Vatochnik (Asklepias - Asclepias)

Vatochnik, also known as Asklepias, belongs to the Kutrov family. It is presented in three varieties from a shrub to a herbaceous perennial. The genus is represented in more than two hundred species that naturally grow on the continents of North and South America.

Among all their variety, willow-worms have representatives of deciduous and permanently green ones. Many of them are planted by gardeners on their plots as ornamental plants to create a beautiful landscape.

Vatochnik has high medicinal qualities, for which it was given the Latin name Aesculapius. The Spanish missionary Sahagun, researcher, religious missionary and historian, in his most famous work, provided evidence of the use of cotton wool by the Aztecs in the fight against benign tumors resulting from bone displacement.

In Europe, the first representative of this species appeared in the eighteenth century, initially it was grown to obtain technical raw materials. The plant quickly gained popularity, it was used for filling toys and upholstered furniture, weaving ropes. After a short time, the fleece began to be used for the manufacture of life-saving equipment and film for cinematography.

With the discovery of rubber, the need for whitewash sharply decreased and later disappeared. The plant was no longer cultivated for industrial purposes. But now he was noticed by gardeners and became a frequent visitor to garden plots, parks, vegetable gardens and city gardens.

Vatnik plant: features

Vatochnik is a plant of medium height and reaches 1 meter in length.

The root system is dense, it grows quite widely in different directions. On dense, strong shoots, leaf plates are either several pieces at one node, or two plates, at one node opposite each other. The leaf shape is elongated oval or ovoid.

The flowers are large in size, represented by umbellate inflorescences and are colored red or burgundy. The flowering period occurs in the summer and early autumn, after which fruits ripen on the plants filled with a large number of pubescent seeds. Due to this very feature, the bushes are called vatniki.

This fluff is used in production. For example in America it is used for stuffing pillows. In latitudes with harsh climatic conditions, seeds ripen in very rare cases. In warm regions, gardeners need to collect seeds on time, otherwise they crumble and abundantly sow the area.

All representatives of the milkweed carry milky juice, which is poisonous. Irritating when in contact with exposed areas of the body. An additional negative impact will give the hit of the affected area under the influence of sunlight. The juice is used as a folk remedy in the fight against warts.

Vatochnik - cultivation in the open field

In middle climatic latitudes, willow herb is cultivated both with the help of seedlings and with the opposite option. The seeds of this plant retain the ability to germinate for three years, but they ripen only in hot summer conditions. Such qualities of the species should not scare away gardeners, since in the modern world there is no problem to buy the required material in a specialized store.

Time to plant fleece

Seeds sow in the period from the last week of March to the 8-10th of April. For this, containers with drainage holes are taken, can be made independently or purchased, and filled with loamy soil.

The seeds are lowered a centimeter or one and a half into the soil and moistened with a spray bottle.The container is covered with transparent glass or foil and placed in a warm place. It is important to create good air exchange for crops; for this, containers are aired daily.

Watering perform according to the scheme one to three. Water is not poured directly into the soil, but a sprayer is used for this purpose. The first entrances appear in 10-14 days, and the containers are moved to a cool place, but with a temperature not higher than 18 C. The film can be removed when young plants become stronger. This method is good for its simplicity and ease of execution.

Picking plants are possible only after four paired leaves. To get started, you need cups for each seedling. They, in turn, are filled with drainage, the layer of which varies from 2 to 3 centimeters. The rest of the space is filled with soil mixture identical to the seed.

Young, newly planted plants need protection from direct sunlight for 48 hours. After the seedlings have undergone adaptation and have taken root, it is performed topping.

Before transferring the fleece to open ground, a procedure is carried out with it hardening, it lasts 15 days. Disembarkation to a permanent place is carried out at the beginning of June, in accordance with the scheme of 0.5 by 0.5 meters.

Vatochniks grown from seeds will give the first flowering only in the third or even the fourth year of growth.

Seeds can be sown not only in small containers, but also directly into open ground. Such sowing is carried out in the spring period of the year, immediately after the snow melts. For this, the site must be prepared and the sunny side must be chosen on it.

