Useful information

Time to sow biennials

Biennial plants in the first year of life form a rosette of leaves, overwinter, and in the second year they bloom, set seeds and die.

Few plants belong to this group, and this is a heterogeneous group. Among them there are typical biennials that complete their development cycle in 2 years (middle bell, lunaria, mallow), and perennials grown as biennials (daisy, forget-me-not, pansies, Turkish carnation). They do not die after the second year, but they lose their decorative effect and are partially thinned out. In the third year, many of them grow poorly, form small flowers, and often die altogether during wintering.

By flowering time, biennials are divided into spring (forget-me-not, daisy, pansies) and summer (foxglove, night violet, Turkish carnation, middle bell, lunaria, rose-stock). Biennials of spring flowering are especially appreciated in floriculture - they bloom when the range of flowering plants is poor - bulbous have faded, and the summer plants are far away.

Pansies, or Vitrokka violet

Under this name, many varieties and variety groups of complex hybrid origin, obtained as a result of multiple crossing of different species, are united. Plant height 15–30 cm. Flowers are single, five-petalled, of various colors: monochromatic, with an eye, two-tricolor. Modern hybrids have large flowers (up to 6–8 cm in diameter) and even pure colors. Violet blooms from May to August. The timing depends on the time of sowing the seeds.

Viola VitroccaViola Vitrocca

For early spring flowering, seeds are sown on ridges in the second half of June so that the plants develop well until autumn, but do not have time to bloom. Seedlings appear on 8-14 days, then the seedlings dive to a permanent place. The seeds of new large-flowered hybrids can be sown in January-February at home, and in May they can be planted in the ground, and in June the violets will bloom. The main feature of violets is that already flowering seedlings can be planted in the ground, and they take root well. The plant prefers sunny areas, it can bloom in partial shade, but it loses its brightness, the soil loves nutritious, loamy. Cold-resistant and moisture-loving plant. For lush and long flowering, regular feeding and watering are necessary. An ideal plant for flower beds, flower beds, garden pots and balconies, and if you plant seedlings in bloom, you can create a pattern on a flower bed or lawn from plants of different colors.

Carnation bearded, or Turkish

A perennial plant, but used as a biennial. Seeds are sown in early July, shoots appear in 10-12 days, after a few days they dive. In early August, small dense bushes develop, at this time the plants must be planted in a permanent place. Carnation bearded hibernates better if the plants are well developed after transplantation. The next year, in spring, straight knotty stems 40-50 cm high appear, ending in a dense corymbose inflorescence, consisting of many five-petal flowers. Flowers of bright clean color: white, pink, copper-red, burgundy or bicolor - with a peephole or border. Blooms in June.

Bearded carnationBearded carnation

Currently, many forms and varieties are known, there are simple and double varieties. With seed reproduction, the doubleness of the flower is not completely transferred, usually only half of the double varieties are obtained from the sowing of terry varieties. For the reproduction of terry varieties, it is necessary to use green cuttings, which are taken in June from biennial plants and rooted in shaded beds with constant moisture.

Turkish carnation is winter-hardy, grows well on loamy or sandy loam soils, in sunny places, but it also withstands partial shade. It blooms for 15–20 days. It reproduces well by self-seeding. The cut carnation will stand in the water for a long time.

Matron's party, hesperis, or Night violet

The plant got its name from the Greek word "hesperos", which means - evening. The flowers are fragrant, emitting a particularly strong aroma in the evening and at night. Hesperis is a perennial grown as a biennial, because in the third year, the plants bloom poorly and many die off. In the first year, a dense rosette of leaves is formed, in the second year the stem grows up to 80 cm, branched in the upper part, with numerous flowers in cylindrical racemes. The leaves are elongated, fleecy. The flowers are simple and double, lilac, lilac, white. Seeds are sown in June - early July, seedlings dive, in September they are planted in a permanent place. Plants bloom in June. Biennial plants produce many high quality seeds that ripen well and self-sow. If it is not limited, then the hesperis can take up the entire flower garden. The plant is unpretentious, frost-resistant, loves moist, loose nutritious soils containing lime, withstands partial shade.

Matron's partyMatron's party

Bell middle

This species is a typical biennial. Gives a good cut, stands in water for a long time. The stem is erect, well branched, forms a pyramidal bush, covered with stiff hairs, the leaves in the rosette are oval-lanceolate, the upper ones on the stem are narrow-lanceolate, stalk-embracing. The plant is vigorous, reaches a height of 70–90 cm. The flowers are blue, blue, pink, white, purple, large, collected in loose clusters. Blooms in June – July. Seeds are sown in June-early July, by autumn a rosette of leaves is formed, seedlings dive and in August are planted in a permanent place. Plants bloom in the 2nd year, bloom profusely, form seeds and die. Very rarely, plants give rise to shoots from the root collar, which overwinter and bloom in the 3rd year, but rather weakly. The bell loves sunny places, protected from the wind, the soil is nutritious, permeable, well-drained, in damp areas in winter the plant grows out.

Bell middleBell middle

Lunaria, or lunar coming to life

The stem is straight, slightly branched, 1 m high, covered with fine hairs. The upper leaves are oval, alternate. The lower ones, which make up the rosette, are petioled, opposite, cordate, serrated. The flowers are large, purple-red, collected in a simple panicle. Lunaria has very original fruits, which are rounded, scarious pods. The partitions in them are transparent, with a mother-of-pearl tint. After collapse of the pod valves, the septum remains. Dried stems with pods are dried and used to arrange dry bouquets. Lunaria seeds are sown in June and early July.

