I became acquainted with Levkoy while reading the works of Russian classics. Remember, it was described there as in evening time The leaves in the garden smell fragrant. They seemed wonderful and exotic plants. Now I can't imagine that country cottage area can do without these charming fragrant flowers.
We have them growing in several places: near the gazebo, near the porch and along the path. Every year I plant only a few specimens, but even they are enough for the breeze to carry a wonderful sweet aroma in the evening and at night.
If you've never planted flowers that have a scent, try growing gillyflowers. I will describe the sequence of planting and caring for them in the open ground. It's not difficult at all.
The name “levkoy” took root in the Russian language; many people call the flower matthiola. This is a herbaceous flowering plant of the cruciferous family, with a height of 20 to 80 centimeters. The stems are erect, pubescent, the leaves are elongated oval or lanceolate.
The inflorescence of gillyflower is a raceme or spikelet with many flowers. Individual baskets can be simple or terry, large or small. Both regular and double flowers can be located on one plant at once. Multi-layered shaggy varieties look most decorative. They are large and bloom longer.
Important feature! Double flowers have non-germinating, sterile seeds. Therefore, buy the varieties you like every year in the store and plant them on your site.
When the simple flowers dry out, pods with flat, round seeds remain in their place. They can be collected and planted. Lighter seeds with irregular outlines will produce double blooms, while dark ones are “simples.”
The colors of the flowers are varied: pink, lilac, red, white, blue, purple. Mixed shades are also available for sale.
Planting by seeds
Levy grass is propagated from seeds by direct sowing in open ground or through seedlings. They can be planted in summer, autumn and winter.
Growing by seedlings
In the middle zone, of course, it is better to use this method of reproduction. In order for the plant to bloom as early as possible, I prefer to cultivate it through seedlings. This is also more reliable - if for some reason the seeds do not sprout, you can plant others a little later, or directly into the ground.
So, the planting time at home is the end of February or March, but you can move the date two weeks later. On bright, warm window sills and in heated greenhouses, feel free to plant seedlings in February to get early spring flowering.
- I soak and disinfect the seeds in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 10-20 minutes;
- I wash it and place it in a loose cloth (gauze, bandage), which I place in a dry place for several hours. a large number of water;
- After this, I harden the seeds on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for a couple of hours;
- I fill the containers (there are holes at the bottom) with loose soil, it should contain sand, leaf and turf soil, or purchased soil what will be best;
- I moisten the surface and spread the seeds (distance 1-3 cm), sprinkle with earth;
- I always cover any seedlings with film so that they germinate faster, the same here;
- I put it on a warm windowsill, where there is a lot of light, periodically ventilate and moisten the plantings;
- When shoots appear (after 5-15 days), we remove the shelter.
When the seedlings sprout evenly and form two or more true leaves, we dive them into individual cups. I pre-water the seedlings, and then quickly place the seedlings in a new container, trying to disturb the tap root as little as possible. I press the soil around the stem and water it with water.
Before planting seedlings in open ground, I harden the seedlings by taking them out onto the veranda for the daytime. I do this 2 weeks before street work.
Important! Levkoi, prepared for new cool conditions, adapt faster, take root better and bloom more amicably.
The best days for planting are selected based on climatic conditions. End of May or beginning of June – optimal time. These flowers can withstand a slight cold snap, but it is advisable to cover small seedlings with cut plastic bottles.
Once I planted gillyflowers where radishes and radishes used to grow, but did not take care of the prevention of cruciferous flea beetle infestation. Imagine my disappointment, because I lost all the seedlings; they were simply eaten.
Levkoy belongs to the cruciferous family, they are affected by diseases of this group of plants, be careful!
The soil for gillyflowers should be light, with the addition of humus and wood ash. Large amounts of nitrogen (fresh manure) are contraindicated. I dig up the soil a couple of days before planting the seedlings. I level it and leave it to settle.
The planting pattern is determined depending on the height of the variety. I plant low-growing species at a distance of 10-15 centimeters, the tallest ones - 30-35 centimeters. I can plant more often, because I like them to grow densely and not fall apart.
Plant seeds in open ground
When I have a lot of seeds prepared (both my own and purchased), I also plant them by direct sowing.
I choose open, sunny places on the site and dig them with the addition of ash, humus or compost. My gilly leaves grow well in a raised bed, where the water does not stagnate, but seeps through the moisture-permeable layer.
In order for the gillyflower to bloom in July and August, I sow in April. This will harden the seeds, there will be no need to replant them, and they will germinate and bloom without stress. I make shallow furrows in the beds, water them and place the seeds, sprinkle them and cover them with film or gardening material.
