Levkoy or mattiola are once widespread flowers interspersed in the living borders of the royal gardens, aristocratic flower terraces and the front gardens of the common people. However, fashion - a lady not only changeable, but also walking in circles - the popularity of these colors is again beginning to gain strength.
Modern floral plants of this class owe their name to the Italian Pietro Mattioli, an outstanding botanist and court physician who was one of the leading European experts in herbs and ornamental flowers in the middle of the 16th century. It was thanks to his efforts that new species and varieties of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths appeared. Well, about Leukoi ... It is not known for certain who made the effort, but after a while, in memory of this outstanding scientist, in the code of international botanical nomenclature, these flowers changed their name from Leucoion (white violet) to Matthiola.
Currently 2 botanical species are cultivated - Levkoy or gray-haired matthiola (Matthiola Incana) and two-horned matthiola (Matthiola Bicornis).
Content
White Levkoy
More than 500 modern varieties of levkoe are unusually decorative in group plantings. Due to the wide range of growth and colors, they can be used to grow a multi-tiered composition in a flower bed, which will give fragrant pleasure from June to November, and in the southern regions during the winter months. Dwarf varieties will be a wonderful year-round decoration for any interior.
Description of the botanical species
Gray-haired Mattiola (Levkoy) is, as a rule, an annual, less often a perennial, with herbaceous, often lignified stems that can be simple or branched. Oblong-lanceolate, ovate leaves are arranged alternately, can be smooth or downy... Due to the variety of leaf colors - from rich light green to numerous deep dark shades with silvery fluff, the composition of levkoi will look 100% even in the middle of the day.
Gray-haired Mattiola blooms for a long time, throwing out several peduncles in turn. Erect racemose inflorescences of various shapes and densities, consisting of 10–100 flowers. The brushes, in group planting, are simple by 10-30%, the rest are decorative terry. Simple flowers consist of 4, and double flowers consist of a large number (up to 70) of simple petals. The color, size and shape of the brush are multivariate. The flowering of simple forms lasts 4–5, and of terry - up to 20 days. Only terry varieties have high aesthetic qualities.
Breeding features
No wonder the levkoi were so interested in botanists. Mattiola gray-haired is a unique plant with a very interesting way of reproduction. Though Levkoi reproduce by seeds, the main part of inflorescences is sterile due to defective double flowers - they do not have pistils and stamens. This sterility is characteristic of terry inflorescences. Only the flowering of simple 4-petal flowers ends in dry pods with bean-shaped seeds.
The method of "conception" is also interesting - self-pollination occurs in a closed young bud, and when it opens, a small horn is already sticking out against the background of a cross of 4 petals. Unlike other types of Matthiol, Levkoi retain very high seed germination (up to 6 years).
For self-preparation of seed, it is very important to maintain a balance between simple and terry levkoy - 10-30% to 90-70%. His carried out in 2 stages:
- At the stage of seed collection, simple forms will grow from even and dense pods, and terry pods will grow from twisted or short, blunt-pointed pods pressed to the stem. At the end of September, when the pods turn brown, it is necessary to pull out the whole plant and dry them in a ventilated area. After the pods are completely dry, break them off and shake out the seeds.
- When growing seedlings, place the plants for two days in a room with t 6–8 ℃. In terry plants, the cotyledon leaves will become light green, and in simple ones - dark green.
Sowing dates
When choosing a variety for cultivation, it must be remembered that Levkoi, depending on the length of the development cycle, are divided into 3 categories and require an individual approach.
| Variety category | Boarding time | Place of cultivation | The beginning of flowering |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer (var.annua) | March - April (seedlings), end of April (outdoors) | open ground | June July |
| Autumn (var.autumnalis) | late April - early May | open ground | end of summer |
| Winter (var.hibema) | June July | greenhouse, greenhouse, house | Spring |
Varieties of the autumn and winter category in the middle lane do not hibernate in the open field, therefore tall species are cultivated for forcing and for cutting, and undersized ones for home cultivation in pots. Levkoy, sown in open ground, blooms much later than seedlings.
Landing in open ground
For levkoy, loamy and sandy soils with slightly alkaline or neutral ph are ideal. The site must be well-lit and well-drained. To avoid cruciferous flea infestation, avoid areas where cruciferous plants were previously grown or before transplanting. treat the soil with Hom... By fulfilling these requirements, you will facilitate further plant care.
