Molucella, Or Irish Bells. Care, Cultivation, Reproduction. Photo

Table of contents:

Molucella, Or Irish Bells. Care, Cultivation, Reproduction. Photo
Molucella, Or Irish Bells. Care, Cultivation, Reproduction. Photo

Video: Molucella, Or Irish Bells. Care, Cultivation, Reproduction. Photo

Video: Molucella, Or Irish Bells. Care, Cultivation, Reproduction. Photo
Video: How to grow Bells of Ireland plant (Moluccella laevis) 2024, March
Anonim

Irish bells are considered one of the most original garden plants today. And this is not surprising: the plant, better known as the molucella, is indeed exotic and unusual. In whatever capacity mollucella is used, it will add originality and extravagance to the design of the garden. But molucella has other advantages, in addition to its unusual flowering. Beautiful greenery, non-standard palette of colors, excellent durability in bouquets compensate for not so simple plant care.

Smooth molucella (moluccella laevis)
Smooth molucella (moluccella laevis)

Content:

  • Exotic molucella bloom
  • Conditions Needed for Irish Bells
  • Molucella care
  • Pest and disease control
  • Reproduction of molucella

Exotic molucella bloom

Irish bells, molucella, Molucca herb and Molucca lemon balm - do not name the representatives of the genus molucella, it will not diminish their beauty in the least. Unique exotic plants with the status of an exclusive accent are now slowly moving from the category of rare plants to the lists of the most fashionable crops. And the growing popularity of molucella is not surprising. After all, there is no other green-colored plant with the same original flowering.

Among the three varieties of Irish bluebells, there are both perennial and annual plants. But in ornamental gardening, only one species received universal admiration and love - smooth molucella (moluccella laevis)

Smooth molucella is a plant of Mediterranean origin. It is an annual 70 to 90 cm in height with branched shoots and powerful peduncles that form beautiful and original-looking bushes. The leaves of the molucella are rounded, with a beautiful jagged edge. Their color is several shades darker than the color of the inflorescences. They also attract admiring attention to the molucella.

True, the flowers themselves have nothing to do with it: small, white, with a barely noticeable aroma, they are practically invisible. And all the admiring attention is attracted to the bracts in the form of a pale green cup-funnel, which, without careful observation, seem to be bell-shaped flowers. A very dense spikelet inflorescence is collected from such "cups", sometimes reaching more than half a meter in length. Dense candles of light green inflorescences, massive and elegant, perfectly straight - a spectacle of unprecedented spectacular. After flowering, neat fruit-boxes are tied with unusual, buckwheat-like tetrahedral seeds.

The flowering of molucella lasts a very long time. In the midst of summer, at the end of June, the first flowers begin to bloom on the inflorescences, but luxurious green candles will decorate the garden for a very long time - until autumn. In summer, it is very difficult to find such a fresh-looking plant in flower beds and beds.

The color scheme of the molucella fully justifies the nickname "Irish bells". The rich light-green color of the inflorescences seems refreshingly original, stands out against the background of ordinary garden greenery and flowers, and so it reminds of the emerald hills of Ireland.

The varietal variety of molucella cannot boast. The only option that can diversify the collection is the dwarf form with smaller calyxes of the bracts, which are located in the inflorescence not as a solid spikelet, but in peculiar tiers.

Bouquet of Irish bells, or Smooth Molucella
Bouquet of Irish bells, or Smooth Molucella

In decorative gardening, molucella is used:

  • as a piece accent, an exotic element in flower beds and flower beds;
  • as a background, central, style-setting plant in mixborders;
  • in compositions with a focus on green and white colors;
  • as an unusual, extravagant decoration of the most eye-catching design elements -
  • in particular, in duets with garden sculpture;
  • as a houseplant;
  • as a cut crop - both for live bouquets and as a dried flower (molucella perfectly retains not only its shape, but also its color).

The best partners for molucella are: balsams, scented tobacco, coleus, cineraria, snapdragon, amaranth, delphiniums, roses, lupins, bells, sage, catnip, milkweed.

Conditions Needed for Irish Bells

Molecules are light-loving plants, but they do not need the brightest lighting. In the garden, they can grow on the brightest and slightly shaded areas. At the same time, a change in the intensity of illumination usually does not affect the size of the inflorescences and their beauty. One of the main advantages of molucella is the ability to tolerate well even hot conditions, insensitivity to summer heat. Despite the fact that light green inflorescences seem delicate, filigree, molucella will not suffer from the scorching sun. Especially if you provide her with proper care.

But the soil needs much more attention. For Irish bells to delight you with decorative blooms, try to avoid heavy and damp soils. But the rest of the molucella to the soil is undemanding. They bloom most effectively on fertile and loose soil, but they can settle on almost any garden soil.

Smooth molucella, or Irish bells
Smooth molucella, or Irish bells

Molucella care

It is not difficult to care for molucella. She just needs to be attentive, with mandatory procedures to compensate for any vagaries of the weather. And the main task is not to forget about watering. Mollucella needs regular watering, rare with normal rainfall and very frequent on hot days and prolonged drought.

Irish bells are more than responsive to feeding. Fertilization results in more vigorous growth and more lush flowering. At the same time, the plant will gratefully accept both conventional mineral fertilizing and organic matter. For molucella, which is grown for cutting, fertilization is applied every 2 weeks. Many gardeners prefer this feeding scheme for ordinary garden summers, because it allows you to achieve the most colorful flowering.

A very important component of molucella care is the removal of wilting flowers. If you notice that a leaf turns yellow on the plant or a flower in an inflorescence begins to wither, immediately remove it from the bushes.

Annual plants from flower beds and compositions are best removed at the end of autumn. Perennial molucella need a completely different preparation for wintering: the plants need to be cut off, covered with soil and covered with either dry leaves and spruce branches, or any reliable method available to you.

Pest and disease control

Molucella can be safely ranked among the most resistant garden plants. But Irish bells will only show their endurance if they are properly cared for. When waterlogged, planting in damp soil, plants can suffer from rot that affects the roots of the plant.

Smooth molucella, or Irish bells
Smooth molucella, or Irish bells

Reproduction of molucella

Irish bells are propagated by seed only:

Seedling way

Sowing is carried out at the beginning of April in large containers, germinated in cool conditions with a temperature of 14 to 17 degrees under film or glass. The shelter is removed after the shoots appear, and the dive is carried out after the first leaf appears. Molecules must be planted in individual pots.

For seedlings, not an ordinary substrate is used, but a mixture of peat and sand. In open ground, seedlings of molucella can be transferred in May, as soon as strong return frosts have passed. When planting, you need to maintain a distance of 40 to 50 cm between plants.

Soil sowing

Seeds must be sown immediately in a permanent location in late spring. They should not be too deep in the grooves; as they grow, it is imperative to thin out the seedlings.

Recommended: