Carpathian bellflower: planting and care in open ground. Bell flowers: planting and growing

Nature has endowed Carpathian bell extraordinary tenderness and unique grace, which is what landscape designers use to create fabulous beautiful compositions(most often, the flower is used in slides). Planted in groups, these flowers form dense bushes with a scattering of large cup-shaped flowers. To tell everything about bluebell flowers would require a whole treatise, so we will draw your attention only to the most important points in their cultivation.

Choosing a location and soil for planting

The Carpathian bell is not whimsical by nature, so its planting and further care can be carried out both in sunny places and in partial shade. The best soil for this plant - fertile, with good drainage, neutral or slightly acidic. In heavy, poorly drained soils, where water often stagnates, the bell quickly dies from excessive waterlogging. If you plant a flower in heavy loamy soils, then add sand and deoxidized peat when digging. Excessively loose sandy soils should be mixed with humus or turf soil. By complying with these requirements, you will provide your plants with good conditions for wintering.

Growing Carpathian bell from seeds

Sowing an area prepared for bells with seeds is the most common method of growing a plant. The weight of a thousand seeds is very small and amounts to only a quarter of a gram. At good conditions, for germination, one gram of seeds will produce 4000 seedlings.

Did you know? In ancient times, our ancestors believed that with the help of a bell you could attract a loved one. The girl had to pick the plant at dawn and attach it to the window shutter. Soon the one we loved was coming to visit.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

The seeds of this plant are very capricious, so in order for them to germinate well, a certain thermal hardening is required. Preparation of planting material and sowing should begin in February. From this point on, the seeds must be kept for one month at a temperature of +20°C under diffused light, moistening them evenly. Also, fresh air must be constantly supplied to them. These microclimate requirements are very important for successful seed growth. Those shoots that appeared prematurely, earlier than planned, need to be transplanted into a separate container.

Next, heating of the planted material must be replaced by temperature hardening with a range from -4°C to +4°C. This stage should last a month and a half. At the same time, it is very important that the seedlings are exposed to natural environmental factors, but it is advisable to keep the temperature in the box under control if it drops significantly outside. Seeds grow most successfully under a layer of lush snow, which protects them from freezing, and melt water on sunny days provides the necessary moisture. Hardening lasts as long as the average daily temperature is higher than the upper limit of the specified range. As soon as the first shoots appear, the container with the earthen substrate must be moved to a room where the temperature is in the range from +10°C to +15°C.
This method of seed hardening is very labor-intensive, but at the same time very effective. There is another option for propagating bells, in which the seeds are not sown directly into the soil, but are treated in a mixture of wet sand in a plastic bag. At the first stage, they are heated according to the type of the first method, but at the second, the hardening is transferred to the refrigerator for the same period as in the first option. Then, the seed is placed in boxes with prepared soil mixture (without deepening) and sent to conditions with temperature conditions at +10°C...+15°C. In order not to wash away the seeds, they are not watered, but sprayed with a spray bottle. The soil substrate can also be moistened through microcapillaries through a tray of water.

Important! The substrate, before sowing seeds into it, must be well moistened and saturated with moisture.

After sowing, soil moisture and seed lighting should be monitored. Optimal conditions for growth occurs after 10-25 days from the moment of planting. The shoots will be very dense one way or another, therefore picking should begin as soon as the first leaves appear. In order not to greatly harm the seedlings, they can be replanted in groups of 4 plants in one seedling pot or multi-cell plates. Only sprouted bells need to be moderately moistened and often given fresh air to breathe. The first fertilizers are applied 14 days after picking.

This is the most appropriate time, as the Carpathian bells will recover from stress and completely restore their root system. Carpathian bellflower can already be planted for a permanent “place of residence” in open ground when its seedlings have reached one month of age. It must be well lit and ventilated, and not prone to excessive waterlogging. In the worst case, the bells will gradually become depressed and more often be susceptible to various kinds of diseases.

Sowing seeds in open ground

Carpathian bellflower adapts quite well to different conditions, so its planting by seeds can be done immediately in open ground. This event should be held in the fall in mid-October or in the spring, in May. Bell seeds should be planted in a mixture of sand, turf soil and weathered peat. The soil should be light, loose and well ventilated. The seeds do not need to be fertilized with organic matter. Since the planting material is very small, it needs to be laid out directly on the surface of the soil and sprinkled with a little sand. Spring shoots germinate in two weeks, and autumn shoots 10-14 days after the ground thaws.

Important! Carpathian bellflower is a species whose seeds germinate better after hardening, so it would be more logical to plant them right before snow falls.

When three full-fledged leaves appear on the plant, the seedlings can be planted according to a 10x10 cm pattern.

How to care for bells on your property?

The Carpathian bell, which is unpretentious in care, does not have any special requirements for environment, so growing it will not be a burden to you.

How to water?

Watering should only be done during periods of prolonged heat. Then you will have to use up to 10 liters of water for each mature plant. After watering, the soil in the root zone must be weeded and loosened to allow free air circulation.

Fertilizer application

Fertilizing should be done twice a season. First - in early spring when there is still snow, by applying nitrogen-containing fertilizers. Secondly, during the budding period, the bushes will respond well to fertilizing with complex fertilizers based on minerals.

