Tenacious
Content:
The tenacious plant belongs to the category of herbaceous plants, which also has another name - Ayuga. This is one of the most popular representatives of the family of the lacustrine, as well as the family of the labiate. In our country, this plant is also often called a non-wilting due to the fact that it, in principle, takes root remarkably almost at any period of its life and gives an excellent decorative result.
In Eurasia, as well as in Africa, this plant can be found almost everywhere, especially in the more temperate latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. To date, it is known that about seventy species of this plant grow in this area. But in Australia you can also find a tenacious, but only two of its species representatives.
From the name it is quite clear that the tenacious is a plant that is distinguished by incredible vitality and resistance to any conditions. Among gardeners, several types of tenders are most popular - pyramidal, creeping, Geneva tenders.
There is a Turkestan tenacious (to be more precise, an extract from it). And it has excellent tonic features and abilities, which has a huge positive impact on human life and health. In addition, these same extracts are in great demand in sports and in clinical medicine. So, in principle, the tenacious is a wonderful culture, and it is worth talking about it in order to get as much information as possible.
Tenaciousness: features of the plant, its cultivation and subsequent care
The tenacious is a semi-evergreen herb that can also be either evergreen or deciduous. At the same time, both annuals and perennials are found, everything will depend on the species of the plant, as well as on its variety. The height of the bush can also be different - it can be 5 centimeters, and it can reach half a meter.
The leaf blades are arranged in opposite order. The whorls of the tenacious are false, consist of flowers of different shades. It can be blue or blue flowers, purple and yellow, again, it all depends on the varietal affiliation of the plant. All species in general are distinguished by the fact that they are completely unpretentious and do not put forward special requirements in care or in growing conditions.
As a rule, gardeners prefer to grow on their plots decorative deciduous varieties of tenacious, as well as ground cover species and forms of Ayuga. And this is not surprising, because they are considered the most attractive and suitable for personal plots.
In addition, the tenacious is no less in demand in landscape design, since it is used just to decorate rockeries, mixborders, rock gardens that fit perfectly into almost any area, and the gardener can independently determine which crops can grow on his site, and from which he would have rushed to get rid of altogether.
Also, the tenacious is cultivated as a ground cover plant, since it can wriggle very attractively and decoratively, it looks just great, and attracts enough attention to itself.
Planting a plant
Of course, it is worth paying attention to how the tenacious breeds.
Let's start with seed way. Sow seeds directly into open soil, in a pre-harvested area. If you are sowing Ayuga seeds for the first time, then the seeds can be purchased from nurseries or specialty shops for gardeners.Such seeds are distinguished by the fact that they have already passed all the stages of preparation, which means that their germination capacity will be much higher. Seeds are sown in open ground in the spring, since the soil must have time to warm up properly so that the seeds are in the most suitable environment.
Also, sometimes gardeners sow Ayuga right before winter, in the fall. The area for planting should be very well lit, or you can choose an area that will be slightly shaded. Quite often Ayuga is planted in the near-trunk circle of overgrown trees, where the tenacious simply feels as comfortable as possible, gives an excellent result of growth and development.
The thing is that Ayuga is a grass that practically does not take any useful and nutritious components from the soil, which are so necessary for the growth of trees. The tenacious grows best on a perfectly cultivated garden plot, or on nutritious moist loamy soil.
Before even proceeding with sowing the tenacious, it is necessary to dig up the area well, add some organic fertilizer to it - for example, compost or humus. Also, mineral fertilizer is applied to the dug soil, or you can take a double dose of superphosphate, no more than one hundred grams is required per square meter. Thanks to this, the soil will be saturated with all the necessary substances, which means that the tenacious will feel great.
If the plant needs components, it will definitely take them directly from the soil, since there will be enough of them there.
If the gardener does not have time to tinker with the seeds, then he can purchase directly from nurseries or specialized stores seedlings tenacious. Seedlings are sold in the form of rosettes, they are planted in already open ground from mid-May to the very end, since this period is considered the most favorable for planting this plant.
