Spotted lamb

The herbaceous annual or perennial lamb spotted (Lamium) belongs to the Lamb family. The wild-growing spotted beetle is found in the Eastern European territory, and it grows along the river coasts. Its appearance resembles a simple weed of low height. However, breeders have worked and brought to the world different cultivated decorative varieties of lamb, which have different colors, stem length and type of leaves. The bush remains green and beautiful all summer and spring. Varieties of low growth are cultivated as ornamental ground covers, perennials of high growth are used to decorate flower beds and flower beds.

Spotted lamb: description of the variety and characteristics

Spotted lamb grows very quickly, therefore it resembles a common weed. The bush grows up to about twenty-five cm. The root system is fibrous, so the plant can quickly occupy a large area, decorate it with its stems that branch. The leaves are dark green in color, in the form of a heart, their edges are serrated. In the central part of the leaf, veins are clearly traced, it happens that the leaf is covered with specks.

Peduncles appear from internodes, upward they can be about thirty cm. Small leaves and flowers are located on peduncles. The color of the flowers of the spotted lamb may be different, the flowers themselves are represented by corollas with two lips. In the central part of the flower there are thin stamens with black-violet anthers. Flowers are collected in whorls. After the whorl withers, a box with seeds is formed in its place, and it contains nuts that have three faces. The fruit is a seed capsule. After the fruits are fully ripe, seeds are ejected, so the flower spreads by self-sowing. The flowering of the bush is long - several months. The formation of the first buds occurs at the end of the spring season, and the fruits begin to form in the last days of June.

Lamb spotted: cultivation

Spotted lamb: photo

Sowing

Reproduction of the flower of the spotted beetle is carried out by the seed method. The grains are sown late in autumn or in the first spring days, during these seasons the grains will sprout faster. Sowing is carried out not for seedlings, but straight to the garden plot.

A place is prepared before sowing. The soil is dug up and all weeds are removed. The surface soil layer is leveled, then grains are equally distributed over it. When growing up, seedlings are thinned out, if necessary. Seedling care is quite simple, you only need to water in a moderate amount on time during drought. The surface soil layer should not be allowed to dry out; care should be taken to avoid stagnation of water in the roots.

For the most part, Spotted Lamb does not need to be weeded, since it can independently prevent the growth of weeds, and it will cover the growing area with a continuous forest. But perennial weeds with powerful roots are removed from the territory.

Blossoming of the spotted lamb will be only for the next season after sowing. Professionals recommend making sure that the lamb does not sow uncontrollably on its own, since over the years it will begin to inhibit the growth of other vegetation that grows in the garden area and is located nearby.If it is decided to plant various varieties of a given culture, then select places for them that are located far from each other. Otherwise, the nearby development of these plants will have a negative impact on their beauty, since after they are cross-pollinated, varietal differences will be lost.

Lamb spotted: care

Illumination level.

Okladnik (lamb spotted) is undemanding to care. For him, a place is selected, shaded by tree crowns.

The soil.

The soil should be moist and loose, fertile, but should contain the optimal number of nutrients and trace elements. With excessive soil fertility, the flower will begin to grow very quickly and actively, this will interfere with the normal growth and development of other flowering vegetation.

Watering.

Watering for speckled beetle is carried out regularly and in large volumes, but it is worth making sure that there is no stagnation of liquid in the roots for a long time. In drought, the leaves dry out and curl, and the shoots are also exposed. Before flowering, the lamb is fed with organic fertilizers without fail.

Pruning.

Like other ground covers, the spotted grass is regularly mown. If this is done on time, the plant will retain its decorative effect and splendor of the bush.

Transplanting.

Transplantation of adult flowers of the spotted beetle is carried out regularly, once every five years. Lamb is frost-resistant, therefore, it does not need to be additionally covered for the winter season.

Spotted lamb: reproduction

Spotted lamb (salmon): photo

By dividing the bush.

Reproduction of the spotted lamb can be carried out by dividing the bush. This method is very popular, since the varietal properties of new plants are preserved, and their flowering occurs already for the next season. The division is carried out in the spring. To this end, a bush is carefully dug up and divided into several fractions, each division should have roots that give new shoots in the future. Then the cuttings are planted in the wells for planting, prepared in advance. Further, the plantings are watered abundantly with water.