Shoots appear after a few days (4-10), then I remove the film cover. I plant immediately at the required distance or even more often, I am afraid whether all the seeds will sprout.
How to care
All care consists of timely watering and weeding, loosening and disease prevention.
I always water in the evening, making sure that there is no water left under the plants. After this I loosen the soil. Weeding is also beneficial: air exchange in the root part improves.
Fertilizing is done once a month, special phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are good, I always buy such complex fertilizers for plants in the store. I apply it both at the root and by spraying in dry weather in the evening.
Levkoi in winter
Perennial leaves will not survive our harsh winters. Therefore, before the onset of cold weather, we weed out and throw away all the plantings. We dig up the area, destroying pathogens.
You can dig up a plant that you love and bring it into the house. This will extend its life in indoor conditions.
- We take a pot, arrange drainage from expanded clay or sand at the bottom;
- We fill it with a special substrate;
- Dig up the plant, shake it off, and pinch off the taproot;
- Plant in a container, sprinkle and compact the soil, water.
Pests and diseases
The main enemy of the leaves are cruciferous flea beetles; they are more likely to infect a plant that is planted later than early landings. There is also a rapeseed flower beetle that destroys inflorescences.
The plant can get clubroot or blackleg, mainly from waterlogging or overfeeding with nitrogen.
To prevent various misfortunes, I use dusting with ash and tobacco, water with garlic infusion or store-bought insecticidal preparations.
Kinds
In total, up to 50 plant species are known in the world. And many hundreds of varieties and hybrids have been bred. The most famous in our garden is the gray-haired lefty; many varietal varieties have been created on its basis. The leaves of these hybrids have a bluish-green color, as if gray.
Matthiols differ in terms of flowering time, bush height, flower structure, and terry coefficient. There may be pyramidal and spreading, single-stem and bushy species. Varieties of the Quedlinburg species that produce double and densely double flowers are considered valuable.
Matthiola bicornuum is an annual plant up to 0.5 meters high. Blooms all summer.
Left-scented gillyflower (matthiola) is perennial species, begins to bloom in early spring, spreading a pleasant scent in the evenings and at night until autumn.
Where to plant leftflowers
Fragrant, curly and elegant flowers can be planted anywhere on the site. Better, of course, is the place where you walk in the evening. These are borders along paths, gazebos, perimeters of terraces, near gates and ponds.
Levka can be combined with any other plants and decorate flower beds and alpine slides. Low-growing and spreading varieties are suitable for growing in flowerpots and containers, hanging pots.
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Last year I grew these varieties of gillyflowers in the garden. True, the very hot summer did not allow them to show themselves in full glory throughout the entire season, but when normal weather established, they showed their best side.
Low-growing and dwarf gilly leaves are successfully grown not only in the garden in the foreground of flower beds, but also in pots on the balcony and at home (including in winter).
The doubleness of the flower of matthiola gray
When grown from seeds, grey-headed summer leaves can have simple or double flowers. However, simple flowers of this plant form seeds after flowering, while double asexual flowers do not have seeds.
Interestingly, in the garden of matthiola seeds, gray simple flowers in normal weather conditions and with normal care, specimens with double and non-double flowers grow with equal probability.
In order to obtain as many of these seeds as possible from non-double gillyflowers, from which many specimens with double flowers are subsequently formed, queen cells are specially grown under harsh conditions. Then, on a depressed plant, instead of long and even pods, there is a very high chance of the formation of deformed and weak, short seed seeds with a rounded top without “horns,” often located and pressed to the stem. From such ugly fruits most often beautiful double leaves grow - it’s like a fairy tale when an ugly duckling later turns into a beautiful swan...
Terry varieties and hybrids of matthiola gray are not only more beautiful than non-double varieties, they retain the decorative appearance of the inflorescence much longer. If a simple gillyflower with 4 petals blooms for about 5 days, then a double flower with 50-70 petals blooms for 2-3 weeks.
Often, in the characteristics of the gray summer gillyflower variety, the percentage of terry is given; it usually ranges from 50 to 90 percent. This means, accordingly, that per hundred plants grown from seeds there are from half to 90 terry specimens. The higher the percentage of terry, the more valuable and expensive the variety.
Double plants of matthiola gray already at a young age, during the germination period, when kept cool, can be distinguished from non-double plants by the size and color of the cotyledon leaves. The terry forms of leftflower have larger leaves and are lighter in color. This makes it possible, at an early stage of growing seedlings, to separate gillyflower seedlings with double flowers from non-double seedlings.
