Stachys (Stachys), or stachis - shrub, annual or perennial herb from the Yasnotkov family. The plant is called stachis because its inflorescences are similar to spikelets, this is how the second name of the chisel is translated - "spike". There are more than 300 different species of this plant. It grows in nature in Europe and Asia. This flower is popular among gardeners not only for its decorative effect, but also for its medicinal properties.
Description of the plant Chistets
The ground part of the plant is covered with a fairly dense fluff. Grows up to 1 m in height. Leaves are opposite, can be serrated or whole. The flowers are lilac, purple, pink, yellow or white, collected in false whorls. Inflorescences are spike-shaped. The fruit of the plant has three faces, oblong or ovoid.
Growing a purse from seeds
The purse can reproduce by seed and vegetatively - by dividing the bush, tubers and cuttings. Stachis seeds germinate very well. It is necessary to plant the seeds of the chitel for seedlings at the end of winter or at the beginning of March. Planting substrate can be purchased at a specialist store, ordinary seedling soil is suitable. After planting, the soil must be carefully watered and covered with plastic wrap. Place containers with planted seeds in a warm place. The seeds germinate in about a month. When shoots appear, the plastic film must be removed from the containers. And when two real leaves appear, the seedlings need to be transplanted into separate pots.
Planting a chisel in open ground
It is necessary to plant the seeds of the Chisel in open ground in May, at which time the soil will warm up enough, and the night frosts will definitely not return. The most suitable place for planting is the sunny part of the garden or partial shade. As for the soil, the plant is quite unpretentious in this regard. It can grow on sandy and rocky soil. The main thing is that the soil has a high moisture capacity. The holes for planting must be prepared in advance, the distance between them must be at least 15 cm. A drainage layer must be laid at the bottom of each hole. Expanded clay, pebbles or broken brick can be used as drainage. Drainage must be sprinkled with a mixture of humus and soil. Then the seedlings, without removing the earthen lump, move into the holes and sprinkle well with soil. After planting, abundant watering is imperative.
Caring for the cleaner in the garden
Watering
Flower care is quite simple and does not require a lot of effort and time. For normal growth and abundant flowering of the plant, regular watering, loosening of the soil and removal of weeds, as well as obligatory hilling after planting, are necessary. It is necessary to water the plant only in dry weather, since the purse does not tolerate waterlogging of the soil and stagnant moisture. Over-watering can cause the plant to shed its leaves and rot the roots.
Top dressing and fertilizers
Fertilizers need only be applied once a season. Rotted compost is an excellent organic fertilizer.
Pruning
To prevent the purifier from turning into a prefabricated grass and not spreading throughout the garden, it is necessary to regularly trim excess shoots. If we allow the growth of the cleanser, then it will be very difficult to get rid of it later. In order for the plant not to lose its decorative effect and reproduce by self-sowing, it is necessary to cut off those flowers that have already finished their flowering, but this must be done before the seeds ripen, otherwise uncontrolled growth cannot be avoided.
Transfer
The plant does not need frequent transplantation, but over time, an empty space forms in the middle of the purse, and in order to fill it, young tubers need to be planted there every 3-4 years.
Purée after flowering
The chisel is sufficiently resistant to frost. He needs shelter only in a harsh and snowless winter. To protect it from severe frosts, it is enough to cover the plant with pine spruce branches.
Most often, the purse dies not because of frost, but because of an excess of moisture in the soil in spring. Long exposure to the roots in water leads to decay. Therefore, when planting, you need to take this fact into account and plant the plant on a small hill.
Diseases and pests
Chisel is quite resistant to various diseases and attacks of harmful insects. With proper care, no pests and diseases appear.
Types and varieties of chisel
Woolly chisel (Stachys lanata) - the plant grows 20-60 cm in height. Stems are weak-leaved, erect and tetrahedral. Leaves are thick, spatulate or oblong-linear, narrowed at the base. The flowers are collected in spike-shaped inflorescences of pink-purple or lilac color. The most popular variety of this species is Silver Carpet.
One-year old purse (Stachys annua) - grows from fifteen to thirty-five centimeters. Stems are simple or branched. The leaves in the lower part of the plant are of a spongy or wedge-shaped shape. The upper leaves are sessile, lanceolate and with a serrated edge. The flowers are collected in spike-shaped inflorescences, have a pale yellow tint. This species is a honey plant.
Forest chase (Stachys sylvatica) - grows 30-120 cm in height. Stems ascending, straight, covered with soft hairs. The leaves are petiolar, with a crenate-serrate edge, ovoid-heart-shaped. The upper leaves are sessile, oblong in shape, the edges are solid, light green above and gray-green below. One inflorescence has 6-8 flowers.
Marsh chase (Stachys palustris), or a thornbill, or a blackberry, or a grate, or a tenacious plant - a plant grows up to 120 centimeters in height. Chisel of this species is completely covered with rather long pubescence. The lower leaves are oblong, cordate or rounded, the edge is finely toothed. The upper leaves are sessile, ovate-lanceolate, the edges are whole. The inflorescences are spike-shaped, each of them has 6-12 purple-lilac flowers.
Grandiflora (Stachys grandiflora) - reaches a height of only 20-30 cm. Leaves on a long petiole, cordate or rounded. The capitate inflorescences are located on a leafless peduncle. The most popular decorative forms of this type:
- Alba - the flowers of this variety are white.
- Superba - flowers can have shades from pink to purple.
Officinalis (Stachys officinalis) - grows 50-100 cm. Leaves are crenate, oblong, cordate and ovate. Inflorescences are spike-shaped. The flowers are covered with hairs, can be purple and dark pink.
In addition to the above types, there are many more, but they are less popular among gardeners.
Useful properties of the purifier
There are types of chisel, which have medicinal properties: they are used in folk medicine and the preparation of various medicines. Woolly chisel has a cardiological, spasmodic and hemostatic effect.It is also used to lower blood pressure for colds, eczema, tuberculosis, nervous system disorders, scrofula and various other diseases. Wood scrub is used to stop uterine bleeding. It has anti-inflammatory and wound healing effects. Treat eczema, hemorrhoids, purulent wounds, ulcers, cuts.
Contraindications
The purse is contraindicated in hepatitis, nephritis, bronchial asthma, hypertension, angina pectoris. Cannot be taken by pregnant and lactating women, children. Reception is not possible with individual intolerance.
If you follow all the rules for planting, growing and caring for a plant in the open field, then you can grow a rather interesting and ornamental plant that will look great in combination with other flowering plants and plants and will create a unique and original garden landscape design. The main thing is to monitor the reproduction of the plant, not to let it lose its decorative effect and turn into a weed that will not bring anything useful, but will only harm the beauty of a flower bed, it will be quite difficult to get rid of such a cleanser, it will take a lot or even time.
