Red dragon knotweed planting and care

Small-headed knotweed is especially popular among gardeners. This plant is very elegant and unpretentious, retaining its decorative effect for a long time.

My acquaintance with these plants began with the Red Dragon small-headed knotweed (Persicaria microcephala Red Dragon). I purchased a small seedling in a container in March. A month and a half before planting in open ground, it managed to produce several dark red shoots with beautiful pointed heart-shaped leaves of unusual color. In summer, the velvety leaves turned green, but the red border and red chevron remained until the end of the season.

Landing Features

When I planted it in the garden, I had no idea that my knotweed was capable of growing so much. The bush grew to a height of more than 60-70 cm, but it needed an area of about a meter in diameter. Over the summer, gracefully bent burgundy-red shoots covered the hostas, irises, which happened to be next to it, pushed out the not very large bushes of deutia and kerria. But I was not impressed by the flowers of the knotweed - small panicles with white flowers.

Now I understand: apparently, he liked the place. Moderate sunshine, fertile soil. When planting it in the ground, I put some humus, superphosphate and ash in the hole. And since cannas grew not very far from the highlander (which were watered daily), he also got water. Later I learned that M. small-headed tolerates stagnant moisture, grows in the sun or in partial shade on any soil, even on clay, and prefers moist soils. In addition, over the summer I fed it twice with an infusion of mullein and superphosphate.

The next year, I planted it in a shaded area with neighbors, who themselves were capable of ousting anyone. He liked this much less. The shoots were just as spectacular, but thin and slightly elongated. A free, open place suits him.

Wintering

Red Dragon is still my favorite. But this is only due to its exceptional decorativeness. The problem is that it hardly tolerates our winters, and every year I have to dig it up and store it in the basement, and plant it again in open ground in the spring. As soon as I propagated the knotweed, I decided to experiment. I placed one bush in the basement in the fall, and the second, covered with peat and leaves, left it to winter in the garden. Unfortunately, no shoots appeared in the spring.

Knotweed is easy to propagate from cuttings. I just break off the shoots and put them in water. I plant them in a pot after a while, when the roots appear.

This year, in February, I brought the bush into a room with a temperature of 10ºC for growing. I planted it in fertile soil, placed it close to the sun and watered it occasionally. Soon the shoots began to grow and, having cut cuttings, I received small seedlings by spring. And by May the mother bush had grown up, and I planted it in the garden with beautiful shoots. Fearing return frosts, I occasionally covered it with lutrasil at night.

Highlander (Polygonum) belongs to the Buckwheat family. The name comes from the Greek words “polys” - many and “gonos” - knee (due to the knotty, knee-shaped stem). It is difficult to imagine how diverse the plants of this genus are - there are about 300 species. There are beautifully flowering and decorative-leaved ones, and there are absolutely unattractive ones, annual and perennial, ground cover, shrubs and even vines. There are about 20 species of them in culture.

In mid-summer, bright pink “spikelets” rise above the surface of lakes near Moscow. At this time, ruby lights flash on the slopes of the Himalayas. And in the forests of North America, “aerial” stems strewn with red beads grow above shrubs with variegated leaves. Highlanders are blooming.

They can be found in different parts of the world - in meadows and along river banks, in forests and in the highlands. Powerful spreading bushes and creeping herbaceous perennials, subshrubs and vines - they all belong to the same family - buckwheat (Polygonaceae). Various sources name from 150 to 300 known species - only about 20 are used in gardening. As for their generic Latin name, botanists have not yet come to a consensus. In various foreign publications, highlanders are found under the names Polygonum, Persicaria, Fallopia, Reynotria, Tovara.

In our conditions, species such as the related knotweed (Polygonum affine), a low ground cover plant native to Nepal, and the double twisted knotweed (Polygonumbistorta), or, as it is also called, snakeweed, have taken root well. In recent years, they have been joined by new, previously unfamiliar species from Japan, China, the Himalayas and the Far East. They also turned out to be quite unpretentious and grow successfully in the Moscow region.