Pruning inflorescences

Transplantation of young flowers to a permanent “place of residence” is carried out at the beginning of summer. Next year, when the bluebell blooms, be prepared to quickly trim off the faded inflorescences. This is necessary in order to prevent spontaneous self-seeding. Otherwise, many flowers interfering with each other and growing chaotically may appear nearby. Fruit boxes must be collected before they darken and open. If you want to plant bluebells, then simply work them into the soil from August to September or next May. Regular pruning of the dried inflorescences of the Carpathian bellflower will prolong its flowering periods. And if, at the end of it, you cut all the flower stalks short, then within a month the plant will bloom again.

Mulching the soil

Since the Carpathian bell does not tolerate stagnant moisture, the soil for its cultivation must be loose. However, during periods of extreme heat, in order to avoid rapid evaporation and retain the necessary moisture, it must, on the contrary, be mulched. Those plants that grow on rocky hills do not need this event. Bluebells cannot stand proximity to weeds, so you should promptly and very carefully eliminate weeds from flower beds.

Did you know? According to ancient beliefs, the bell brings love to the young, peace to the old and generally makes people happy.

Carpathian bellflower in landscape design

The Carpathian bell is such an attractive flower that it is worth paying due attention to its description. It reaches a height of 30 cm. The leaves are heart-shaped, small, collected in a rosette and growing closer to the roots. Thanks to this arrangement, a neat spherical bush with a diameter of 30 cm is formed. Single funnel-shaped flowers in white, purple and blue shades in large quantities cover the entire bush of the plant. The Carpathian bell goes well with bright daisies, cute lobelias, fragrant alyssum and lush aubrietta.

The composition of multi-colored plants is very attractive. Among the alpine hills, Carpathian bluebell is successfully combined in garden design with saxifrage, periwinkle, young and sedum. When decorating a rock garden, plant bells against the background of carnation grass, subulate phlox, fescue and iberis. IN Lately V landscape design Popular trends include placing flowering plants in flowerpots. Delicate Carpathian bells are planted in beds lining paths, as well as mixed flower beds with predominantly low-growing flowers.

Resistance to diseases and pests

Diseases and pests for the Carpathian bell are for the most part not terrible, so the plant is rarely affected by them. True when long-term cultivation flowers in one place in the soil there is an accumulation of pathogenic microorganisms - fusarium, sclerotinia and botrytis. They can destroy the plant. To prevent this, twice a season (spring and autumn period s), treat flowers with a solution of “Fundazol” at a concentration of 0.2%.
During periods high humidity A slobbering penny appears on the bells, which is removed with garlic infusion. The leaves and shoots of the flower are attacked by slugs and snails. You can drive away pests with the drugs “Thunder” and “Meta”. Also, the leaves of bells are often covered with rust, which copper-containing preparations help fight. To prevent it from infecting the plant, it is necessary to carry out regular preventive spring and autumn processing soils with “Gumi” or “Fitosporin” preparations.

Did you know? They say that this flower served as the prototype of the bell, which is why its Latin name is “campanula”, which comes from the word “campana” - translated as “bell”. In Italy, this is what bell towers are called - campanillas.

Other methods of propagating Carpathian bellflower

N Along with seed propagation of bells, there are also vegetative methods: dividing the bush and cuttings. Their use allows you to increase the number of plants in summer and autumn. Also when vegetative propagation the possibility of cross-pollination and splitting of characteristics is excluded, therefore the production of identical planting material and the transfer of all varietal characteristics is guaranteed.

Cuttings

Carpathian bellflower for cuttings is driven out at a temperature of +10°C. Cuttings should be cut three centimeters in size with one or two buds. Favorable periods for this are the spring months. During this time you can get a lot of planting material. The cuttings take root very well and the root system is fully formed within three weeks. You need to plant the cuttings in multi-cell plates, three pieces each. The substrate is prepared as follows: take soil, sand and humus in equal proportions, and then mix them.

Plant the cuttings and cover them with a layer of sand a couple of centimeters deep. Sand has good absorbency, so it retains moisture well, while remaining loose and ventilated. This has a beneficial effect on young roots. The most suitable conditions can be created using a fine fogging unit under plastic film. The use of vegetative propagation methods significantly accelerates the flowering of the bell.

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While admiring exotic flowers, we give our hearts to the modest and unassuming “pearls” of Central Russian nature - bells, daisies, lilies of the valley, forget-me-nots... We plant their cultivated varieties and forms in our gardens. The middle bell is one of them.
The biennial plant is distinguished by simple agricultural techniques and pleases with a long and lush flowering, propagated by seeds, less often by cuttings. Depending on the desired flowering time, cultivation of middle bell from seeds begins in spring or summer. In the first case, flowering occurs in the year of sowing. But the process is complicated by the need to keep the seedlings indoors until warm days arrive. Growing medium bellflower from seeds in summer is easier, as it allows you to use open ground breeding beds. Flowering in this case occurs only in the second year. Effective and long-lasting, it is worth the time and effort. Photo: Medium bell “Alba”.

