There is accurate information from historical records that in the 19th century these beautiful flowers grew in every garden. But over time, the Levkoi left the gardens under the onslaught of their high-fashion brothers. This is a very sad fact. But in some villages, you can still see mattiola-levkoy today. And how not to grow it, because it gives an amazing aroma that can rival any perfume.
More today in decorative floriculture such a species as gray-haired levkoy or gray-haired mattiola is common. Summer Levkoy is its subspecies and is more often found in flower beds.
Levkoya blooms with different flowers, there are simple ones, and also double ones. The colors have different shades and have an incredible aroma. Undoubtedly, terry levkoy deserves more attention. And this is not surprising, because unlike simple flowers, these are much more beautiful and they bloom much longer. Simple - only up to 5 days, and terry can bloom for three weeks. The plant shows all its beauty of flowering from the beginning of summer to the end of autumn.
What do you need to know when growing this fragrant and undeservedly forgotten miracle? The requirements for the content of levkoy are minimal: watch the ground so that it does not dry out and get rid of unnecessary grass. The difficulties are a little different - it is to safely grow seedlings and plant them also successfully.
How to grow levkoy
This flower is a very curious plant. Levkoy-terry is very beautiful and therefore almost all growers want to grow it. But there is a catch here: the flowers of this species are sterile, they do not bring seeds and, accordingly, bloom only once. But there is a way out: seeds for growing double flowers can be obtained from a simple levkoy. In principle, they are bred for this purpose, and their name is testes. Seeds from such testes are double and simple. They do not differ, so everything is sown, and with the appearance of cotyledon leaves, it is already possible to sort them. Most of the varieties of a similar flower at this time already have terry. Young terry plants have light green leaves and the seedlings themselves are larger than usual.
There are some more points on how to get and not spoil healthy seedlings with levka.
There is an important point in the cultivation of such flowers, in principle, this applies to each representative of the cruciferous, during the period when they germinate it should not be hot. It is in this that sometimes the reason for the death of seedlings with levkoy grown at home is hidden. A great option is to sow the seeds in a cool place, for example, in a greenhouse, while cucumbers and tomatoes are not yet dominant there.
When planting levkoi in open ground, it is better to choose a sunny and uncovered place. A plot with moderately moist soil is perfect for this. The plant prefers fertile, non-acidic soils.
You should not grow such a flower in a place where representatives of cruciferous plants, in particular, cabbage, used to grow. Levkoi can become infected with a fungal disease (cruciferous keela), the causative agent of which has been hidden in the ground for many years.
To admire the beauty of Levkoe in June and inhale its wonderful aroma, the seeds must be sown in mid-March. As soon as the first true leaf appears, the seedlings must be fertilized. It should be a full range of fertilizers.And yet, for the entire period of growth, seedlings need prevention from black leg. To do this, you need to water the plants with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
If the seedlings are well hardened, then they are not afraid of frost even down to -5 degrees.
It is better to plant several plants in the hole at once, rather than plant one at a time. So, you will not need to deal with thinning later, because in this case something like a nest is obtained.