These wonderful plants have a place in any garden - they can act both in compositions and as tapeworms. Highlanders tolerate pruning well and remain decorative throughout the season.

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A herbaceous perennial plant about 40-80 cm high with an equal diameter, with a strongly branched stem. It grows quite slowly, forming a spreading clump with dark red shoots and elongated, heart-shaped, pointed leaves. The leaves are red-plum, with a darker center edged with a white-cream pattern that gives off a silvery glow in the spring sun. Blooms in August-September; the flowers are small, cream-colored, inconspicuous, collected in small corymbose inflorescences. Small-headed knotweed Red Dragon propagates by cuttings. To maintain the brightness of the decorative color of the foliage, sunny places are necessary. Adapts to any sufficiently moist soil.

Small-headed knotweed Red Dragon is not an aggressive perennial that retains its decorative effect throughout the growing season. Forms a color accent and harmonizes with bright plants in landscape groups. It will picturesquely decorate and complement expressive compositions with roses with intense colors.

Landscape design company "IL BOSCO" sells perennial flowers in Moscow and the region. To buy small-headed knotweed Red Dragon in Moscow, just call: +7 (499) 400-22-04

Highlanders amaze with their diversity of species. They can be ground cover plants or vines, tall grasses or aquatic plants. Decorative specimens of the knotweed will decorate the garden. The knotweed flower looks good in a flower bed or in single plantings.

The healing properties of knotweed are also important. Many gardeners grow this useful plant precisely for the purpose of obtaining medicinal raw materials.

Highlander is unpretentious to growing conditions and can even act as an aggressor plant. Therefore, strictly monitor its growth and limit its spread.

Medicinal properties and contraindications of knotweed or buckwheat

Snake knotweed is a perennial herbaceous plant with beautiful pink panicles. It is used in folk and scientific medicine as a hemostatic, anti-inflammatory, astringent, diuretic, analgesic and wound healing agent. Snakeweed is used in the treatment of stomatitis and other diseases of the oral cavity. A decoction of knotweed rhizomes promotes good functioning of the stomach and intestines. The decoction is also drunk for stones in the gall and bladder. The collection of herbs used in gastroenterology also includes snakeweed.

There are contraindications to the use of knotweed as a medicinal product:

The use of knotweed is not recommended for people prone to constipation;
pregnant women should refrain from using it;
Do not give to children under 7 years of age;
if there is thrombophlebitis, the use of knotweed is not indicated, since it has a strong blood clotting effect.

When treating bladder and gallstones, you should follow a strict diet prescribed by your doctor.

Application

In folk medicine, knotweed is used as a decoction of rhizomes for diarrhea and dysentery, and for urolithiasis to break up stones. The decoction is used for prostate and rectal cancer. Traditional healers use a decoction of mountaineer to treat nervous disorders and heartburn.

Powder from the rhizomes of snakeweed is used to sprinkle it on wounds and ulcers.

A strengthening infusion is prepared from knotweed or knotweed, which also helps to destroy kidney stones and remove sand. It is prepared according to the following recipe:

A teaspoon of dried knotweed herb is poured with a glass of boiling water and left to infuse for 2-3 hours. Then the infusion should be strained and drunk in small portions throughout the day.

You can also make a tea from knotweed that helps treat coughs:

4 teaspoons of dry knotweed herb should be poured into 500 ml of cold drinking water and put on fire. Bring the tea to a boil and strain. Drink warm with the addition of jam or honey. It is recommended to drink 3-4 cups of this tea per day.

A powder is prepared from dry knotweed grass to treat wounds and stop bleeding. This powder is added to the bath to treat eczema and psoriasis.

A decoction of knotweed is successfully used in folk medicine for uterine bleeding, stomach diseases and in the treatment of cancerous tumors.

Peppermint is used in folk medicine as a medicine for skin rashes and allergies:

For any skin disease, anoint the affected area with fresh peppermint juice. Continue treatment until the skin is completely healed.

Sprinkle rashes, skin ulcers and wounds with a powder consisting of 2 parts of dried peppermint and 1 part of dried bedstraw flowers.

