Carpathian bell - about growing from seeds at home and in soil, planting and care. Carpathian bell: growing from seeds

One of the most attractive representatives of the Campanula family, decorating alpine hills and rockeries, is the Carpathian bell flower. Planted in groups, the graceful flowers form dense, dense bushes with delicate cup-shaped flowers in white, rich blue, purple. Thanks to its long and continuous charming flowering, winter hardiness and undemanding soil, the plant is loved by many gardeners and is successfully used for decoration. unusual compositions landscape designers. Read on to learn how to grow these charming flowers in your garden.

The genus of bells has many species, but I would like to talk about the decorative dwarf plant, which is the most common - Carpathian bellflower, whose homeland is considered to be Central Europe and the Carpathians. Seeing this magnificent plant in a flowerbed, alpine hill, placed in a rock garden or along paths, you want to plant it in your garden.

Beautiful flowers - Carpathian bell

The height of this perennial rhizomatous plant is from 25 to 30 cm, and in diameter it can reach 30 cm. The leaves are ovate-rounded, the closer to the root, the larger they are and are collected in a basal rosette. From June to September the bush is covered with funnel-shaped flowers of blue, white, purple or of blue color, the diameter of which is up to 5 centimeters. Flowering ends with the formation of oval-cylindrical boxes.

Carpathian bellflower is successfully grown both in sunny places and in partial shade. They require fertile, slightly alkaline or neutral soil with good drainage properties. If the soil is heavy and the plant receives excess moisture, it may die.

If the Carpathian bell lacks moisture, the duration of its flowering will decrease; watering is needed if the weather is hot and dry. If you remove dried inflorescences in time, the flowering period will be extended; for this you need to cut the shoots by 1/3 of their length after flowering.

As soon as spring comes, the Carpathian bell needs to be fed with nitrogen fertilizer (urea or saltpeter). When buds form and flower, they should be fed with complete mineral fertilizer.

All about Carpathian bells:

Reproduction of the Carpathian bell is possible by cuttings, dividing the bush and seeds. You can divide the bush no earlier than at the age of three in early spring or autumn, when flowering ends. You need to very carefully dig up the bush and divide it into parts that should have roots and plant these parts at least 50 centimeters apart from each other.

In summer, bellflower propagation can be done using cuttings. In June, you need to select young shoots that have several internodes. Remove the shoot tip and lower leaves from them, and then plant them in a substrate that consists of humus, soil and sand (1:1:1), then pour 4-5 cm of river sand on top.

To get seeds, there is no need to cut off the faded inflorescences; as soon as the fruits formed on them darken (before the boxes open), then we remove them and dry them in the shade. As soon as the boxes open, it means that the seeds are ripe. You can sow the seeds directly into the soil at the end of April or mid-October. The site must be fertile and loose. You need to sow Carpathian bell seeds on the surface of the soil, pressing lightly, and then cover with film. Seeds sown in spring will germinate in 10-14 days, and autumn sowing will appear in the spring as soon as the soil warms up. As soon as the third leaf appears, you need to pick the seedlings, placing them in a 10X10 pattern on the bed, where they will remain until next spring. And only after overwintering will they be planted in a permanent place.

The only pity is that you will be able to enjoy the flowering of the Carpathian bell grown from seeds in three years.

Mature plants do not require special care, they only need weeding, timely fertilizing, short pruning in early October and watering during drought. Good neighbors for the Carpathian bell are: Dalmatian geranium, sunflower, sedum, geranium, and bryozoan.

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A beautiful perennial herbaceous plant - Carpathian bellflower - attracts the eye in a blooming alpine hill. The dense bushes of this winter-hardy plant have blue, purple and white flowers up to 5 cm in diameter, reminiscent of elegant porcelain cups. The plant blooms continuously from June to September and is resistant to pests and diseases.