The grass is not at all afraid of too long frosts, and can withstand temperatures as low as minus 10 degrees. In order to plant seedlings in the ground, it is worth waiting for the onset of a clear, dry day. When planting in groups, a distance of about thirty centimeters is observed between shrubs. The growth point of the tenacious must be above the surface of the soil, but it should not rise very much.
The earth, which is located near the bushes, must be lightly tamped with your palms. After planting, the plants must be thoroughly moistened, watering must be abundant, and settled water at room temperature is used for this.
At the same time, when watering, care should be taken that the soil does not sink too much, and that the root system is not exposed, otherwise this will lead to the fact that the roots will be in the sun, burns and damage will appear. As a result, the tenacious will stop growing, even despite its loud name, not all the flaws in the care of the plant can forgive the gardener.
Tenacious - care
Taking care of the tenacious is not difficult. Bushes need to be watered systematically, and it is also worth monitoring their uncontrolled distribution. Since the tenacious can multiply independently by seed, it grows very much, and because of this it can turn from a decorative bush into a parasite.
Before the young deciduous part is formed on the plants, it is necessary to protect the planted bushes from direct sunlight. Also, the tenacious needs that the gardener makes timely watering, make sure that the soil in the near-trunk circle never dries out too much. Only because of such vigilance of the gardener can the tenacious person fully justify its name.
After the rosettes on the bush begin to grow actively, the plant should not be watered, but moisture must be applied when periods of prolonged drought are formed. You can also water the bush in very extreme heat, it just needs it.
It is worth remembering that the tenacious is a herbaceous culture that can grow very actively and abundantly, so it is worth constantly monitoring the tendencies and rates of its growth, and that the tenacious does not spread to the territory where it should not be in principle.
Along the perimeter of the area where the Ayuga grows, you can make small improvised fences, set stones around the plants, and also press the stones a little into the soil so that the root system of the tenacious, which, by the way, is very strong, does not move them.
In order to preserve the external decorative characteristics of the plant, it is necessary to remove the inflorescences in a timely manner. Otherwise, due to their drying out, the plant will look less bright, but more painful and haggard.
How Ayuga tenacious breeds
The tenacious is propagated by both seed and vegetative methods. But at the same time, it should be borne in mind that Ayugu is grown from seed only during the initial landing. In other cases, the chances are very low that they will get something meaningful and useful.
If the gardener cultivates only varietal plants on his site, then it should be remembered that the seeds that the gardener collects on his own cannot retain the entire set of maternal traits and qualities. So, in this case, completely different crops can be grown from seeds. And they will be very different both in their growth and in appearance, and they will also show some other requirements in agricultural technology.
For this reason, it is best to propagate the plant when help sockets... Vegetative reproduction is usually carried out in early spring, and you can also transfer these processes to the autumn period, it all depends on the preferences of the gardener himself, as well as on when he will have more time and opportunities to do this. The main thing is that if reproduction is carried out in the fall, then have time to do it before the onset of the second decade of December.
In the bushes, it is worth cutting off the overgrown rosettes, which are then transplanted by the florist to new areas, can be planted either one piece at a time, or several at once. There are also situations when the rosettes have only one very thin root, and even despite this, it can easily take root in a new place, demonstrate excellent results of growth and development, and then begins to fully reveal its decorative characteristics.
If the gardener separates the outlets only once a year, then when planting between the bushes it is worth keeping a distance that is from 15 to 20 centimeters. If the procedure is prescribed approximately once every 2 years, then at least 25 centimeters remain between the plants so that the plant has more space and space for growth and development.
After the rosettes take root and move into active growth, you can no longer water them, they will feel calm enough anyway.
Often, a tenacious survivor multiplies by self seeding, but at the same time, young plants that have grown in this way will not be able to retain their unique varietal characteristics that the mother bushes possessed.
