Each person tries to make their vacation spot unique and cozy. It is largely thanks to flowers that our apartments, houses and summer cottages are transformed.
But not only bright buds and lush inflorescences can create a unique environment - the expressive aroma of plants also plays an important role in this difficult work.
One of the most famous representatives of the flora with a delicate bright aroma is matthiola bicornata, better known as night violet . It has long been used by flower growers to create green corners on plots and balconies.
Peculiarities
Matthiola, otherwise known as gillyflower, belongs to the Brassicaceae (Cruciferous) family . Double-horned matthiola is an annual plant with a bright, rich, pleasant aroma.
It should be noted that the plant does not have any bright decorative qualities, and during daylight hours its corollas are completely closed.
Therefore, experienced flower growers recommend planting night violets among a flowering flowerbed in order to balance the decorative qualities of the flower garden and a pleasant aroma.
During the daytime, the aroma of matthiola bicorne is felt very weakly, but closer to night, when the buds open their petals, the smell becomes much more intense.
The stems of the plant are oriented vertically, but in some varieties they are spreading. The average height of shoots can reach half a meter in height, but taller plants are also found - up to 0.8 m.
The leaves are elongated oval in shape, have a serrated edge and are distinguished by a pleasant to the touch, velvety surface.
Flowering occurs in the first half of summer and can last until frost . But with such a long flowering period, you most likely won’t be able to admire the flowers of the night violet.
The fact is that the flowers of Matthiola bicornuum are quite small and do not have a rich color.
After flowering, in place of the buds, a seed box is formed, filled with a large number of small grayish seeds. their germination for 2–4 years .
Bloom
It is not necessary to remove fading flowers on gillyflowers ; the procedure is more of an aesthetic nature. Withering of flowers and formation of fruits does not affect the duration of matthiola flowering.
Deadlines
Among the decorative varieties of gillyflower there are:
- summer gillyflower , annual, flowering July-August;
- autumn , can be one- or perennial, flowering from the last ten days of August to November;
- winter biennial , blooms in April-May.
Autumn and winter varieties in the middle zone are cultivated only as greenhouse plants.
Peculiarities
Simple matthiola flowers are characterized by short flowering, no more than five days .
Terry varieties bloom for 15-20 days.
Popular varieties with photos
About 50 varieties are found in the natural environment , many of them are grown as ornamental plants. Thanks to the efforts of breeders, many varieties of night violet have been developed.
Star Light
A mix of several varieties, differing in different colors and shades of smell. The average height of plants is up to half a meter.
Evening scent
The color of the small flowers is a delicate shade of lilac. The dimensions of a highly branched, erect bush do not exceed half a meter.
Starry sky sensation
The variety of English selection is suitable both for open ground and for growing on a balcony, since the height of the plant does not exceed 30 cm.
Mattiola rosea
The variety refers to varieties that can be grown on the balcony. The height of the bush does not exceed 25 cm. The color of the petals is soft purple, the light aroma of the plant is not irritating.
Lilac
The variety has a very pleasant, unobtrusive aroma and belongs to the group of frost-resistant varieties. For cultivation, you should choose only well-lit areas.
Summer evening
This variety is characterized by a pronounced bright aroma and a beautiful pale purple color of the petals. The bush is quite tall, it can reach half a meter in height.
Beneficial properties of night violet
Vechernitsa gives people not only an amazing aroma. It contains many useful substances that help in the treatment of certain diseases. The pharmaceutical name for this plant is salep .
For medicinal use, only tubers . They should be collected during the flowering period or immediately after it.
Procurement of raw materials
For dug up tuber roots, you need to cut off the above-ground part and remove the bark. Then the cleaned roots are immersed in boiling water for several minutes. This is necessary so that they do not germinate later. The processed raw materials must be dried in the open air. also use dryers or ovens for this procedure , the temperature in which should not exceed 55 degrees. Dried roots can be stored for no more than six years.
Growing seedlings
Due to the fact that gillyflower does not have a very strong root system, its seeds should be immediately sown in the ground in a permanent place .
But in regions with a cold climate, this method of planting does not always give good results, because due to the late spring, matthiola will begin to bloom 2 or even 3 weeks later than for plants grown by seedlings.
Growing from seeds: when to plant
The standard time for sowing seeds for seedlings (late February - early March) is also suitable for night violet seeds.
However, some gardeners sow in both February and March in order to increase the flowering time of matthiola by a couple of weeks.
Preparing for sowing seedlings
Pre-sowing preparation requires not only seeds, but also soil and growing containers .
