Globularia

Globularia is a perennial herb. Stretches up to 65 centimeters. It belongs to dicotyledonous plants, from the plantain genus, and is represented by about 28 species.

Globularia: flower photo

General description.

The flower got its name Globularia for the appearance of inflorescences. They look like a ball of many small flowers. Among the varieties of globularia, there are remnants of the flora of past geological eras, which are protected by appropriate organizations.

Globularia bushes are widely distributed throughout the site, covering all the free space, gaining their charm with each new summer season. The most optimal place for use in the garden is to close gaps in compositions, for example, alpine slides. In addition, they mask the bare areas after the end of the flowering period of early flowering plants. Globuryalia flower is not picky in terms of care and is suitable for growing in plots even for inexperienced florists.

Varieties and types.

• Speckled. This type of Globularia belongs to rare perennial plants. The height of the stems varies from five to thirty centimeters. Leaves are oval or ovoid, extended along the edges of the shape. Stem leaf plates are not large in size, sessile, elongated, oblong with pointed ends from the base, both of which have a marsh-green color. Inflorescences are spherical with bisexual flowers, painted in pastel blue. The flowering period is from late spring to mid-summer.

Globularia belongs to rare species and is included in the Red Book.

• Point globularia. The birthplace of this variety of the Alps and in landscape design it is it that is used to form alpine hills. This plant has strong oval-shaped leaf plates, rounded at the end and base, and wider in the center. The color of the leaves is green. Point globularia stretches up to 24 centimeters. Inflorescences are white - lilac, in the form of a semicircle. The flowering period ranges from late June to mid-August.

Globularia: flower photo

• Heart-shaped. The representative of small sizes among the sharers, the maximum height is 10 centimeters. The leaves are medium-sized, marsh-green in color, the shape of the plate is elliptical. The inflorescences are in the shape of a ball, and the color varies among three shades: white, lilac, pink. Flowering occurs from the first to the second month of summer.
• Creeping globularia. Another representative of the compact size. Creeping globularia is an outwardly very presentable shrub with medium-sized leaves, in the form of an ellipse, which is familiar to most globularia, with a rich green color. Inflorescences are black - blue, ball shape. The height of creeping globularia from base to apex is no more than five centimeters. The variety has high resistance to cold snaps and drought. Creeping globularia blooms in the middle of summer.
• Hairy. The species is included in the Red Book of several states and belongs to relict plants. Globularia has dense rounded lower leaves and straight upper leaves of saturated green color. Inflorescences are sky blue, medium in size.

Globularia: growing a flower

Globularia: flower photo

Globularia can be called a "plant without pretensions". The soil prefers calcareous, well-loosened, with high water permeability.When determining a planting site, give preference to the sunny side, growing conditions in the shade will negatively affect development.

The most common method is seed propagation. First of all, the seeds are germinated, then the seedlings are transferred into open ground to a prepared place and soil. Land for planting is preferable light and permeable, be sure to prepare a drainage layer of light porous building material or river sand. When planning the seating, lay a sufficiently large space between the plants, the creeping shoots will cover the area, creating a wonderful decorative effect of the landscape of the area. Globularia are plants with high indicators of frost resistance, and tolerate short dry periods without harm to their condition, but they have a sharply negative attitude to excess moisture in the soil, as this leads to root rot.

If you do not know how to decorate an alpine slide, a voluminous columbarium or simply decorate the space around the perimeter of the house, choose a sharovnik, it looks great in all these conditions. It is unpretentious in care, goes well with most garden plants, so if you choose it, you will not regret it.

Watering.

Since Globularia easily tolerates arid conditions, they moisten the soil only as needed, focusing on the state of the soil. An approximate watering scheme is as follows: once every fourteen days. When growing a plant outdoors, do not forget about the weather conditions. In rainy periods, the frequency of watering should be reduced in order to avoid rotting of the root system and, as a result, the death of the shrub.

The choice of soil for Globularia.

The most important thing when choosing a soil for planting is looseness and fertility. To prepare the soil for planting, take:

• land from the site
• humus
• coarse river sand, to create a drainage layer

To create the required level of soil acidity, dolomite flour is added to the prepared mixture. After planting, the plant needs periodic cleaning of weeds and loosening of the top layer of soil.

Globularia: flower photo

Transfer.

