can simply sow them in the ground before winter. They do not require special preparation; seedlings will appear in the spring. But the likelihood that small seeds will simply be drawn deep into the soil and will not sprout is very high. It's better to wait a little and grow seedlings.
In the first ten days of March they begin to work on seedlings. To do this, prepare the soil in advance. Use a loose, permeable substrate; suitable soil for flower seedlings. Also prepare a bowl; it should not be too big.
Step by step instructions for growing bells from seeds:
1. Fill the container with soil, compact it lightly, and moisten it well with a spray bottle. Leave overnight so that the moisture is well absorbed.
2. Distribute the seeds evenly over the surface, do not crush them with earth. Spray from a spray bottle. Cover the crops with film.
To germinate, bells need a temperature of +20 °C. The bowls are removed to a bright place. Shoots will appear in 2-3 weeks.
Caring for bluebell seedlings
Like any flower crop, the bell needs care. Tender sprouts are very fragile and can bend from drops of water, so water the plants in a tray or along the walls of a bowl. You can use spot watering, that is, water from a syringe into the gaps between the seedlings.
The bell is demanding of soil moisture. The soil should be damp, but in moderation. If you overdo it, the seedlings will get blackleg.
Grow seedlings on east window so that she has enough lighting. In the room, bowls are placed only with artificial lighting; without this, the seedlings stretch out. If the seedlings on the windows are stretched out, but their leaves are green and healthy, you can use a little trick and cover them with earth. This must be done very carefully so that the sprouts do not die. For this purpose, use a fine sieve and loose soil. Through a strainer, the soil is evenly distributed over the seedlings; after watering, it will fall on its own as needed. This method is used when growing seedlings from small seeds, which makes the sprouts more stable. You can add soil as the seedlings grow.
Bells bloom in the phase of the first true leaves. You can simply thin out the seedlings, leaving 1 plant per 10 cm of area, or plant them in separate containers. Beginners are advised to sow more seeds than needed and simply thin out the seedlings.
The seedlings are fed two weeks after picking, when they are fully adapted. Use liquid mineral fertilizer for flowering crops; its concentration is reduced so as not to burn tender seedlings.
Transplanting bells into the ground for further cultivation
Seedlings are transferred to unprotected soil on the first warm days, when the threat of night frosts has passed. But for this, plants are gradually accustomed to environment. Start hardening the seedlings after picking, open the windows for a short time, take them out into the air, and gradually increase the time. Before planting, leave the seedlings to ventilate overnight. When the seedlings are ready, they are transplanted.
The planting site is selected according to all cultural requirements. In their natural environment, bluebells prefer sparse lighting. In the garden they can be planted under young trees whose crown is not too dense. It is better to protect the plant from direct sunlight and drafts.
The soil for the bells is prepared in advance. They dig it up, add humus and sand. Ideally, the result should be loose, well-drained soil. You can use small stones, pebbles, etc. for drainage.
Advice! Do not apply before planting fresh manure or peat. These fertilizers promote fungal diseases.
There are no special secrets in planting and growing bells. Seedlings are planted depending on the variety. Tall varieties need a larger feeding area, so up to 50 cm is left between them. Medium-sized ones are planted at a distance of 25-30 cm, and 15 cm are left between low-growing varieties.
Caring for bells in open ground, replanting and crop diseases
Garden bells- rather unpretentious plants. They can be grown by a beginner or a busy person who wants to decorate a flower bed. IN special care bushes are not needed, standard procedures are enough:
Water as needed;
Weeding;
Feeding.
It is worth mentioning that bells are rarely watered, only in hot weather. In normal summer and spring, natural soil moisture is enough for them. All that remains is to remove the weeds in a timely manner so that the plants are not affected by diseases and pests.
The herbaceous shrub is fed twice a season: in early spring and in the first half of summer. In spring, nitrogen fertilizers are used to obtain good green mass. During the formation of buds, the plant is fed with potassium fertilizers. No more feeding is done. The bell blooms for a long time, but in order for the plant to remain decorative, dry bells must be removed in a timely manner.
Bells need to be replanted and propagated once every 3-5 years, unless the variety description says otherwise. There are species that need rejuvenation every 2 years. Transplantation and division of rhizomes is done either in early spring or autumn. The bush is dug up, cut into several parts and immediately planted in a new place. The cuttings cannot be stored; their roots are too thin.
Bells are very disease resistant. They are rarely affected by pests. The only thing that can destroy a bush is pathogenic microflora that accumulates in the soil. Therefore, plants need to be replanted according to a schedule. Among the pests, bells are annoyed by slugs, especially in rainy weather; loosen the soil more often, sprinkle the soil with ground red pepper or crushed shells. Slugs have a very vulnerable abdomen; they will not pass through such protection.