MEDIUM BELL (Campanula medium). DESCRIPTION

Campanula is one of 300 species of the genus Campanula. grassy biennial plant grows wild on rocky slopes in the temperate zone of Europe, the Caucasus, Siberia, is found in Asia and is naturalized in America. Its beautiful flowers have not left people indifferent; since 1578, Campanula has been cultivated in gardens of both hemispheres. Warm and cool climates suit him and heat and frost are contraindicated. It likes moist soil, but does not tolerate damp air.
Plants 50-100 cm high are often cultivated as biennial flowers. In the first year of cultivation, a rosette of leaves is formed from the seeds, in the second - a straight, strong stem covered with small, harsh hairs. The stem is branched, has a burgundy tint in plants with purple and blue corollas, and in plants with white and light pink flowers it is green.
The basal, lanceolate, green leaves up to 15 cm in length are collected in a rosette and have a long-toothed edge. On the stem there are sparse small narrow sessile leaves, the higher up the stem, the smaller they are.
Large flowers reach 6-7 cm in length and diameter, they are located along the entire length of the stem and open alternately, which is why flowering lasts up to 2 months, from June to August.
The flowers are bell-shaped or goblet-shaped and blue, purple, pink or white. The 5 petals along the edge are gracefully curved outward. The plant is self-pollinating, but bees, bumblebees and butterflies are partially involved in pollination. It is considered a good honey plant, especially sweet Honey.
The seeds ripen at the end of August-September. Small brownish in color, they are collected in a fruit-box. Dispersing on their own, the seeds give life to new plants, which is why sometimes it seems that the average bell is not a biennial at all - after all, it grows in one place for several years! This impression is wrong. And a flower garden with self-seeding is not as colorful as the one decorated with the average bell, grown from seeds by the caring hands of a gardener.

BELL MEDIUM. GROWING FROM SEEDS IN A TWO-YEAR CULTURE

To get a flowering plant in the second year, sowing is carried out in the summer from May to June, in exceptional cases - in July. Seeds can be sown directly in open ground. But when sown in beds, seedlings can be drowned out by weeds. Therefore, it is better to take a seedling container or an ordinary plastic packaging box and grow seedlings in them. It is necessary to make holes in the bottom to drain excess water. The container is filled with garden soil, compacted and moistened with a sprayer (photo →). You can use purchased soil for flower crops.

The seeds are evenly distributed over the surface of the substrate. Sprinkle a thin layer of sand on top (photo). Irrigate with water and cover with lutrasil or any non-woven material(photo). He prevents evaporation of water and at the same time allows air to reach the seeds.

The container with the crops is placed in comfortable conditions, for example, on a bright terrace of a dacha or in the partial shade of bushes, but not directly sunlight. Check the condition of the crops daily and moisten them if necessary.

After 10 days, shoots appear, friendly and strong (photo). Lutrasil is removed and the seedlings are cared for like any other flowers: watered, weeds removed. It is especially important to moisten the soil during the first period after germination. Young shoots without moisture may dry out. If poor soil was used to grow bellflower seeds from seeds, the plants are fed with soluble water every 10 days. complex fertilizer in proportions recommended for seedlings. Seedlings with 3 true leaves can be planted in the ground.

Growing of seedlings is carried out in a growing bed. First, dig up the soil and add compost and mineral fertilizer or ash (bellflower does not like acidic soils, and ash, moreover, reduces the acidity of the soil). The bed should be raised so that the seedlings do not get wet in the rain and do not dry out in the winter. An average bell is planted for growing at a distance of 10 cm in a row and 20 cm between rows (photo). The plants will remain in the garden overwinter until spring. But you can transplant the grown seedlings to a permanent place in August; you should not do this later, the plants will not take root well.

Caring for the medium bell is traditional - watering, loosening, weed control; in case of poor growth, fertilizing twice a month with a dissolved complex of nutrients is recommended. The medium bell tolerates winter well without shelter (Moscow region). But it is safer to mulch the plantings with peat, fallen leaves or cover with spruce branches.

MEDIUM BELL: PLANTING AND CARE

In the spring, together with a lump of damp earth, the middle bell is transplanted to a designated place. This could be a group against the background of a lawn, a flower bed, a border, or a container. In the gardens natural style The middle bell is planted between bushes or in clearings as islands. Underdeveloped sockets can be left on the breeding bed. Most likely, they will bloom only next year.

To plant the middle bell, choose a sunny or semi-shaded location, protected from winds that can break tall flowers. Stagnation of water in the soil and poor soils should be avoided. Acidic soils are pre-limed. On fertile soils, the flowers are especially bright and large. When preparing the soil, it is recommended to add compost or humus (1-2 buckets per square meter).

By pulling out weeds and watering the drying soil, we create the necessary conditions for the growth and flowering of the middle bell. Lack of moisture impairs the decorative effect of its flowers and can completely interrupt flowering. But fertilizing with a dissolved fertilizer complex will promote it. To protect tall inflorescences from wind and rain, the stems are tied to pegs. To prolong flowering, faded buds are removed.

We recommend reading: EQUAL LEAF BELL

A medium bell can not only decorate a garden or balcony, but also serve good material for making bouquets and floral arrangements. The plant stands well when cut (up to 10-15 days) and is often grown for this purpose. Bouquets of bluebells symbolize constancy, faith and gratitude.

* Sometimes the middle bell is immediately sown in a permanent place. In this case, the seedlings are thinned out, maintaining the same distances as when planting seedlings.