Japanese knotweed is used medicinally to treat cancer and as a drug that increases life expectancy.

For hemorrhoids

Knotweed helps treat such an unpleasant disease as hemorrhoids. It has a hemostatic and analgesic effect, and can help in the treatment of purulent wounds and women's diseases. Decoctions and infusions of knotweed have the property of increasing blood clotting.

To treat hemorrhoids, a decoction of knotweed should be used internally, as well as externally for sitz baths.

Beneficial features

ethnoscience

Knotweed can help with diarrhea, sore throat and mouth inflammation. Polygonum root is used for bleeding, cholelithiasis and urolithiasis. You can relieve inflammation caused by cystitis. In eastern countries it is even used for douching and the treatment of tumors. Has a sedative effect.

Cosmetology

Products containing knotweed will help normalize the water balance of the skin and get rid of burns and dermatitis. A decoction of the roots will eliminate sweating feet and corns.

Dietary supplements

Young leaves and stems of snakeweed are edible. Powder from dried roots is added to bread and alcoholic beverages.

Cultivation, planting and care in open ground at the dacha or in the garden

Since knotweed grows well, there is no problem with its reproduction. If you need to propagate a plant, do it using one of the following methods:

seeds;
cuttings;
dividing the rhizome;
dividing the bush.

Landing location

For the knotweed, the planting location does not play a special role, since this plant is unpretentious and grows well in any place. Knotweed can be planted near a fence or a barn. It grows quickly and covers all the not very attractive buildings. Landscape designers love the mountaineer for its rapid growth.

When planting, make sure that it is possible to limit the spread of knotweed. For this purpose, it is better not to plant it in the center of the flowerbed, but to choose a place on the edge.

The soil

The soil for the knotweed should be loose. Then the plant will develop well. The knotweed has no special requirements for soil composition.

Care

The mountaineer is unpretentious and tolerates the most unfavorable conditions. Caring for it comes down to timely watering and small feedings. Some types of knotweed can grow in water (amphibian knotweed).

Highlanders tolerate pruning well and recover quickly. When preparing for winter, trim off all above-ground parts. There is no need to cover this plant for the winter.

The disadvantage of knotweed is its strong growth. Monitor this carefully and do not allow the plant to spread beyond the boundaries of the area provided for it.

Growing from seeds

You can grow knotweed from seeds. To do this, the seeds must be stratified for 3 months. Or you can sow the seeds before winter. Seeds are planted to a depth of 1 cm.

Plants grown from seeds develop quickly and bloom in the second year.

Propagation by cuttings

To propagate knotweed, green cuttings are taken from it in early summer. The cuttings should have 2 nodes. The cuttings are treated with Kornevin and planted in a pre-prepared bed. The lower node is buried 1.5-2 cm into the soil. Then the cutting is covered with polyethylene for better rooting.

For the winter, cuttings are dug up and stored in a cool room at a temperature of about 2 degrees Celsius.

Reproduction of knotweed viviparous

Reproduction of the knotweed or viviparous is carried out somewhat differently. Tubers or bulbs form on the knotweed spike. These bulbs can be collected and planted in the garden.

Small-headed knotweed (Persicaria microcephala)

Here it is, my new variegated acquisition) The seedling was bought in a neighboring village, the sprout was in a large plastic glass. According to the seller, the plant overwinters well in open ground and is called Belladonna (I shouldn’t have asked)))

Usually grandmothers who sell shoots from plants unknown to them come up with extremely cute names) In general, I had to study the Internet and this is what I managed to find out. This is small-headed knotweed (Persicaria microcephala), presumably of the Purple Fantasy variety. The plant reaches 60 cm in height and width, is non-aggressive, does not even form seeds (self-sowing is excluded). It is propagated by cuttings, I don’t know, maybe by dividing the rhizome, but I couldn’t find any information about this type of propagation. The bushes usually turn out compact, quite dense due to short internodes and a large number of shoots. The foliage of the knotweed is velvety, spectacularly multi-colored. I grow it in partial shade, I read that the leaves become fully decorative when planted in a sunny place. It’s tempting, but I didn’t take the risk; in our climate, a rare plant can survive being in the sun all day in the middle of summer. It is undemanding in terms of soil composition and can withstand short periods of drought without loss of decorative properties. It is generally accepted that its flowers have no decorative value, but I like them!