Sowing gray summer gillyflower seeds for seedlings
Seeds of early-flowering matthiola gray can be sown directly in open ground in the spring. In the middle zone, left-handed planting is carried out at the end of April or beginning of May. Next, you need to thin out the plants, maintaining the required distance between seedlings.
To extend the flowering period of gillyflowers, it is advisable to grow seedlings. After all, from sowing to the beginning of flowering of these plants, depending on the variety, it takes about 70-100 days. Therefore, the varieties of gillyflowers are medium and late dates It is advisable to grow flowers in the middle zone through seedlings so that they have time to bloom in the garden before the onset of autumn cold weather.
I sow the seeds of matthiola gray at home in bowls in the second half of March or at the very beginning of April - when the days have already lengthened significantly, there are many clear and fairly warm days.
The substrate for sowing gillyflower seeds is composed only of garden loamy soil and sand, without adding compost and peat to the mixture - these ingredients contribute to the appearance of the fungal disease “black leg” in matthiola seedlings.
Also, to prevent fungal diseases, a few days before sowing gillyflowers, it is advisable to spill the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate or Fitosporin, and then dry it. When sowing matthiola, the substrate should be moderately moist.
I sow gillyflower seeds in small bowls sparingly: so that the seedlings do not shade each other, and then it is convenient to plant them.
I sprinkle the matthiola seeds sown in the furrows with a thin layer of a mixture of soil and dry clean river sand(in equal parts), lightly compact the surface.
I don’t water the Levkoy crops. I cover the bowl with the crops with cling film and place it in a bright, warm place.
If the seeds of grey-haired gillyflower are of high quality, then their germination occurs quickly - literally after a few days the seedlings “shoot” out of the soil.
I water the matthiola seedlings for the first time 4-5 days after emergence, which also protects them from fungal diseases.
Levkoy seedlings love Fresh air, they must be ventilated frequently. And so that they do not stretch, you need to keep the bowls with matthiola crops in a cool and very bright place (I put them on glazed loggia with a temperature of 10-12 degrees).
About 2 weeks after sowing the leaves, when the cotyledons of the seedlings are already well developed and the real leaves have not yet appeared, I pick them into individual pots (they must have drainage holes).
It is advisable to add a hydrogel to the nutrient substrate, which will help the seedlings develop good root system and protect them from possible negative factors after landing at a permanent place.
I make sure to gradually harden off rooted plants that have begun to grow on the loggia, first by opening the window a little.
If necessary, I water the gillyflower seedlings very carefully, avoiding the substrate from drying out or becoming waterlogged.
Planting gillyflower seedlings in the garden and caring for plants
I plant hardened gillyflower seedlings in the garden in May (they are not afraid of short-term frosts of -2...-5 degrees), it is better to do this in the evening or on a cloudy day.
Levkoy should not be planted in a place where other plants of the cruciferous family were previously grown, in order to avoid infection with clubroot. This is a dangerous fungal disease, the pathogens of which can survive in the soil for several years.
If wilting plants with ugly roots with hard growths are found, diseased matthiola specimens should be burned, and the soil should then be thoroughly treated against fungal infection.
Levkoy grows well and blooms in a sunny place, on fertile soil fertilized in previous years with sufficient moisture - both its flooding and overdrying are undesirable, which causes fungal diseases in levkoy.
Soon after each watering or rain, I make sure to loosen the soil around the plants.
For better ventilation, you should not thicken the plantings of gilly leaves; this can also cause plant disease. Therefore, you should be sure to follow the recommendations on the bag of seeds according to minimum distance between planted plants.
Standard (single-stem) varieties of gillyflowers are usually planted at a distance of 15 cm, pyramidal and bouquet varieties - at 25 cm, spreading varieties - at 35 cm or more.
Caring for planted gilly leaves consists of regular watering in the absence of rain (which is especially important during a long drought), weeding, and pest control.
In hot weather, leaves are often attacked by cruciferous flea beetles - small jumping insects, then holes appear in the leaves. You can protect plants from flea beetles by sprinkling ash on the leaves, as well as dusting the soil between plants with it.
Levkoi require regular feeding for abundant and continuous flowering.
But in no case should matthiola be added to the soil in the year of planting. organic fertilizers and mulching plants with insufficiently matured compost - this also contributes to the appearance of fungal diseases.
During the season, I feed the leaves only with mineral fertilizers.
Before flowering and during budding for better development matthiola seedlings require complete mineral fertilizer with microelements (I use Kemira). And during the flowering period, the need of plants for phosphorus and potassium is especially great.
