The dignity of Levkoi is that they can bloom throughout the summer season, therefore they are a welcome decoration of gardens. For this, the plants require an open, sunny place and easy maintenance. As an annual with a long period of development, Levkoi enter the flowering phase only three months after planting. Therefore, it is of great importance to prepare quality seedlings grown at home.
What’s so curious about Levkoe
Decorative levkoi with their variety of shapes and colors are derivatives of one of the species (Matthióla incána, aka Matthiola gray-haired) of the Matthiola genus, which belongs to the cruciferous family. In natural conditions, on the rocky slopes of the Mediterranean, the plants have a nondescript appearance: grayish-green leaves and small four-petal flowers with a pleasant aroma.
Levkoi have a long development cycle, their flowering occurs two and a half (or even three and a half months) after germination.
To get levkoi already in June, seedlings are grown at home or in greenhouses. Seeds sown directly into the ground will only bloom by the end of summer.
What is the time frame for planting seeds for seedlings
It is recommended to plant seeds for growing seedlings 2-3 months before planting it in a permanent place.
To bloom in early summer, you need to sow seeds in early March. The exact time can be calculated based on factors:
- Plant variety. The appearance of the plant, the time of its flowering, etc., depends on it.
- The climate of a specific region. Levkoy is a cold-resistant plant. In the middle lane, the seedling planting dates are the second half of May.
According to the lunar calendar, the most favorable days for sowing, picking and planting annual flowers are the days when the moon is in the first and second quarters of the lunar cycle, that is, “on the growing moon”. When to plant levkoy when grown from seed in 2019:
- from 7 to 17 February;
- from 10 to 20 March;
- from 8 to 18 April.
Which variety of Levkoy to choose for planting
It is not necessary to know all the nuances of the classification. When choosing seeds, you must carefully read the description of the variety, paying attention to the following parameters:
- plant height;
- the size and shape of the inflorescence;
- flower size;
- flowering time;
- shelf life.
Popular varieties with photos
- Mammut Excelsior variety (Mammut is the most excellent).
It belongs to the group of single-stemmed varieties, usually reaches a height of 70-80 cm, forms a long dense inflorescence on a powerful stem, consisting of double flowers up to 5 cm in diameter. It has many shades: red, yellow, white, apricot. Good for cutting. Tall varieties: Fox (pink), Step (red), Excelsior (different shades), Miracle.
Mammut apricot
Refers to dwarf varieties. Plant height is not more than 30 cm. Dense pyramidal inflorescences consist of large double flowers. Shades from white to dark purple. Beautiful in a flower bed, due to its compactness, it feels great in pots. Dwarf varieties: Gnome (different colors), Sun bunny (yellow), Lapis lazuli (blue), Ten Vic (different colors), Intuition (20 cm high).
Thumbelina, mix of shades
Has lush inflorescences of densely double flowers. Height – 30 cm.
Ten Vic pink
It has racemose inflorescences and large snow-white flowers. Its height is no more than 25 cm.
Snowflake
- Shrub varieties (different shades).
The bushy form of a flower bush is suitable for flower beds. Plants are highly branched, inflorescences are loose, flowers are very large (up to 5 cm). It looks like a blooming cloud.
Shrub, mix of shades
- Varieties Bouquet and Victoria.
They form a group of bouquet levkoi, which are characterized by an equal-level arrangement of the main inflorescence and lateral ones.
Victoria pink
Garden group of varieties with a height of about 60 cm, pyramidal inflorescences, various shades. Varieties: Gray-haired giant.
Grizzled giant purple
It has a bush height of about 50 cm, large double flowers of delicate colors, collected in racemose inflorescences. They form very beautiful borders.
Aida pale pink
A close relative of Levkoy is Mattiola Bicornus, also known as Night Violet. This flower is invisible during the day, but at dusk, like little stars, they open up and exude a wonderful aroma. Since mattiola is much closer to the wild, it is much more resilient. It can be sown directly into the ground in early spring and even before winter near those places where people spend time in the evening.
Night Violet
How to sow seeds: step by step instructions
Sowing seeds is carried out no later than the beginning of March. You need to prepare for this work in advance. Actions should be performed in the following order:
- Preparation of containers. For sowing seeds, take containers with holes to remove excess water.