And now to the issue that worries me most – wintering. I read that without shelter it winters in zones 4-9, but the information on the Internet is so contradictory, you don’t know who to believe. Or maybe I identified the variety incorrectly - I read around that it should bloom in August-September, but for me it blooms all June. So I don’t know what I will do with the knotweed in the fall - leave it in the ground and cover it, or not take the risk and dig it up, let it overwinter in the room?

Types and varieties, description, origin

Knotweed (Polygonum) belongs to the buckwheat family. This plant is popularly called buckwheat or buckwheat. The homeland of the mountaineer is Eurasia and North America. The knotweed blooms very profusely with small white flowers, the flowers are collected in inflorescences. Flowering can continue all summer. After flowering, fruits are formed in the form of small nuts. Due to its decorative effect and duration of flowering, knotweed is actively used in garden design.

Snake (Persicaria bistorta, syn. Polygonum bistorta)

Snake knotweed also has another name - Cancer neck. Its rhizome is curved in the shape of a snake. The stems of the snakeweed knotweed are straight, ranging from 30 cm to 1 m in height. The knotweed has beautiful oblong leaves with wavy edges. The knotweed blooms with small pink flowers, in inflorescences, in the form of a small pencil. The plant blooms in late spring and early summer.

Highlander Snake.

Snake knotweed is found in the Far North, in the European part of Russia and Western Siberia. The favorite places of the snake knotweed are forest edges and peaty meadows. Winters well without shelter: it tolerates even severe frosts of -40 degrees.

Snake knotweed looks most impressive near bodies of water, but can also decorate borders. Well suited for landscape-style mixborders and can be an elegant addition to any bouquet.

Snake knotweed Superba (Persicaria bistorta Superba) is suitable for planting near water. It has beautiful pale pink inflorescences collected in panicles. These panicles are very long and look extremely impressive. The leaves turn red in autumn and the plant becomes especially attractive.

Superba is used very widely in garden decoration: when planting the banks of reservoirs, for decorating flower beds, in single and group plantings, when creating a dominant feature in flower beds.

Avian (Polýgonum aviculare)

Knotweed or knotweed grows everywhere as a weed. People call it grass-ant. It is common in central Russia. This is an unpretentious ground cover plant.

Highlander Bird.

Knotweed is of particular value as a food source: its nutritional properties are estimated to be approximately the same as those of legumes. Its medicinal properties are applicable for the treatment of kidneys, liver and stomach, for the treatment of tuberculosis and hypertension.

Climbing (Polygonum convalvulus L)

Knotweed or Philopia climber is an annual plant with a height of 10 cm to 1 m. Its homeland is the European part of Russia, Eastern Siberia, Ukraine, Belarus, the Far East and Central Asia. The leaves of the knotweed are petiolate and can have different shapes: round, spear-shaped or heart-shaped. Flowers are collected in 3–5 pieces in axillary bunches.

Highlander Curly.

Flowering of the knotweed begins in June and continues until October. Knotweed is used in garden design and medicine.

Pochechuyny (Persicaria maculosa)

Knotweed is widely used in medicine and is better known as kidney herb. Its homeland is the Far East, Central Asia, Eastern Siberia. This is a small annual plant: it grows in height from 30 to 60 cm. The leaves of the knotweed are elongated, the flowers are white or pink. This plant is not used in landscape design.

Highlander Pochechuyny.

Stem-enveloping (Persicaria amplexicaulis)

This type of knotweed is a dense shrub with beautiful narrow and long leaves, up to 25 cm in length, ending with a sharp end. Knotweed blooms with pink, white or purple flowers. These delicate flowers look very attractive in long, up to 10 cm inflorescences resembling spikelets.