Cultivation of gray summer gillyflower in pots
Hybrids and varieties of gray summer gillyflower, represented by early-blooming and long-blooming compact plants with a beautiful dense crown and an abundance of inflorescences, are recommended for growing in garden flowerpots and on balconies in containers and window boxes.
From compact varieties and the matthiola gray hybrids that I tested, I really liked the following:
- variety series "Intuition" F1 - a mixture of various colors;
- variety series "Sugar and Spice" F1 - with yellow, pink and purple flowers having a very intense aroma (plant height 30 cm, flower diameter 3 cm);
- variety series "Thumbelina"- a dwarf mixture with flowers of various colors.
Matthiola seedlings of these variety series grown from seeds bloomed very early. They formed buds while still in seedling cups, then they were planted in pots and decorated the loggia.
Since last summer was abnormally hot, the hot weather at the peak of record temperatures stopped the flowering of my potted gillyflowers. And when the heat stopped, they began to bloom profusely again.
A pleasant feature of these variety series is their persistent aroma - even a single opened gillyflower flower can fill the room with a wonderful fragrance!
With the onset of autumn cold, the pots with plants brought into the apartment were placed on the cool windowsill.
Additional lighting of potted gillyflowers was not carried out in winter, so feeding was suspended during the wintering period. But this did not stop the matthiola from branching little by little, forming new inflorescences and continuing to bloom all winter. However, flowering continues now, in early spring.
The only negative: over the winter I got a little naked Bottom part plants, which does not at all spoil the overall impression of them.
Levkoy grey-haired is an amazing flower that combines a delicate spicy aroma and mesmerizing beauty. Growing it is not particularly difficult, you just need to follow some rules of agricultural technology, and the blooming gillyflower will delight the eye and delight the soul all summer until the first frost.
Flower name
Levkoy – Greek word, meaning “light”, “white”. This is how the plant was named in its homeland for the whitish pubescence of its leaves and stems. In Latin his name is "matthiola". The British scientist Robert Brown, famous for the discovery of Brownian motion, named it Levka in honor of the Italian botanist and physician Pietro Andrea Gregorio Mattioli. There is a version that this was timed to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the publication of his book. According to other sources, the royal botanist Charles Plumier called it matthiola. This is quite likely, since he gave many plants the names of great people, among whom Mattioli is counted. Whatever it was, beautiful flower decorates our gardens, giving us his bright colors and delicate aroma. Its generic name is “gray-haired”, less often “gray-gray”. The plant is called gray-headed gillyflower or gray-haired matthiola, which is basically the same thing.
History and places of distribution
The grey-haired Levkoy came to us from Southern Europe. Now in nature it can be seen in Asia Minor, the Caucasus, and the Mediterranean. IN Eastern Europe and central Russia, the grey-headed left-wing is mainly cultivated and is not found growing wild. Since time immemorial, Europeans have used the gray-haired gillyflower to decorate festive halls, cups of wine, and temples. People didn't like it so much appearance flower, how much its magical aroma. In the 16th century, the Dutch managed to obtain gesso 
gray-haired with lush double flowers. Records of this date back to 1568. Since the 18th century, terry gesso has been developed in Germany, especially in Quedlinburg. Nowadays, the unusually lush Quedlinburg gleeweeds are famous throughout the world. France contributed to the cultivation of this beautiful plant. In the 20th century, the French developed the Nice Levkoi, delighting with its beauty all year round.
Botanical description
Gray leaves (Matthiola incana) is an annual or perennial (depending on the species). The height of the plant varies from 20 to 60 centimeters. Eat individual species, the stems of which grow up to 1 meter. Levka grey-haired belongs to the cabbage (cruciferous) plants, which determines its characteristic features and features. The root of the plant is taproot and small in size. The stem is either bare or covered with hairs. In some species it is solitary, in other plants it is branched. The leaves of most species are alternate. Levkoy grey-haired has a fruit - a pod in which you can count up to 8 seeds. Their germination lasts 4-6 years.
Flowers
Levka grey-haired of the same species can have simple and double flowers. Why this depends is not clear, but it is known that the number of petals in a flower is somewhat influenced by agricultural cultivation techniques. So, with a drier content, more double flowers are obtained. In general, in each unit of volume of the seed fund there are from 70 to 90% of plants with double flowers. They are extremely beautiful, but they do not produce offspring, that is, fruits. Therefore, flower growers always take care not only of beautiful double flowers, but also of nondescript non-double flowers. Otherwise, the grey-haired lefty will not be able to continue his family line. The simple flower has four petals arranged in the shape of a cross (hence the name cruciferous). In the center of the petals there is a pistil and stamens. The flower self-pollinates even before it opens and by the time it opens, a small pod is already ripening in it. Double flowers do not have reproductive organs, only petals. In some species they can be counted up to 100.