We recommend reading: Foxglove: GROWING FROM SEEDS MATRON'S PARTY /HESPERIS/

BELL MEDIUM. GROWING FROM SEEDS IN AN ANNUAL CULTURE

If you start growing from seeds in March, the middle bell will bloom in the same year. The technology is similar to that described above, with the difference that the conditions necessary for growth will first have to be created in an apartment. For the germination of middle bell seeds, a temperature of + 18-20°C is required. Seedlings are planted in the garden at the age of 50-60 days in May.

In the photo: Medium bell, mixture. Plants in the flowerbed and in the garden.

CUTTINGS

Sometimes they practice propagation of the middle bell by cuttings. They are cut in the spring of the second year of cultivation. The rooting scheme is standard: a cutting with one or two internodes with cut leaves is planted in moist soil with the addition of sand, the other two internodes are left above the soil surface; kept in a moist, warm environment under a film or jar with a small air flow.

We recommend reading: TURKISH CLOVE: GROWING FROM SEEDS ANNUAL RUDBEKIA

MEDIUM BELL: VARIETIES

The varieties presented on the seed market differ in plant height, color and doubleness of flowers. Double flowers have a double corolla, which in some varieties resembles a cup and saucer. One of the varieties is named for this association. The degree of calyx growth and the dissection of the petals varies among varieties and garden forms. Despite this, you will always recognize the middle bell. Its varieties: “Droplet”, “Cup with Saucer”, “Terry”, “ Music Box", "Merry Chime", "Cottage", "Raspberry Ring", "Chelsea", "Vanilla Clouds", "Snezhanna", "Pink Gramophone", "Carminrose". Often the seeds are sold under the general name "Middle Bell".

“Website about plants” www.site

Almost the entire summer period blooms in open ground An amazing plant with bright blue or white flowers from the bellflower family - Carpathian bellflower. The cultivation of numerous varieties of this plant is best achieved when planted on the southern slopes of alpine hills and in rockeries. How to take care of the plant? What are the most productive methods of propagating Carpathian bellflower? You will find answers to questions about the agricultural technology of bells in this article.

Carpathian bell: varieties and varieties

People called these cute flowers: chenilles, chebotki, bells. More than 300 species of Campanula are known. Recently, breeders have been developing new unique varieties perennial bells suitable for planting on alpine roller coaster.

These short ones perennials fits perfectly into landscape design

Double and non-double varieties of Carpathian bellflower, which are painted in white, pink shades and the entire spectrum of blue, have a special charm. The perennial Carpathian bell reaches only 30 cm in height; the plant's delicate stems grow anew every spring. The plant has two types of leaves: large ones are collected in a neat rosette, smaller leaves are arranged alternately on the stems. Campanula forms a lush bush, each shoot of which is crowned with single bell-shaped flowers. Flowering usually begins in mid-summer and lasts until autumn, the duration depends on the variety of bells.

Advice! Removing faded inflorescences will stimulate lateral branching and the formation of new buds. Drastic pruning of the Carpathian bellflower bush causes a second wave of plant flowering.

Planting a bluebell

When planting perennial Carpathian bellflower in open ground, it is worth considering some subtleties:

Plant care

It is not at all difficult to care for a bell in the open ground. The plant can do without watering in the spring months, when the roots receive enough moisture from melt water.

After wintering, the plants should be inspected and dead parts of the bushes should be removed.

To prevent the plant's roots from suffering from the heat, mulch the soil under the bell

During extreme heat, to retain moisture, it is necessary to mulch the soil in the beds with plants. Bluebells that grow on rocky hills do not require mulching in the summer.

Advice! Campanula does not tolerate the proximity of weeds: plant care includes timely weeding and removal of weeds from flower beds.

Fertilizing and feeding the bell

At the beginning of spring, it is useful to feed the regrown bushes of campanula with complete organo-mineral fertilizer. In mid-summer, plants in open ground will respond well to the application of phosphorus fertilizers and microelements.

Advice! Excessive application organic fertilizers will lead to an increase in the green mass of the bush to the detriment of flowering.

Plant propagation

The Carpathian bell can be propagated by dividing the bush and seeds, which ripen in boxes by the end of September. Growing a plant from seeds is quite a troublesome task, since the seedlings are very weak and tender. When self-sowing, campanula grow in the spring adapted to local conditions. It is recommended to sow seeds in autumn or spring. Flowering specimens grown from seeds will bloom in 2-3 years.

The most convenient way to propagate bluebells is by dividing the bush.

Dividing the bush is only suitable for mature, fully grown plants that are over 3 years old.

In addition to these methods of propagation, the bell is easily propagated in the summer. green cuttings. Cuttings are cut into segments with several internodes from healthy bushes. Rooting is carried out in a greenhouse or greenhouse. Excellent results were observed when using growth stimulants during the rooting period of green cuttings. Preparations "Epin" or "Kornevin" will significantly reduce the risk of plant death and also guarantee the rapid formation of a strong root system. Grown-up specimens are transplanted to a permanent place in early autumn or spring.

Diseases and pests

The Carpathian bellflower is practically not threatened by pests. Thin leaves and the shoots of the plant suffer only from the invasion of slugs. The preparations “Grom” and “Meta” will help to expel pests from plants.

Slugs can cause significant damage to bluebell leaves.

The leaves of bells may become rusty; preparations containing copper will help fight the disease. To prevent the spread of rust, it is useful to carry out preventive soil treatment in spring and autumn with Gumi or Fitosporin preparations.