How a bell winters in the garden
As soon as the cold weather begins, the shoots of the plant need to be cut low. The herbaceous shrub tolerates frost well and can winter without shelter. But it is better to cover heat-loving varieties with dry leaves or spruce branches. IN northern regions covering the bushes is a necessary measure. It is best to mulch the bush with humus, a layer of at least 25 cm.
There are a lot of varieties of bells; they are grown to decorate gardens everywhere. Carefully study all the tips and recommendations to avoid mistakes and enjoy the long-awaited flowering.
Throughout many years bluebells are the favorite flowers of millions of gardeners middle zone. Cute and tender - can you imagine a summer flower garden without them? People affectionately call bells “bells”, “chenilles”, “chebotkas” - like a quiet chime in each name, do you hear?
The most popular among gardeners is a typical representative of the genus - the Carpathian bellflower, which is a dense perennial bush 25–30 cm high, blooming with large (up to 5 cm in diameter) funnel-shaped flowers, the color of which, depending on the variety, can be snow-white, purple, sky blue or bright blue. Matching the modest, exquisite beauty of the Carpathian bell is its meek, unpretentious character, thanks to which it is pleasant to grow and not at all difficult.
When to plant
Sowing Carpathian bell seeds can be done directly into the soil in the second ten days of May or at the end of October, before winter. However, only seedling method allows you to achieve flowering of seedlings already in the current season. Seeds for seedlings are sown in the first week of March, and the plant is planted in a permanent place of growth in late May–early June.
Growing seedlings
First of all, a nutritious, permeable substrate is prepared for Carpathian bell seedlings. To do this, mix turf soil (6 parts) with humus (3 parts), and coarse sand (1 part) is added as a leavening agent. For disinfection purposes, the resulting mixture is placed in a hot oven for 30–40 minutes or water bath. Culture seeds are not needed preliminary preparation, so sowing work will not take much time.
- A low bowl is filled with sterilized soil mixture.
- Bell seeds are scattered evenly over the ground surface, lightly pressed and sprayed warm water from a spray bottle.
- The crops are covered with glass or polyethylene and kept in light at a temperature of +18–22 °C.
The emergence of seedlings takes about 15–20 days. As soon as the first shoots appear from the ground, the shelter is removed and the bowl is removed from the direct rays of the sun. Caring for bellflower crops comes down to carrying out the procedures usual for any flower seedlings - the soil is watered as it dries and periodically carefully loosened. 3 weeks after emergence, when the seedlings develop their first true leaves, they are transplanted into a spacious container at intervals of 9–11 cm. 12–15 days after picking, feed the plant with a weakly concentrated solution of complete seedling fertilizer.
Location of the Carpathian bellflower on the site
As a “place of residence” for the light-loving Carpathian bell, they choose a sunny, draft-free place, located away from bushes and trees. The crop prefers loamy, well-drained soils with a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction.
When preparing the site, the soil is dug deeply and humus or garden compost is added. Pay attention! Do not use peat and fresh manure to nourish the soil - they can provoke infection of seedlings with harmful fungi.
Transplanting seedlings into open ground
Carpathian bell seedlings are planted in a permanent place of growth with a small lump of earth, keeping a distance of about 10–15 cm between the seedlings. The soil under the bushes is thoroughly compacted, watered abundantly with water heated in the sun and the soil under the plantings is mulched with a layer of humus.
Features of care
Unpretentious in maintenance, bells do not make high demands on environmental conditions, so caring for them will not be difficult for you.
- Water the plantings only during prolonged heat, spending 5–10 liters of water on each adult bush. After watering, the soil under the bells is loosened and weeded.
- The plants are fed twice a season - in early spring, nitrogen-containing fertilizer is applied while still in the snow, and at the beginning of budding the bushes will respond well to feeding with complex mineral fertilizer.
- To ensure the flowering of the Carpathian bell is abundant and long, regularly pick off the wilted inflorescences.
These simple activities will be enough for your pet. The Carpathian bell can grow comfortably in one place for 5-6 years.
Protection from diseases and pests
The owner of the Carpathian bell will not have to worry much about the health of the pet. The crop is not susceptible to pests and fungal infections, so high-quality care will be a reliable guarantee of the plant’s well-being. But! Over time, numerous pathogens accumulate in the soil under the bells that can destroy the bushes - sclerotinia, botrytis, fusarium. To prevent the massive development of harmful microorganisms, it is recommended to spray plantings in spring and autumn with a weak (2%) solution of the drug “Fundazol”.