Levkoy: planting and care
According to the timing of flowering and development cycles, winter, summer and autumn are distinguished. Winter is sown in mid-summer, but it blooms only in spring. next year. Autumn ones are planted in March. Flowering will please the eye by the end of summer, the beginning 
autumn. Summer grey-haired gillyflower is considered the most popular among flower growers. It is planted in the spring to get the first flowers within a couple of months. In addition, low-growing varieties of gillyflowers are grown at home in pots, and cut gillyflowers are planted all year round in greenhouses and greenhouses. The grey-headed leaves are propagated exclusively by seeds. Early and medium varieties can be sown directly in open ground. They do this at the end of April, when the earth has already warmed up a little. Then flowering will occur closer to the end of July, beginning of August, that is, after 70-110 days. There is no point in sowing late varieties in the ground, since in central Russia they do not have time to bloom before frost. The planting and care of which consist of timely watering, weeding from weeds and providing the roots with air, blooms much later than the seedlings. This can be used to compile flower arrangements.
Sowing in the ground
The grey-haired Levkoy loves loamy or sandy, but mineral-rich soils. Seeds are placed in shallow grooves. A little sand is poured on top. If the seedlings have sprouted too densely, they must be thinned out. The first time is at the stage of two cotyledon leaves, the second time is when the plant has 4-5 leaves. During this period, you can not destroy the excess sprouts, but transplant them to free space. Levkoi need to be replanted only with a clod of earth! It is better to do this when there is no sun. Sometimes a third thinning is required, as a result of which there should be from 15 to 20 centimeters between single-stemmed leaves, and from 25 to 30 between spreading and pyramidal ones. Watering is carried out as needed. The soil after it, as well as after rain, must be loosened so that oxygen has access to the roots. Since grey-headed leaves grow better in the sun, it is advisable to mulch the soil around the plants in hot weather.
Levkoy: planting and caring for seedlings
Most often, grey-headed leaves are grown in seedlings. There is nothing complicated here, but you need to tinker. You can grow seedlings in greenhouses or greenhouses, or at home on a windowsill in special cassettes. The substrate for seed germination is prepared from a mixture of soil with turf (3 parts) and sand (1 part). Fill shallow boxes with the resulting mixture and sow seeds there, trying to sprinkle the seeds not too close to each other. When the sprouts have 2 cotyledon leaves, they are transplanted into prepared cassettes. The soil in them is almost the same as in the boxes, but soil with rotted leaves is added to it. Take 1 part of turf, 1 part of sand, and 2 parts with leaves. Sprouts are planted in open ground from May 15th. If there are still slight frosts, it’s not a problem. The gray-haired Levka will withstand them. This is a cold-resistant plant, so when growing seedlings, the room temperature should be maintained no higher than 15 degrees, and for plants in cassettes not even higher than 12 degrees. Otherwise, flowering will be delayed.
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How to sift terry from non-double leftkoys
As already noted, non-double gillyflowers are very important for seed production. But a flower bed with only simple flowers will not look beautiful. Therefore, gardeners try to regulate the number of plants with simple and complex flowers. The first stage of selection occurs at the seed collection stage. As many years of experience have shown, regular, even and dense pods produce seeds from which grey-headed leaves with simple flowers grow. And crooked, ugly pods give terry splendor. There is nothing surprising here. After all, nature does not need beauty, but procreation, which can be provided by stronger and more intact individuals.
The second method is based on the color of the cotyledon leaves. In simple ones they are more saturated, while in double ones they are pale green.
Use of levkoy
Levkoy gray-haired low-growing varieties looks great in alpine roller coaster and as a border option. Medium and tall leaves are used to create all kinds of flower arrangements. In addition, grey-haired leftover is used in bouquets. To make the flowers look fresh longer, the plant is dug up directly with the roots, which are washed well from the ground and placed in warm water. Some florists recommend cutting the grey-headed leaves when its flowers are just beginning to bloom.
Variety of varieties
IN modern world About 50 species of grey-headed gillyflower are known, including more than 600 varieties. There are two types of classification of species - according to the cycle of development and flowering (autumn, summer, winter), according to the type of stem (single and branched). Classification by color type has 8 groups:
1. Bouquet.
2. Gigantic.
3. Quedlinburg.
4. Erfurt.
5. Large-flowered tree-like.
6. Single stem.
7. Pyramid.
8. Spreading.
Bouquet
These lefties are mid-early. They bloom in June, July, August. Their flowers are very beautiful, large (up to 4 centimeters in diameter), and come in a variety of colors. Plant height is from 25 to 30, less often 35 centimeters. They were designated as bouquets because 
that the height of all flowering stems, both central and lateral, is approximately the same.