In nature, the Carpathian bell is common on the calcareous rocks of the mountainous regions of Europe and in the Carpathians. He loves sunny places, as well as light partial shade. The plant is undemanding to soil, but still prefers loose, fertile and non-acidic soil. To grow Carpathian bellflower, it is better to select places protected from the winds. In one place, the Carpathian bell can grow for up to six years. It is beneficial for it to add ash, lime, dolomite flour. You cannot fertilize the plant with fresh manure or humus, this can cause disease and death of the plant. The bell does not tolerate stagnant water, but if there is not enough moisture, it immediately affects the plant: the flowers become smaller and lose their beautiful color. For the winter, the plant does not require any shelter. Caring for the Carpathian bell is minimal: you regularly need to loosen the soil and weed out the weeds. And if you constantly remove dried and wilted flowers, then you can significantly prolong the flowering of the bell.

The most common varieties of Carpathian bellflower: “Alba” (white flowers), “Isabel” (blue flowers), “Blaumeise” (blue flowers), “Karpatenkrone” (purple flowers). The Carpathian bellflower “Klip” series is a low plant with many white flowers that bloom continuously almost all summer. Excellent for growing in pots.

How to plant Carpathian bellflower?

The Carpathian bell flower is propagated by cuttings or by dividing the bush. The plant has very powerful roots that go very deep into the ground, so replant mature plant You can’t - it won’t take root in a new place. If you plant a plant with seeds, it will bloom only in the second year. Seeds take a long time to germinate, so sowing Carpathian bellflower should be superficial. To obtain seedlings, seeds are sown in open ground on planting beds or indoors under glass or film to maintain high humidity. Every day, be sure to remove the glass or film for ventilation. When the first true leaves appear, the seedlings should be planted in boxes, and after about five weeks the seedlings can be planted in open ground. The Carpathian bellflower bushes will bloom in about twenty weeks.

Carpathian bell Gnome

One of the most unpretentious species Carpathian bells are a white or blue Dwarf. The plant has round, compact bushes with continuously blooming single blue or white funnel-shaped flowers. Growing the Carpathian bell Gnome is possible only through seedlings. In April-May, seeds are sown by surface sowing under glass or film. And the shoots will appear in about twenty days. Seedlings are planted in a permanent location in August. The Carpathian bell Gnome loves loose and fertile soils.

Decorative Carpathian bell is used to decorate mixborders and rockeries. No rock garden is complete without this wonderful flower. It is good to plant tall varieties in the center of the flowerbed, and low-growing varieties along the edge, creating a border from them. Its long flowering period is used in arranging with many plants and flowers. He loves the proximity to geraniums, mantles, carnations, peonies, and irises. Carpathian bellflower bushes can be used to decorate a balcony, loggia or terrace.

Plant these bluebells in your garden or on your balcony and let them entertain you and your guests with their heavenly chimes.

Flowers bells (lat. campanula) belong to the genus herbaceous plants the Campanulaceae family, which includes more than three hundred species growing in places with a temperate climate - in the Caucasus, Western and Central Asia, Europe, Siberia, and also in North America. Bells prefer steppes, meadows, forests, desert areas and rocks. Many species of these flowers grow in alpine and subalpine mountain belts. The Latin name is translated as bell. People call these flowers chenilles, chebotki and bells.

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Planting and caring for bells (in brief)

• Landing: sowing seeds in open ground - in October or May. Sowing seeds for seedlings - in March, planting seedlings in open ground - at the end of May or at the beginning of June.
• Bloom: V different terms- depending on the type and variety.
• Lighting: usually bright sunlight. There are only a few shade-loving species in the genus.
• The soil: any, even rocky and calcareous, but best drained loam with a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction.
• Watering: moderate and only in dry seasons.
• Garter: tall varieties require support.
• Feeding: on melted snow - with nitrogen fertilizer, during the budding period - with a complete mineral complex.
• Reproduction: annuals - only by seeds, biennials - by seeds and spring cuttings. Perennials can be propagated by parts of the rhizome, root cuttings, stolons, or dividing the bush, but when propagated by seed they do not retain varietal characteristics.
• Pests: slobbering pennies, slugs.
• Diseases: fusarium, botrytis, sclerotinia.

Read more about growing bells below.

Bell flowers - description

Most often there are perennial bells, less often - biennial and annual ones. The leaves of the bells are alternate, the bell-shaped flowers are blue, white and different shades purple flowers are collected in racemes or paniculate inflorescences. Sometimes single flowers are found. The fruit is a capsule with 4-6 slot-like holes. The bell plant can be short, medium or tall.

