Gardeners always strive to find the most beautiful flowers that would decorate their infield immediately after the snow melts. Unfortunately, in our country it is still quite rare to find such a primrose as a common cross. It begins to bloom, opening its bright buds when the last snow still covers the ground. You can learn about the cultivation of the common lumbago, planting and caring for it, as well as its use in landscape design, from this article.
Description
Previously, the area of "habitat" of this flower was the entire territory of Europe and Siberia. Now in nature it can be met quite rarely. For this reason, all 45 species of this plant were listed in the Red Book and are now protected by law. It is known that the cultivated type of flower has been growing in gardens since 1530.
Lumbago vulgaris is a perennial plant that has a fairly powerful and long oblique or vertical root system, which allows reliable fixation even on rocky slopes unsuitable for life. It is thanks to her that the flower is considered unpretentious in care, because for a long time it can do without water.
The plant has a slightly curved or erect stem, which is often covered with short whitish hairs. They make lumbago extremely winter-hardy, because it can survive even at -23 ⁰C. The height of the flower can reach 30 cm.
The leaves of the plant, collected in a rosette, are painted in bright green color and have a cirrus-dissected openwork shape. A compact plant consists of many-headed bushes, the diameter of which can reach up to half a meter. It has a large number of peduncles and openwork leaves that appear simultaneously with the first warming and the disappearance of the snow cover.
The flowering of the common lumbago mainly occurs in April. However, given the fact that the buds open gradually, this process can continue until June. Because of this feature, on the plant quite often you can see both the seed box and flowers. Single buds can grow up to 9 cm in diameter. The flowers are covered with hairs and have the shape of a bell. Their color can be different: white, red, purple, violet and purple. At the end of flowering, on the backache, fruits are formed in the form of nuts with long columns.
Forms
Lumbago vulgaris, or sleep-grass - this is perhaps the most common form of this culture in the vastness of our country. It has a wide variety of shapes and varieties. Any gardener will definitely find for himself that unusual and beautiful flower that he was looking for. The following forms of this plant exist:
- Rubra - varieties characterized by bright red flowers with large petals. All lumbago of this form are early.
- Amoena - plants that have large red flowers with a purple hue, sometimes becoming very dark.
- Alba is a form that includes all common lumbago, with snow-white petals. The flowers have the appearance of a bell and are covered with hairs, however, like their stems with leaves.
- Atrosanquinea - characterized by an unusual color of the petals, which can have different shades of dark red and even red-black colors. The heads of flowers are slightly drooping. The whole plant is decorative, including its leaves, which have a very delicate and delicate shape.
- Grandis - the diameter of the flowers of these plants can reach 8-9 cm.
- Violet - varieties of plants with beautiful petals that have purple and purple hues. The flowers are medium sized, covered with hairs on the outside.
Popular varieties
Here are just a few of the flower categories most loved by many gardeners:
- Papageno is a variety belonging to the Alba form. The snow-white flowers of this lumbago are quite large, their diameter is 7-8 cm. The volume gives them an unusual appearance of petals, slightly dissected at the tips.
- Mrs van der Elst - lumbago with large pale pink flowers.
- Pinwheel Dark Red Shadows - grows up to 30 cm in height. It is characterized by bright and very beautiful inflorescences having a reddish-violet hue. This early flowering plant is extremely resistant to low temperatures.
- Rote Glocke is a common lumbago variety whose flowers are very similar to tulips not only by the structure of inflorescences, but also by the fact that they also directly hold their head.
By purchasing several varieties of this plant at once, after 2-3 years there is an opportunity to get quite unusual hybrids, due to the fact that they are easily and quickly pollinated.
Seed propagation
Planting a lumbago ordinary and care for it can be carried out even by beginner gardeners. Plant seeds are most often sown in May or June immediately in open ground. However, there are varieties that are planted in the winter.
