But the August flower bed with a nasturtium pulled her eyes into the sunset. Each petal of its orange flowers rose above the green of the leaves and rushed towards the fading rays. And the flowerbed itself became a mirror reflection of a losing force. Favorite Capuchin
A nasturtium flower, rare in terms of decoration and utility, grows with almost every owner, even a tiny piece of land. She rightfully takes place in the central urban flower beds. Very bright flowers of the beloved by all orange-red color and juicy leaves covering the lawn, unsightly place or climbing up the tree trunk create a bright composition. City balconies are decorated with fancy combinations of nasturtium with other ornamental plants.
A large nasturtium is mainly cultivated, which was listed in the first reference book of plants as far back as the 16th century. A missionary monk brought her from a distant American continent, and the victorious march began from Italy to Holland, England. Here and got a new plant in the directory. At home, the family of nasturtiums has more than 50 species and they are all perennial. In culture, the plant is conducted as an annual.
There are many varieties of nasturtium large. They differ in many ways:
- the color and shape of the flower;
- lash length;
- leaf shape.
There is still a separate type of nasturtium, which is not subdivided into varieties, it is itself a hybrid of species growing in natural conditions, and is called cultural nasturtium. Among this species, there are even those that have fruits in the ground, resembling potatoes. On some, the fruits are not a box, but the testes are berries, and the flowers and leaves of the plant are a little like the usual nasturtium flower.
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Signs of a nasturtium species
Often nasturtium can be found in gardens and on balconies, which has been cultivated for several centuries. It can be in the form of a bush with a height of up to 40 cm, or it can lash up to 4 meters. Such climbing plants require support, but create beautiful compositions, decorating the landscape vertically. It is especially necessary to note the thick greens of large leaves of nasturtium. The darker the tone of the color, the richer the green leaf plate. In plants with red flowers green leaves with purple tint. Gentle green leaves are combined with a lemon flower. Stems juicy and very fragile.
The nasturtium flower is large, bisexual, has a spur and resembles a cap, capuchin. It is a little asymmetrical, two-lipped has 5 petals. The color palette is the most diverse from moon color to dark cherry. There are species with terry and semi-double buds, but any flower carries the scent of summer.
Seeds of nasturtiums represent a box of overgrown stems. When the seeds ripen, the box will turn yellow. Each shriveled tubercle breaks up into three parts. You need to collect seed boxes when they turn brown. In the conditions of the European summer, the seeds ripen on a bush. The fruits of nasturtium remain viable for 5 years.
Nasturtium rhizomes are powerful, sometimes there are varieties with thickened roots, in the form of potatoes. In our conditions, these varieties of nasturtium bred only in greenhouses.
Agrotechnology nasturtiums
A sunny place with a deep standing of groundwater will suit a beauty. The soil should be fertile, but without fresh organic matter. With an excess of nitrogenous green mass grows to the detriment of flowering. Loves plant potash-phosphorus fertilizer. During flowering, watering should be limited. If the plant receives more nitrogen fertilizer and moisture, it will perfectly fulfill the role of a green hedge, but there will be few flowers.
The flower of summer is afraid of any frost in spring and autumn.
If the plant is grown by seedlings, it will be necessary to keep the seedlings in containers for the entire development period and ensure a smooth transfer to a permanent place. It should be noted that not only the roots are fragile, but also the ground part of the nasturtium. It is even necessary to maintain the orientation of the plant as it was before the landing.
Usually, nasturtium seeds are sown in open ground at the end of May, young plants are covered from return frost, flowering in such conditions occurs 2 months after sowing. The method of cultivation with sowing seeds in open ground is less time consuming, and is used more often than seedlings. To organize the shelter of young plants is currently not difficult with the help of arcs and nonwoven material.
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Climbing plants must be directed on a support, sometimes tied up, depending on which composition is created. Sprouts grow in a flower bed, creating an excellent composition. Nasturtium seeds are harvested when the box turns brown about 50 days after the flower has withered. For better flowering, such puppy flowers should be removed, leaving only a part for the seeds.
Nasturtium large has dozens of varieties. Acquire seeds better in specialized stores, focusing on the description. The best producers of nasturtium seeds are the domestic corporation NK and the firm Unwins.
Some varieties of nasturtium have long been known:
- King Theodore with a red inflorescence.
- Primrose Jewel, Lemon Yellow.
- Ladybug, apricot with maroon specks.
- Alaska, representing a mixture of colors.
There are terry and climbing varieties, just before going to the store you should familiarize yourself with the catalog and know what to look for.
Diseases of plants and the beneficial properties of a nasturtium large
With all its decorative elements, a nasturtium flower is a natural physician and protector. So, she frightens away the cabbage mole and whitefly from plantings. The very same, is attractive for aphids, cruciferous flea, Medvedka. You can fight pests using folk remedies. If you spray ash on the plant in dry weather, the insects will leave the bush. The use of biologics recommended for the processing of vegetable crops, and suitable nasturtium. One of these drugs is bitoxicillin, the other is EM-1 Baikal.
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Viral and fungal diseases affect a tender and juicy plant very quickly. Therefore, at the first signs of the appearance of dots on the leaves, rot on the stems, mosaic or red spots, it is necessary to cut off the infected parts and burn the plant residues. The rest of the process fungicides. If only one plant is sick, it is better to destroy it immediately, and the rest to be preventively treated.
On the other hand, the entire above-ground part of the plant is edible. Therefore, the salad with the addition of leaves of nasturtium acquires a pleasant sharpness, and the flowers add decoration. In addition, the floral extract is an excellent food coloring. Such an additive in butter will provide not only shade, but also vitamins that inflorescences are so rich with. And they contain the well-known vitamin of life, ascorbic acid, and many other useful trace elements.
The leaves and stems contain substances that help relieve bouts of coronary insufficiency. On the basis of leaves, flowers, stems in traditional medicine make tinctures and ointments that help with skin rashes, bronchitis, avitaminosis. The nasturtium flower is not only a beautiful plant, but also an effective healer of the garden and man.
Unpretentious flowers for the garden Nasturtium - video