Growing bells from seeds

Sowing bluebells

Bell seeds are not required preliminary preparation before sowing. They can be sown directly into the ground in May or before winter in October. But if you want them to bloom this year, sow them as seedlings in March. Since the seeds are very small, they are laid out on the surface of a light, loose, permeable substrate, previously well moistened and consisting of humus, turf soil and coarse sand in a ratio of 3:6:1. There is no need to add fertilizer to the substrate. The seeds are lightly pressed to the ground, sprayed with water from a spray bottle, and then the container is covered with film. Contain crops at a temperature of 18-20 ºC. Shoots may appear in two to three weeks.

Bluebell seedlings

As soon as the seeds begin to germinate, move the container to a bright place, protected from direct sunlight, remove the film and care for the bluebell seedlings as you would any other flower seedlings: water when the top layer of the substrate dries, loosen the soil around the seedlings, and when they are three weeks old and their first leaves develop, the seedlings dive into a large container at a distance of 10 cm from each other. Two weeks after picking, feed the seedlings with liquid complex fertilizer in low concentration

Planting bells in open ground

When to plant bells in the ground

Bluebell seedlings are planted in open ground at the end of May or beginning of June. Most of the bells are light-loving, shade-loving species grown in cultivation are literally only a few, and they can be recognized by the dark green color of the leaves. The bell does not like drafts.

As for the soil, some species grow well on rocky soil, some on calcareous soil, but most species prefer neutral or slightly alkaline well-drained loamy soils. Planting bells in the soil is carried out after its preliminary preparation: for deep digging, sand and humus are added to heavy soils, and turf soil and fertilizers are added to poor soils. Do not apply only fresh manure and peat, as this increases the risk of fungal diseases affecting the plants.

How to plant bells in the ground

Planting bluebells on open places, away from bushes and trees, so that their roots can receive the necessary amount of moisture and nutrition. Low-growing bells are planted at a distance of 10-15 cm from each other, medium-height bells at a distance of 20-30 cm, and tall ones at an interval of 40-50 cm. After planting, the soil around the flowers is trampled down and watered well.

Caring for bluebells in the garden

How to care for bluebells

Growing bells is no different from growing any other garden flowers - bells are unpretentious. Water them only when prolonged heat and dryness sets in. After watering, it is convenient to loosen the soil around the flowers and remove weeds. Tall bells are tied to a support as necessary. The bells are fed for the first time in the spring, on melted snow, with nitrogen fertilizer. The second fertilizing with complex fertilizer is carried out in the first half of summer, at the beginning of budding. To prolong the flowering of bluebells, promptly remove faded flowers.

Reproduction of bluebells

Annual bells are propagated by seeds, biennials by seeds and spring cuttings. Perennial bells can be propagated by root cuttings, parts of rhizomes, dividing the bush and stolons, since when propagated by seed they do not always retain varietal characteristics. Terry varieties of bells do not set seeds, so they are propagated exclusively by vegetative methods.

Perennial species of bells with a carpal or taproot system are considered vegetatively immobile and reproduce by seeds. Those species that have a short rhizome are considered vegetatively inactive - they are propagated by division and cuttings. Species with long creeping rhizomes, which reproduce both by seeds, division and cuttings, and by rhizome segments and root suckers, are considered vegetatively mobile.

We described the seedling method of propagation to you, but you can sow the seeds in mid-October directly into the ground, where they will undergo natural stratification during the winter months and sprout together in the spring, and all you have to do is plant the seedlings. You can sow seeds in the ground in May, but then they need to be stratified for two months in vegetable drawer refrigerator, and since annual bells reproduce well by self-sowing, is it worth complicating your life by stratifying seeds?

Cuttings of bells are harvested in the spring, in March-April - they are cut from young stem or root shoots, planted in a light, loose substrate and placed under a film dome to create high air humidity. It is best to use a greenhouse for this purpose and special installation for spraying fog. Root regrowth of cuttings occurs within three to four weeks.

