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How not every housewife knows how to grow from the seed and when to plant. Lack of information is the main reason for the rapid death of plants. If you follow the rules of planting and caring for leftists, you can achieve the desired result even in the absence of experience. Adhering to the tips, the bushes will certainly please not only with their appearance, but also with incredible scents. Photo flowers levkoya, planting and caring for this plant are presented below.
The peculiarity of the flower
Levka is a plant that is famous for its incredible aroma that fills everything around, especially in the evening. This type of flower is often called mattiola. This name was given in honor of the botanist Pietro Mattioli. Due to the nature of flowering, the left is very similar to phlox.
Especially popular are those species that have double flowers.
In nature, there are more than 50 species of this plant. They all differ in the shade of the buds, the shape and size of the shoots.
The main types of cultural levkoy:
- Annual. It has a short growing season. It blooms from the beginning of summer until autumn. In place of buds, fruits are formed in the form of grains. This variety is often used for cultivation in the open field.
- Winter. This is a biennial plant. It is sown in July or August. The first flowering can be observed next spring. Winter Levkoy also grown indoors. Differs plant long growing season. This mattiola blooms in late summer. With proper care pleases its buds until frost. Seeds ripen next year.
- Autumn. Varieties of this species begin to bloom in early fall. Seed collection is carried out only next year.
Of the above types, the third option is the most popular. Dwarf autumn varieties are especially popular. Their height does not exceed 20 cm. Low-growing bushes have small leafy plates and buds of medium size. The diameter of the flowers reaches 2-2.5 cm. There are also large-flowered species, the distinctive feature of which are large buds. They can reach 8 cm in diameter.
The most popular varieties of left-handed:
- ; Large-flowered;
- Victoria;
- Thumbelina;
- Ruby;
Belongs to the genus of herbaceous plants. The flower belongs to the famous Cabbage family. The birthplace of such Mattiola are the lands of Southern Europe, the Mediterranean. Often Levkoy grows as a shrub. Stems straight. Their height ranges from 20 to 80 cm. The twigs can be both naked and hairy. Mattiola blooms pink, white, purple and yellowish tinge. All buds are collected in neat inflorescences. At the end of flowering pods are formed, in the middle of which small grains are formed. Seeds are flat shaped. In one gram can be up to 700 pieces of grains.
Propagation of the left by the seeds
In order for the flower to bloom profusely and have an incredible fragrance, you need to know when to plant it. To grow a young plant in several ways, but the most common and effective is with the help of seeds.
Before sowing the seedlings on the left, the seeds should be properly prepared.
The cultivation of the left-hand cluster of seeds should be started from the preparation of grains. Before replanting the material should be placed in water for 24 hours. This time will be enough for the grains to swell. After a day, wrap the seeds in wet gauze and put them in a cold place for several days. For this it is better to use a refrigerator.
Sowing seedlings for seedlings should be carried out in early April or late March. Growing mattiola from seed at home should be carried out in boxes with a mixture of turf land and a small amount of sand.
Spread the grains on the surface of the soil should be sparse. The average depth at which the seeds are placed is 0.5 cm.
A mini-greenhouse is recommended for the fast rooting of the grains. If done correctly, the shoots appear on the fifth day. After the appearance of plants on the soil surface, in the middle of the greenhouse, the temperature should be lowered to 120 C. During this period, the box will be better moved to a lighter place. After 2 weeks, the seedlings can swoop down.
Hardened plants are able to withstand temperatures as low as -50 ° C.
All seeds that did well in the pick and began to grow rapidly can be planted in open ground. Strengthened seedlings are recommended to feed the humus.
Leaning in the open field
Planting left-wing and caring in the open field are important points on which the development of the plant depends. Planting seedlings on a bed should be in the prepared in advance holes. 
Before placing the plants, it is necessary to water the soil abundantly. Landing should be exclusively in the slush. This will allow the flowers to quickly adapt to new conditions.
The wells are well filled with soil and compacted. Between seedlings should be kept at a distance of 20 - 25 cm. For short-growing varieties, the indicators are within 15 cm.
In order for the left-handed to bloom without interruption, repeated sowing should be carried out. It is recommended to do this every 10-15 days.
Irrigation. This is an important part in the care of the plant. Water the flower is recommended not much, but systematically. Prolonged drought and excess fluid can damage the plant. For better oxygen penetration, the soil should be periodically loosened. Such a procedure should be carried out immediately after irrigation, in the evening.
Preparing for winter. Varieties that end their bloom in the fall should be pruned. It is necessary to remove shoots almost completely, leaving above the ground from 10 to 15 cm.
Fertilizer. This is an important point in the care of mattiola. Particular attention should be paid to fertilizing during the flowering period. To levkoy bloomed abundantly, it is necessary to add phosphorus-potash fertilizers to bushes. In the spring and in the fall - complex preparations.
Perennial varieties are not recommended to be mulched in the first year of plant life.
Pests. The cruciferous flea bears the greatest danger to plants. 
To combat such an insect, a weak ash solution should be used. Treat bushes should be once every four days until they disappear. During processing, you should be careful that the liquid falls not only on the front side of the leaves, but also on the back. If there are a lot of fleas, you will need to use insecticides to fight them.
Mattioli also often affects the black leg.
It is possible to determine such a disease by analyzing the state of the stem. Diseased flowers differ brown shade of the lower part of the trunk. To prevent this, one should treat the ground with Hom before planting. Special composition will help protect plants from infection with this incurable disease.
Before planting seeds on the seedlings, you should know the basic rules of this procedure. Knowing when and how to prepare the grains, you can grow beautiful and healthy plants that will delight you with their flowering and incredible smell throughout the summer.
