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The crowded bell is a common herb with decorative properties. A perennial can be an interesting element of the garden if you choose the right variety and study the rules of cultivation.
Description of the crowded bell
The crowded bell, or prefabricated, belongs to the Bellflower family and is a plant with a simple reddish herbaceous stem, with slight pubescence and pronounced edges. Its leaves are oblong, ovate-lanceolate with an even edge. In the lower part of the plant, they are located on petioles, and in the upper part they sit directly at the stem.
A crowded bell usually grows no more than 60 cm
In early June, the plant enters the decorative period and brings flowers - small, on average 2.5 cm, star-shaped with five petals. The photo of the assembled bell shows that the largest inflorescence of several crowded buds is located at the top of the main stem, the smaller ones branch off from the axillary buds. The color depends on the variety, but usually the perennial blooms in lilac, blue, blue, purple and white shades.
Flowers at the crowded bell consist of several densely growing buds
In time, flowering lasts all summer, until the end of August. How lush the decorative period will turn out depends on several factors - the level of lighting, moisture and soil composition. The crowded bell blooms best in well-lit areas with shade and on loose and light soils, and develops reluctantly in the absence of the sun.
In height, a perennial can reach 20-60 cm, in diameter it is usually scattered by 30-50 cm. It grows quite quickly, but is not inclined to spread rapidly over the site, therefore, it does not press neighboring crops.
The prefab bell is an extremely frost-resistant plant that can withstand cold snaps down to -40 ° C and below. In the wild, perennials are found not only in the middle lane, but also in Siberia to Transbaikalia, as well as in Central Asia.
The best varieties
Among the varieties of crowded bell, several of the most popular can be distinguished. Gardeners appreciate them for their visual appeal and unpretentious care.
Caroline
The Caroline bell grows on average up to 30-60 cm. The structure of the stem and leaves of the variety is standard, the buds are blue or light lilac, and reach 2 cm in width. The apical inflorescence can have up to 20 individual buds.
Carolina begins to bloom in June, the decorative period lasts about a month if the variety grows in a well-lit area. Prefers light and nutritious soil.
Crowded Carolina Bell is often used for cutting
Dwarf
Dwarf, or Gnome, grows up to only 20 cm above ground level. Its leaves are elongated-cordate, covered with a light downy, leaving a large amount from the stem.The flowering of the variety begins in June, and the buds of the Gnome are dark purple in the form of funnels and are collected in dense bunches.
Dwarf bell Gnome tolerates cold well and prefers calcareous soils
Superba
The assembled bell Superba, or Superba, can grow up to 60 cm. The leaves of the variety are dark green and smooth, with small bristles on the underside, the flowers are bright, blue-violet, collected in capitate inflorescences. The variety enters the period of maximum decorativeness in July.
Superba prefers to grow in partial shade or in lighted places on slightly acidic soil
Alba
Alba, or Alba, belongs to undersized varieties and reaches only 25 cm. It remains decorative from the beginning to the end of summer, new ones quickly appear in the place of dying inflorescences. The color of the buds of the crowded bell is white, the variety looks very good in sunny and slightly shaded areas of the garden. Due to its low growth, Alba often becomes an element of alpine hills; perennials can also be grown in flowerpots.
Alba is one of the fastest growing varieties
Flipper
The undersized Flipper rarely grows more than 25 cm above the ground. Gives many densely leafy stems, from June to August brings dark purple flowers, collected 15-20 pieces in the apical bundle. Like most crowded bells, it withstands cold and lack of moisture well, but needs sufficient sunlight.
The Flipper variety is used not only in landscape design, but also for cutting
Freya
The Freya variety, or Freya, can rise up to half a meter above the ground. Blooms from June to July, the buds bring a light purple hue, 2 cm each, and the inflorescence consists of an average of 20 individual flowers.
Frey's crumpled bell can form shrubs up to 40 cm wide
It is recommended to grow the variety on neutral or slightly alkaline soil. Freya is used both in flower beds and for breeding in containers.
Bellefleur Blue / White
The Bellefleur variety is represented by two subspecies - bells Bellefleur blue and Bellefleur white. The plants are very similar to each other - erect stems rise 25 cm, buds form inflorescences from June to August. The difference lies only in the shade, Bellefleur Blue produces blue flowers, and Bellefleur White produces white.