When sowing seeds in open ground, a little sand is poured into the shallow grooves. After the seeds sprout, thinning is necessary:
- At the stage of two cotyledonous leaves - the distance between the shoots should be 8-10 cm.
- In phase 4-5 of this sheet. As a result of the second (sometimes third) thinning, the distance between single-stemmed plants should be from 15 to 20 cm, and between branched or pyramidal plants more - 25-30 cm. Grown levkoi should not be "killed", they should be transplanted with an earthen lump to a free place ...
Seedling method
Before planting, levkoy seeds are soaked in water until they swell (about a day). Then, wrapped in a damp cloth, stratified for several days in the freezer. Shallow containers are required for germination with prepared soil mixture of turf and sand - 3: 1. It is impossible to take soil from the area where cruciferous plants grew - the seedlings will get sick with a keel or a black leg.
When planting, it is necessary to try to sow seeds sparsely and to a depth of no more than 0.5 cm. The box is covered with foil and placed in a dark place with t = 22-25 ℃. Seed germination is 4–5 days, possibly up to 2 weeks. As soon as the sprouts appear, the film must be removed and the box must be placed under a bright diffused light in a room with a low temperature of 10-12 ℃. The first watering of plants is carried out 2-3 days after germination.
After 10-12 days from the emergence of sprouts, the seedlings dive into cassettes with a soil mixture of sand (1), leafy soil (2) and turf (2). Do not pay attention to the fact that the plants did not have real leaves. During the pick, it is desirable strengthen the root system any modern means, and when the first two true leaves appear, feed it with a one-liter solution with microdoses: copper sulfate (0.3 g), manganese sulfate (0.3 g), zinc (0.1 g), boric acid (0 , 3d).
Two weeks before transplanting into open ground, they carry out, gradually increasing in time, hardening procedures.
Planting seedlings in the open should be carried out after May 15. You should not be afraid of recurrent frosts - Levkoi will perfectly tolerate such troubles. For better survival, young plants are planted in earthen holes, abundantly flooded with water. After filling the holes, the earth is carefully compacted. The interval between low-growing and single-stem plants is 15x15 or 20x20 cm; for tall and branched varieties - 25x25 or 30x30 cm.
Varieties
Anyone who wants to enjoy not only the smell, but also the beauty of the terry inflorescences will have a difficult choice. And here it is not only about the choice of plant growth or the color of leaves and flowers. Modern breeding also offers 8 different shapes of inflorescences.
Mattiola - the empress of the smells of unthinkable tones
Another variety of matthiola - two-horned, is grown not for "contemplation", but for "smell". Nondescript flowers blooming at dusk, delightfully fragrant from sunset to sunrise.
The selection of this species is aimed at improving and variety of aroma shades. Therefore, Matthiola is two-horned - it is, as a rule, strongly branched annual bush 40 to 50 cm high with linear green serrated leaves. The seeds form in a pod that ends in 2 horns. Seeds of horned levkoy remain viable for up to 3 years. The rules of planting and care do not differ from gray-haired mattiola.
Levkoy and Matthiola care
Night violets are not very moody, but still require proper and regular attention:
- balanced watering - carried out in a timely manner, since the flowers cannot stand waterlogging and drought;
- mineral fertilizing - in the spring, support with full mineral fertilizer is necessary, and during flowering - with potassium-phosphorus fertilizer.
- the fight against cruciferous flea - if detected, it is necessary to carry out 3-fold (with intervals of 4–5 days), thorough, from all sides, treatment of the leaves with a solution of ash or special insecticides;
- destruction of weeds and loosening of the soil - carried out after each rain or watering for full root "breathing";
- mulching - mattiols love such attention, especially in the heat, but perennial levkoy does not need it in the year of planting;
- preparation for winter - in the middle lane, the plants are pulled out, the site is dug up and fertilized, and in the southern regions the mattiola is cut to the level of the soil surface.
Before the onset of cold weather, mattiolu can be transplanted into a pot and continue growing at home. The beloved mattiola terry bush and its spicy aroma will delight you on long winter nights and will not require careful maintenance.
“I have come” - flies from elm to elm, and suddenly the sleepless smell of mattiol becomes heavy, as if reaching the highest phase. B. Pasternak.
