Content
Buzulnik, or ligularia, is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant. Its name, derived from the Latin ligula - "tongue", it received because of the shape of the petals. Some types of plants are actively used in horticulture, including artificially bred varieties. One of them is the Buzulnik Othello, belonging to the Jagged species.
The plant conquers gardeners with its bright inflorescences
Description of Buzulnik Othello
The plant is large, up to 1 m in height. The leaves are large, glossy, with branched dark red veins and a crimson border. When unfolded, they reach 40-50 cm. Incompletely blossoming purple-violet leaves. Then they turn dark green above with a purple tint, below - purple.
The flowers are large, orange-yellow. Their size is about 13 cm in diameter.
Flowering begins in late August - early September and lasts about one and a half months.
What are the differences between Buzulnik Othello and Desdemona
Buzulnik Othello and Desdemona are considered the most common varieties. They belong to the same variety - toothed buzulnik - and have much in common, but they also have differences. This applies to the color of leaves and inflorescences.
Desdemona is slightly different from Othello, although it shares many characteristics.
Othello's leaves are dark, saturated green, with a purple tint, Desdemona's - they are delicate, light green on top and lilac on the back.
Othello's flowers are yellow-orange, Desdemona's flowers are red-orange
Application in landscape design
Buzulnik serrated Othello stands out for its bright flowers of inflorescences and a purple shade of leaves. According to landscape designers, it looks perfect in groups with other plants, including representatives of its own species. It is used to decorate garden ponds, where it is in harmony with marsh irises and other varieties growing near the water. Thanks to the changing color of the leaves, one can observe how the image of the garden changes at different times. Single copies also look spectacular. It is used to decorate garden buildings and fences, as a hedge, to create flower beds. In gardens in a natural or rustic style, a buzulnik, planted in groups of 3-5 copies, looks good. You can experiment by combining different varieties.
Breeding features
Buzulnik Othello is propagated in two ways:
- dividing the bush;
- seeds.
The first option is more often practiced as a simpler and more reliable one.
Seed propagation will take more time and effort, while it will bloom only after 4 years. The process includes collecting seeds in the fall after they are fully ripe, drying them, and pre-sowing preparation. Then they are sown directly into open ground before winter, where they will undergo natural stratification. Covering is recommended to avoid freezing of the planting. You can sow seeds in seedling containers and transplant them outdoors when the weather is relatively warm.
It is much easier to propagate a buzulnik by dividing a bush. In this case, less labor will be spent, and the result can be admired already next year.
Buzulnik Othello can grow in one place for up to 15 years, but it is recommended to rejuvenate the plant every 5-7 years.To do this, the bush is dug up, divided into several parts and transplanted to a new place.
Planting Buzulnik Othello
Planting a buzulnik is not difficult, but there are nuances that you need to know about. It is planted with seeds directly into the ground or in containers for seedlings. An easier way is to plant a cut taken from an adult bush.
Recommended timing
Sowing seeds in the ground is carried out in late autumn so that they overwinter in the ground. You can plant them in early spring, but they may not have time to gain strength, as a result, the plant will not be powerful and beautiful.
For seedlings, they are planted at the end of winter in containers. They are transferred to open ground when warm weather sets in and the soil temperature is at least +10 degrees.
The shoots, separated from the bush, are planted in the ground in the spring. It is possible to divide the bush and plant the divisions after flowering, but the spring option is preferable.
Site selection and soil preparation
When choosing a place for planting, you need to take into account that he does not like direct sunlight and feels great in a shaded area: in the shade of the fence, the walls of the house, the crowns of trees. It is advisable to plant Buzulnik Othello along the fence, in the background flower beds, near a garden pond or on the shore of a natural reservoir. It looks good between trees.
As for the soil, the plant is not too demanding for it. Ideally, it should be moist and nutrient-rich.
Buzulnik Othello can grow even on heavy clay soil without drainage, it tolerates temporary flooding without problems
Landing algorithm
When breeding a buzulnik by dividing a bush, the actions are as follows:
- Choose an adult, healthy shrub that has a root growth.