Low Bellefleur White looks beautiful on a flower bed and is suitable for bouquets
Bellefleur Blue differs from the White variety only in blue-violet color
You can use the crowded bell of Bellefleur Blue or White in the garden in flower beds as a foreground or to create a soil cover. Also, the variety is well suited for planting in flowerpots.
Emerald
The Emerald variety is medium-sized and reaches 60 cm. The flowering of the perennial falls from June to August, a blue-violet thin border is clearly visible on the pale blue buds. Like all crowded bells, Emerald flowers are collected in apical inflorescences.
The variety grows well in bright places and in light shade, loves moist but well-drained soil.
Bell Emerald tolerates winter temperatures down to -35 ° С
Blue
The crowded blue bell, or Blue, rises 60 cm above the ground and produces small, bright blue flowers. The width of individual buds is about 2 cm, but the apical inflorescences formed by them reach 6 cm and are clearly visible in the garden. The maximum decorative effect occurs in June and lasts on average 2 months.
Blue prefers fertile soil with neutral pH
Application in design
Although the crowded bell may seem very modest, it is widely used in landscape design. Perennial is used:
- as part of any flower beds where it will not be shaded by tall neighbors;
Crowded bells look good with green, short plants.
- on alpine slides and rockeries;
The crowded bell looks attractive among the stones
- for the design of the tracks.
Low-growing varieties can be distinguished on the site of garden paths
Crowded bell varieties can be actively combined with each other - white and blue varieties look especially bright against the background of dark purple neighbors. The perennial gets along well in a flower bed with clearweed, daisies, stonecrops and pansies, cereals.
Reproduction methods
You can propagate a crowded bell on a site in the following ways:
- cuttings;
- seeds;
- dividing the bush.
All methods show good efficiency, but more often the perennial is propagated by seeds. The planting material demonstrates good germination. Vegetative methods can also be used, but uterine bushes do not always tolerate intervention well.
Growing a crowded bell from seeds
New varieties on the site are usually planted with seeds. Growing a crowded bell from seedlings is quite simple if you follow the algorithm:
- The seeds of the culture are sown in containers in March. For seedlings, choose shallow, but wide boxes with holes at the bottom to drain moisture. The soil mixture can be humus, river sand and garden soil, mixed in equal quantities, the soil must first be shed with potassium permanganate to eliminate possible bacteria.
Gathering Bell Seeds germinate easily and require no preparation
- The seeds are buried in pits to a depth of about 2 cm and sprinkled with soil on top, and then abundantly sprayed from a spray bottle. Immediately after planting, the container is covered with film or glass to create greenhouse conditions and placed on a windowsill or a closed balcony, where there is enough light, but no direct sunlight. From time to time, the cover is removed from the container in order to ventilate the planting and moisten the soil.
Before the bell sprouts appear, the soil must be moistened with a spray bottle
- After about 2 weeks, the first greens will appear in the box. At this moment, the film or glass can be removed from the container and in the future, simply water the soil regularly and maintain the temperature at about 23 ° C. Seedlings dive after they grow 3 pairs of leaves.
After sprouting of the bell, the film can be removed from the container
In early June, the seedlings are transferred into open ground to a permanent place. The soil in the garden is prepared the same as in containers, the bells are planted with an interval of 15 cm between individual shoots, and they are buried only 5 cm.You can shed the soil in advance before planting perennials, right in the holes, but after that you need to wait until the moisture completely absorbed.
Planting and caring for a crowded bell in the ground
You can plant a perennial not only for seedlings, but also immediately into the ground in the presence of a developed cuttings or cuttings. The rules are very simple, but it is important to take into account the requirements of the perennial.
Timing
A bored bell is extremely unpretentious, if desired, it can be rooted from late spring to autumn. But the end of April or May is best suited for planting, since the plant can quickly take root in the soil and even bloom in due time.
Site selection and soil preparation
Growing crowded campanula Glomerata is recommended in a well-lit area with light shade, for example, near buildings or in the vicinity of tall plants. The soil for a perennial should be light and nutritious. Loam and sandy loam are well suited, but black soil will need to be diluted with humus and fine-grained sand.