Layers.

This method is not very popular among flower growers. Reproduction of the spotted beetle by this method is carried out at the beginning of the autumn season. For this purpose, strong shoots are selected, then they are bent to the surface soil layer, fixed and sprinkled with a thin earthen layer. Next year, in the spring, the cuttings that have taken root are separated and deposited from the mother, because at this time their growth and development will go well on their own.

Cuttings.

Cuttings are made at the end of the summer season. First, cuttings are harvested to take root, they are planted in a soil mixture, which contains sand and peat. On top they are covered with a plastic bottle (you must cut it off in advance) or a glass jar. Cuttings are watered and ventilated on time when droplets appear at the top of the covering material. After the roots grow back, the cuttings are planted permanently on the garden plot. Cuttings must be covered for the winter season without fail, for this purpose they are thrown with branches of a Christmas tree or old leaves.

Diseases and harmful insects.

With illiterate care and systematic stagnation of liquid in the roots, rot may appear on the plant. Therefore, pay attention to the soil and remember about proper watering. Infected speckled beetles are dug up and destroyed, the places of their growth are treated with a fungicidal preparation.

In frequent cases, the flower cover (spotted beetle) is susceptible to attacks of scale insects, spider mites and mealybugs. To get rid of these enemies, the bushes are treated with special preparations - insecticides.

Spotted lamb in landscape design

Variegated ash is more popular among flower growers.It is cultivated as an ornamental gardener in various places or grown in flower beds as a separate decorative category. It is advisable to plant this culture near the host, lungwort and geyhera. Often the flower becomes a decoration of terraces, gazebos, balconies. It can also be cultivated as ampelous vegetation.

Varieties

At present, there are about twenty-five varieties of lamb. The following will present the characteristics of those species that are most popular among gardeners.

• Lamb "White", or "Deaf nettle". This herbaceous perennial plant stretches up to forty-five cm. Shoots and leaves are rough. Leaves are oblong, oval, greenish in color, their edges are serrated. They are attached to the shoot using shortened petioles. Clarity begins to bloom in June days, ends only at the end of September. Flowers are white.

• Lamb "Purple" or "Red nettle". In the garden, this variety is cultivated as a biennial or annual. Shoots grow up to twenty-five cm, they are densely covered with small leaves in the form of an oval of dark green color. Buds begin to form in the midst of spring, flowering continues for several months.

• Lamb "Spotted", or "Speckled". Herbaceous lamb, high growth, with stems that branch to a high degree. The leaves are green, covered with silvery veins. The flowers are pale pink in color. The bush blooms from May to October days. Popular varieties of spotted ashweed: "Album" - snow-white flowers; "Beacon Silver" - the color of the leaves is silvery; "Aureum" - the flowers are purple and the leaves are yellow.

• Lamb "Zelenchukovaya", or "Yellow". Prostrate stems and pubescent leaves. The leaves are oblong, in the form of an oval, at times the outer side is decorated with a mesh of a marble shade. Yellow flowers appear on the shoots in early May. There may be re-flowering. Popular varieties: "Argentatum" - leaves are not narrow, green in color, covered with stripes; "Silver Carpet" - elongated leaves, decorated with a silvery pattern.

• Lamb "Orvala". When a shrub of low stature blooms, small flowers of a bright pink color are formed on it. It blooms for about two months (May-June days).

Useful qualities

Spotted lamb: video about the benefits of a flower

Spotted lamb is a medicinal culture. It contains many useful elements, a special richness is represented by alkaloids, flavonoids, essential oils, ascorbic acid and tannins. It is in this that the medicinal qualities of the lamb are hidden.

Infusions of lamb's spotted are used to relieve sore throat, inflammation, or as a diuretic. For quick healing of open wounds, lotions are applied to them. Hot baths will help with women's diseases.

Before the first use of speckled speck in the form of a solution, lotion, infusion, and so on, consult a specialist or your doctor without fail. There are almost no contraindications to use. But in rare cases, you can find individual intolerance to the elements that are part of the spotted lamb, because of this, an allergy may develop.