Gigantic
This group includes the left-handed Bismarck, Nice and bomb-shaped ones. All of them are double, late blooming. But the color lasts until the first frost. Gigantic left-wings grow up to 60 centimeters or more. Flowers on the central stem bloom earlier than those on the side stems. The length of the brush can be up to 20 centimeters, and the flowers have a diameter of 5-5.5 centimeters. To extend the flowering period, faded brushes are removed. Varieties “Gigantic”, “Vygonochny”, “Northern”.
Quadlinburg
Representatives of this group have the most pronounced characteristics of double and non-double at the sprout stage. All of them are divided into 4 subspecies:
pole-shaped; bush: late tall; early low; early high.
The grey-haired pole-shaped gillyflower is especially valuable, as its flowers reach 6 centimeters in diameter. But other representatives of the group also have them quite large. The height of these leaves and the timing of flowering vary from early to late and from stunted to gigantic. There are more than 70 varieties in the group. The most famous are “Rubinrot”, “Gelb”, “Lazurblau”.
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Erfurt
These gillyflowers got their name from Erfurt, a region in Germany where they have been bred since the 18th century. Representatives of this group grow up to 40 centimeters, but there are also short ones. They all have lush but compact bush with large leaves of rich colors and flowers up to 4 centimeters in diameter. These leaves are also called short-branched.
Large-flowered tree-like
These gillyflowers have stems up to a meter tall. It branches only in the upper part. The brushes of tree-like gillyflowers are denser than others. They are formed by bright beautiful flowers up to 6 centimeters in diameter. Varieties “Illusion”, “Tsartroza”, “Diana”.
Single stem, or Excelsior
Enough tall plants with a stem up to 80 centimeters and large, bright double flowers. They look amazing in bouquets. The gray-haired Levkoy variety "Terracotta" has a stem of 60 centimeters. The flowers are bright and very densely double. Levkoy varieties "Chamoperosa" also grow up to 60 centimeters, and their flowers are bright pink. 
The “Gelgelb” variety is notable for its pale yellow flowers, while the “Sensation” variety has dark red flowers.
Pyramid
Levkoi of this group can be dwarf, medium and giant. All of them are distinguished from other species by the shape of the bush, reminiscent of a pyramid. Among the low-growing varieties, the varieties “Rose Taicher” with purple-red large flowers, “Ruby”, and “Sapphire” are popular. The middle ones are interesting with the “Arctic” variety with snow-white large flowers, “Silver pink” and others. The large ones are famous for the varieties “Gigantic” with white and pink clusters of flowers, “Giant pure white”, “Gigantic pure pink”.
Spreading
There are two subgroups in this group: remontant and large-flowered.
Remontant ones are able to bloom for a very long time (hence the name). Spreading grey-haired Levkoy has a powerful, branching stem and loose racemes formed by large flowers of all kinds color ranges. The “Aurora” variety pleases the eye with gently pink petals, and the clusters on the side shoots are quite large. Varieties "Bismarck" and "Dunkel" have flowers of rich red color. Dunkelblau gives us purple flowers, densely terry and unusually beautiful. And the “Zilberlila” variety is famous for its purple and pink flowers.
You can guess that the leaves grow in the garden with your eyes closed - the flowers smell amazing, and it is impossible to forget this enchanting aroma. The large family of gillyflowers is represented by herbaceous perennials and annual plants, growing mainly in Africa, Southern Europe and selectively in Asia. Beautiful flowers are an integral part of the classic park style: it is the gillyflower plant that sets the tone for the general mood of the garden. If you get to know this flower better, you will definitely invite it to your garden. Read the article about the features of growing and caring for gillyweed.
Advanced gardeners know that gillyflower has another name. The plant is also known as matthiola, named after the Italian botanist Pietro Matthioli. In the 16th century The scientist has done a great deal of work in the study of the Cruciferous (Cabbage) family, to which the gillyflower belongs. There is a third name - literally translated from Greek “levkoy” means “white violet”.
Description of gillyflower
Levkoy is a herbaceous plant or semi-bush with erect, strong, branched stems. Its height ranges from 20 to 80 cm. The completely smooth or fleecy stems are framed by lanceolate or elongated foliage with an uneven or solid edge. Simple and double gillyflower flowers, painted white, pink, lilac, dirty yellow, are united by spike-shaped or racemose inflorescences.
