Content
Veronica spicata is a beautiful plant belonging to the plantain family. Produces attractive inflorescences in the form of very narrow panicles of various colors. Suitable as a ground cover for creating beautiful compositions (mixborders, rock gardens, designing paths). The article describes in detail the basic rules for planting and caring for this flower.
Description of Veronika Koloskova with photo
Veronica spicata, also called spikelet, is a perennial herbaceous plant. In shape and height it resembles a plantain, although it differs from it in both leaves and flowers.
What does Veronica spicata look like?
The plant is not tall, but very elongated. Each bush of spiked speedwell produces only one stem, but sometimes several. The roots are thin, grow deep, and extract water from the soil well, so the plant is drought-resistant.
The leaves are very narrow, lanceolate, rich green in color, the surface is matte and does not shine in the sun. They are located opposite. Often, pubescence in the form of white felt is noticeable on the foliage. It creates additional protection against moisture evaporation.
A characteristic feature is the upper leaves of a sessile type, with entire edges, the apex is sharp. The lower foliage is petiolate, rounded. The length of the plates of spikelet veronica reaches 2-9 cm.
Height of speedwell
Depending on the variety, the height of spiked speedwell ranges from 10 to 80 cm. Some varieties are very low, barely noticeable, and are used as ground cover plants (in case of dense planting). Others, on the contrary, are noticeably taller; they can be used in combination with different flowers to create a beautiful flower bed.
Flowering of Veronica Koloskova
The inflorescences of the spikelet plant are single racemes, located at the very top of the peduncles. The flowers are numerous, sessile. Various colors:
- white;
- blue;
- blue;
- pink;
- purple;
- lilac.
The flowering period is long, up to 5-6 weeks. It begins in the first half of June and continues until mid-July. At the end of summer, fruits are formed in the form of two-lobed boxes. The seeds are elongated, small, with a smooth surface.
Varieties of speedwell
Veronica spikelet is represented by several varieties, among the most beautiful are the following:
- Medicinal (Veronica officinalis) – a plant with short stems, spreads like a carpet, suitable as a ground cover. The color of the inflorescence is bluish.
- Branchy (Veronica branchy) is an attractive plant with pinkish-lilac flowers. The thickets are low and well hide the bare soil.
- Oak tree (Veronica oak) is a speedwell with bright green foliage and blue flowers. The foliage is jagged, in warm regions (Krasnodar Territory, North Caucasus) remains green even in winter.
- Small (Veronica small) is a low-growing plant, reaching only 10-12 cm in height. The leaves are dark green, the flowers are delicate, lilac in color.
- Woody (Veronica woody) produces pinkish-lilac flowers and lush greenery. The stems are creeping, with numerous leaf blades. It is quite thermophilic, so it is better to cover it for the winter.
How to plant speedwell
Veronica spicata is simply propagated by seeds. There are two ways:
- Rassadny.
- Seedless.
In the first case, seeds are sown in common boxes, and work begins in early March. Greenhouse conditions are created, seedlings are obtained, then planted in separate pots. The seedlings are transferred to the flowerbed in the first half of May.
You can simply sow the seeds of Spike Veronica in the ground. This is done at the end of spring, sometimes at the beginning of summer (possibly until mid-July). It is necessary to ensure that the danger of return frosts has passed.
You need to do this:
- Mark a place for a flower bed. It should be well lit, located on a small hill where puddles will not form.
- Clear and dig up the area. If the soil is infertile, apply complex fertilizing in the amount of 40-50 g per 1 m2.
- Level the surface and mark several grooves at a distance of 30-50 cm. The depth should be very shallow: only 5 mm.
- Next, add the seeds and cover with soil.
- Spray the surface with a spray bottle (the water should be settled and at room temperature).
Another option is to plant speedwell seeds before winter.In this case, work begins at the end of September. They act in exactly the same way - mark several grooves on the surface and place the seed. In this case, it is necessary to mulch the top with a large layer of straw, sawdust, peat or other material.
Care instructions
All varieties of spiked speedwell are unpretentious, so caring for them is quite simple. You can water the plant infrequently, but the main thing is to prevent the soil from drying out and cracking too much.
The plant needs to be watered occasionally and fed 2-3 times per season.
On the other hand, stagnant water is also dangerous, so it is important to monitor the weather forecast. Particularly heavy watering should be given during the growing of seedlings and at the stage before the formation of buds.
Other rules for caring for spiked veronica should be followed:
- In spring and summer, give complex mineral fertilizer every 3-4 weeks. It can be alternated with organic matter, for example, potassium humate.
- Regularly loosen the soil and remove weeds.
- Mulch plantings to ensure stable soil moisture levels.
- If the variety is tall, install small supports and tie up the plants.
- Every 4-5 years, replant the Veronica spicata bush and divide it into several parts. Work will begin in the spring. This procedure helps rejuvenate the plant.
- Spike speedwell is not covered for the winter because the plant is frost-resistant. But when planting seeds in the fall, you should lay a layer of straw or other mulch.
Reproduction
Spike speedwell can be propagated either vegetatively, for example, by cuttings, or grown from seeds.Moreover, you can plant them directly in a flowerbed or get seedlings. Step-by-step instructions are described below.
Growing from seeds
One way to grow blue speedwell and other varieties is from seeds. They can be sown in open ground or grown as seedlings. In the latter case, work begins in early March, proceed as follows:
- Place fertile soil in a common seedling box. This could be, for example, a mixture of turf soil with black peat, compost and sand 2:1:1:1.
- Spray from a spray bottle.
- Plant seeds to a depth of 0.5 cm.
- Sprinkle with soil.
- Cover with film and grow in greenhouse conditions until shoots emerge.
- Then the film is removed and they wait until the seedlings of Veronica spikelet produce two pairs of leaves.
- Planted in separate containers and grown until early May. At this time, you can replant in flower beds.
It is better to buy seeds in specialized stores
Propagation by cuttings
Another method of propagating spikelet veronica is cuttings. At the end of May, several young shoots are selected, cuttings 10-15 cm long are prepared, and placed in a solution of “Kornevin” or another stimulant. Then they are planted in a separate box with fertile soil, covered with a jar, regularly ventilated and watered. After just two weeks, the sprouted cuttings can be transplanted into a flower bed.
Division of speedwell
Another method of propagation is growing speedwell by dividing the bush. This is the simplest option that gives guaranteed results. Once every 4-5 years in the spring (early April), the bush is dug up and cut into several parts. The cutting areas are sprinkled with charcoal and the cuttings are planted in flower beds.
Veronica Koloskovaya in landscape design
Spike speedwell is quite easy to use in landscape design. The plant is unpretentious, looks beautiful in groups and in combination with other flowers. Low-growing varieties are well suited for mixborders, rock gardens, and also for planting in containers. The tall ones can be used as a backdrop for other beautiful flowers.
Several options for using crops to decorate the garden are shown below:
- Single landing.
- Flower path.
- Planting along the path.
- Flower composition.
What colors does Veronica Spikelet go with?
Spikelet veronica can be used not only in single plantings, but also in compositions with other beautiful flowers, for example:
- daylilies;
- yarrow;
- coreopsis;
- helenium.
Conclusion
Veronica spicata is one of the most unpretentious plants that is well suited for experienced gardeners and amateurs. It does not require special care and almost never gets sick. In addition, it blooms for a long time and pleases with a variety of colors.
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