Yarrow or Achillea (Achillea) is an extraordinary and flowering herbaceous perennial from the Astrovye family. Great for original garden decoration. Combines simplicity and beauty at the same time, which is why yarrow is so popular among gardeners. This article will tell you how to properly plant and care for yarrow outdoors.
Description of plant yarrow
The stems of the plant can grow from 15 cm to 1 m in length. The leaves are serrated and have a bright green color. Flowers are small, collected in shields. They can be white, bright yellow, lilac, pink or purple. In its natural environment, you can find yarrow in fields, meadows, mountain slopes and steppes. Among the wide variety of species, there are those that have medicinal properties.
Growing yarrow from seeds
The seeds of the hybrid yarrow are not suitable for planting, since they do not retain the varietal characteristics of the mother plants. It is necessary to use special planting material of varietal plants.
Sowing seeds in open ground
You can plant yarrow immediately in open ground in the middle of autumn. For planting, you need to prepare a bed, level the soil and make grooves. The distance between the grooves must be at least fifteen centimeters, and between the seeds 5 cm. Then the grooves must be covered with earth and the soil must be leveled. After planting, it is necessary to thoroughly mulch the soil with humus. In spring, when seedlings appear, it is necessary to thin them out and leave stronger ones.
Sowing seeds for seedlings
Seedlings should be planted at the end of February. For planting, it is necessary to prepare the soil, you need to mix the fertile soil with sand and fill it in boxes. The seeds must be evenly distributed over the grooves at a distance of three centimeters. Then it is necessary to fill the grooves and spray the soil. The boxes should be covered with plastic wrap to create a greenhouse effect. The seed boxes should be placed in a warm place with diffused lighting and the soil should be sprayed regularly. After the appearance of two true leaves, the seedlings need to be transplanted into separate pots.
Planting yarrow in open ground
The most suitable time for transplanting seedlings into open ground is April-May. It is necessary to make holes up to 10 cm deep. Then carefully move the seedlings together with the earthen clod into the holes, cover them with soil and compact them well. The distance between the plants should be at least 20 cm. After planting, water the soil abundantly.
Yarrow care in the garden
Location
For planting yarrow, it is best to choose a well-lit place, but away from other crops, since the plant is actively growing and can drown out its “neighbors”.
The soil
Yarrow is unpretentious to the soil, but if you want the flowering to be abundant and long-lasting, it is best to give preference to fertile and loose soil.
Watering
If the summer is dry, then the plant should be watered once a week. And if it is rainy, then the yarrow has enough rainfall and does not need additional watering. After each watering, be sure to carefully loosen the soil.
Top dressing and fertilizers
It is necessary to feed the plant 2 times per season: in spring and during active flowering. It is not recommended to use organic fertilizers as top dressing. Balanced complex mineral fertilizers are perfect for flowering garden plants.
Transfer
It is necessary to transplant the plant every 5 years, this will allow not only to propagate the yarrow, but also to rejuvenate it.
Yarrow after flowering
It is necessary to regularly cut off dried inflorescences, this will extend the flowering period and prevent unwanted self-seeding. Collecting inflorescences from species with medicinal properties must be carried out during the flowering period. To do this, you should carefully cut the inflorescences and dry them thoroughly in a warm and dry place. Store in a paper bag.
After the flowering period is over, it is necessary to cut off all the stems, leaving about 10 cm each. Yarrow is quite frost-resistant, but in regions with harsh winters, it is best to cover the plant with dry foliage.
Yarrow propagation
The seed propagation method was described above. Propagation of yarrow by cuttings is necessary in the summer. To do this, it is necessary to cut cuttings from young shoots so that each one has at least three live buds. Then treat them with a special growth stimulant and plant them in fertile soil until the roots appear. After the cuttings are well rooted, they can be transplanted to a permanent place.
By dividing the bush, the yarrow can be propagated during transplantation. To do this, you need to carefully dig up the plant, cut off the stems and divide the roots into sections with a well-developed root system. Then plant the delenki in the soil once.
Diseases and pests
Yarrow is rarely affected by various diseases and is attacked by harmful insects. But sometimes a striped weevil can still attack the plant. In order to get rid of this pest, it is necessary to spray the plant with chlorophos, and treat the soil with hexachlorane.
Yarrow in landscape design
Throughout the season, yarrow is quite decorative. First, beautiful and unusual greenery appears, and then original and bright flowers.
Yarrow looks great in combination with other flowering plants. For example, yarrow will look good if you plant veranikostrum, crocosmia, ratibida, zinnia next to it.
Low-growing varieties of yarrow are great for decorating curbs, lawns and lawns. Tall for alpine and rocky slides.
Yarrow will go well with carnation, catnip, bells, ayuga, buzulnik, vicha, lavender, delphinium, foxglove, sage and grass.
If you plant several different decorative varieties of yarrow at the same time, you get a unique, original, very beautiful and bright flower bed, which will become a real decoration of the garden.
Yarrow species
There are over 150 different types of yarrow. The more popular ones will be described below.
Yarrow (Achillea nobilis) - the plant reaches a height of 50 cm. The flowers are snow-white with a bright yellow center. Flowering begins in early summer.
Silver Yarrow (Achillea clavennae) - stems up to 25 cm high. The leaves are feathery and have a silvery shade. Flowers are white. Flowering begins in June and lasts for two months.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) - the flowers are large enough for the yarrow.They can be white, pink, purple or yellow. Flowering begins in mid-summer and continues until the end of August.
Yarrow ptarmica or pearl mussel (Achillea ptarmica) - the plant can grow up to 1 m in length. The leaves are oblong and bright green in color. Inflorescences are reed-shaped and are arranged in the form of a ball. The flowers are white with a pearlescent tint. Flowering continues for two months.
Yarrow (Achillea ptarmicoides) - leaves and stems have a grayish tint. The flowers are white with a beige and creamy center. Flowering begins in June.
Yarrow (Achillea filipendulina) - can grow up to 1.5 m in height. The flowers are bright yellow. Flowering begins in July and continues until the end of August.
Felt Yarrow (Achillea tomentosa) - grows no more than 15 cm in height. The flowers are yellow. This species blooms in August.
Yarrow Keller (Achillea x kellereri) - undersized species of yarrow. It grows no more than 15 cm in height. The flowers are snow-white in color.
Achillea ageratifolia - the plant grows up to 20 cm. The leaves are oblong. The flowers are large enough and single, white with a yellow center.