Lunar come to lifeLunar come to life

Seedlings need careful care, timely thinning, watering and regular loosening. The soil should be light, nutritious, and the place should be sunny. In August, the seedlings are planted in a permanent place, the plants bloom in June the next year. Light shelter is needed for the winter.

Holosteel poppy, or Siberian

This is a perennial plant, but in horticultural culture it is grown as a biennial. Poppy leaves are pinnately dissected, forming a basal rosette. Peduncles up to 50 cm in height. A flower with a diameter of 5 to 8 cm, one per stem, but many stems. The flowers are cheerful - yellow, white, orange, pink. Poppy blooms almost all summer. It reproduces easily by self-seeding. If you sow seeds in the ground in April-May, you can get flowering plants in August. When sown in late summer, the plants bloom in May of the following year. Can't stand a transplant. For long flowering, you should pick off the seed boxes. Grows well in moist soils, but the place should be sunny. It responds well to fertilizing with fertilizers.

Holosteel poppy

 

Mallow, or stock-rose pink

In the first year, the plant forms a powerful rosette of large rounded-toothed leaves. In the summer of the second year, a vigorous peduncle appears, which ends with a spike-shaped inflorescence of large, simple, semi-double or double sessile flowers of pink, purple, red-cherry, yellow, white flowers. Mallow propagates by seeds (self-seeding is possible), seeds are sown in May or June, seedlings, when the first true leaf appears, dive to a permanent place. Plants bloom in the 2nd year, in July – August, bloom for about 30 days. Flowers 8–10 cm in size, sometimes up to 90 flowers per peduncle.To obtain a lush flowering mallow, it is necessary to provide well-fertilized loamy or sandy loam soils, fertilizing with humus or compost is mandatory. In dry weather, frequent and abundant watering is necessary. For support, tall bushes should be tied to stakes.

HollyhockHollyhock

Perennial daisy

The plant is perennial, in culture it is grown as a biennial. The most abundant flowering occurs in the 2nd year. In the third year, the inflorescences become smaller, a significant part of the plants die. Daisy is an early flowering, unpretentious plant. In the first year, it develops a compact rosette of graceful leaves on petioles. In the second year, peduncles 15–20 cm high grow. The inflorescences are simple and double, white, pink, red. The diameter of inflorescences in small-flowered varieties is 2-3 cm, in large-flowered varieties - 4-4.5 cm. Seeds are sown in late June-early July, then dive and in August are planted in a permanent place. The daisy blooms early, in early May, and blooms for a long time. With the onset of hot and dry weather, the inflorescences become smaller and the flowering fades, but by autumn, during cool and wet weather, flowering begins again and can last until frost.

Perennial daisyPerennial daisy

Small-flowered varieties are more winter-hardy than large-flowered ones. On damp soils, the daisy can freeze out or undergo damping, so well-drained areas are chosen. It should be borne in mind that daisies retain leaves and buds in winter, therefore, on light sandy soils, daisies, especially double varieties, require light shelter. To obtain blooming daisies in the first year, the seeds are sown in March, in June they are planted in open ground and it blooms in July-August. During seed propagation, splitting occurs, some of the plants are not terry, therefore, to maintain terry, it is necessary to cut or divide the bushes. Flowering bushes in July are divided into 4-6 parts (the bush itself disintegrates easily), they all quickly take root and continue to bloom, but plants grown from seeds are more winter-hardy. With regular watering, daisies bloom profusely in the shade and sun. Lack of moisture weakens flowering, inflorescences become smaller and lose their doubleness. It is necessary to feed the plants with mineral fertilizers, as well as to remove faded inflorescences, this ensures a long and abundant flowering.

Forget-me-not hybrid

Forget-me-not hybrid

Little shard of blue sky! At the moment of mass flowering, the bush looks like a blue ball. The plant is 25–30 cm high, the leaves are light green, oblong-lanceolate, curl inflorescence with an abundance of small sky-blue flowers. But there are species with white and pink flowers. Seeds are sown in late June – early July in the ground, dive and leave until spring. In the spring they are seated in flower beds. It tolerates a transplant in a flowering state. Blooms from mid-May for 3-4 weeks. Forget-me-not multiplies well by self-seeding, I never sowed it on purpose, and it grows on our site in various places. Forget-me-nots need fertile, moist soil and a slightly shaded area. With a lack of moisture, it blooms poorly and gives seeds earlier.

Foxglove purple

In its shape, the flower resembles a thimble, hence the Russian name of the plant. Leaves, stems and roots are poisonous! Therefore, it should not be grown in areas where there are small children. Foxglove is a perennial plant grown as a biennial. In the first year, basal light green, large, oblong-oval, hairy leaves are formed from the seeds. The surface of the leaf is slightly wrinkled. In the second year, straight, unbranched, rigid stems appear, 1–1.5 m in height, bearing large drooping flowers in the upper part, collected in a one-sided spike. Irregular bell-shaped flowers - white, pink, red, purple, yellow with dark dots. The seeds are very small, they are sown in the ground in June-July and sprinkled with sand on top, the seedlings dive and in August are planted in a permanent place.Blooms the next year in July and blooms until September. Soils for planting need loose, fertile, permeable soil. In lighted places, the foxglove blooms better, although it also tolerates partial shade. With regular cutting of the flowering stems, new flower arrows are formed.

DigitalisDigitalis

Dear gardeners, do not forget about these modest, but such lovely and adorable biennial flowers, it is difficult to imagine our flower gardens without them.

"Ural gardener", No. 24, 2013

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