The division of the bush is carried out in the third to fifth year of the plant’s life, but some species can be divided already in the second year. At the beginning of May or at the end of summer, large bushes are dug up and, having cut the stems, divided into parts with a sharp sterile knife, each of which should have developed roots and renewal buds, after which the sections are treated with crushed coal and the sections are immediately planted in a permanent place.

When propagating by parts of the rhizome, the creeping root of the plant is dug up, divided into parts so that each segment contains renewal buds, and planted in the ground so that the buds are at the level of the soil surface.

Root suckers need to be separated from the mother plant and immediately planted in a permanent place.

Bellflower pests and diseases

Blooming bells look very cute, but this is not the only advantage of flowers. They are so unpretentious that planting and caring for a bell is a pleasure and does not require time or effort. Bells are immune to diseases and pests and are very rarely affected by them, but when long-term cultivation flowers in one place in the soil, pathogenic microorganisms accumulate - fusarium, sclerotinia or botrytis - which can lead to the death of the plant. To prevent this from happening, treat the bells with a 0.2% solution of Fundazol twice a season, in spring and autumn.

In humid weather, slobbering pennies may appear on the bells, which are expelled with garlic infusion. Low-growing bells can be damaged by slugs, from which the plants are sprayed with a decoction of hot pepper and superphosphate granules are scattered under the flowers.

Perennial bells after flowering

How and when to collect bluebell seeds

If you want to get seeds of your favorite species, then do not wait for the boxes to open; cut off the inflorescences left for the seeds in advance, as soon as the boxes acquire a brown tint, and ripen them in a ventilated, dry room.

Preparing bells for winter

Planting and caring for perennial bluebells is no different from growing annual or biennial varieties, except that they need to be prepared for winter. At the end of September or beginning of October, the stems of all bells are cut off at the root. This completes the care of annual flowers. As for biennial and perennial species, many of them overwinter without shelter, but southern species need to be covered with dry leaves or covered with spruce branches. Tall bells are covered with a layer of humus or dry peat 15-20 cm high. This will be enough for perennial bells to survive the winter.

Types and varieties of bells

Annual species of bells come from the southern regions, so they are not often grown in areas with a temperate or cool climate. The most famous of them:

Bluebell annual

- a low-growing (up to 10 cm) plant native to the Caucasus, Balkans, Mediterranean and Asia Minor with a bright blue tubular corolla. Blooms from May to early autumn. Used for borders and rock gardens;

Dichotomous bell, or forked from the Western Caucasus. It reaches a height of 15-20 cm, has numerous light purple flowers and broadly ovate leaves;

Campanula Kashmiri grows in the Himalayas and Pamirs, reaching a height of only 6-8 cm. Its flowers are purple, small, up to 1.5 cm in length, but there are many of them and they bloom for a long time;

- Caucasian endemic, growing on gravelly soil and in rock cracks. This highly branched plant reaches half a meter in height; it blooms in May-July with paniculate inflorescences consisting of 50-60 pitcher-bell-shaped purple flowers up to 4 cm in diameter with a swollen base and a calyx with deflected sharp teeth;

Bell Mirror of Venus originally from the Mediterranean mountains, from Great Britain and Holland. This species has been known in culture since the end of the 16th century. The height of the bell, or leguzia, reaches from 15 to 30 cm. Saucer-shaped, blue with a lilac tint and a white center, the flowers up to 2 cm in diameter are collected in paniculate inflorescences, blooming from early summer to September. This species has varieties with white flowers.

Biennial bluebells

are represented by the following types:

Bluebell bearded– grows naturally in the subalpine zone of the Mediterranean. It reaches a height of 4 to 30 cm. Its flowers are drooping, goblet-bell-shaped, pale blue, up to 3 cm long. This species blooms in June-July. In culture since 1752;

Hoffman bell- from the Balkans and Adriatic. It is a heavily branched plant, 30 to 50 cm high, with a large number of large drooping white or cream-colored flowers that open in June-July;

Campanula thyrsus And bellflower– plants with spike-shaped inflorescences of funnel-shaped flowers of light yellow color in Campanula thyrsus and bright purple in Campanula spica;