The family contains annual and biennial plants, as well as perennials. Flowering begins in June and ends in November. The plant bears fruit in pods filled with narrow-winged and flat seeds. A distinctive feature of the left-handed plant is its pleasant aroma, all notes of which are revealed in full after 8 pm. Non-double plant varieties have gained fame as wonderful honey plants, and double gillyflower makes even the most modest flower beds incredibly elegant. To decorate your garden with a fragrant flower, you don’t need to be a specialist - the gillyflower has an easy-going and unpretentious character.
How to grow gillyflower from seeds
Before you start growing gillyflower, there are a few important things to consider.
Sowing gillyflower for seedlings
To increase the percentage of germination, plant seeds need special treatment: first, they are filled with water room temperature for one day, and then the swollen seeds are wrapped in damp gauze and left for several days in a cool place for stratification.
Next comes the time of sowing - at the end of March or at the beginning of April, the seeds of the gillyflower are laid on a moistened substrate in a container. The ingredients for the substrate are 1 part sand and 3 parts turf soil. The seed is spread evenly, but not thickly, by 0.5 cm, lightly pressing it into the ground with your finger. After sowing, the container is covered with plastic wrap on top and transferred to a well-shaded, warm place (about 21 - 22 0 C). Healthy, strong seeds germinate already on the 5th day, but they can “stay” longer, sprouting only 10–14 days after sowing.
Caring for gillyflower seedlings
Once the sprouts appear, the film on the container is no longer needed. The container is placed under scattered Sun rays, and the temperature in the room is reduced to an average of 12 0 C. In such conditions, the seedlings will quickly grow, but will not stretch much. Perfect option for growing gillyflower seedlings - a bright veranda without heating.
2–3 days after the seedlings appear, they are watered. Please note that this is the first time this has been done since sowing. After 2 weeks or a little earlier, the time for picking comes. Seedlings are planted in separate small pots filled with soil with drainage holes at the bottom. The composition of the soil includes sand (1 part), leaf and turf soil (2 parts each) and a little hydrogel (to nourish the roots). At this stage, seedlings, as a rule, still do not have true leaves, and this is normal. Seedlings of medium flowering and late varieties plants can be planted directly into the garden.
After the first pair of true leaves appear, the seedlings are fertilized. The nutrient solution is prepared by mixing zinc sulfate (0.1 g), manganese sulfate (0.1 g), copper sulfate(0.3 g) and boric acid(0.3 g). Next, the mixture is dissolved in 1 liter of water. In addition to fertilizing, it is also advisable to harden the seedlings: on the balcony or veranda where the seedlings are located, periodically open the window, each time increasing the session time. Shortly before planting in open ground, seedlings should be in open window. Hardening begins approximately 10 - 14 days before transferring young gilly leaves to the garden.
Planting gillyflower in open ground
On open area garden gillyflowers are planted in last days May. It is best to plant in cloudy weather or shortly before sunset, otherwise the sun will destroy the young flowers that have not yet matured.
Note! Areas where other representatives of the Cruciferous family previously grew are absolutely not suitable for planting leftflower. The pest is most likely already waiting for the plants there - cruciferous flea beetle. It is also not worth digging up soil from this place to sow seedlings, since there is a high probability of seedlings becoming infected with the blackleg disease.
In the garden, Levy is planted in a well-drained area with diffused lighting. The plant will thrive in fertile turf-sandy or turf-loamy soil with a slightly alkaline or neutral reaction.
Planting and caring for gilly leaves begins with preparing the holes. Small holes, dug at intervals of 15–20 cm (25–30 cm if the variety is tall and spreading), are filled with water and seedlings are planted in this slurry. Then all the holes are covered with earth and compacted well.
Caring for left-handed grass in open ground
Caring for the left eye primarily involves moderation in everything. The plant only accepts balanced, regular watering, since too much watering or prolonged drying will have a detrimental effect on it to the same extent. After watering the flower with gillyflower, it is advisable to loosen it and weed the soil around it. In the year of planting, perennial gilly leaves do not need mulching.
Let's also remember about fertilizing: Levkoi prefer organic matter in the form of ash, complex mineral compounds in spring and potassium-phosphorus fertilizers when they bloom.
Peculiarities of Levkoy reproduction
The number of garden gillyflowers can be increased in a short time thanks to the seed propagation method: you can sow a plant at least every two weeks, and as a result the area will be full of exquisite flowers all summer long.
It is important for novice gardeners to know that double gillyflower does not reproduce by seeds, since it is sterile, however, it has been noted that double flowers produce seeds from poorly developed gillyflower specimens with simple flowers. The fruits of such plants are represented by short, blunt-pointed pods, pressed closely to the stem. From such seeds, simple and double flowers appear in approximately the same quantity.