Carpathian bellflower: combination with other plants

On an alpine hill perennial bluebells ideally combined in plantings with rock alyssum, aubrietta, lobelia, daisies and other perennial or annual plants for rocky gardens.

Bluebell looks great in a flowerbed with other perennials

The combination of blue and white bells planted side by side is very picturesque. Photo landscape compositions using Campanula confirms the perfect combination of blue bells with flowers in white, pink and yellow shades.

The plant fits perfectly with the emerald carpet of city lawns.

Carpathian bellflower in landscape design

In landscape design, the Carpathian bell is used for growing in rock gardens, alpine hills and rocky gardens.

Carpathian bellflower in the rock garden

IN last years flowerpots with flowering plants. The bell is ideal for these purposes.

Delicate flowers are planted in beds to frame paths and in mixed flower beds with low-growing plants.

What you need to know about the Carpathian bell: video

Varieties of Carpathian bellflower: photo

For many years, bluebells have been the favorite flowers of millions of gardeners. middle zone. Cute and tender - can you imagine a summer flower garden without them? People affectionately call bells “bells”, “chenilles”, “chebotkas” - like a quiet chime in each name, do you hear?

The most popular among gardeners is a typical representative of the genus - the Carpathian bellflower, which is a dense perennial bush 25–30 cm high, blooming with large (up to 5 cm in diameter) funnel-shaped flowers, the color of which, depending on the variety, can be snow-white, purple, sky blue or bright blue. Matching the modest, exquisite beauty of the Carpathian bell is its meek, unpretentious character, thanks to which it is pleasant and not at all difficult to grow it.

When to plant

Sowing Carpathian bell seeds can be done directly into the soil in the second ten days of May or at the end of October, before winter. However, only the seedling method allows seedlings to flower already in the current season. Seeds for seedlings are sown in the first week of March, and the plant is planted in a permanent place of growth in late May–early June.

Growing seedlings

First of all, a nutritious, permeable substrate is prepared for Carpathian bell seedlings. To do this, mix turf soil (6 parts) with humus (3 parts), and coarse sand (1 part) is added as a leavening agent. For disinfection purposes, the resulting mixture is placed in a hot oven or water bath for 30–40 minutes. Culture seeds are not needed preliminary preparation, so sowing work will not take much time.

• A low bowl is filled with sterilized soil mixture.
• Bell seeds are scattered evenly over the soil surface, lightly pressed and sprayed warm water from a spray bottle.
• The crops are covered with glass or polyethylene and kept in the light at a temperature of +18–22 °C.

The emergence of seedlings takes about 15–20 days. As soon as the first shoots appear from the ground, the shelter is removed and the bowl is removed from the direct rays of the sun. Caring for bellflower crops comes down to carrying out procedures that are usual for any flower seedlings– water the soil as it dries and periodically gently loosen it. 3 weeks after emergence, when the seedlings develop their first true leaves, they are transplanted into a spacious container at intervals of 9–11 cm. 12–15 days after picking, feed the plant with a weakly concentrated solution of complete seedling fertilizer.

Location of the Carpathian bellflower on the site

As a “place of residence” for the light-loving Carpathian bell, they choose a sunny, draft-free place, located away from bushes and trees. The crop prefers loamy, well-drained soils with a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction.

When preparing the site, the soil is dug deeply and humus or garden compost is added. Note! Do not use peat and fresh manure to nourish the soil - they can provoke infection of seedlings with harmful fungi.

Transplanting seedlings into open ground

Carpathian bell seedlings are planted in a permanent place of growth with a small lump of earth, keeping a distance of about 10–15 cm between the seedlings. The soil under the bushes is thoroughly compacted, watered abundantly with water heated in the sun and the soil under the plantings is mulched with a layer of humus.

Features of care

Unpretentious in maintenance, bells do not make high demands on environmental conditions, so caring for them will not be difficult for you.

• Water the plantings only during prolonged heat, spending 5–10 liters of water on each adult bush. After watering, the soil under the bells is loosened and weeded.
• The plants are fed twice a season - in early spring, nitrogen-containing fertilizer is applied while still in the snow, and at the beginning of budding the bushes will respond well to feeding with complex mineral fertilizer.
• To ensure the flowering of the Carpathian bell is abundant and long, regularly pick off the wilted inflorescences.

These simple activities will be enough for your pet. The Carpathian bell can grow comfortably in one place for 5-6 years.

Protection from diseases and pests

The owner of the Carpathian bell will not have to worry much about the health of the pet. The crop is not susceptible to pests and fungal infections, so high-quality care will be a reliable guarantee of the plant’s well-being. But! Over time, numerous pathogens accumulate in the soil under the bells that can destroy the bushes - sclerotinia, botrytis, fusarium. To prevent the massive development of harmful microorganisms, it is recommended to spray plantings in spring and autumn with a weak (2%) solution of the drug “Fundazol”.

In rainy years, the Carpathian bluebell can be annoyed by voracious slugs and slobbering pennies. Gastropods will have to be removed and destroyed manually, and the plants will have to be treated with hot pepper infusion. Slugs will not return if granulated superphosphate or dry mustard is scattered under the bushes. Garlic water helps a lot against slobbering pennies.