Adult plants, which are more than a year old, are difficult to tolerate both transplantation, and cuttings or division of rhizomes. Therefore, the best option for lumbago is still seed reproduction. Different varieties differ in terms of germination. In order to get healthy, strong seedlings, you need to use only freshly picked seeds. If they were stored for several years, it is better to stratify them by placing them in a cool place for two months.
The seedling method may well be suitable for growing the common lumbago from seeds, because in the first year the plant can still easily transfer the transplant. Before this, the seeds need to be wetted either in water or in a special amber solution. So they will germinate much faster. Seeds are sown in the ground from March to April. Seedlings are recommended to be replanted in the open ground only after the appearance of three full leaves, since it is believed that the root system has already been formed during this period.
Seat selection
This preparatory stage is considered almost the most important, since subsequently the plants can no longer be transplanted anywhere. Such grass, as an ordinary cross, loves sunny places or slightly shaded areas where the brightest flowers grow.
These plants are well suited areas with a small angle, for example, alpine slides. However, it is worth remembering that seedlings should be placed only on the south side. Also, this wonderful flower will feel great among the stones, in the rockeries.
It is very important that the soil does not retain moisture for a long time, but leaves it as quickly as possible. Therefore, experienced gardeners are advised to plant lumbago in areas with a slight slope.
Selection of seedlings
It is better to purchase seeds and seedlings in specialized retail outlets or nurseries, where really high-quality planting material is sold. In the process of buying seedlings, you need to make sure that their root system is closed. The fact is that it is extremely fragile and even the slightest damage to it will lead to the death of the plant. Therefore, seedlings with open roots are better not to take.
It is also necessary to carefully examine the upper part of the seedling for damage by pests or diseases. After the acquisition, a young plant of the common lumbago needs to be landed in the ground as soon as possible.
Land preparation
This flower can feel great on almost any type of soil, except for marshy and water-holding soils. If it is necessary to refine precisely such an unfavorable site, then it will be necessary to take care of the arrangement of good drainage in advance. Before you start planting the common lumbago, you need to dig the earth qualitatively and deeply, while adding mineral fertilizers and lime to it. Soil preparation in this way is necessary in the fall if planting is planned in the spring.
Lumbago will bloom brightly and abundantly even on poor soils if fertilizers are added to them. In the autumn, humus is buried in the ground. In the process of planting, mineral and nitrogen fertilizers are still added to it. In addition, potassium and phosphorus can also be added in spring and summer. Despite the fact that lumbago is a frost-resistant plant, its young seedlings are covered with winter spruce for the winter, and then with a layer of snow.
Landing
Before sowing seeds, it is necessary to make grooves in the soil no deeper than 2 cm. If planting is done in autumn, then the bed is covered with straw or lapnik just before the onset of cold weather.
In spring, lumbago seedlings are placed in the soil only after it has warmed up well. But before that you have to dig the landing pits. If you consider that the chamber is planted together with a lump of soil on the roots, then they should be quite deep. If necessary, a drainage layer is placed at the bottom of the pit.
Before removing seedlings from the soil, they need to be watered. Lumbago is taken out along with a lump, so as not to violate the integrity of the root system. Having placed the seedling in the pit, it is covered with soil and carefully crushed with his hands. After this, the plant is watered abundantly.
Care
To get a beautiful and lushly blooming backache, it is very important to know the simple rules of cultivation, watering, top dressing and mulching. Do not forget about the wintering of the plant.
Loosen the soil with great care so as not to damage the delicate roots. Mulching is done to prevent too much evaporation of moisture. Lumbago can easily tolerate drought, so the plant is watered infrequently and then only to prevent drying out. Young seedlings need a little more moisture, but do not fill in the flowers so that they do not get sick and die.
Using
The cultivation of the common lumbago as an ornamental plant is often used in landscape design. This flower fits perfectly into almost any composition. As mentioned earlier, the plant is well suited for alpine slides and rocky gardens.
The chamber will look harmoniously in the foreground of the flower beds. Also, this plant looks good in the vicinity of primrose, adonis, crocus and other perennial flowers. Lumbago can be planted both singly and in small groups against a green lawn, near small trees and shrubs.