Polygonum Stem-encompassing.

Oriental (Polygonum orientale)

The homeland of the eastern mountaineer is India. This annual plant can grow up to 2 m. The next year, new shoots appear from the seeds in the same place. Eastern knotweed blooms with small red flowers collected in inflorescences hanging above the ground. Eastern knotweed is often used to decorate a fence or as a background for a mixed border.

Eastern Highlander.

Aubert's or Aubert's fallopia (Polygonum auberttii, syn. Fallopia aubertii, Bilderdykia aubertii)

Buckwheat Oberta vine is a wonderful decoration for a fence or arch. It grows quickly, which is why it is also called Curly lasso. Her homeland is China, Tibet.

Aubert's Highlander.

Oberta can grow up to 12 m. Its leaves have a pleasant light green hue, and the flowers, which appear in July, are white fragrant panicles up to 40 cm long.

The disadvantage of Oberta is its not very good winter hardiness. She does not tolerate frosts below 15 degrees. To preserve the plant, it is removed from its supports for the winter and covered with covering material.

Oberta is a very good decorator for any vertical surfaces; it can also be used to decorate bouquets.

Smallhead (Persicaria microcephala)

Small-headed knotweed is valued in landscape design for its high decorative properties. It is used in single plantings.

Smallheaded Highlander.

Red Dragon (Red Dragon)

Small-headed knotweed Red dragon is an ornamental plant. It is used by gardeners to decorate the garden. Unlike other highlanders, it is not aggressive: it grows slowly and does not form seeds.

Highlander Smallhead Red Dragon.

Red dragon is a perennial herbaceous plant. Its dimensions are about 90 cm in both height and width. Young shoots are dark red in color. Then heart-shaped beautiful velvety leaves grow on the shoots: plum-red with a metallic tint. During the summer, the color of the leaves changes to silver-green, but the red tint remains.

The plant is very decorative, with showy leaves, and the white flowers that appear in August have no decorative value. Looks good together with other plants with silvery leaves.

Small-headed knotweed is unpretentious and grows well in all soils, but requires shelter for the winter.

Purple Fantasy

This amazingly beautiful plant lives up to its name: only wild imagination can surprise you with such a miracle! Small-headed knotweed Pearl fantasy is famous for its bright and variegated foliage. The height of the plant is only 60 cm. Its leaves have an elongated shape, bright green color, and are decorated with a purple core with a light green frame. Pearl Fantasy blooms from July to August with small white flowers. But the main beauty is the colorful leaves that decorate the plant all season long.

Highlander Smallhead Purple fantasy.

Variable (Polygonum polymorpha)

Variable knotweed is often found in gardens. This is an Asian variety of knotweed: its homeland is East Asia. The knotweed bush grows up to 2 m in height, and its width is usually about 1.5 m. Beautiful white inflorescences bloom on straight stems. The plant blooms in July and continues to bloom for about two months. Variable knotweed has a pleasant honey aroma.

Highlander Changeable.

After the plant has flowered, the remaining white panicles retain their decorative appearance for a very long time. Variable knotweed does not require shelter for the winter.

Baldschuan (Fallopia baldschuanica, syn. Polygonum baldschuanicum, Bilderdykia baldschuanica)

Baldjuan knotweed or climbing white is a powerful vine that amazes with an abundance of greenery and flowers. This plant has several more interesting names that reflect the characteristics of this species: Russian liana, Silver lace vine, Mile per minute, Fallopia Baldjuana. The homeland of the Baljuan mountaineer is Tajikistan, Tibet, Western China.

Highlander Baljuansky.

Knotweed has oval leaves that are red at first and then turn bright green. The flowering powerful vine with numerous white inflorescences that emit a pleasant aroma amazes with its beauty. Baldzhuansky knotweed blooms from mid-summer to autumn. A characteristic feature of the vine is its rapid growth: the plant grows almost 1 m per season.

The liana tolerates frost down to -34 degrees without shelter and grows better in partial shade.