Popular varieties

The Carpathian bellflower has been known in garden culture since 1970. During this time, many promising varieties of the crop were developed, the best of which are recognized as:

• Alba - amazingly beautiful snow-white flowers;
• Klip is a dwarf (up to 20 cm in height) plant, suitable for growing in the garden and on a home windowsill;
• Isabelle is a popular variety with bright sky blue flowers;
• White Star - bright white, very delicate bells;
• Celestina is a form of culture with bells the color of the spring sky;
• Karpatenkrone - lilac and pale lilac flowers;
• Blaumeise, Centon Joy, Riverslea - deep blue, amazingly beautiful bells.

Be sure to pay attention to hybrids with double flowers - they look amazing in the design of a flower garden.

Preparing for winter

In average climates, the Carpathian bell successfully winters without shelter. However, if weather forecasters predict a frosty winter with little snow, it would be advisable to insulate the plantings. To do this, the stem shoots of plants are cut off at the root and the flower garden is covered with fallen leaves or securely covered with spruce paws.

Reproduction methods

If you plan to expand the planting of your favorite plant, then at the end of the season do not forget to collect seeds for the next season. As soon as the boxes begin to turn brown, cut them off and ripen in a dry, ventilated place. Ripe seeds are scattered into small bags, labeled with the name of the variety and stored until next spring. In March, the seeds are put into the refrigerator for two months of stratification. In addition, you can sow seeds before winter, which is very convenient - the material is stratified under natural conditions and will delight you with friendly sprouts in the spring, which you just have to pick up.

The crop is propagated vegetatively by dividing the rhizome or by cuttings. In the first case, adult bushes that have reached the age of 3-4 years are dug up, shoots are cut off and the root system is divided into several parts. The sections are treated with crushed coal, after which the sections are planted in separate holes. In April, bell cuttings are cut from young stems or root shoots and planted under a film for rooting.

Carpathian bellflower in landscape design

Suitable neighbors for cute bells would be equally unpretentious bright daisies, charming, fragrant alyssum, and lush aubrietta. The composition of multi-colored Carpathian bells looks incredibly attractive. In alpine hills, the culture is successfully combined with saxifrage, juvenilia, periwinkle, and sedum. When decorating a rockery, plant the Carpathian bell against a background of fescue, geranium, grass carnation, Iberis and subulate phlox.

The flowers, familiar to everyone since childhood, owe their name to their external resemblance to miniature bells. Even in Latin they are officially called “Campanula” - bell. We also often affectionately call them bells, chenilles, and chebotki. Like many flowers, they are sung in beautiful legends.

According to one of them, the first church bell was created in the image of this tender, fragile gift of nature. It was after their quiet ringing was heard after the wind blew that the priest ordered a copper mold to be cast for the temple in the image and likeness of a flower. Even today there is a belief that their quiet crystal ringing can be heard on Ivan Kupala. Another legend tells about the growth of bells on the site of the scattered fragments of the mirror of the goddess Venus.

Many peoples perceive the bell as a good talisman, capable of driving away all evil spirits with its ringing. It is considered a symbol of faith, joy, openness, increase in wisdom, and harmony between Man and Heaven.

There is a sign that bells dream of good news, good changes in your personal life, and a warning against rash actions. And the enthusiastic praise of this flower by poets and artists deserves a separate discussion.

The desire to get an armful of bells is indomitable, but the picked bells quickly fade... In order to admire them for a long time, it is better to grow them in nature or in your apartment. We invite you to get acquainted with the characteristics of flowers and methods of growing them more specifically.

Description of the flower

The bellflower family of the herbaceous genus has more than 300 species. They grow in the temperate climates of Europe, Asia, the Caucasus, Siberia, North America. They can be seen in the steppes, meadows, mountains, on rocks, and desert areas.

The shape of flowers up to 7 cm long resembles inverted glasses, bells with edges that curve outward. Their surface can be smooth or terry with a variety of colors (white, blue, purple, pink).

Along with racemose, paniculate inflorescences, there are also solitary flowers. Their ripe fruits look like a box with up to 6 slot-like holes.

Until recently, most bluebells were garden flowers, with the exception of indoor even-leaved flowers. Their varieties Alba and Mayi with white and light blue flowers are called bride and groom.

However, today other low-growing, compact terry plants have appeared, which are grown not only in open ground, but also indoors.

They are divided into a significant number of species and subspecies, hybrids. The main criteria for classification as a particular species or variety are the height and timing of growth of these flowers.

Due to the different heights of straight, stiff-haired stems with alternate leaves and bell-shaped flowers, the following types are distinguished:

• short (from 6 to 20 cm)
• medium height (up to 1 m)
• tall (more than 1 m).

Along with these characteristics, the entire number of flowers is divided, first of all, according to the timing of their growth: one- and two-year-old, perennial. For the right choice its variant among the many varieties of Campanula, let's look at the most popular of them among our gardeners.

1. Annuals bells came to us from the southern regions. In places with cool and temperate climates they are less common.

Among them there are plants of both low and medium height. Here the most popular plant is the eponymous bellflower, low-growing, forked (dichotomous), Kashmiri. Due to their small growth, the flowers look great near borders and on rock gardens.

The short guy never tires of winning over his fans California bluebell(Phacelia bell-shaped) with dark shades of flowers. It is cultivated mainly for decorating slides, borders, container groups, etc.

Medium-growing summer varieties are also very popular in our area: long-columnar and, as if in memory of an ancient legend, the Mirror of Venus. Despite their short lifespan, their numerous flowers from May to early autumn delight with their various colors.