How to plant cotton wool properly: recommendations

1. Dig the area selected for planting about 25-30 centimeters deep.
2. Together with the digging process, weed and clear the soil from the roots of weeds.
3. Level the treated soil and prepare the furrows.
4. The seedlings or seeds are placed in the ground about 3 cm deep, covered with a layer of soil and watered abundantly.
5. Separately, we note that when sowing seeds, it is recommended to cover them with a non-woven material such as a film, which will accelerate their germination.

Among the variety of fleece species, there are representatives that need to be limited in space when sowing. Their root system is capable of spreading over an area of ​​one meter from the parent's bush. To do this, you can purchase special limiters. Or put each specimen in an individual container with drainage holes, and already lower them into the ground.

With proper care, the fleece can grow up to fifteen years.

Vatochnik: care for growing conditions in the garden

Vatochnik does not differ in particular pickiness and exactingness in care. All care products are standard with almost many plants:

• Systematic watering.
• Top dressing with mineral fertilizers, as needed.
• Loosening of the topsoil.
• Perform sanitary and decorative pruning of the bush
• As necessary, apply means of control and prevention of diseases and pests.

To extend the flowering period, wilted inflorescences are cut off. And at the end of it, all peduncles are also removed (not applied in the case of collecting seeds).

How to water the cotton wool properly

In the first few weeks after planting a seedling or seeds, the area within the radius of future asthenia needs to be moistened quite often. With the development of the root system of the bush, the number of waterings is gradually reduced. Since the plant is capable of extracting water from the soil due to the branching of the roots. The exception is periods of drought, then the plant is watered with settled water in the evening hours.

Fertilizer feed

These plants practically do not need additional feeding. If the soil on the site turned out to be not fertile or insufficiently saturated with microelements, then in April-May, depending on the climatic zone of cultivation, it is fed with urea, potassium sulfate or compost.

Inexperienced gardeners may take note that the emergence of young shoots serves as a guideline for fertilization.In addition, there are ready-made nutritional mixtures for both the milkweed and the general nutritional effect. Such funds are used before the beginning of the flowering period. After it, the soil is fed with fertilizers containing N, P, K. In cases with fertile soil, additional fertilizing is not required.

How to transplant cotton wool

Vatochnik is a perennial plant, and every year it can develop in the same place for 10 years, or even more. Situations vary, and periodic plants may simply need to be moved to a new location. In this case, opt for a spring transplant along with the reproduction of the bush by the division method.

If you are not in this time, then the period from July to September also applies. All types of fleece perfectly tolerate transplantation. Prepare a new place in advance. And the bush immediately before transplanting is abundantly moistened, thus, when it is removed from the soil, earth will remain on it. You can familiarize yourself with the transfer rules above, as they are identical to the landing.

Reproduction of cotton wool

Vatochnik propagated by two methods: cuttings and division.

Reproduction of cotton wool by division

Way division best done when transferring the bush to a new planting site in the spring of the year, or after the flowering period has ended. The dug out fleece with a shovel is divided into several parts.

It is important that a part of the rhizome and a bud remain on the separated cut. Then they are transplanted into pre-prepared wells. The separated seedlings easily adapt to the planting site. And the first flowering begins in the third, and sometimes the next year of growth. Plants that have not yet gained strength need frequent systematic watering, this helps to form a strong rhizome.

Cuttings performed on young shoots. Cuttings are cut at least fifteen centimeters in length. The lower layer of leaves is cut off, and the leaf plates located on top are shortened by 50%.

For planting, prepare a container and fill it with wet sand, into which the stalk is installed with its lower edge. The container is closed with a cap, the surface of which must transmit enough light for the development of the plant and create a greenhouse effect.

This breeding option must be done at a high speed. Otherwise, the stalk will lose its milky juice and will not take root. Rooting takes place within thirty days.

Preparing for winter

The bushes should be insulated for winter in the fall. For protection, the plant is covered with sawdust from trees, ground coniferous bark or other natural materials. Before insulating the plant, a sanitary pruning cotton wool. The stem is cut up to ten centimeters from the ground. Dried and removed shoots are also suitable for hiding the bush.

Possible diseases and pests

Vatochnik is famous for its high immunity and resistance to diseases and damage by insect pests.