In rainy years, the Carpathian bluebell can be annoyed by voracious slugs and slobbering pennies. Gastropods will have to be removed and destroyed manually, and the plants will have to be treated with hot pepper infusion. Slugs will not return if granulated superphosphate or dry mustard is scattered under the bushes. Garlic water helps a lot against slobbering pennies.
Popular varieties
The Carpathian bellflower has been known in garden culture since 1970. During this time, many promising varieties cultures, the best and which are recognized:
- Alba - amazingly beautiful snow-white flowers;
- Klip is a dwarf (up to 20 cm in height) plant, suitable for growing in the garden and on a home windowsill;
- Isabelle is a popular variety with bright sky blue flowers;
- White Star - bright white, very delicate bells;
- Celestina is a form of culture with bells the color of the spring sky;
- Karpatenkrone - lilac and pale lilac flowers;
- Blaumeise, Centon Joy, Riverslea - deep blue, amazingly beautiful bells.
Be sure to pay attention to hybrids with double flowers - they look amazing in the design of a flower garden.
Preparing for winter
In average climate Carpathian bell successfully winters without shelter. However, if weather forecasters predict a frosty winter with little snow, it would be advisable to insulate the plantings. To do this, the stem shoots of plants are cut off at the root and the flower garden is covered with fallen leaves or securely covered with spruce paws.
Reproduction methods
If you plan to expand the planting of your favorite plant, then at the end of the season do not forget to collect seeds for the next season. As soon as the boxes begin to turn brown, cut them off and ripen in a dry, ventilated place. Ripe seeds are scattered into small bags, labeled with the name of the variety and stored until next spring. In March, the seeds are put into the refrigerator for two months of stratification. In addition, you can sow seeds before winter, which is very convenient - the material is stratified into natural conditions and will delight you in the spring with friendly sprouts, which you just have to pick up.
The crop is propagated vegetatively by dividing the rhizome or by cuttings. In the first case, adult bushes that have reached the age of 3-4 years are dug up, shoots are cut and divided root system into several parts. The sections are treated with crushed coal, after which the sections are planted in separate holes. In April, bell cuttings are cut from young stems or root shoots and planted under a film for rooting.
Carpathian bellflower in landscape design
Suitable neighbors for cute bells would be equally unpretentious bright daisies, charming, fragrant alyssum, and lush aubrietta. The composition of multi-colored Carpathian bells looks incredibly attractive. In alpine hills, the culture is successfully combined with saxifrage, juvenilia, periwinkle, and sedum. When decorating a rockery, plant the Carpathian bell against a background of fescue, geranium, grass carnation, Iberis and subulate phlox.
Among the huge number of wild plants that people have long cultivated in their garden plots, the peach-leaved bellflower is very attractive. Even novice gardeners can grow this crop due to its unpretentiousness.
Description
This type of bell received its name due to the similarity of its leaves to peach leaves. They are narrow, elongated, dark green in color, with jagged edges. Peach-leaf bellflower is a perennial racemose-rooted plant found mainly in forest edges of Europe, Western Siberia and the Caucasus. A strong stem rising from a rosette of large leaves can reach 100 cm in height and ends in a one-sided inflorescence collected in a brush.
Flowers up to 4 cm in size have different colors depending on the variety - white, blue, light blue, purple. The flowering period begins in June and lasts almost all summer. By September, in place of the flowers, boxes with numerous seeds are formed.
Advantages of the bell
Many gardeners strive to grow peach-leaved bellflower on their plot, the description of which is given above. They are attracted not only by the beautiful and unique appearance this flower, but also its undeniable advantages. These include a fairly large variety of varieties, allowing the bell to be widely used as a single decorative element in the garden, and in various compositions.
This plant is very unpretentious, quite resistant to various natural phenomena. It can easily tolerate long-term droughts and prolonged rains, and can withstand nighttime drops in temperature and even slight frosts. It grows well in loamy soils, which most flowering garden plants cannot tolerate.
Choosing a landing site
Growing bellflower is not onerous. The main thing is to choose for him suitable place where the plant will be comfortable. This will minimize the effort required to care for it.
A site for planting this light-loving crop must be chosen that is well lit, but it is better if sun rays will fall on it only in the first half of the day, otherwise the flowering period will not be long.
The soil must be well developed. The peach-leaf bell feels good on loose loams enriched with humus. Stagnation of moisture in the soil is detrimental to this plant, so an elevated or well-drained area is most suitable.
Soil preparation
The soil for planting must be prepared in advance by digging the area to a depth of 30-40 cm. If the soil is heavy and clayey, then sand and peat are added to it. Loose and poor in composition soils are enriched with humus, turf soil and fertilizers are applied (per 1 square meter - 50 g of superphosphate and 30 g of potassium sulfate). You should be careful with fertilizer - its excess can negatively affect the winter hardiness of flowers.