1. Two-year-olds The most common flowers are “natives” from the subalpine zone of the Mediterranean, the Adriatic, Asia Minor and even Siberia. Having grown up in their native climate, they take root well in our country under similar conditions. These include low-growing bearded bluebells.

Among the medium-growing ones, Campanula Medium (medium) can be called a favorite. It has been known since the end of the 16th century and is prone to natural renewal, so it is sometimes grown as a perennial option.

This species has several varieties, where it enjoys special sympathy among many gardeners. Cup and saucer.

This plant is interesting for its flowers like a cup with gracefully curved edges and a thin porcelain saucer. The beauty is collected in a large inflorescence, which can accommodate about 50 bells with a diameter of up to 8 cm and a wide color palette.

Along with them, varieties of coarse-haired, Hoffman, thyrsus-shaped, and spicate bells are also popular. In many gardens, such biennials are grown as: Siberian, Moesian, laurel, spatulate, divergent, spreading, pyramidal, Sartori, Formateca, etc.

1. Perennial species are found much more often than those growing for 1-2 years. They are also divided into subgroups depending on the height of the plant.

Among short species, the leader in prevalence is occupied by the Carpathian bell, born in the mountains of Central Europe. It has been known in floriculture for about 250 years. The plant barely reaches 30 cm and has stems with densely arranged leaves. However, it is short-lived, because it lives in one place for no more than three years.

His best known garden forms Alba and White Star with snow-white single funnel-shaped flowers. These are also Isabel, Celestina, Blaumeise, Riversleya, Centon Joy, Karpatenkrone with sky blue, blue, purple flowers with a diameter of up to 5 cm. And if these varieties are more adapted to open spaces, then the miniature Clip can also be grown as an indoor crop.

Popular low-growing bells also include varieties Gargan, spiral-leaved (spoon-leaved), birch-leaved, daisy-leaved, Ortana, Radde, three-toothed, Shamisso, Uemura and many others.

Medium height perennials are represented by Takeshima and Komarov bells, dotted with numerous stems, simple and double flowers of various colors and sizes. Here the best varieties are considered to be Beautyful Trust, Wedding Bells, Alba-nana, Rubra.

It is worth paying attention to the hardy Platycodon, which is often called broadleaf. It is notable for its luxurious terry large flowers with different colors. His the best varieties: Album, Nanum, Marisil, Pleno Alba and a number of others.

Among this subgroup, the most popular medium bell with double flowers should again be mentioned. It is very unpretentious, cold-resistant, but loves bright places with moist soil. Its lifespan can be long due to self-seeding (natural renewal). In warm regions, Campanula Medium opens its buds even in the first year of planting seeds.

Tall perennials grow in their natural environment along river banks, in the forests of Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Siberia, and Asia Minor. Varieties have been bred in the culture, the names of which indicate the characteristics of the leaves.

They differ not only in the height of the stem, but in the richer aroma of the flowers. Some names focus attention on the color of the flower, for example, milky (Cerulea, Pritchard Verajeti).

This category also includes noble-flowered, Bolognese, nettle-leaved with double flowers, crowded, rapunzel-shaped bells. Along with them, peach leaves are very popular (Bernice, Tetham Beauty, Exmouth, Snowdrift, New Giant Hybrids).

This one is far from full review allows you to get an idea of ​​the wide selection of bells for growing on your plot, balcony, or in your room.

Growing from seeds

This method is the most universal, and the only one for annual bells. It can also be successfully used for biennials and perennials, except for varieties with double flowers. The exclusion of the latter is explained by the fact that the seedlings are not able to retain these characteristics or the seeds may not set.

Preparing seeds and soil does not involve the use of complex agricultural techniques. Bell seeds do not require preliminary preparation for sowing. Regarding the soil, some plant varieties are well adapted to calcareous, rocky places. However, most varieties of bluebells are suitable for neutral/slightly alkaline soil, well-drained loam.

Preparing the soil chosen for planting flowers involves deep digging. For heavy soil, sand or humus is added, and depleted areas are enriched with humus and fertilizers. At the same time, in order to avoid the risk of fungal diseases, you should not use fresh peat or manure that has not completely rotted.

Usage seed method for growing seedlings allows you to see flowers already in the first year after planting.

• To do this, small seeds are sown in containers with soil prepared in advance from March.
• At the same time, they are lightly pressed with the palm of your hand, and not sprinkled with earth.
• The substrate must be light, loose, permeable and pre-moistened.
• This is achieved by mixing turf soil, humus coarse sand in a ratio of 6x3x1.

After sowing, the contents of the container are sprayed with water, covered with film and placed in a warm place up to +20 ºC. After 15-20 days, shoots appear, seedlings are transferred to a place where direct rays of the sun do not reach.

Here, traditional care for seedlings of many flowers is carried out without covering with film. This is watering when the top layer of the substrate dries, careful loosening around the young shoots.

When the first true leaves appear, after 20-24 days, diving is carried out into separate containers at a distance of at least 10 cm. After this, after 2 weeks, the shoots should be fed with a liquid, weakly concentrated complex fertilizer.

Sowing seeds directly into open ground is done before winter in the 2nd half of October or in spring (end of May). When sowing in autumn, the natural selection of full-fledged seeds will take place in the winter, and the strongest of them will sprout together in the spring. These seedlings can be used for planting in the chosen location.