Globularia transplant is performed once every four years. It is necessary to transfer Globularia to a new place to restore curtains, which after a specified period of time die off from the center of the occupied area. Before moving the plant to a new location, it must be prepared. A shallow hole is dug, the bottom is covered with small stony building material, which in the future will serve as a drainage. Globularia is dug up, the earth is not removed from the root system, but is transferred to the hole. The roots are straightened, you must do this carefully so as not to damage them. Next, the plant is covered with the harvested earth mixture with the addition of dolomite flour, the soil is crushed and moistened. The best period for transplanting is spring, this allows the plant to acclimatize before the onset of cold weather.

Food.

The first fertilizer for Globularia is applied immediately after planting the bush, this is the already mentioned dolomite flour, it helps to reduce the pH of the soil. Further, throughout the summer period, the plant is fed with compost, or with ready-made special means of complex feeding.

Bloom.

The flowering period of Globularia is from early autumn to the first month of summer. The inflorescences are semicircular in shape, consist of small, densely planted flowers with a pleasant light aroma. The color of the inflorescences depends on the particular plant variety and can range from pastel blue to white or pink lace. At the end of flowering, seeds are formed, which are further used for reproduction.

Globularia: flower photo

Pruning.

Globularia almost requires pruning. But in order for the bloomers to remain attractive in your garden and not lose the juiciness of the green mass, faded flower stalks are removed.Also, do not ignore the wilting leaves and cut them off as needed.

It is important to understand that if you decide to collect seeds for further breeding, then the peduncles are by no means removed until the end of their ripening.

Preparing for the winter period.

Globularia refers to frost-resistant plants, respectively, when grown in warm climatic latitudes, where winter is not frosty, the plant does not need to be additionally insulated for this period of the year.

In the northern regions, where the temperature can drop to minus 20 degrees, it is worth taking care of the flower. To do this, it is covered with mulch, coniferous spruce branches or sawdust (preferably representatives of conifers). Before laying out the plant cover layer, all peduncles are removed from it, and the layer may vary in its thickness depending on the temperature drop in a particular place.

Globularia: seed propagation

Propagating Globularia by seeds, first of all, they are germinated, and then the seedlings are prepared. Landing in open ground is most often performed in March. Since seedlings obtained from seeds are very susceptible to sunlight. The seedlings are distributed over the soil surface, without a strong deepening.

In the process of growth, young plants Globularia are moistened through the holes in the container, the tray on which the container stands is filled with water. The best performance of seed germination is achieved while observing the temperature range from twelve to twenty degrees Celsius. I transplant the seedlings to the chosen place in the open area, after it gets stronger. The first flowering will occur an average of three years after planting.

Globularia: flower photo

Globularia: propagation by cuttings

Cutting is the most common method of breeding Globularia among gardeners, since it is this method that takes root in almost 100% of cases. Only woody shoots with 3 buds are suitable for this method. On the selected young shoot, large leaves are removed, an oblique cut is made and planted in prepared soil. At the end of the procedure, the container with the landing is covered with a transparent film. Necessarily regular, daily ventilation and humidification with a sprayer. A month later, the procedure for hardening a young seedling is carried out, completely removing the film. Landing in a permanent place is carried out from late spring to the first month of summer.

Globularia: reproduction by division

Globularia is propagated by the method of division. The mother plant is taken with the most developed shoot, on which buds have already formed or roots have begun to grow. The separation is carried out with a shovel and transferred to an already prepared hole in an open area of ​​land. When separating a part from the root, before planting, I treat them with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. An shoot with buds, but without a root system, is first grown in a container with a substrate, and only after rooting is it transferred to open ground.

Globularia: flower photo

Globularia: diseases and pests

Globularia has good indicators of immunity to various diseases and pests. The main danger for the culture is the excess and stagnation of moisture in the soil, near the root system. This leads to decay of the roots, and as a result of the further death of the plant. In addition, if the globularia does not have enough daylight, it begins to fade and the flowering process stops. In cases where the process of decay has already begun due to excess moisture, but the plant has not yet died, transferring it to a new place with preliminary treatment of damaged roots and disinfecting them with a weak solution of potassium permanganate will help. The main parasite threatening Globularia, these are slugs, they begin to colonize plants during periods of wet and rainy weather conditions. Fights this pest manually, collecting them in a separate container and burning them. As a preventive measure, the plant is covered with fine gravel.

Conclusion.

Observing all the non-tricky rules in the care and planting, you will not have any difficulties either with the health of the bush, or with its external characteristics. It will delight the eyes of the gardener and his guests throughout the summer period.