In order to prevent self-seeding from happening, it is worthwhile to remove the peduncles in a timely manner directly from the plant. In deciduous varieties and types of tenacious, this can be done when the arrow just starts to grow. But when the plants begin to bloom, then the peduncles are removed from them after they have faded.
These procedures are quite labor-intensive, but still, if we talk about the basic caring procedures, then it is quite easy to care for and look after the plant. It will not require any incredible work, but the result will be incredibly attractive and very significant.
Diseases and pests
Together with all the positive characteristics, the tenacious is also distinguished by its resistance to pests and various diseases.
But still there are pests that can disturb the plant - this slugs, which, especially at night, can eat leaves, and they also very actively multiply on leaf plates. To a particular extent, slugs are very active in conditions of high humidity, as well as if low air temperatures are suddenly observed. But if suddenly a little rubble or gravel is poured around the plant, then in this way it will be possible to protect it with a tenacious, since both of these components are the greatest test for these pests.
Shelter for the winter
Earlier, we have already mentioned that it is pointless to collect the seeds of the tenacious, since they are not able to preserve the varietal characteristics and characteristics of this crop. There is also another reason, which is that the tenacious can itself reproduce by self-seeding. But more experienced gardeners still recommend plucking testes from bushes. And for the reproduction of lingering devices, use mainly sockets. Since they have a better chance of retaining almost entirely their decorative traits and characteristics, as well as transferring all the characteristics of the mother plant.
If the winter in the area of growth of the tenacious was seen snowy, then the plant will be able to survive this period completely calmly, and it will not need absolutely any shelter or protection. But if in winter there is practically no snow cover, then the planting should be protected using fallen leaves, spruce branches or agrofibre - any materials that will be more accessible to the gardener to protect the plant.
Younger bushes should be covered for the winter without fail, even if the winter is very snowy. Since they have not yet managed to build up a sufficient mass, and also have not yet managed to develop immunity and stress resistance, which would help them to endure these periods perfectly.
Types of tenacious and common varieties
Of course, the tenacious is a genus that includes a large number of species and varieties. Gardeners, one way or another, cultivate not the largest number of Ayuga species and varieties, and with all this, all cultivated varieties belong to the ground cover species. So this should be taken into account when less experienced gardeners choose a plant on a site and want to use it to highlight some of the backyard areas with accents.
Tenacious creeping
In natural, natural conditions, this species can be found almost everywhere in Asia Minor, as well as in North America. In Europe and Iran, this tenaciousness is also found quite often. This species is very fond of growing among shrubs, in wooded areas or in meadows, which, at the same time, are also quite moist.
This is a perennial, which is distinguished by incredibly attractive creeping shoots that root perfectly in any area. The shoots are approximately ten to twenty-five centimeters high, and on the surface you can see many very small and soft hairs.
Basal leaves have the shape of rosettes, while they gradually turn in shape into a relatively elongated petiole. The leaves located on the stem are egg-shaped, they can be either sessile, or a very short petiole is visible on them. The edge can be slightly wavy, has notches - another feature of the external characteristics of this plant.
The bracts at the very base of the plant are painted in a pale bluish tint, the inflorescences are formed in the shape of an ear, the inflorescences include from six to eight flowers in the form of bells, on the surface of each calyx there is a very attractive and soft pubescence.
The flowering of the plant begins either in May or June, the flowering duration can be about three weeks, if the plant is in the most comfortable and suitable conditions for itself.The corolla is either blue or light blue, while the flower also has a shortened lip. Among the most popular varieties that are part of this species, the following can be distinguished:
- Arctic snow
This variety was bred by breeders relatively recently when compared with many other varieties. The leaf blades are wrinkled, can be slightly corrugated, which makes them even more attractive, the shape of the leaves is spatulate, the color is typical of deep green, dark.