Under no circumstances should you add fresh peat and manure as top dressing. This provokes the development of fungal diseases, which are then very difficult to get rid of.
Features of care
Despite the fact that the peach-leaf bell is not a fancy plant at all, planting and caring for it requires compliance with certain rules. Like any other garden culture, this flower needs watering, loosening the soil, removing weeds and fertilizing. Due to lack of moisture, the leaves may become smaller and flowering may stop. It is necessary to water the bell on hot and dry days, but in moderation.
To avoid stagnation of water, which this plant is so afraid of, and to ensure access of oxygen to the roots, it is necessary to systematically loosen the soil and remove weeds.
In the spring, when the snow melts, fertilize with nitrogen fertilizer, also adding additional humus or compost under each bush. During the budding period, complex mineral fertilizers are applied at the rate of 15 g per 1 sq. m. meter.
In order for the peach-leaved bell to delight with its abundant flowering for a long time, prune faded shoots by about one third. And in mid-autumn, the above-ground part of the plant is completely cut off and the surface of the soil is mulched with compost. Most of these colors are resistant to low temperatures and do not require shelter for the winter, with the exception of some southern varieties.
Growing from seeds
This plant propagates in different ways - by seeds, dividing the bush, cuttings. Vegetative method are used most often, but in order to improve the health of planting material, it is recommended to periodically grow peach bell from seeds. They are harvested in the fall, when the boxes ripen, acquiring a brown color, and mixed with sand. Seeds can be sown directly into the ground in autumn or spring. The emerging seedlings are then thinned out, and when the third true leaf appears, they are planted in a checkerboard pattern.
Growing seedlings
Seeds for seedlings are sown around mid-spring in greenhouses or in a container placed indoors. The soil for planting is prepared in advance from a mixture of turf soil, stale peat and river sand in equal parts. After some time, after about 12-15 days, when the peach leaf bell sprouts its first shoots, caring for it is not difficult.
The seedlings are watered through a strainer and the soil is loosened very carefully. Already at the end of May, when it is established warm weather, they can be dropped into the garden bed. And only in August are young plants planted in a permanent place. In this case, it is very important to maintain the interval between them - it should not be less than 30-40 cm.
By autumn, a rosette of leaves develops, and flowering can only be expected the next season. For the winter, the bell is covered with fallen leaves or peat with a layer of 10-15 cm.
Vegetative propagation
You can grow peach bells not only with the help of seeds. It can also be propagated by cuttings or dividing the bush. These methods allow you to preserve all the properties of the mother plants. Green lignified cuttings are cut in the spring, placed in a greenhouse, buried in the sand. Rooting occurs faster if conditions with high humidity are created, for this you can use a fogging installation. The next year, the plants are planted in a permanent place.
Bushes that are at least 3 years old are propagated by division. This is best done in the fall. Having dug up the plant along with a large lump of earth, cut off its above-ground part, and carefully divide the root system into several parts. Each division must have a sufficient volume of roots and regeneration points. New plants are planted immediately in a permanent place, watered abundantly with water. Planting peach bells by division helps preserve this crop for many years. Sometimes gardeners propagate bells using root cuttings.
If you transplant these plants into pots in the fall and place them in a cool room for the winter, where there is enough light, then in the spring they can bloom. To do this, in February, the flowers are moved to a warmer place and periodically sprayed and watered.
Diseases and pests
Bluebell peach leaf belongs to a group of plants that are quite resistant to various fungal diseases. But perennial cultivation leaving it in one place contributes to the accumulation of pathogenic microorganisms, which often lead to the death of the plant. The most common pathogens are botrytis fungus, fusarium and sclerotinia. Treatment of the soil and the plant itself with a solution of “Fundazol” helps in the fight against them. It is carried out twice - in spring and autumn. You can avoid fungal diseases if you replant flowers every 4-5 years to a new location.
Among insect pests, the most dangerous are slobbering pennies and slugs that attack the plant in wet weather. To destroy them, gardeners advise using superphosphate, scattering it near the base of the stem, as well as spraying with a decoction capsicum or garlic infusion.
If you follow all these simple recommendations, it can become a real decoration. garden plot such unpretentious flower, like peach-leaf bell (planting and care, photos of flowering plants and methods of propagation are given in this article).
Use in landscape design
The bell harmonizes perfectly with many garden plants- mallow, cloves, ferns, cosmos and others. It is suitable for both single and group plantings. Any peach-leaved bell - white, blue or purple - looks beautiful against a background of greenery. Being excellent honey plant, the bell will be useful in every garden. Bouquets of cut flowers retain their exquisite beauty for a very long time.