Bluebell grows naturally in the Balkans, Europe and Asia Minor. The plant reaches a height of 70 to 120 cm. Its flowers with tubular pale purple corollas, collected in whorls of 6-7 pieces, open in June-July;

Medium bell grows naturally in southwestern Europe and Asia. In culture, this biennial is sometimes grown as an annual plant. It has an erect stem 50 to 100 cm high and goblet-bell-shaped white, blue or pinkish flowers, simple or double, up to 7 cm long, collected in pyramidal inflorescences. The species has been in culture since 1578;

Originally from Europe and Siberia. This is a densely pubescent plant, 70 to 100 cm high, with small blue sessile flowers, collected in inflorescences that are almost capitate at the top and whorled at the bottom.

In addition to those described, such biennial bells as Moesian, Siberian, divergent, spreading, pyramidal, laurel, Formaneca, spatulate, Sartori and orphanidea are known.

All other species belong to perennial bells, which in turn are divided into low-growing, medium-growing and tall-growing.

Low-growing species of perennial bells

– the most widespread cultivated species, native to the Carpathians and the mountains of Central Europe. It is a perennial up to 30 cm high with leafy stems, a basal rosette of ovate leaves on long petioles and ovate short-petioled stem leaves. The flowers of plants of this species are single, funnel-bell-shaped, blue, purple or white, up to 5 cm in diameter. They bloom from June for more than two months. The species has been in cultivation since 1770. The most famous garden forms Carpathian bellflower:

• Alba And White Star– varieties with white flowers;
• Celestine And Isabelle– sky blue bells;
• Centon Joy, Riverslea, Blaumeise– varieties with blue flowers;
• Karpatenkrone– form with purple flowers;
• Clip- a miniature plant up to 20 cm high with flowers up to 5 cm in diameter. Can be grown both in open ground and indoors;

Campanula garganica- a perennial up to 15 cm high with fragile creeping ascending stems, rounded three-toothed leaves and blue star-shaped flowers up to 4 cm in diameter. In culture since 1832. The best varieties types are considered:

• Major– variety with pale blue flowers;
• W.H. Paine– flowers of a light lavender hue with a white eye;

Spiral bell, or spoonleaf grows naturally in the Carpathians and Alps. The plant is miniature, up to 15 cm high. The stems are creeping. Drooping flowers of blue, blue or white color up to 1 cm in diameter are collected in small inflorescences. In culture since 1783. The most famous varieties:

• Alba– white bell;
• Loder– a variety with double blue flowers;
• Miss Wilmott– variety with blue flowers;

- a miniature plant from the Far East with single violet-blue flowers up to 3 cm in diameter and up to 4 cm long with a shaggy corolla along the edge. There is a white-flowered form.

In addition to those described, such low-growing species are known perennial bluebells, like birch-leaved, hairy-fruited, soddy, saxifrage, Kemularia, daisy-leaved, single-flowered, Oshe, Ortana, warlike, border, Radde, Rainer, ciliated, dark, dusky, three-toothed and Uemura.

Medium-height perennial bells

are represented by the following types:

Bell Takeshima grows naturally in Korea and the Iranian Plateau. It is a perennial, reaching a height of 60 cm and forming groups of basal rosettes. Numerous stems of this species are creeping, creeping, and erect. Single or double flowers of blue, white or pink colors bloom in early summer. The best varieties:

• Beautyful Trust– a variety with large white spider-shaped flowers;
• Wedding Belz– variety with double white bell-shaped flowers;

Komarov's bell

– Caucasian endemic amazing beauty up to 45 cm high with branching stems and numerous large flowers bright light purple hue up to 3 cm long with sharp, turned-away lobes;

grows by Far East and in Siberia. Its thin fibrous stem reaches a height of 50 cm. Numerous hairy leaves in the basal region on reddish petioles, ovoid, lanceolate or acute. Large drooping, pubescent, goblet-bell-shaped flowers on long off-white pedicels are covered both outside and inside with purple dots. The best varieties:

• Rubra– a variety with bright flowers;
• Alba Nana– a variety with white flowers up to 20 cm high;

Bell Sarastro

- a hybrid type of bell with very bright purple flowers up to 7 cm long. The height of the bush reaches 60 cm, diameter – 45 cm.