The leaves are usually about ten centimeters long. In the very center of the leaf blade, you can see an attractive wide brushstroke, painted in ashy color, and there is also a light stroke, which also very strongly distinguishes the leaf blades of the bush from many other varieties and species.
- Black skellop
The height of these bushes does not exceed ten centimeters, and the minimum height is only five. The leaves are shiny in the sun, have a relief structure, are painted in an atypical beet-purple hue. The leaf edge is uneven, wavy, a bit similar in shape to a comb, cannot but attract attention, due to the leaves, in principle, this variety is so popular among all other varieties of tenacious.
If the plant grows in more sunlit areas, then there is a high probability that the color will become even deeper and more saturated, and this, of course, is only a plus for this plant.
- Chocolates the chip
The height of the bush is only five centimeters, the length of the small and shiny leaves is about six centimeters, and they barely reach two centimeters in width. At the same time, the shape of the leaves is elliptical, the color can be both purple and dark green, sometimes the leaves can sparkle, which also makes them very attractive and incredibly pleasant to the touch.
If such a variety is grown in partial shade or in the shade, then its decorative qualities will not in any way decrease or suffer from this, and this is indeed a huge advantage that should not be forgotten at all.
- Multicolor
Another variety of tenaciousness that we will characterize in this article. The plant is one of the most decorative of all, and now we will just give an explanation of why this is so. The color of the leaf plates of a shrub can be different, everything will depend on how much lighted the place the plant is located in.
For example, if a tenacious of this variety grows in the shade, then its color will be dark green; on the leaf plates, you can also notice stains of a yellowish or pinkish hue. If the bush grows in a perfectly lit and sunny place, then the leaves will be painted in a very rich purple hue. On its surface will be located scarlet or orange, sometimes bright yellow stains and fragments, in the overall picture it will look just wonderful
- Burgundy glow
This variety is notable for its attractiveness and demand among gardeners. The leaf plates are painted in purple or purple shades, on which you can see the edging of a cream shade. In the very center of the leaves, there are reddish and pinkish spots that have no shape.
When the plant grows in the shade, the color of the leaves becomes even more saturated, dark, it looks really just wonderful and decorative. For this reason, the variety is so much in demand today among gardeners and decorators, designers who are engaged in landscape design.
- Sparkler
The color of this variety is very bright blue.The leaves are small, they are located in a very large number, on the surface of the leaves there are strokes, as well as strokes, painted in white. Sometimes there are strokes of pink or cream color, which is also attractive.
Of course, the plant looks great in the area, it can be combined with many other plantings, plants and crops, garden or herbaceous. Also, the Sparkler looks great as a single planting, therefore, in principle, special attention should be paid to it when choosing certain varieties, crops, grassy plantings.
Also in this species category there are several more varieties that are very popular and, of course, stand out not only for their hardiness, but also for their bright colors. Among these varieties are Sparkler, Variegata, Catlins Giant, Dixie Chip, Toffee Chip, Rainbow, Silver Queen, Pink Elf and many others. From the names it can be understood that these plants are distinguished by excellent external characteristics, and in principle they are so attractive that it is almost impossible to take your eyes off them.
Pyramidal tenacious
The second type that we will consider in this article is the pyramidal tenacious. The homeland of this species is Europe, but as for the preferences in growth, it is mainly either the territory between the bushes, or rocky terrain.
The height of the bush reaches 25 centimeters, on the surface of the leaf blades of the plant there is an elongated pile, which is very pleasant to the touch. The length of the peduncles is no more than ten centimeters, they have flowers painted in white and pink, rich purple shades.
It is also worth highlighting several of the most popular varieties, which stand out for their features and characteristics:
- Lunar landing page
This variety is very unusual, the flowers are mainly yellow in color, which at the same time are rather problematic to describe, since they are indescribable. Ryotto created this variety, and in his opinion this plant has both ugliness and its beauty at the same time, so the choice of gardeners here will be determined only by whether they want to see this plant on their site, or they will still see more in this plant ugliness and absurdity
- Crisp
The leaf plates are large, compressed, they are colored green. The color of the flowers themselves is blue, they look just wonderful, decorative and attract attention.