Knotweed Baldzhuansky is more suitable for vertical gardening of the site. It decorates fences, pergolas, arches. The liana can also serve as a ground cover and cover empty areas. The only thing that poses a danger is the strong growth of the vine if it is not limited.

Capitate Amethyst crumb (Persicaria chinensis Ametistovaya kroshka)

Knotweed Capitate Amethyst is a ground cover plant. It is the lowest among all mountaineers - it has a height of about 15 cm. Its coral-pink fluffy inflorescences resemble balls and stand out beautifully against the background of a dense green carpet. The leaves have an unusual coral pattern. The plant blooms all summer, until frost sets in.

Highlander Capitate Amethyst chips.

This variety of knotweed looks great as a continuous elegant carpet or as a low border. The plant can decorate the entrance to the house if it is planted in a vase or hanging pot.

Related Donald Lowndes (Polygonum affine Donald Lowndes)

The flowers of the Knotweed have the ability to change color during flowering. At first their flowers are pale pink, then dark burgundy. Because of this property, this species of knotweed is called a chameleon. A blooming meadow of Kinweed Kinna Donald Lowndes looks great with flowers of various shades. This species came to us from the Himalayas.

Highlander Related Donald Lowndes.

Donald Lowndes is a ground cover plant with pink and red inflorescences, only 30 cm high.

This species of knotweed tolerates frosts, but not severe ones. Therefore, it is better to cover it with dry leaves or moss for the winter. Donald Lowndes tolerates drought well, but does not tolerate waterlogging.

Highlander Donald Lowndes looks great in rockeries, mixborders and bouquets. Read about how to properly make a rockery with your own hands in the article “How to make a rockery?”

Japanese (Polygonum cuspidatum Persicaria japonica)

The homeland of Japanese knotweed is East Asia. Like all knotweeds, Japanese knotweed grows well in partial shade and likes well-moistened soil. The most common varieties of this type of knotweed in gardens are Variegata and Compact.

Japanese knotweed.

Variegata leaves are colored in several colors at once. When they first appear, the stems are bright red, then the leaves turn green with white spots. All these colors mix and give an amazingly beautiful picture. To maintain such a bright and varied color of the bush, you need to carry out foliar feeding. Varietta grows 1.2 m over the summer. In winter, the entire above-ground part of the plant dies off.

Japanese knotweed Compact is a tall bush with bright red accents: its stems, petioles, and veins on the leaves are colored red. Young leaves first have a bright purple color, then turn green, but their edges remain crimson. During flowering, the bush acquires an even greater decorative effect, since the flowers of this variety are light coral. After flowering, raspberry fruits appear.

Resveratrol is obtained from Japanese knotweed, a medicine used to treat cancer and increase life expectancy.

Both varieties of Japanese knotweed are extremely decorative and will perfectly decorate any corner of the garden.

Dying (Polygonum tinctorium)

Knotweed is also called Japanese indigo or Chinese indigo. This is an annual herb 80 cm high with crimson inflorescences. Contains dyes in its tissues. Previously, knotweed was bred in the Caucasus and Ukraine to produce a blue dye (indigo). Nowadays it is replaced by a synthetic dye, and the plant is found only in the wild.

Highlander Dying.

Sakhalin (Polygonum sachalinense)

Another name for Sakhalin knotweed is Sakhalin buckwheat. There is also a name - Kuril. Its homeland is southern Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, Japan. This is a powerful perennial herbaceous plant up to 3 m in height with large leaves and large panicle inflorescences with white flowers. The plant blooms in July.

Highlander Sakhalin.

Sakhalin knotweed bushes resemble impenetrable thickets and are well suited for camouflaging outbuildings. But we must not forget about its rapid spread. Simultaneously with planting Sakhalin buckwheat, you need to dig limiters into the ground. Usually it is enough to deepen them by 30 cm.

