Lunaria (Lunaria) is a herbaceous annual or perennial plant in the Cruciferous family. Translated from Latin, the name means "moon", which clearly reflects the shape and color of the fruits of the plant. There are four species in total, of which two are grown on personal plots. It is an annual lunar originating from southeastern Europe. The more common name among the people is moon grass. And the second type of grass is a perennial lunar.
Every year there are fewer natural plantations of the perennial lunar. The endangered cruciferous species can only be found in some parts of Europe and North America. The perennial lunar prefers soils with a keel environment, enriched with humus, with high drainage properties. In a normal environment, the annual grows in deciduous forests, where it takes root in loams and gravelly substrates.
The flower gained fame among gardeners at the end of the 16th century, when people believed in magic and considered the flower a kind of amulet that promotes enrichment. They always tried to keep such a talisman in the house.
Description of the lunar flower
The lunar leaf blades look large and wide, and the petals have long marigolds, painted in a white or purple tone. Smooth, sac-like sepals are formed on the stems. Lunnik bears fruit in flattened pods in the form of an ellipsoid or semicircle. The pods are attached to the stalk, the length of which does not exceed 15 mm. In the valves, flat leathery achenes are hidden, located in two rows.
Growing a lunar
The one-year-old lunar is considered a biennial, since in the first year of life it is able to form only a rosette of leaves. Pedicel formation occurs the next year. When seed ripening begins, we can say that the life of the plant is coming to an end. Flower shoots develop well in open, lighted areas, where there is free access to sunlight. Areas with light partial shade are also favorable conditions for growth.
The exception is the perennial lunar. Sunlight negatively affects this type of Cruciferous, therefore it is better to plant in places hidden under the crown of trees. The annual does not make any special claims to the composition of the soil. Conversely, in order to grow a beautiful perennial and achieve abundant flowering, you should carefully approach the choice of soil. For the cultivation of a perennial lunar, a loose and fertile substrate is prepared, mixed with lime and humus. Digging the site is done to a depth of at least 20 cm.At the end of planting, the plant is watered.
Landing a lunar in the open field
The annual lunar is planted directly in the open ground with the arrival of spring. The diameter of the brown achenes is 5 to 6 mm. They are poured into the dug grooves, adhering to an interval of about 30 cm between the seeds, otherwise the plantings will grow too thickened.Seedlings are expected to emerge after seven days with proper care. At the end of the summer season, rosettes are formed on the stems, then the bushes can be transplanted to a permanent place.
For an annual lunar to bloom in the first year after planting, it is necessary to start breeding from seedlings. Sowing starts at the end of March. At the end of spring, after waiting for warm and stable weather, it is allowed to transfer the seedlings from the planting containers to the flower bed.
Crop cultivation is carried out by seed method. As for the perennial lunar, it is cuttings that can achieve effective results.
Perennial lunar species are placed in areas protected from sunlight. Sowing is best done in early autumn or with the arrival of spring heat. If you send seeds to the ground in the spring, you need to keep them in the refrigerator and harden. The stratification period is stretched for 1-1.5 months, then the planting material will not get sick and will get stronger faster in the fresh air. As soon as the seedlings are old enough, the seedlings are thinned so that the distance between the individual seedlings is 30 cm. After three months, the plant will have four leaves. Abundant flowering in a perennial lunar is observed after a year. When the seed pods are ripe, which happens in the second year of the flower's life, the plant spontaneously sows.
Lunar garden care
Caring for a lunar during the season is not difficult even for a novice florist. To ensure full flowering and development of bushes, the site is periodically loosened, watered, dried, diseased stems and buds are removed, and the flowerbed is covered for the winter.
Watering
The root system of the lunar requires moderate watering. Excessive waterlogging is the cause of decay of the underground part of the plant. The need for moisture is experienced by the roots only during a prolonged drought, when the sweltering summer heat lasts day and night. As the fruits ripen, the water consumption for the perennial lunar is reduced. A flower bed is watered in the morning, before the first rays of the sun touch the foliage, or in the evening with a decline in the midday sun. The greens of the bushes do not need to be sprayed.
It is not recommended to use cold or poorly settled water.
Top dressing
Spring or summer feeding has a beneficial effect on the plant. A single application of organic or mineral fertilizers is enough for the roots. Flowering lasts from May to June. Some species are able to bloom again.
Transfer
Without a transplant, the perennial lunar retains its attractiveness for several seasons. When the area where the flower is grown is completely impoverished, and the plant loses its former beauty, waiting for August, the bushes are transferred to another place.
Lunnik in winter
Biennial forms of the lunar are winter-hardy, but severe frosts can still harm plantings. For this reason, before the arrival of cold weather, the flower bed is insulated with a layer of mulch from any organic material, covered with spruce branches on top. Growing a lunar in the south, preparation for wintering is not required. Only winters without snow raise concerns. Planting of annual and perennial crops located in northern latitudes must be protected with dry foliage, spruce branches or mulched.
Lunar diseases and pests
The lunar is rarely attacked by pests and is exposed to disease. Bad weather, prolonged rains or, conversely, drought - the reason for the appearance of aphids, cabbage moths, slugs or cruciferous fleas. If symptoms of slowing growth and development of bushes, leaf modifications or black dots are found, the seedlings should be immediately treated with an insecticidal solution. It is important to repeat the procedure several times in order to consolidate the effect.
Lunnik is difficult to develop in areas where vegetables such as cabbage, mustard, horseradish, radish, radish or rutabaga, which belong to the representatives of the Cruciferous family, were previously cultivated.
The accumulation of water in the area of the root system causes the formation of fungal bacteria. Treatment of the vegetative parts of the plant with fungicides helps to get rid of fungal diseases. Of course, one hundred percent result cannot be achieved at one time, so the procedure will have to be repeated after ten days. Infected bushes are cut and burned so that the infection does not spread to healthy plantings.
Gardeners have to face similar problems if they do not take care of the lunar, or it is not enough to water the flower and violate the agrotechnical foundations of cultivation. Pests and diseases will not be dangerous to the flower bed if proper care is taken.
Types and varieties of lunnik with photo
In botanical sources, only two cultivated species of lunar are mentioned. Let's take a closer look at each of the types and find out what differences exist between them.
Annual lunar (Lunaria annua)
The flower grows in the southern and eastern regions of European countries. This biennial reaches a length of more than half a meter, has wide oval leaf plates with a rough surface. Leaves emerge from the petioles. The color of the flowers is varied - from dark purple to snow-white. Cross-shaped inflorescences are formed from the flowers. Flowering ends with the formation of oblong seed bolls. Lunar pods resemble coins shimmering in the sun. By the beginning of autumn, the seeds ripen. The most popular varieties of the annual lunar are considered to be:
- purple purple;
- white Alba;
- pink variegata;
- lilac fragrant Manstead Pearl.
Lunaria (Lunaria rediviva)
The plant belongs to the perennial forms of the Cruciferous, the distribution area of which is concentrated in the forest belt of the Balkan Peninsula and in the north of European countries. Populations of the species are also found in North America. People knew about the existence of the moon-moon coming to life even in antiquity. However, the deterioration of the ecological situation on the planet affects the reproduction of this representative of the flora. To date, in natural conditions, a lunar that comes to life is threatened with complete extinction. The height of the bushes barely reaches one meter. The plant is distinguished by erect stems with a fleecy surface. Closer to the apex, the stems branch out. Two tiers of foliage consist of sessile and opposite leaf blades. Violet paniculate flowers are not devoid of a fragrant aroma.
