Bells (Campanula) are unusually beautiful and delicate flowering herbaceous plants from the Bellflower family. There are about 300 species of this plant. You can meet bells in meadows, steppes and forests, rocks and alpine mountain belts. Very often, gardeners call bells, bells, chenille and chebotki. The article will tell you how to properly plant and care for bells in the open field.
Description of flower bells
Bells can be either perennial or annual or biennial. The leaves are next. The flowers are bell-shaped and can be white or a variety of blues and purples. Flowers are collected in racemose or paniculate inflorescences. The height can be different, there are both undersized and tall species.
Growing bells from seeds
Sowing seeds
There is no need to pre-prepare the seeds before sowing. They can be planted immediately in open ground before winter or spring. But in order for the bells to bloom earlier, they must be planted in the spring for seedlings. The best time to plant seeds for seedlings is March. As soil for seedlings, you can use a ready-made substrate, developed specifically for flower seedlings. The soil must be watered abundantly before planting. The seeds do not need to be deepened, they should be evenly distributed over the surface of the soil and sprinkled a little. After planting, the soil must be sprayed. This should be done carefully so as not to wash the seeds out of the soil. Seed boxes should be covered with plastic wrap. The first shoots should appear in 2-3 weeks.
Seedling bells
As soon as the first shoots appear, the film must be removed and the boxes should be placed in a bright place where direct sunlight does not fall. Watering should be regular. After each watering, you need to carefully loosen the soil so as not to damage the root system of the seedlings. After the seedlings have two real leaves, it is necessary to transplant them into separate pots.
Planting bells in open ground
If the spring is warm, then you can plant seedlings of bells at the end of May. But if frosts return in the spring, then it is better to postpone the transplant to the beginning of June. The place for planting bells should be in a bright part of the garden without drafts. As far as the soil is concerned, it is best to give preference to neutral, well-drained loamy soil. Prepare the soil before planting. Humus and sand should be added to heavy soil, and poor soil should be mixed with turf soil and fertilizers.Peat and fresh manure cannot be used as fertilizer, as this can lead to the development of various fungal diseases.
In order for the plant to have enough nutrients and moisture, it must be planted away from shrubs and trees. Low-growing types of bells should be planted at a distance of 15 cm, and tall ones at 40 cm from each other. After planting, it is necessary to thoroughly crush the soil and water it abundantly.
Caring for garden bells
Watering
Bells are rather unpretentious plants and do not need any special and special care. It is necessary to water the bells regularly, it is especially important to do this during periods of extreme heat. After each watering, you should carefully but gently loosen the soil around the bushes. It is also necessary to suddenly weed the plants so that the weeds do not interfere with the good growth and abundant flowering of the bells. Tall types of bells should be tied up if necessary.
Top dressing and fertilizers
It is necessary to feed the plant 3 times per season. First, fertilize with nitrogen in the spring. Then, at the beginning of summer and during the period of bud formation, feed the bells with a complex of balanced mineral fertilizers.
Pruning
In order for flowering to last longer, it is imperative to remove dried flowers so that the plant does not waste its energy on them.
Bells after flowering
Seed collection
In order to collect the seeds of the bell, you need to cut the capsules when they acquire a burgundy hue. Then they must be laid out in a dry and well-ventilated place in order for the seeds to ripen.
Preparing for winter
Annual types of bells do not need special preparation for winter. But perennial and biennial must be prepared for the winter period. At the beginning of October, all bell stems should be carefully cut at the root. Then you need to cover them with dry foliage or spruce branches. Tall types of bells should be covered with a thick layer of humus or peat. Under such a shelter, the plants winter well.
Reproduction of bells
Annual and biennial bellflower species reproduce by seed. And perennials reproduce by dividing bushes, root cuttings, stolons and parts of the rhizome.
The choice of propagation method depends on the type of plant, since there are types of bells that do not form seeds and do not reproduce in a family way, but there are, on the contrary, those species that do not tolerate cuttings and propagate exclusively by seeds.
The seed breeding method of bluebells has been described in detail above. Seeds can be planted both on seedlings and directly into open ground. Planting is done in spring and before winter (in mid-October).
It is necessary to propagate bells by cuttings in late March or early April. To do this, it is necessary to cut cuttings from basal or young stem shoots. Then plant them in loose, light soil and cover with plastic wrap to create a greenhouse effect. The cuttings will take root in a month, and possibly even earlier.
For such a method as dividing a bush, only perennial bell bushes that are more than 5 years old are suitable. You can propagate in this way both in spring and autumn. To do this, you need to carefully dig out the bush and divide its roots into parts so that each part has a good root system and several renewal buds. Places of cuts must be processed with crushed coal and immediately planted the separated parts in the soil.
Dividing parts of the rhizome is very similar to dividing a bush. But for this method, it is necessary to use not the entire root system of the plant, but its creeping roots. The excavated root should be divided into parts so that each has several renewal buds. Delenki must be planted in the soil once.
Diseases and pests
Bells are quite unpretentious to care for, but this is not the only plus of these plants. They are rarely attacked by insects and various diseases. But as for perennial species, they can still get sick, as they grow in one place for several years. Bells can infect Fusarium, Botrytis and Sclerotinia. In order to prevent these diseases from appearing, it is necessary to thoroughly process the bell bushes with the Fundazole solution in the autumn and spring.
If the summer is rainy, then due to the high humidity, the plant can be struck by a drooling penny, you need to fight it with the help of an infusion of garlic. Low bell types can attack slugs. To get rid of these pests, it is necessary to decompose superphosphate granules under the plant and carefully spray it with a decoction of hot pepper.
Types and varieties of bells
Annual bells
Bells annual - this species is undersized, its stems grow no more than 10 cm in length. The flowers are bright blue in color, and the corollas are tubular. Flowering begins in May and continues until autumn.
Dichotomous or forked bell - the plant can grow up to 20 cm in length. The leaves are broadly ovate. The flowers are light purple in color.
Bell kashmir - undersized species, growing no more than 8 cm. The flowers are small and have a purple color. Flowering continues for a long time.
Long-columnar bell - a tall plant that can reach a height of more than half a meter. Flowering lasts from May to July. The flowers are strong enough and have a purple color.
Bell Mirror Venus - can grow up to 30 cm in height. The flowers are blue or lilac with a white center. Flowering begins in summer and lasts until early September.
Biennial bells
Bearded bell - can grow up to 30 cm. Flowers are goblet-bell-shaped and pale blue in color. Flowering does not last long, from June to July.
Hoffman's bell - the plant is highly branched and can grow up to 50 cm in height. The flowers are large enough and have a cream or white tint.
Large-ear bell - a fairly tall plant (up to 120 cm). Flowers of a pale purple hue are collected in tubular corollas.
Bell middle - flowers are goblet-bell-shaped and white, blue or pink. They can be either simple or terry.
Perennial bells
Carpathian bell - a plant with ovoid leaves. The flowers are large and solitary, they can be white, purple or blue. Flowering begins in June and lasts at least two months.
Bell of Takeshima - creeping or creeping stems. Flowers can be simple and double, blue, white or pink. Flowering begins in early summer.
Broadleaf bell - the plant can grow up to 1 m in length. The leaves are long and serrate. The flowers are funnel-shaped and can be blue, white or light blue. Flowering begins in late July - early August.
There are many more different types of bells, but they are less popular.