- Metallica crisp
A low-growing bush, the height of which reaches only five centimeters. The leaf plates are small, compressed, the color is green or purple, the ebb in the leaves is metallic. In general, the plants look very attractive and interesting, especially in group plantings with other varieties of tenacious, or with other species and crops.
Tenacious geneva
In its natural conditions, the species can only be found in Asia Minor and Europe, as well as in Iran. The flower takes root well in forest areas and meadows, among shrubs, and it can also calmly survive shading, without losing its decorative properties and characteristics.
Shoot height can vary from five centimeters to 40 centimeters. The leaf blades have short petioles, sessile, elongated, elliptical in shape. On the edge of the leaves are denticles, which also look very elegant and pleasant.
The color of the flowers can be blue or white, there are pink flowers that have a small upper lip, look miniature, but at the same time quite bright. Flowers are collected in inflorescences of 2-6 in each, which look like an ear.Bracts can be with small denticles, as well as three-lobed.
Flowering occurs in May-June, the stems of the plant do not creep, and therefore here you can completely not worry about the fact that the plant needs some kind of restraints so as not to creep in different directions at all.
Chios tenacious
In the wild, the species can be found in the Caucasus region, the Mediterranean, as well as in regions located in Asia Minor. The tenacious grows well there in rocky terrain, as well as along roadsides, in steppes or talus.
The height of a perennial usually does not exceed twenty centimeters, at the base the shoots can be too much branched, and sometimes they can be just erect, the shape depends on which variety this plant belongs to.
The inflorescences have a false spike shape, they are located at the very tips of the shoots, the flowers are formed in the form of bunches. The flowers are colored yellow, on their surface you can not only notice, but also feel dense pubescence. This type is different in that it has a wound healing effect, so that it is not just decorative, but also very useful.
Laxman's tenacious
This species is very unusual, the height of the bush varies from twenty centimeters to half a meter, the shoots are very pubescent and covered with dense foliage. The leaves are large, whole-edged, painted in a white-silvery shade, while in shape they are rather oblong than rounded.
The flowers are quite small, inconspicuous, so they do not pay much attention to them when they talk directly about the decorative features and characteristics of this plant. The color of the flowers can be pale pink, there is also a light yellow color, here a lot already depends on what kind of this type of tenacious.
Herringbone tenacious
This is an annual species of tenacious, which reaches a height of only six centimeters. The leaves are more like cones - they have a greenish-gray color, the notches and plates themselves are separate, which looks quite interesting and attractive. The bush also differs in that it gives off a very attractive pine scent, and the flowers are yellow. The flowering of the plant begins around May, and ends in late autumn, and for this property this plant is also quite popular among gardeners and gardeners.
Turkestan tenacious
In nature, this species can most often be found just in Uzbekistan, on the territory of Tajikistan, hence the name of this species. The semi-shrub is distinguished by the fact that not the largest number of branches is formed on it. On thicker shoots, there are rather large elliptical leaves, slightly elongated, painted in a pale brownish tint.
The length of the leaves is about six centimeters, and the width is about two centimeters, no more. At the very top of the shoots, flowers are located, which have a very rich purple color. Some flowers have very short and neat pedicels, so they look like they are glued to the shoots at the base.
The stems are excellently used for cosmetic purposes, as well as in the field of sports medicine, since they have a sufficient number of positive qualities and traits, they perfectly help a person to cope with some adversity, which, of course, is very important.
Conclusion
Thus, today the tenacious is a widespread culture that has many positive properties and characteristics. Gardeners choose it precisely for its decorative features, and for the fact that it is completely unpretentious, capable of withstanding even the most difficult conditions, which is why it is so popular.