In addition to those described, the medium-growing species include bells Tatra, polymorphic, rhomboidal, Moravian, flax-leaved, Spanish, wonderful, carnica, Marchesetti, round-leaved, perforated, kholmovoy, Turchaninova, Sarmatian, garlic-leaved, Grossec, pale ocher and hybrids Kent Belle and Pink Octupus .

Tall types of bells include

Campanula latifolia, which naturally grows in the Caucasus, Southern and Central Europe, Siberia, Asia Minor, the European part of Russia and Ukraine in deciduous, dark-coniferous and mixed forests and along river banks. It has a straight bare stem more than 1 m high, bare double-serrate leaves up to 12 cm long and up to 6 cm wide, and large axillary flowers forming a sparsely flowered narrow spike-shaped raceme. Funnel-shaped flowers up to 6 cm long, blue, white or light blue with slightly bent blades, bloom in June-August. This species has been in culture since 1576. The most famous varieties:

• Alba– with white flowers;
• Bruntwood– variety with purple flowers;
• Makranta– variety with dark purple large flowers;

It grows in the Caucasus, Western Siberia, the European part of Russia, Ukraine and Western Europe. This plant is from 50 to 100 cm high with erect leafy stems, smooth and serrated leaves at the edges, similar to peach leaves, and wide, bell-shaped large flowers up to 5 cm long, white, blue or lilac-blue, collected several pieces in a panicle. This species has crown and double forms. Flowering begins in the second half of June and lasts more than a month. Bellflower has been in cultivation since 1554. The most famous varieties of the species:

• Bernice– variety with blue double flowers;
• Tetam Beauty– a variety with large light blue flowers;
• Exmouth– a variety with dusty blue double flowers;
• Snowdrift– a plant with white bells;
• variety mixture New Giant Hybrids– plants up to 75 cm high with large flowers of white and all shades of blue;

Campanula lactiflora

grows naturally in Asia Minor and the Caucasus. This plant is 50 to 150 cm tall with a tap root, which allows it to grow well in heavy loamy soil. Bell-shaped, milky-white flowers up to 4 cm in diameter are collected in a racemose inflorescence. They open in June and bloom until the end of summer. The species has been in culture since 1814. The main varieties of this species:

• Cerulea– variety with blue flowers:
• Alba– a plant with white flowers;
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Every flower lover tries to beautifully decorate his garden or country cottage area. The most common type of decoration is alpine slides. And here you can’t do without a wonderful plant called Carpathian bellflower. Dense bushes strewn with large cup-shaped bells will decorate any composition. And the variety of colors inherent in this plant will satisfy any flight of fancy. And if the fate is that the bell is a perennial shrub, then it will not be left without attention. This article, “Growing Carpathian Bluebell from Seeds,” will help you effortlessly grow wonderful flowering shrubs to tame your garden or summer cottage.

The Carpathian bellflower or Campanula carpatica is a dwarf species representing the Campanula family. The plant received this name due to the fact that the main place of its growth is the Carpathian Mountains. In addition, Campanula carpatica can be found in the wild in the mountainous areas of central Europe.

The Carpathian bell is perennial plant herbaceous type, forming bushes in the shape of a hemisphere. Their height can vary from ten to thirty centimeters. Most of the shrubs have approximately the same “height” of about thirty centimeters. The height of the bushes is often the same as their diameter.

Know! The flowers are quite large in size (up to five centimeters) and rounded bell-shaped; they are not collected in inflorescences. Campanula carpatica can have a wide range of shades from white to purple.

The seeds are located in the fruit in the form of an oval-shaped box. Seed ripening begins in July and can last until the end of summer.
The stems are branched and thin, they give the bush a rather dense structure. The leaves have different shapes. Near the root they are heart-shaped, and closer to the paradise they are jagged. In the lower part of the stem, the leaves are collected in rosettes and are larger in size, and closer to the edge their size decreases.

Campanula carpatica has a long flowering period - throughout the summer. It is resistant to various weather conditions and resistant to pests and diseases.

Attention! Currently, species varieties are bred extremely rarely. The most common are various varieties and hybrids.