Amphibian (Persicaria amphibia)

True to its name, the amphibious knotweed has terrestrial and aquatic varieties. The aquatic variety of knotweed grows under water, at the bottom of shallow reservoirs (no deeper than 15 cm), has beautiful long floating stems and elongated leaves. This species blooms with pink flowers. Amphibious knotweed decorates small bodies of water.

Highlander Amphibian.

The amphibian terrestrial knotweed is a small ornamental plant up to 50 cm tall with straight stems and narrow leaves, which blooms with small white flowers collected in panicle-shaped inflorescences. Typically, such plants are used to decorate the shore of a reservoir.

Pepper (Persicaria hydropiper)

Peppermint or water pepper, pepper grass, pepper buckwheat, female bitterling are medicinal plants. It is used to treat inflammatory skin diseases, rashes, and allergies.

Pepper Knotweed.

Candle-shaped (Persicaria amplexicaulis, syn. Bistorta amplexicaulis, Polygonum amplexicaule)

Candleweed knotweed is a beautiful ornamental plant up to 1 m 20 cm high. This type of knotweed is semi-evergreen and grows well. The leaves of the candle-shaped knotweed are very beautiful: narrow with a silvery tint. The flowers have a wide variety of colors - they can be bright red, dark purple and even white. Therefore, a flower garden with candle-shaped knotweed looks very elegant. Knotweed blooms in mid-summer and blooms until autumn.

Candleweed Highlander.

Candleweed knotweed tolerates frosts down to -30 degrees, grows well in both sunny and semi-shaded areas. When planting, set aside a fairly large area for this plant.

Candleweed knotweed looks great in the garden as a tapeworm.

Preparing for landing

Site selection and soil preparation

Growing knotweed is not difficult, but problems may arise due to its vigorous growth. A flower can turn an area into a thicket if it does not receive proper care. The choice of location will depend on the characteristics of the type of knotweed that you have chosen for planting.

To plant Aubert knotweed, you need to choose loose soil. The ground temperature should be 4 degrees higher than the air temperature. This effect can be achieved by fertilizing the bed with manure or peat. You also need to prepare a support for curling. Fertilizing the soil must occur regularly, otherwise the knotweed will not take root. If you choose variable knotweed for planting, then you should find partial shade or an open sunny place. Fertile, moist soil with low acidity is a priority. Before planting, be sure to fertilize the soil with compost and ash in order to increase the alkaline levels. It should be planted shallow to avoid root rotting.

Due to its large size, highlander can hide some places in the country and small buildings. Can be used as a delimiter between garden zones, for example separating a swimming pool from the main area. Choose a planting site keeping in mind that this species is aggressive, and more delicate plants will not take root next to the knotweed. Sakhalin knotweed is demanding on soil fertility. Capable of forming dense thickets, so choose the location you want to camouflage. The best place for planting this species is considered to be the shore of a reservoir or a lowland with high humidity. Lighting will only affect the size of the bush, so the knotweed will develop both in the sun and in the shade.

Seed selection

For better seed germination, cold stratification is carried out. Stratification is a process that simulates winter cold and moisture. This speeds up germination. The seeds with sand in the bag should be placed in the refrigerator. The stratification period is different for each species (on average 60 days).

Planting in open ground occurs with the onset of warm weather. Adaptation happens quickly. The soil should be loose. Treat the cuttings with Kornevin and store them for several hours in a room with a temperature of 23°. At first, the plant needs regular, but not excessive watering. Plant to a depth of 1-1.5 cm. After planting, cover with film to maintain the microclimate.

Basic rules of care:

High-quality, abundant watering in the heat (a slight excess of moisture is acceptable, but the constant presence of roots in damp soil is not acceptable);
Not all species can tolerate frost, so they need to be covered until the weather warms up. If the leaves have wilted, cut off the stems;
Yellow and brown leaves should be cut back in late winter;
If you have Japanese or small-headed knotweed growing, then it is better to get a greenhouse;
Constant fertilization of the soil is necessary for the supply of nutrients.

How to get rid of the weed - Sakhalin knotweed

Not only benefits, but also harm can result from planting knotweed. Since all mountaineers behave like aggressors, they need to be planted either separately as tapeworms or next to other aggressors: saplings, meadowsweet or veronicastrum, echinacea.