May sowing requires stratification lasting 2 months. However, this somewhat lengthens the path from seed germination to flowering plants.

It should be taken into account that bells sown in this way are used for the first year to develop roots and leaf rosettes. Only in the second year of life do they grow shoots with flower ovaries.

Grown seedlings are planted in open ground from the end of May to the end of the first ten days of June. When choosing a location on a site, you should give preference to light or slightly shaded areas without drafts. It is advisable to place the bells away from trees and bushes to obtain sufficient nutrition and moisture.

When planting low-growing seedlings, the distance between flowers should be up to 15 cm, medium-growing - up to 30 cm, tall - up to 50 cm. Upon completion of planting, the soil near future bells is carefully compacted and well moistened.

To preserve moisture and prevent the appearance of weeds, the row spaces can be mulched. Gardeners note that thanks to seedlings, you can admire flowers already in the first year of their earthly life.

One of the attractive qualities of bluebells is their ease of care. It consists of regular watering during hot weather, further loosening the soil around the flowers, and removing weeds. Tall varieties will need staking or securing to supports.

• Fertilizing is carried out in the spring with nitrogen fertilizer to increase the vegetative mass and earlier flowering.
• During budding in early summer, phosphorus or complex additives are needed.
• In autumn, potassium fertilizers are applied to increase the winter hardiness of the plant.
• If a particular variety prefers the soil to an alkaline, neutral reaction, it is important to reduce the existing acidity with the help of ash.
• In summer, moderate application of rotted humus is suitable.

In order to extend the flowering time, it is necessary to remove fading inflorescences. At the same time, all faded shoots of tall varieties are cut off. If you plan to collect seeds, then browned, but not yet opened, boxes are left on the plant.

How to collect seeds

For long-term cultivation of your favorite bells, seeds are collected from mid-August to the end of September. It is noteworthy that 1 g contains up to 5,000 small, light seeds.

Harvesting begins after the boxes turn brown and are about to open. Pre-cut inflorescences should be placed on thick paper or canvas in a dry, well-ventilated area.

Clean the crumbled seeds from the remains of bolls and dried leaves, and then use them for growing seedlings or in open ground.

In case of delay from timely collection they are allowed to fall on the ground. Due to self-seeding, the cycle of seed convergence will be repeated without additional stratification and all the processes of growing bells.

Among the many advantages of bells is their resistance to pests and diseases. These undesirable phenomena can occur when flowers are grown in one place for a long time. Indeed, in this case, the soil accumulates various harmful microorganisms.

And their constant presence in contact with plants provokes disastrous consequences for them. Treatment of flowers with a weak solution of Fundazol helps to avoid such negative phenomena.

Excessive humidity can favor the appearance of slugs. Here effective means The fight can be by spraying the plants with a decoction of hot pepper or with superphosphate granules sprinkled between the flowers.

Along with the seed seedling method, there are other options, the use of which depends biological features varieties, types of plants. So, if one-year-old bells reproduce by seeds, then two-year-old bells prefer vegetative ones (by seeds and cuttings).

Species of perennials with taproot and carpal root systems are considered vegetatively immobile and can reproduce by their seeds. Plants with creeping long roots, classified as vegetatively mobile species, tolerate all these methods + bush division well.

However, it is better to propagate perennial flowers:

• parts of rhizomes,
• root cuttings,
• stolons,
• dividing the bush.

Despite the possibility of seed reproduction, these species lose their generic characteristics. This is especially reflected in double varieties, which even lose their ability to produce seeds.

With the vegetative method, cuttings are prepared in the spring. From early March to mid-April, they are cut from young basal or stem shoots. Then they are planted in a loose substrate and placed in microgreenhouses, under a film to maintain optimal humidity. Within a month, the cuttings begin to grow roots, after the development of which, you can begin planting the plant.

The use of propagation by dividing the bush is permissible after 2-3 years of plant life. To do this, in May-June, a large bush is selected, dug up, and the above-ground stems are cut off.

Dividing the bush into parts is carried out with a sterile, sharp garden knife. Each part must contain developed healthy roots and renewal buds. The cutting areas of each cutting are treated with crushed coal or ash, and then immediately planted in abundantly watered soil.

When propagating the rhizome in parts, only the creeping part is dug up, from which cuttings from the mother plant with renewal buds are made. They are planted in the ground with an open bud above the soil surface.

Bluebells bloom twice: video

Thanks to the varieties of flowers, their growth, and multicoloredness, these plants provide a wide field for imagination when decorating the landscape. They can be used as spectacular accents on lawns, flower beds, and edgings. Bells are indispensable when creating constantly blooming compositions.

The bell is suitable for both flower beds with perennial flowers and well-groomed green lawns. In landscape-type compositions, it perfectly coexists not only with its “brothers” - bells, but also with other flowers. These are spectacular roses, colorful phlox, unique adenophora and gypsophila.

Due to the long-lasting decorativeness of flowering, it looks organically with common cosmos, hollyhocks, calendula, carnations, black-browns, ferns, hosta, etc.

Harmony of colors from different varieties, species with each other, other representatives of the fauna deserves separate consideration. The main thing is that the bell allows every gardener to show their talents as a landscape designer.

Garden bells, Platycodon: video