The garden plots of many gardeners are filled with a variety of garden plants that bloom with the appearance of spring heat until the very first frosts of autumn. Strict and graceful, multi-colored and one-color, they look great on alpine slides and ordinary flower beds. Each of these plants needs special care. Among this enormous variety of flowers, flowers from a large detachment of carnations, suitable for creating magnificent compositions in landscape design, deserve attention.
The article provides information on a grassy plant for open ground - sandy cloves.
Distribution and habitat
The European variety grows in Ciscaucasia, the European part of Russia and in Central Europe.
It prefers open pine forest sands, growing and developing abundantly in brighter places: in glades, edges, clearings and juniper wastelands, forming fairly dense communities (40 cm in diameter). Least of all they meet under a canopy of trees.
Sandy cloves, which will be discussed later, refers to the North European species. She prefers sandy places, meadows, dry forests and pine forests. You can meet it on poor soils along the coasts of rivers, rivers and tributaries. This plant does not like dampness.
General characteristics of the Mediterranean beauty
Garden clove is a perennial herbaceous plant, characterized by beautiful flowering and unique aroma. This unit consists of many types. Sand cloves stand out among them (the photo is presented in the article), cirrus, grass, lush grayish-blue, etc.
The knotty stem of this plant has a blue or light gray hue. Paired leaves are elongated, uniformly scattered along the entire length of the stem, which reaches a height of 40-60 cm. They form bushes having a rather underdeveloped root system with a depth of 10 to 20 centimeters. Flowers, depending on the variety, can be different in both color and shape. They can consist of one or more rows of petals with dissected or smooth oval edges. Corolla five-petalled. Inflorescences may differ and the length of the peduncle. Terry flower looks spectacular.
Inflorescences of cloves of the garden are of very different colors, and they can be both multicolor and monochromatic, but delicate pastel colors predominate. Among the varieties there are multicolor inflorescences that look very impressive on flower beds. In autumn, seed bolls filled with seeds form on plants.
Clove has many types and varieties with distinctive features and characteristics. Below is a more detailed description of the clove sand.
general description
This miniature plant is quite unpretentious. He has very beautiful cirrus-fringed flowers. Each stem, the height of which ranges from 10 to 30 centimeters, has several flowers.
The bushes of the plant easily tolerate the transplant.
Sandy cloves (photo and description are presented below) are widely used in landscape design when decorating borders, rock gardens, rocky sections and supporting walls.
Characteristics
- Perennials form dense turfs, leaves on shortened shoots are densely arranged.
- Narrow and linear leaves with a bluish tint are located on erect shoots.
- Fragrant flowers up to 3 centimeters in diameter have white or pink petals.
- Flowering occurs from July to September, reproduction is mainly carried out by seeds, but you can use the vegetative method (ineffective).
- A distinctive feature of sandy cloves is a flower whose petals are divided into filiform fractions, which are similar to a thread fringe.
- On the outside of the petals there are hairs and dots or one speck of green.
Rarely, but sometimes you can see the fruiting of cloves. This is due to the fact that not all insects can pollinate flowers of sandy cloves, but only long-coddled ones.
One of the most common varieties in floriculture is Nostalgie. This plant grows up to a height of 30 cm, the flowers are painted white. Fringed petals with yellow in the central part. In June-July - the most plentiful flowering time. The flower has a pleasant rich aroma.
Reproduction and cultivation of sandy cloves
Planting cloves with seeds should be after spring frosts. The best time is May. The distance between the seeds should be about 1 cm, and between the rows - 10 cm. Some gardeners sow in the winter (late October). Before planting, beds should be prepared in advance. The plant is transferred to a permanent place in early summer or early autumn, depending on the variety and natural characteristics of the region.
Before planting the seeds, stratification should be done by laying them in wet sand. You need to keep them in a warm room for about a week and about two weeks in the fresh cool air. Only after that they should be sown for growing seedlings. Growing cloves of sand from seeds is a simple process, but there are some nuances. If planting cloves is planned in late spring, then seeds for seedlings at home can be planted in early March.
The procedure for sowing seeds and growing seedlings
- Preparation of a mixture of sand, turf land, peat or any other nutrient soil.
- Annealing the prepared mixture to kill parasites.
- Planting seeds in a container with prepared soil and sprinkling them with a layer of sand a few millimeters thick.
- Creating a greenhouse effect (the pots are covered with a film in which holes are pierced for the passage of oxygen).
- Creating the optimum temperature for seed germination (approximately +18 degrees).
- Reducing the temperature to 12 degrees with the appearance of the first sprouts.
- Creating good lighting in the room (highlighting with a phytolamp and a fluorescent lamp will also be beneficial).
- Moderate watering (excess moisture can damage the plant with a black leg).
- Dive seedlings after the appearance of at least 2 leaves (distance between plants - 3 X 4 cm).
With the advent of April, plants should be moved to separate containers, leaving the root neck on the surface. When five leaves appear, the growth point is slightly nipped. From the same month, cloves should begin to harden, but be sure to protect them from drafts.
Care
Sandy cloves need special conditions for growing, which will require minimal care for the plant. As with most flowers and garden plants, for cloves, it is imperative to periodically weed weeds, and it is also necessary to water on time. During the period of active growth, fertilizers must be applied. As a top dressing, complex mineral fertilizers or humus are suitable. If there are varieties with long and thin stems, they should be tied.
Carnations love sunny areas, do not tolerate dampness and stagnation of water. They can grow on poor soils, but they feel better in fertilized areas with neutral acidity. To reduce acidity, dolomite flour can be added to the soil, saturating it with magnesium. It does not tolerate plants and heavy soil very well. To facilitate it, you can add river sand or peat, otherwise the clove will not bloom.
It is advisable to apply fertilizer before planting and during active growth. You should pay attention to the fact that chlorine is not part of the fertilizer, since it can destroy the plant.
Beneficial features
This plant has many beneficial properties. Sand cloves are used in folk medicine in the treatment of heart disease, as well as with dry cough and other colds. This plant is useful for bleeding.
Usually, the entire terrestrial part of the plant is used to prepare potions: leaves, stems, flowers. They need to be collected during the flowering period.
Of particular benefit is the oil contained inside the flower. Its main properties are antispasmodic, antibacterial. For the effective treatment of colds, inhalation can be done using a few drops of clove oil. Also, when applying a fleece soaked in oil to a diseased tooth and other sore spots, you can get an anesthetic effect. With problems with the gastrointestinal tract, with various skin diseases and with weak immunity, liver, clove oil can also provide effective help.
Finally
It is important to note that using cloves for consumption in food and for medicinal purposes is best in freshly dried form, since after prolonged storage the plant will acquire a rather unpleasant odor and all its beneficial properties are lost.
Cloves not only help to heal the body, but also decorate any house area. And even beginners in floriculture will be able to cope with its cultivation.