The Latin name for this flower is “Centaurea cyanus”, which translates as “blue Centaur flower”. According to legend, the Centaur, wounded by Hercules, healed with the help of a cornflower, applying it to the wound. Hence the name. Slavic mythology also has its own explanation. Allegedly, there lived a boyfriend Vasya and a mermaid fell in love with him. The mermaid's love was unrequited, and in anger she turned him into a flower.
The story is rather sad, which cannot be said about the flower. Its bright shades will not only decorate your lawn, but will definitely cheer you up. Moreover, this flower is completely undemanding to care. It can grow without transplants for about 10 years in one place. And the cornflower blooms for a long time - all summer.
Description and types of cornflower
Cornflower garden - a beautiful, uncomplicated flower that does not require special care. It can be one-year, two-year and long-term. The colors are completely different: blue, purple, yellow, pink, white, depending on the variety.
White cornflower is in the European Red Book as a rare endangered species.
Field cornfloweron the contrary, it refers to a weed. They are actively fighting against him. This type of weed infests rye and is dangerous to horses.
In general, a cornflower grows up to 1.2 m!
Cornflower garden: planting, care and cultivation
Planting and breeding
For planting cornflower, you should choose a sunny place. This flower is very fond of the sun, although it can tolerate a little falling shadow from trees or fences. But it is better to choose a spacious place for planting so that the plants do not shade each other. Annual species reproduce directly by planting seeds in the soil in early spring. They sprout quickly, grow well and bloom well. Perennial species are more often propagated by separation of roots or by cuttings after flowering, in August. Perennial cornflower can also be grown from seeds. To do this, they are planted in the ground in late autumn. After a few days, the seeds sprout.
Watering
Cornflowers do not like excess moisture, one might even say that they prefer very moderate watering. Summer rains are enough for them. Unless, of course, the summer is not very dry. Cornflowers do not tolerate waterlogged soil well.
The soil
Cornflowers prefer light loams. The soil should be neutral and loose enough. Sour soil must be treated with limestone: spread about 1 cm thick over the top layer of dolomite flour or limestone. This procedure is carried out in the fall. Clay soils are lightened by adding sand to them.
Top dressing
To prolong the flowering of the cornflower, it can and even needs to be fed. This should be done 2 times a month. It is recommended to use 20-30 grams of complex fertilizer per 1 square meter of soil. With top dressing, the main thing is not to overdo it, otherwise yellowing of the leaves cannot be avoided. Perennial cornflowers are fed in the fall to increase winter hardiness.
Pruning
In order for your cornflowers to look aesthetically pleasing and beautiful, you need to cut off the faded flowers.If you don't, then next year you will be unpleasantly surprised when you find cornflower bushes growing anywhere on your site. There are 2 ways to cut stems in total: high and low. Using the high method, the stems are cut under the inflorescences, the low one - the entire stem is cut, leaving about 10 cm.If you are in doubt which one to choose, it is better to stop at the second method, the so-called top pruning. This will make the bush look neater and fluffier, compared to low pruning, which can be used to get bald spots on the flower garden.
Diseases and pests
These flowers practically do not get sick. If this happens, then the reason lies in improper care and excessive watering. If you nevertheless notice dark spots on annual cornflowers, then most likely this is fusarium. To treat this disease, it is necessary to treat the plant with a foundation. You can also spray cornflowers with a 3-day infusion of cow dung in a 1: 1 ratio. Helps in the fight against pests and diseases of ash. It should be sprinkled with leaves and shoots.
Perennial species do not cure at all. It is preferable to cut off the affected parts of the plant and burn it so that the disease does not recur next year.
The use of cornflower: medicinal properties
Cornflower contains a wide range of minerals, vitamins, flavnoids and coumarins. It has a diuretic, anti-inflammatory, choleretic agent. It is also used in the treatment of the gastrointestinal tract, cough, and the nervous system. A decoction of flowers has a positive effect on amenorrhea, normalizing the cycle, and also enhances lactation.
The garden cornflower is a beautiful, easy-to-care bright flower. It will decorate your flower bed, will not require much time and effort to care for, and its flowers can be used for medicinal purposes. If you are a budding gardener, then this is definitely the flower with which you will succeed. Although it is also grown by experienced gardeners. Many people love waslek for its unobtrusive beauty and unassuming care.