- Preparation of a soil mixture, which must be moisture and air permeable. It is necessary to prepare the soil substrate by mixing turf soil with sand in a 3: 1 ratio. Neither humus, nor compost, nor other organic matter should be added to this mixture. If a ready-made soil is purchased, it is recommended to add sand to it in order to exclude excessive compaction of the earth. Nevertheless, the risk of death of seedlings from the black leg remains. For insurance, the finished substrate should be poured with a solution of potassium permanganate, and then dried.
Seed stratification is optional, but this technique will increase seed germination and accelerate their germination:
- Put the seeds in a flat dish covered with a napkin, cover with water, cover slightly, and leave for a day.
- After swelling, the seeds wrapped in a moistened napkin should be placed in the refrigerator on the lower shelf, where the temperature is from 2 to 5 ° C. Stratification should take several days to a week.
- Finished seeds should be sown in moistened soil, deepening by half a centimeter and placing the seeds at a distance of 3 cm.
- There is no need to water. Cover the container with crops with glass or foil and arrange in a warm place, where the temperature is 20-22 ° C.
- Seedlings need to wait from 4 days to 2 weeks.
Seed stratification is carried out taking into account the conditions of the region
How to care for seedlings
Having seen the first shoots, the shelter should be removed, and the container with the seedlings should be placed in a well-lit, but cool place, where the temperature is not higher than 15 ° C, so that the seedlings do not stretch out, be strong and hardened. Further care is as follows:
- Starting from the moment the cotyledon leaves are fully deployed, the seedlings can be dived.
- Watering the seedlings after shelter should not begin immediately, but after a few days, avoiding waterlogging and overdrying the earthen coma.
- Plant the sprouts in pots filled with a soil mixture consisting of turf, leafy soil and sand in a ratio of 2: 2: 1. The pots should have a hole at the bottom to drain excess moisture.
- Levkoi flower buds are formed at temperatures no higher than 15 ° C. This is a guarantee of early flowering, otherwise it will come 10-20 days later. Seedlings are placed in a well-lit cool place and watered, avoiding drying out and waterlogging.
- The room where the seedlings are located should be frequently ventilated. This will serve as an additional hardening and make her stronger and more resilient.
- Seedlings, ready for planting, look like a rosette, consisting of 6-7 well-developed leaves.
- Hardened seedlings will not die with short frosts down to -5 ° C, so seedlings can be planted starting from the second decade of May.
How to choose the right landing site
Levkoi are planted near paths, gazebos, areas with garden furniture, in this case it will be more possible to appreciate the aroma of flowers. Levkoi reach the greatest decorative effect in open sunny places on fertile sod-loamy or sod-sandy loam soil.
Flowers will be damaged:
- stagnant water;
- prolonged drought;
- organic fertilizers.
When planting plants, one should take into account how they will look when they grow up, the volume of their inflorescences and their height. Dwarf varieties of levkoes are placed in the form of a border along the paths, tall ones – in groups among other flowers or herbaceous plants.
Plants with spreading inflorescences are spaced more than 35 cm from each other, with bouquet and pyramidal ones – by 25 cm, and single-stem and dwarf ones – 15-20 cm.
The combination of levkoy of different varieties will create an unusually romantic atmosphere in the garden.
How to care for flowers planted outdoors
Any damage to the roots is stressful for Levkoi. When transplanting to a permanent place, you should carefully roll the seedling into the hole along with an earthen lump. So that the lump does not crumble and does not injure the root system, it is pre-moistened. It is not recommended to plant seedlings in hot weather.
The planting holes are watered with water, slightly mixed with the ground to the consistency of a liquid porridge, so the roots of the plant will take root faster. You don’t need to add any additional fertilizers. The hole is covered with earth, they are well compacted.
Levkoi do not require special care. It is enough for them to perform the simplest procedures:
- Moderate watering without waterlogging of the soil.
- Loosening after watering and rain.
- Weeding.
- Top dressing once a month with ash or mineral mixtures containing potassium and phosphorus.
Potential pests: cruciferous flea and cabbage butterfly caterpillars. To combat them, you can use a solution of ash, tobacco dust or insecticides.
Florists use levkoi inflorescences that have opened up to two-thirds when making bouquets, while they are able to stand in the water for almost half a month without losing their pristine freshness and beauty. In landscape design, levkoi are suitable for the first rows of flower beds, decoration of terraces and balconies. They are planted in flower beds, flower beds, flowerpots and containers.
