Daffodils - spring garden decoration
Daffodils are beautiful summer flowers. They not only revive the appearance of the infield, but also do not need special care. According to gardeners, these beauties are less prone to care than tulips. In addition to the attractive appearance, daffodils are used in medicine. Of the leaves and bulbs, the substance is extracted lycorin, which is the basis for expectorant drugs. In folk medicine, decoctions and tinctures of narcissus are used to calm the nervous system.
Thus, the health benefits and aesthetics of daffodils are obvious, to cultivate their sheer pleasure, which even a beginning gardener can do.
Proper planting and care for daffodils
Having bought quality bulbs only once, and choosing the right place where you planted narcissi, you can be sure that they will please you for many years.
The landing site is best chosen in the sun or in the penumbra. The soil must be light and well drained. The last condition is mandatory, since in nature daffodils grow in mountainous terrain.
Before planting, increase the fertility of the soil,making compost or humus. Fresh manure can not be used in any case, because it will attract the main pest of the flower - a daffodil fly. It is also useful sometimes to introduce wood ash.
Daffodils can blossom not only in spring, whenthe temperature is rather low. They can decorate your flowerbed in the summer, but in this case they will need to be watered regularly at the first signs of drying the soil.
After flowering, the withered heads must be cut off, and the leaves left, so that they can wither naturally.
The first sign that your narcissus needs a transplant will be a reduction in the number and size of flowers. On average this happens every 5 years.
Technology of plant transplantation and reproduction
It is best to transplant and propagate a plantbulbs in late summer. During this time they will have time to adapt to a new place and will not be lost in the winter. The pit in which you plant a bulb should be three times its height.
If the soil in your site is predominantlyclay, on the bottom of the hole you need to pour out a layer of sand to improve the outflow of fluid from future plants. It is also recommended to add humus, mineral fertilizers and wood ash.
If you decide to transplant daffodils in the fall, then immediately after the onset of colds, cover this place with peat or leaves.
Reproduction of daffodils
Traditionally, the plant is propagated by bulbs, which are planted with a periodicity of several years;
Seed propagation is used only for selective purposes. They should be sown at the end of summer, and such plants will not bloom until a few years later;
especially valuable varieties of these flowers multiply,dividing one on several parts. After cutting, it should be treated with a growth stimulator, slightly dried and planted in special boxes with a substrate.
What diseases are affected by daffodils?
Most often these flowers suffer from fusariosis,mosaic disease and bacterial decay. It is better not to allow the development of these diseases than to throw out the infected plants and spray the entire area. Therefore, after the last flowers are lost, a flower bed with daffodils is sprinkled with a solution of copper sulfate.
Pests of the plant are aimed mainly at itsbulbs. They are onion bud, nematode and root tick. The fact that plant pests have settled on the plant, you will understand by its withered appearance. But to prevent their appearance, in the early spring, sprinkle the flower bed with the drug "Fitoverm".
These simple actions will help you grow healthy plants that immediately after melting snow will please the eye with their delicate flowers.