The container must be prepared several days before planting: it is thoroughly washed, rinsed with a solution of potassium permanganate and dried well.
Loose nutrient soil must be calcined in the oven to exclude the presence of harmful insect larvae and fungal spores.
Attention! Plan about three days for pre-sowing preparation - this will be enough time to process the seeds and prepare the soil and container.
Seeds are also prepared in advance:
- Soak the seeds for 24 hours in warm boiled water. This will allow the seed coat to swell, making it easier for the sprout to break through.
- The soaked seeds are placed on a damp cloth, wrapped, and put in the refrigerator for another two days.
This preparation will allow seedlings to appear earlier.
Important! Be sure to place a drainage layer on the bottom of the container - it will help remove excess moisture from the roots of the sprouts.
Sowing scheme for seedlings at home
The soil filling the container is slightly moistened with a spray bottle. There is no need to water abundantly: the soil is moistened at this stage so that the seed furrows do not crumble and keep their shape well.
The seed furrows are drawn at a distance of 40 mm from each other. Night violet seeds are placed in them in 3 cm increments and sprinkled with soil. After planting, you can water the soil well .
The container is covered with film or glass and placed in a warm, shaded place. The plantings are left there for about a week.
After this period, the container must be moved to a well-lit place, but with a lower temperature (optimal mode - 12...14 ° C). This temperature difference allows you to accelerate the formation of flower buds.
After emergence of seedlings, the cover is removed from the container.
Caring for seedlings and planting in the ground
In general, caring for matthiola bicornuum seedlings does not cause any difficulties. The only operation that may raise questions for a beginner is picking , since the root system of the sprouts is superficial and weak, and can be easily damaged.
Picking seedlings
When the sprouts have formed 2-3 true leaves, the seedlings must be planted into individual pots.
Give preference to pots that will allow you to plant the plant in the ground without damaging its root system. These can be plastic pots with a removable bottom, peat or paper pots.
Abundant watering helps facilitate the replanting process. Some gardeners generally recommend placing a container with seedlings in a basin filled with water so that the soil is saturated with moisture and the sprouts are easier to remove from the soil.
For replanting, prepare a substrate from a mixture of loose turf soil, peat and sand.
Timing for planting seedlings in the ground
To plant seedlings in the ground, you need to choose a time when the threat of return frosts has completely passed. The optimal time for planting will be the second half of May - early June .
Soil requirements
Preference should be given to loose nutrient soils . On the one hand, it is necessary for the soil to retain moisture, preventing it from immediately seeping into the deep layers, but, on the other hand, retaining moisture in the soil for too long will lead to rotting of the root system.
Therefore, experienced gardeners recommend choosing soils with good drainage qualities , and filling the space between plantings with mulch. Mulching helps reduce natural moisture loss through evaporation.
Selecting a location
Matthiola bicornuum is a light-loving plant, but can also grow in a slightly shaded area.
You can choose a corner of the garden where there will be enough sunlight in the morning and evening hours, but in the midday heat the area will be in the shade .
In the first week and a half, young seedlings will need to be shaded from direct sunlight, especially at midday. Excessive amounts of ultraviolet radiation will lead to burns on the leaves of the sprouts and even death of the plants.
Specifics of growing matthiola bicornuum from seeds in open ground
Among flower growers there are many adherents of sowing seeds of flowering plants directly into the ground. Mattiola bicorne will not be an exception to this rule - it sprouts quite successfully when planted directly in the ridge.
Before planting, prepare the area:
- dig up;
- remove weed roots and stones;
- the soil is spilled with a weak solution of potassium permanganate to kill parasite larvae and fungal spores;
- the soil is enriched with humus and watered with a solution of complex fertilizer for flowering crops.
Then planting furrows are marked on the flowerbed (their depth should not be more than half a centimeter, and the distance between them should be about 30 cm).
The seeds are not planted too often, but they are guided by the need for further thinning of the plantings, so a distance of 5 cm between the seeds will be quite enough.
The furrows are sprinkled with soil and watered. The flowerbed can be covered with covering material, but you don’t have to do this. The first shoots will appear by the end of the second week .
Attention! If the seeds were sown in the ground in the fall, then seedlings should be expected only in the second spring after planting.
Seedling care
Caring for plantings consists of weeding, watering and regularly loosening the soil after the moisture has been completely absorbed.
Garden care rules
Although matthiola does not raise any questions as a houseplant, when planted in a flowerbed it requires some procedures .
Features of watering
Matthiola bicorne is a moisture-loving plant, so you need to make sure that the soil does not dry out .