The Carpathian bell loves the sun and tolerates partial shade. For good growth it needs non-acidic soil with a loose structure. Flowers grow best in rocky areas that resemble their natural environment. These bright shrubs do not tolerate stagnant water very well. But it is important to provide the plant with the necessary watering. Indeed, in case of lack of moisture, the flowers become smaller, their color fades, and the flowering period is significantly reduced.

Representatives of the Kolokolchikov genus have a powerful root system. The tap roots spread very deep into the ground. This feature makes it difficult to transplant an adult specimen. In most cases, such an undertaking ends in the death of the plant.

Main varieties

Natural varieties of shrubs have a “growth” of about thirty centimeters and are great for alpine slides, flower beds and decorating the garden. For lovers of miniature jewelry, special varieties with a height of no more than fifteen centimeters and different colors are suitable, namely:

• large bluish flowers - “Blue Clips”;
• flowers of dark blue shades - “Deep Blue Clips”;
• white flowers - “White Pearl” or “White Clips”.

Important! It is worth paying special attention to the improved varieties of the “Clips” series, namely, “White Pearl” or “Dark Blue Pearl”.

These shrubs grow from fifteen to thirty centimeters in height. Adult specimens acquire a very compact and neat appearance.

The following unusual varieties have also gained great popularity among gardeners:

1. "Karl Forster" - shrubs up to twenty-five centimeters with flowers of dark bluish shades.
2. "Blaumeise" - flowers of purple shades with snow-white hearts.
3. "Spechtmeise" are small bushes approximately ten centimeters high with flowers in a shade between bluish and purple.
4. "Karpatenkrone" - shrubs up to twenty centimeters high with bright blue flowers.

Know! Campanula carpatica has a very a large number of various varieties, differing in size and color of flowers. However, all varieties are united by their bright beauty and ease of cultivation.

Growing from seeds at home

The most common method of breeding a native of the Carpathians is sowing and growing seedlings. Instances of the Carpathian bell grown from seeds demonstrate the high efficiency of this method.

Preparatory stage

Carpatica seeds are very small, so a thousand seeds weigh no more than one gram. Thus, if we provide good conditions for growth, then from a gram of seeds you can grow up to four thousand seedlings.
Due to its small size, it is difficult to sow the flower not too densely. That's why experienced flower growers It is recommended to mix the seeds with dry, purified sand.

Hardening of seeds

It is recommended to start preparing for sowing in February. In order for the seedlings to germinate well, they must be hardened off. Since Campanula carpatica seeds are quite capricious during germination, in order to achieve good results they need to be provided with the following conditions in the first month of their “life”:

• temperature about twenty degrees Celsius;
• uniform hydration;
• diffused light (through glass);
• Fresh air.

Attention! All of these parameters are equally important for the germination process. When premature shoots appear, they must be “relocated” to separate containers.

In the future, heating the seedlings must be replaced by a kind of hardening. In this case, the temperature range should fluctuate from four degrees Celsius to four minus degrees. The “hardening” period should last at least a month, the maximum duration is six weeks.

In natural conditions

It is most effective to harden seedlings under the influence of natural conditions. But in such a situation, you must have means to regulate the temperature in case of unexpected drops.

Seedlings native to the Carpathians germinate remarkably under a small blanket of snow. When the sun appears, the melted water gives the “kids” the necessary moisture. And the blanket of snow itself protects them from frost. The need to extend the “hardening” period may arise in a situation when the temperature (average daily) rises above four degrees Celsius.

When the first sprouts appear, containers with them must be brought into the room, temperature regime in which it stays at no lower than ten degrees. At the same time, the temperature should not rise by more than five degrees Celsius.

Know! This method allows you to effectively provoke good germination seeds However, its implementation is a rather difficult and time-consuming process.

In an apartment or house

If it is not possible to provide the seedlings with the conditions described above, then you can use another method of germination. It is necessary to mix the seeds with wet sand and place them in cellophane. At the initial stage, the seed material must be warmed up. This process is no different from the first hardening option. We carry out the “hardening” of the seeds in the refrigerator for a month or a little longer.

