More recently, in almost every front garden you could find a reseda. True, recently she has become undeservedly forgotten. This unpretentious plant, which came to us from southern Europe, has almost 50 different species. Reseda odorata (Reseda odorata) is especially appreciated in landscape design for its beautiful leaf shape and unusual aroma.
Plant description
The flowering period lasts from early June until the onset of cold weather. In place of flowers in the lower part of the inflorescence, fruits are formed in the form of a single-nest box containing small seeds that retain germination for 3 years. Due to its unusual aroma of reseda, fragrant is an excellent honey plant. The aerial part is a small bush formed by ascending stems up to 50 cm long, covered with cirrus-separated or whole leaves of an elongated shape. The pyramidal type of inflorescence consists of small flowers that have a different color depending on the anthers - yellowish, greenish or orange.
Growing conditions
The landing area for the Reseda should be well-lit by the sun, although it tolerates partial shade quite well. Insufficient lighting does not affect the development of the plant, but can lead to a loss of compactness of shrubs and weaken the smell of reseda during the flowering period. The soil is necessary, enriched with slightly alkaline loams, in which sand, expanded clay, peat are added. If the soil is acidic, gardeners recommend adding dolomite flour or lime. When growing rezeda in pots, a clay soil mixture with the addition of peat is used.
Care Features
Like any perennial flower, reseda does not require special care. The main thing is to ensure regular watering and periodically loosen the topsoil as it dries. To flowering continued as long as possible, at least 2 times a week fertilize the plant with mineral fertilizers. For flowers grown in containers, this procedure is enough to carry out once every two weeks. The emergence of new inflorescences is facilitated by the timely removal of wilted flowers.
Reseda fragrant refers to plants that are not exposed to diseases. But the danger for her is the caterpillars of the butterfly of the whale. Various modern insecticides help to resist them.
Watering and feeding
This plant prefers abundant watering, so during hot summer days, the reseda should be watered as often as possible. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that the soil is not too wet, because excessive moisture can lead to rotting of the roots. From the moment when the first buds appear on the plant, and until the end of the flowering period, fertilizing with mineral fertilizers is performed.
Breeding Reseda
In March, seeds are planted in closed ground, in open - in early May. The soil mixture of turf, humus and sand is poured into the boxes, and the seeds of the plant are lightly sprinkled with soil after sowing. Two weeks later, shoots appear which, after the formation of the first pair of leaves, must be dived directly into the soil or peat pots. This must be done very carefully, because the core root of a reseda reacts very seriously to a transplant. A place for placing plants is better to choose a more shaded.
To bloom more abundantly, the tops of seedlings should be pinched over the 3rd pair of real leaves that have appeared. In the flower bed between plants, an interval of 20 to 25 cm is observed.
You can get fragrant flowers already in April, which are possessed by fragrant reseda. For this, plant cultivation should begin in July, when seeds are sown. By autumn, 3-4 seedlings are dived into pots, then transferred to a container of larger diameter, and pinch tops at a height of about 30 cm. Winter the plants are left in a room where there is enough light, at an air temperature of 6-8 degrees above zero. Watering is carried out as necessary and very carefully.
With the onset of spring, when the duration of daylight increases , one more transshipment is done to increase the feeding area. The emerging side shoots pinch, after which you can gradually increase the air temperature to 20 degrees Celsius. From this moment, fertilizing with complex fertilizers is performed once every 2 weeks.
Often scented reseda gives self-seeding. An open seed box allows ripening seeds to leave it very easily. Thanks to this method of propagation of varietal plants, splitting of characters can occur, and the plants will be heterogeneous.
Application Reseda
The plant got its name due to its healing properties, because the word resedare translates as "treat", "soothe". It has long been used in folk medicine. Today it is widely used in perfumery, giving women's perfumes the special aroma that these flowers possess. Fragrant Reseda is revered by beekeepers, as it is a magnificent honey plant.
The main characteristic of this plant is its wonderful aroma. Therefore, gardeners are trying to plant it near the benches, at the porch or arbor in such a way that any long-term flower, which turned out to be a neighbor of the reseda, does not interrupt its aroma. Garden partners among annuals may well be zinnia, marigolds, salvia and mimulus.
As a therapeutic agent, you can use all parts of the plant. It is enough to brew one tablespoon of raw water with boiling water, insist for an hour - and the perfect cold medicine is ready , which should be taken 3 times a day for a tablespoon.
Thus, scented reseda is a great choice for the garden.