If they want to know in advance from which seedlings to expect a gift in the form of beautiful double flowers, the seedlings are first placed in a place where the temperature is kept at 12 - 15 0 C, and after a while the planting container is moved to where the temperature is significantly lower - about 6 - 8 0 C. As a result of such manipulations, interesting difference: seedlings that will produce double flowers in the future are overgrown with large and not very bright cotyledon leaves. Thus, the necessary planting material can be sorted already at the stage of growing seedlings.
Diseases and insects dangerous to gillyflower
The cruciferous flea beetle causes the greatest harm to garden leaves. If a small number of pests are detected, the plant is saved from potential damage with an ash solution, treating the outer surface and the inside of the leaves. For effectiveness, 3 treatments are carried out with an interval of 4 - 5 days. If a large number of fleas have attacked the leaves, you cannot do without insecticidal preparations. Decis, Actellik, Bankol, Intavir have proven themselves to be excellent.
In addition to the harmful effects of insects, lefties suffer from blackleg. The disease is expressed by a change in the color of the basal part of the stem: first it becomes brown, and then completely blackens. An infected plant cannot be cured. To protect young Levkoy seedlings from illness in the future, the area before planting is treated with the special preparation Hom. The remedy has a remarkable effect: the disease, as a rule, no longer develops, even if its pathogens were present in this area before.
Collection of gillyflower seeds
The sowing harvest of gillyflowers is harvested in September - October, when their pods turn brown. Mother plants are uprooted and placed in a dry, ventilated area to dry completely. Dry pods are picked and small seeds are removed.
Wintering of the gillyflower
In harsh winter conditions, heat-loving leaves do not survive, so on the eve of cold weather, flowers are torn out of the ground, without waiting for them to completely wither, they are disposed of, and the soil in the place of the former flower bed is carefully dug up. In areas with a warm and mild climate, the gillyflower bushes are simply cut off at the root. You can also transplant your favorite flower into a separate container or pot and place it in the house to enjoy the pleasant scent of gillyflower all winter.
Varieties of gillyflower
The most popular representative of the family is the species called grey-haired lefty. Motherland beautiful plant- Mediterranean countries and Canary Islands. The robust annual plant is not afraid of the cold. This tall (up to 60–70 cm) plant has highly branched, very often lignified stems and large alternate diamond-shaped or tapered leaves of different shades of green. Lush flowers“sit” together in 10–60 pieces in loose inflorescences.
The grey-headed leaves begin to bloom magnificently in June, and you can admire this spectacle until November. In the southern climate, such gilly leaves acquire flowers even in winter time of the year! Seeds do not lose their viability until 4–6 years. Today there are about 600 varieties of grey-headed gillyflower, which are distinguished by the type of flowers. In the photo - a riot of colors of the gray-haired gillyflower:
In addition to the gray-haired left-handed grass, there are many others no less beautiful views plants. Let's list the main ones:
- bouquet gilly leaves. These are mid-early plants up to 30 cm in height, which pamper gardeners with abundant flowering all summer long. They have large and very beautiful flowers of various shades. The bush itself looks slender due to the equal length of the central and lateral stems;
- gigantic left-wings. They produce double flowers that last until the first cold weather arrives. The plant reaches a height of 60 cm. A specific feature of the species is that the flowers on the central stems bloom earlier than on the lateral ones;
- Quadlinburg greyhounds. The plant has two types of large flowers - double and non-double. The species is divided into subgroups consisting of pole-shaped and bush leaves. Those in turn are late high, early low and high;
- Erfurt gilly leaves. These lefties know how to attract the attention of others - they have large and very fragrant flowers. The plant itself reaches 40 cm in height;
- large-flowered tree-like gillyflowers. Remind small tree, since they rise above the ground at a distance of 1 m, only the top part stem. The flowers are large and incredibly fragrant;
- single-stemmed gilly leaves. The plants are quite tall – up to 80 cm in height; during the flowering period they produce large double flowers of various shades;
- pyramidal gesso. By the name you can guess which one geometric figure plant bushes look like. The height of the flower “pyramids” varies. Some of the most beautiful representatives of the species are Ruby and Sapphire;
- spreading leaves. They are divided into two subgroups, represented by remontant and large-flowered plants.
As you can see, Levkoy is very elegant and beautiful, which is why landscape art specialists often pay attention to this culture. Flowers are mainly used to create picturesque flower beds in the garden. Various shades of weightless flowers will transform even the most dull corner of your garden.