The acidity level for the bell is neutral or slightly alkaline. It is important to ensure that groundwater does not pass nearby, perennials do not tolerate chronic waterlogging.
The hole for the crowded bell should not be deep, only twice as many roots
Before planting a crowded bell, the site is shallowly dug, if necessary, sand and humus are introduced into the ground and pits are prepared. If the soil in the garden is poor, then you can add complex mineral fertilizing to the bottom of the holes or sprinkle some wood ash.
Landing algorithm
A couple of days after preparing the soil, the crowded bell can be transferred to the ground. For cultivation, choose the healthiest-looking bush with developed roots, a strong stem and several green leaves.
Half-sprinkle the prepared hole with soil mixture, and then lower the plant and cover its roots with earth to the end. The soil under the stem is lightly crushed with your hands and immediately watered from a garden watering can.
Watering and feeding schedule
Further care comes down mainly to moderate watering. Their frequency is determined in accordance with the weather. It is not necessary to overmoisten the perennial; it only needs water in hot summer, if there has been no rain for a long time and the soil is dry.
Growing crowded bells can be carried out even on poor soil, but top dressing contributes to abundant flowering. Therefore, superphosphate or urea can be added to the soil; no more than 5-10 g of minerals should be taken per 1 m of planting.
With regular feeding, the crowded bell blooms more abundantly and brighter
Also, a perennial reacts well to watering with wood ash, but it is better not to add fresh manure and peat. Top dressing is carried out at the end of April or in May before flowering and closer to autumn, when the buds are already withering.
Loosening and weeding
A bored bell does not tolerate a neighborhood with weeds and begins to bloom worse in conditions of constant competition. Therefore, twice a month, the soil in the area with perennials needs to be slightly loosened and weeded.
Preparing for winter
With the onset of autumn, the stems of the prefabricated bell must be cut flush with the ground. After that, the area with perennials can be mulched with a layer of compost, organic matter will serve as both fertilizer and shelter for the winter. There is no need to take additional warming measures, the plant tolerates even severe frosts well.
Diseases and pests
A crumpled bell has good immunity and rarely suffers from fungi and pests. However, on moist and acidic soils, as well as in thick shade, perennials can be threatened by:
- fusarium;
Fusarium disease causes root and stem rot
- white mold;
With white mold, the leaves and stems dry out and become covered with a white fluffy bloom.
- rust.
With rust, orange spots appear on the leaves of the bell.
When fungal ailments appear, perennials can be sprayed with Fundazol, Bordeaux liquid or copper sulfate. Treatments are carried out three times at intervals of 2 weeks, seriously affected plants are removed from the site.
Of the pests, the threat to the crowded bell is:
- spider mite;
If you do not fight the spider mite, it can completely entangle a low bell.
- caterpillars-leaf beetles;
Numerous butterfly caterpillars feed on bell foliage
- penny.
The penny draws juices from the leaves and interferes with the growth of the bell
A simple soap solution helps with harmful insects in the early stages of infection. If large colonies are found, you can use insecticides, for example, Aktara or Karbofos.
Healing properties
A bored bell is not only a beautiful plant, but also a useful plant. Its stems and leaves contain flavonoids, ascorbic acid and coumarins. Medicines from the green parts of perennials have diuretic, tonic and anti-inflammatory properties.
The prefab bell, when used according to proven recipes, can strengthen blood vessels and normalize blood pressure.Coumarins in its composition can serve as the prevention of oncology, since they suppress the growth of tumors in the body.
The use of the assembled bell in traditional medicine
In home treatment recipes, perennials are used quite widely; decoctions and water infusions are prepared from dried leaves and stems. The bell helps:
- with angina and colds;
- with stomach cramps;
- with a tendency to edema;
- with hypertension and headaches;
- with inflammatory processes in the oral cavity.
The leaves and stems of the prefabricated bell are used to treat inflammatory and colds.
Compresses and lotions made from fresh leaves and decoctions are used to treat wounds, cuts and dermatological diseases. When added to hot baths, the infusions have a calming effect and help with epilepsy and seizures.
Conclusion
The crowded bell is an easy-to-grow and very beautiful perennial, represented by many varieties. The plant can not only decorate a summer cottage, but also bring medical benefits for certain diseases.