The main threat among parasites can be considered whitefly, this small insect looks like a moth. It harms the plant by eating the plant's vital juices. They fight such a parasite with the help of chemicals, a solution of Fufanon or Rovikurt is perfect. When using specialized drugs, it is important to always strictly follow the instructions for use included in the package. The treatment is carried out by spraying over the foliage.

In dry periods, on the fleece, you can find spider mites, their harm to the plant is similar to the whitefly. It is practically impossible to visually notice such a parasite, since its size is practically microscopic. But there are still external signs. When damaged, the bush begins to become covered with small cobwebs, the foliage withers and the stem is distorted.

In the fight against ticks, drugs such as Aktara or Fitoverma will help you. A solution is prepared with them in the proportions indicated in the instructions and the foliage of the bush is sprayed.

Vatochnik does not tolerate excess moisture in the soil, and this factor negatively affects its life. Drought is also bad for the plant. To maintain the ideal balance, the bush is watered as needed and the foliage is sprayed with warm water.

Vatochnik - types and varieties

Perennial vatnik is grown in three varieties, and one-year old - one species.

Vatochnik incarnate

In addition to this name, it has two more: red and meat-red. This perennial plant originated from east and central North America.

Vatochnik incarnate

The leaves are planted oppositely on the stem, not large in size, slightly lowered down, the plate expands towards the center and narrows slightly towards the end. Shoots of meat-red cotton wool can be up to 120 centimeters long. Fragrant flowers are colored red or wine-pink. The inflorescences of the plant are in the form of an umbrella, and the diameter of the flower from edge to edge is maximum 60 mm.

The flowering period begins in mid-summer and lasts about 30 days. The cultivation of this variety of fleece began in 1635. The most common variety is Ice Belli, the height of which reaches one meter, the color of the inflorescences is snow-white.

Tuberous cotton wool

Like the above-described vatniks, it has several names, such as tuberose vatnik and tuberose asclepias. The height of the plant varies depending on the conditions of its growth, where it is in the range from 50 to 70 cm.

Tuberous cotton wool

This variety of fleece has large inflorescences of a bright red-lemon color. The flowering period of tuberous wool is quite long. It lasts from July and lasts almost all autumn. This view is great for most of our country. It has high levels of frost resistance and needs additional protection only in cases where a severe winter is expected.

The most popular representatives in gardening: Gay Butterflies and Maharajah. The first option stretches up to 70 cm and adorns the garden with lemon, raspberry and orange flowers. The second handsome man grows up to fifty centimeters and is covered with bright orange flowers.

Eskulapova herb or Syrian cotton wool

Aesculapian herb, has the second name Syrian cotton wool. An interesting point is that this is not associated with Syria from the word "at all", and the place of its birth is the eastern part of North America. Its name does not correspond to reality, the species received due to the human factor, it was mistaken for a kendyr, which grows in the lands of Syria. When the experts realized the mistake, the name had already become familiar, and it was decided to leave the definition of "Syrian" to this variety.

Syrian cotton wool

This perennial stretches up to one and a half meters in height. The stems of the plant are straight, stand upright, large sheets of an elongated ellipsoid are attached to them. The leaf plate of the plant reaches 7 cm in width and 15 in length, the color is marsh-green.

Visually, the variety is similar to the representative of the heather family, rhododendra. The foliage is prone to shedding along the lower edge of growth, such a phenomenon can be observed in the month of July. The flowers of the plant are pastel pink and reach a diameter of 1 centimeter.

The flowering period begins in July and lasts exactly 35 days. This species has been cultivated in home and garden conditions since 1629. Aesculapov has good frost-resistant performance, so it does not need additional protection for the winter period.

A characteristic feature of Syrian cotton wool is its incredible aroma. Sweet reminiscent of chocolate, it is much brighter and more pleasant than the smell of meat-red vatnik.

Lastoven

This type of fleece is grown as an annual plant. Subject to the simple rules of care, the bush can stretch up to 100 centimeters in height. During the flowering period, the bush is covered with rich orange or red flowers, their bright appearance attracts most butterflies. The pollen of these flowers is quite allergic and causes skin irritation in most people.

Vatochnik gusset