- To separate part of the plant, the entire bush does not need to be dug up. Using a shovel or other suitable tool, you need to carefully cut off the desired fragment.
- Dig out the cut off part, fill the formed hole with nutritious soil and pour abundantly with water.
- Rinse the excavated fragment under running water, divide into divisions so that each has at least one viable kidney.
- Dig the earth before landing to the depth of the shovel bayonet. Form holes 40x40 cm in size at a distance of about 1 m from each other.
- Plant prepared delenki in the holes, straightening the roots. Cover with soil mixture consisting of garden soil, superphosphate, humus and wood ash, water. The buds should be located above the ground.
Within a year, Othello's buzulnik, propagated by dividing the bush, can bloom.
Seeds are planted in the fall in open ground:
- Dig up the ground for planting to a depth of about 30 cm. For 1 sq. m fertilize: 1 bucket of humus, 2 glasses of wood ash, 1 glass of superphosphate. The soil must be moist.
- Form long grooves.
- Deepen the seeds by 1 cm, leaving a distance of about 1 m between them. If dense thickets are required, make gaps 0.5 m long. Moisten the planting site.
Care features
Despite the fact that the buzulnik Othello is undemanding, he needs care, then he will always be strong and beautiful. The plant needs watering, fertilization, loosening, mulching, pruning. Tall specimens may require supports to be tied to to avoid breaking.
Watering and feeding schedule
Buzulnik Othello is a moisture-loving plant. Even the slightest drying out of the soil leads to a slowdown in the growth of the bush and wilting of the leaves. The soil must be constantly moistened, therefore irrigation is required. In hot weather, watering should be done as needed, preventing the top layer of the earth around the plant from drying out. In case of drought, it is imperative to spray - it is better to do this in the morning or in the evening, when there is no scorching sun. If the weather is moderately warm, you need to water once a week. If it is cool, there is usually enough rainfall.Young, recently planted bushes are watered once every 3-4 days. Watering should be abundant, since the buzulnik has a rather long root.
Buzulnik Othello grows well on fertile soil rich in nutrients. The first time the fertilizer is applied immediately after planting. It consists of wood ash, superphosphate, humus. Then they are fed 1-2 times a year. In the spring, cow dung diluted with water is introduced into the soil under the bushes. Next time, you can fertilize with humus after flowering, so that the buzulnik has the strength for wintering. When feeding, humus should not fall on the roots.
Loosening and mulching
It is desirable that the soil around the bushes be loose and provide oxygen access to the roots. This requires weeding. You can apply dry peat mulch to the area, reducing the number of loosening procedures and ensuring longer moisture retention.
Pruning
Pruning is carried out after the buzulnik has faded.
If you want to get seeds, leave a few large inflorescences
Pruning is essential for the transfer of nutrients from the flowers to the stems and leaves. The procedure helps to rejuvenate the plant.
Preparing for winter
Buzulnik Othello needs to be prepared for winter. Cold weather can harm the plant if there is little snow in the cold.
With the onset of the first frost, the aerial part of the buzulnik is completely cut off, this area is mulched using dry peat and straw. In areas with cold winters, you need to cover it with spruce branches.
Diseases and pests
Buzulnik Othello is distinguished by good health and resistance to pests and diseases.
As for pests, you should pay attention to slugs that appear on the plant in spring and eat up the leaves. To protect the buzulnik from this pest, the soil near the bush is sprinkled with superphosphate in granules for prevention. If slugs have already appeared, they must be collected by hand.
It is not often possible to find powdery mildew on the buzulnik. In this case, it must be treated with colloidal sulfur or potassium permanganate solution.
Conclusion
Buzulnik Othello is a spectacular plant that stands out for its unusual foliage and bright orange inflorescences. It won't take a lot of time and work to provide him with the necessary care, since it is picky. The main thing is to remember about moisture and protect from the scorching rays of the sun.