But it must be borne in mind that excessive soil moisture is just as harmful as lack of watering. Therefore, focus on the condition of the top layer of soil: if it is dry, it’s time to water.
The best time to water is early morning or an hour before sunset .
Top dressing
Feed the night violet with mineral complexes for flowering plants three times a season . The first application of fertilizing should be done approximately 21 days after planting, then fertilizing should be done once a month.
Loosening and weeding
To prevent the formation of a hard, airtight crust on the surface of the flowerbed, the soil must be loosened after watering .
There is no point in loosening still wet soil - you need to wait until the moisture is absorbed. Along with loosening, it is convenient to weed out weeds that have crept into the flowerbed.
Description of matthiola
Matthiola is a flowering crop native to the Mediterranean. The plant is a member of the Cruciferous family and can be grown as an annual or perennial. Despite its modest appearance, this culture has a majestic aroma, which is why it is loved by many gardeners. The peculiarity of this culture is its night flowering. This is where the name “night violet” comes from.
The second name of the flower is left-handed.
The shoots of the crop reach a height of up to 90 cm. Dark green stems may have pubescence or be without it. They are distinguished by an abundant number of lanceolate-shaped leaves with jagged tips. The inflorescences open at the end of spring. The flowers have a racemose shape, the petals are simple or double. Shades – pink, white, lilac, yellow or purple. They open at sunset and are pollinated by nocturnal insects. Matthiola or gillyflower is an excellent honey plant, for which it is highly valued by beekeepers. After flowering, rounded brown or black seeds are formed.
Reproduction methods
Night violet is propagated by seeds. The procedure is carried out in two ways:
- planting in the ground;
- growing seedlings.
Read about other annual plants:
Mallow flower: lovely gramophones
Phlox Drummond - the star of any garden
Diascia - types and photos of long-flowering exotic
Diseases and pests
Night violet has high immunity, but can suffer from diseases such as clubroot and fusarium .
In case of isolated manifestations of the disease, you can try to save the flower by treating it with fusarium, but in case of mass disease, the flower bed will have to be destroyed.
Among the pests that are dangerous for matthiola bicornuum are:
- caterpillars;
- slugs;
- cruciferous flea.
While fleas can be killed using insecticides, slugs and caterpillars are collected by hand. These pests are attracted to high humidity, which must be taken into account when planting night violets.
Application
Night violet is used as a remedy in folk medicine.
Decoctions are prepared from the plant for treatment:
- gout;
- arthritis;
- rheumatism.
Vegetarian infusions are used as diaphoretics and diuretics. The plant helps in treating the respiratory tract.
An alcohol tincture from the leaves has an antibacterial effect and is indispensable for infectious diseases.
You can use sprouts of nocturnal seeds. They contain a lot of vitamin C and A, minerals iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus).
Sprouts are used to stimulate appetite and have a softening and antiscorbutic effect. Help stimulate the body's regenerative resources. Sprouts can be added to salads and snacks to add spice to dishes.
Night beauty violet
In landscape design
Since matthiola bicornus cannot boast of bright flowers, and during the day its buds are completely closed, it will not be possible to use the plant as a decorative one.
The flowerbed is arranged in such a way that the delicate aroma of night violet complements the bright composition .
What flowers goes with matthiola bicornuum?
Night violet goes well with herbs; it can be accompanied by:
- thyme;
- verbena;
- sage;
- basil;
- mint;
- Melissa.
From decorative flowering plants, choose:
- petunias;
- nasturtiums;
- tea rose.
Brugmansia
Tree-like shrub with large gramophone flowers.
In its homeland, Latin America, Brugmansia reaches a height of 5 meters, but here you can most often grow a bush. During the day, gramophones stand half-closed, and in the evening they open. Their diameter reaches 15 cm. They prefer a hot climate, so most often Brugmansia are planted in containers so that they can be moved indoors for the winter. Or they decorate greenhouses with it. Frost-resistant species include “Brugmansia bloody” with bright red buds.
Propagated by seeds, cuttings and layering. Timely pruning and feeding are important in care.
Analogue flowers
If for some reason it was not possible to plant matthiola bicornuum on the site, then it can be replaced by its closest relative - grey-haired left-handed grass. The noctule, otherwise hesperis, is also suitable as a replacement .
You can plant lupine, clove or clover on the site. These plants have a less pronounced but pleasant odor.
Matthiola bicornuum is a modest plant, but once planted on the site, it is difficult to refuse the rich aroma that accompanies the plant.