An aggressor such as the Sakhalin knotweed appears on the site from nowhere and does not allow other plants to live. To defeat him, you need to prepare yourself for a long, serious fight.

Perennial knotweed cannot be destroyed by simple weeding, since even the smallest root remaining in the ground gives rise to new plants. As a result, it turns out that the more you weed the Sakhalin knotweed, the more it grows.

Herbicides come to the rescue. The substance clethodim, which is part of the herbicides, will destroy the unwanted plant. You can control the planting of knotweed using the drugs Monitor and Glyphosate. Roundup and Hurricane are also effective in controlling weeds. The preparations are sprayed onto the plants. After a few hours, the poison penetrates the root and destroys the pest. After this, the weed dries up and can be removed from the site. A detailed article about weed control in flower beds is here - “What to fill a flower bed with for weeds?”

To prevent the appearance of Sakhalin knotweed, it is enough to control all planted and empty areas. If there are still free spaces on the site, you can sow them with oats or mustard. Empty areas in or near a flower bed can be filled with ground cover plants.

Reproduction

Knotweed can propagate by seeds and cuttings. Each type has its own method. Seed propagation is suitable for snake, eastern and splayed knotweed. They are planted by the end of winter in boxes or open ground. Cuttings are also prepared by the end of spring. Two nodes should appear. The cuttings are planted in a warm bed. The bottom node should be at a depth of 2 cm. The top is covered with film, and for the winter it is dug up and stored at a temperature of about 2°C.

Reproduction

Knotweed develops very quickly and increases in size; it can be successfully propagated in various ways. The more popular method of propagation is by dividing the bush; cuttings and seed methods are also used.

In early spring or autumn, an adult plant is carefully divided into parts and, with a small lump of earth, transferred to new prepared places, constantly moistening the soil for quick rooting.

Sowing is done in open ground with the onset of warmth (late spring) or seedlings are grown from February-March. To increase germination, seeds are stratified using a cold method.

Procurement and storage

It is better to harvest roots at the end of summer. The roots need to be peeled, washed and cut into small pieces. Next, put it on paper and leave it to dry outside, but in the shade. If all conditions are met, they will be pink and odorless. Place the preparations in bags and store in a dry place. Shelf life – 2 years. Knotweed is distributed throughout the world due to its unpretentiousness and beneficial properties, so spend a little time studying the rules of care and grow this undoubtedly valuable and beautiful plant in your garden.

Highlander Red Dragon

Small-headed knotweed is especially popular among gardeners. This plant is very elegant and unpretentious, retaining its decorative effect for a long time.

My acquaintance with these plants began with the small-headed knotweed Red Dragon (Persicaria microcephala Red Dragon ) . I purchased a small seedling in a container in March. A month and a half before planting in open ground, it managed to produce several dark red shoots with beautiful pointed heart-shaped leaves of unusual color. In summer, the velvety leaves turned green, but the red border and red chevron remained until the end of the season.

Landing Features

Now I understand: apparently, he liked the place. Moderate sunshine , fertile soil. When planting it in the ground , I put some humus, superphosphate and ash in the hole. And since cannas grew not very far from the highlander (which were watered daily), he also got water Later I learned that M. small-headed tolerates stagnant moisture, grows in the sun or in partial shade on any soil, even on clay, and prefers moist soils. I fed twice with an infusion of mullein and superphosphate.

Wintering

Red Dragon is still my favorite. But this is only due to its exceptional decorativeness. The problem is that it hardly tolerates our winters, and every year I have to dig and store in the basement, and plant it again in open ground in the spring. As soon as I propagated the knotweed, I decided to experiment. I placed one bush in the basement in the fall, and the second, covered with peat and leaves, left it to winter in the garden. Unfortunately, no shoots appeared in the spring.

Reproduction

Knotweed is easy to propagate from cuttings. I just break off the shoots and put them in water. I plant them in a pot after a while, when the roots appear.

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