There are no ugly flowers, however, among the bright variety that attracts the attention of individuals completely and completely, there are more modest ones that should be looked at, and only then they charm with their, at first glance, unpretentious and modest look. Digitalis, a herbaceous perennial plant, numbering about 25 species in its natural diversity, belongs to just such ones. Ten of them are used in cultural breeding. Digitalis homeland is North Africa, Europe and West Asia.
This is a fairly unpretentious photophilous plant, successfully tolerating shade, drought-resistant, cold-resistant. It prefers to grow in moist, well-warmed areas, and although digitalis is not demanding, in principle, to soils, the cultivation will be more successful on nutrient-rich, loose loamy soil with neutral acidity.
The plant owes its name to the structure of the flower, in the likeness of a thimble - bells of such varied color, called in Russia and thimble grass, and wolf digitalis, and forest bells, and even a wineglass, in addition to their decorativeness, also have medicinal properties during flowering. But the plant should be used for medicinal purposes very skillfully and in compliance with the exact dosage, since digitalis is a poisonous flower!
The plant has a wide range of rainbow colors with a variation of all shades, starting with white and ending with raspberry, as well as from cream tones to tan. The digitalis purpurea is particularly popular in decorative floriculture , which in a favorable light differs from its relatives (with a less bright color) and is able to win the heart literally at first glance at its pyramidal shape, decorative inflorescences with the presence of numerous flowers of raspberry, pink, cream, white color, having dark purple blotches located on the inside of the corolla. The species is grown as a biennial, for two years from July to September, abundant flowering continues.
How to grow digitalis?
- First of all, they prepare the soil as follows: dig it to a depth of 25-30 cm, make humus, in the case when the soil has a high acidity - make lime;
- Digitalis reproduction is carried out using seeds sown in cold greenhouses in May, without burying them in the ground, only slightly sprinkled with sand, since they are very small;
- emerging shoots cover from direct sunlight, watering very carefully;
- further, seedlings - young digitalis, the cultivation of which continues with subsequent diving into special beds, with the onset of August - they are determined for a permanent place, observing a distance of 30 x 40 cm when planting;
- for the winter, the resulting basal rosettes with rough, light green broad leaves are covered with branches;
- strong erect stems grow the next year and reach a height of 1.2 to 1.5 meters. Spike inflorescences are formed in the upper part of each of the stems. After flowering, which began in July and lasts until September, the plant dies.
In addition to seed propagation, adult digitalis, which is grown in other ways, can be divided into several smaller bushes. Reproduction by self-sowing is also possible, which, if necessary, easily breaks out, since the root system of this plant is not deepened, but is located almost on the surface.
Digitalis can be grown as a perennial plant if groundwater is not close to the surface and good drainage is provided, otherwise only as a biennial.
Digitalis (growing it) is an activity for people who want to decorate their site with constantly flowering plants, but do not have too much time for this.