After this, mix the mixture of seeds and moistened sand with the soil in a previously prepared container. There is no need to bury the seeds. The air temperature, as with the first option, should be from ten to fifteen degrees Celsius.

Important! Careless watering can cause erosion of the seeds.

To prevent this, experienced gardeners advise using a spray bottle. The option of watering directly into the tray is possible if there are special holes in the planting container.

Before sowing begins, the substrate in which the seedlings will germinate must be thoroughly moistened. For successful growth, “kids” need to be provided optimal humidity And good lighting. If you did everything correctly, then the first shoots can please you within ten days. However, the process of final germination can take up to twenty-five days.

Seedling care

With any planting option, the seedlings are quite dense. Therefore, picking can begin already when the first leaves appear. Experienced gardeners recommend replanting seedlings not one at a time, but taking several young bushes at once (three or four). This will protect them from possible damage.

After picking, young plants should be provided with frequent ventilation and moderate moisture. A couple of weeks after the picking work, when the young bushes have already taken root in the new places and have restored their roots, it is advisable to feed them with special fertilizers.

When to plant in open ground

Attention! One month old seedlings can be planted in open ground.

To grow a beautiful Campanula carpatica that will delight the eye for many years, you need to choose a place for it that meets the following requirements:

• good lighting;
• moderate soil moisture;
• regular ventilation.

Caring for young plants

A flower with bright bells pleases its owners abundant flowering throughout the summer. In order to prevent unwanted self-seeding from the plant during the flowering period, it is necessary to regularly cut off the shoots that have bloomed and the seed pods. In addition, this manipulation will give the bush a well-groomed shape and stimulate additional flowering.

Campanula carpatica is watered moderately, but in very hot weather the amount of moisture is increased. If this is not done, the flowering period will be significantly shortened. But even in such a situation you should not be upset. It is necessary to trim the dried shoots, water the plant thoroughly and the flowering process can resume. A native of the Carpathians needs regular weeding. In hot weather, plants will benefit from mulching with peat.

Possible difficulties during cultivation

Growing Carpathian bell from seeds is a fairly simple process, but certain difficulties may arise. First of all, you need to take care of soil favorable for plant growth. If it is very heavy, the flower will not grow well and may die. It is necessary to add a little acidified peat or sand to the loamy soil. And if you intend to grow Carpathian bellflower in sandy soil, then feed it with humus.

The most common disease that can affect Campanula carpatica is rust. At the first signs of the appearance of this unpleasant disease, it is necessary to treat the soil with products containing copper. To prevent the appearance of rust, experienced flower growers advise treating shrubs with special preparations, for example, Fitosporin or Humin, in the off-season period.

If the summer is wet, Campanula carpatica plantings are often attacked by slugs. You can get rid of this nuisance without the use of additional means, simply by removing the pests with your hands.

Know! An effective option for combating slugs is to spray parsley or allspice powder on the attacked area. Another option is to set up a trap filled with beer.

If the above methods do not lead to the desired result, then you should use special drugs, such as Slug Eater or Thunder.

Forum, reviews

Growing Carpathian bell from seeds is quite simple. This is evidenced by reviews from flower growers provided on the Internet. The most labor-intensive and deserving special attention The moment in breeding this bright flower is hardening. Don't neglect advice experienced gardeners on this issue, if you want to grow a beautiful and healthy Carpathian bell. Planting in open ground will not cause any difficulties even for novice flower lovers.

Use for landscape decoration

Know! Thanks to its long flowering period and harmonious combination with other garden crops, Campanula carpatica is a frequent participant in design compositions.

Most often, people from the Carpathians are used in rock gardens and rock gardens. This bright plant has become often used as an element of trendy decorative walls. The bell looks great growing on paths dotted with greenery. With the help of bright flowers you can decorate a terrace or balcony by planting them in special containers of small height and considerable width.

Conclusion

Wherever you plant this bright shrub, it will certainly delight the eye and warm the soul with its delicate blooms. It is enough to grow the Carpathian bell once, and you will no longer be able to do without it. And our article on the topic “Growing Carpathian bell from seeds” will help you avoid unnecessary hassle and time. Growing bells from seeds will be a pleasant and rewarding experience for you.