Digitalis, whose name means “finger,” is represented by 35 species and has a wide range of growth in the wild. Only a few species and varieties derived from them are grown in the culture.
One of the most attractive representatives of the genus is digitalis purpurea.
Material Content:
Plant description
Digitalis purpurea, also known as the forest bell because of the love of the forest edges, is a herbaceous plant with an erect, hairy stem, reaching 2 m in height. Lanceolate leaf plates forming a basal rosette are also covered with hairs, due to which they are cast in a silver tone from the bottom. Bell-shaped flowers, collected in racemose inflorescences, are painted in a variety of colors - from white to purple.
The most popular varieties:
• Digitalis purpurea Muse is a beautiful variety up to 120 cm high with large inflorescences consisting of flowers with spotted petals. The flowering period of the spectacular plant continues throughout the summer season.
• Excelsior - a tall representative of the species with purple, pink or lilac flowers.
• Spotted giant - an ornamental plant with large white flowers, decorated with cherry strokes inside. The gradual blooming of the buds provides a long phase of flowering varieties.
• Red dwarf is a drought-and frost-resistant variety with miniature shoots not exceeding a height of 35 cm. When flowering, which occurs in June-August, large red flowers in the form of thimbles are noted.
Features of growing digitalis from seeds
For reliability in the middle lane, and especially in the northern regions, seed cultivation is carried out through seedlings. Seeds previously soaked for a week are distributed on a moistened substrate in the first half of March. After the crops are crushed with sand, the container is covered with glass and moved to a warm, bright place. Seedling care provides a standard scheme of action - watering, airing and diving, which is carried out after the formation of 1 pair of real leaves in separate cups.
Planting in open ground
Landing in the open ground is carried out after the soil warms up well and the threat of late frosts passes.
Choosing a place and soil
For digitalis purpurea, sunny, open areas are selected. It is permissible to plant a crop in partial shade, which is an attractive characteristic of the plant when decorating the garden's shadow areas. However, do not plant a flower under deciduous tree species, because moisture is retained in the areas around their trunks, and falling leaves do not like digitalis. Loose and fertile soil is prepared in advance by digging the beds to a depth of 20 cm with the introduction of compost at the rate of 5 kg per 1 m2. Sand can also be added to improve soil drainage.
Landing technology
When planting, the following agrotechnical rules are observed:
1. Dig holes of a slightly larger size than an earthen lump of a seedling.
2. The distance between the pits is maintained within 25 cm with the same row spacing.
3. Sand jelly is poured into each hole, after which the seedling is transferred.
4. The surface of the soil is compacted and moistened.
How to propagate digitalis purpurea
In addition to digitalis propagation by the seedling method, it is possible to plant a culture of sowing seed material in the front garden or in the flowerbed, as well as in a vegetative manner.
Sowing seeds in open ground
Sowing material prepared as for the seedling method in the second half of spring is sown in holes dug at a distance of 15-20 cm. Seeding depth is 0.5 cm. In cool spring conditions, the crops are covered with a non-woven covering material.
Propagation by root processes
With a vegetative reception:
1. Several developed specimens are selected in which withering inflorescences are cut from the peduncles.
2. A month later, when 7-8 leaves are formed at the root rosettes that appear at the base, the processes are separated and planted in a permanent place, where they manage to take root before the onset of cold weather.
Digitalis purpurea: care
Caring for a purple digitalis with excellent decorative qualities does not require any unusual and time-consuming procedures from the flower grower.
Watering
If precipitation falls in the summer, then there will be no need for additional watering. In the case of prolonged drought, digitalis is wetted once or twice, depending on the agro-climatic conditions of the cultivation region.
Loosening and weeding
After rainfall or irrigation, the near-stem area loosens shallow so as not to damage the surface root system of the flower. During loosening, grown weed vegetation is removed.
Top dressing
During the growing season, digitalis purpurea is recommended to feed twice with liquid mineral fertilizers to form lush inflorescences.
Pruning
During flowering, faded inflorescences should be cut off, which will prolong the phase and preserve the decorativeness of the plant.
Transfer
If there is a need to transplant digitalis to another place, then there will be no difficulties: digitalis has superficially located roots and is easily digged out.Before you start digging, you should prepare a hole in advance, where in the future the flower is placed and watered.
Pest and Disease Control
The purple beauty, like other varieties of the genus, is affected by powdery mildew, spotting, and viral mosaic. But if, when the signs of the first two diseases are manifested, the plants can be cured with the help of an immediate treatment with a fungicide, then in the latter case, the affected specimens must be destroyed. Among the pests observed on digitalis, aphid stands out, which is a carrier of viruses. If harmful insects are detected, immediate spraying of the plantings with insecticidal preparations is required.
Care after flowering
Despite the cold resistance of flowers, the surface root system can be exposed and freeze in a snowless winter. To prevent this, after flowering, it is necessary to cut the flower stalks, and sprinkle the trunk circle slightly with soil. With the onset of cold weather, it is recommended to cover the planting with fallen leaves.
Use in landscape design
Digitalis purpurea and its varieties are characterized by high decorativeness near and in the background. It is often used:
• in group and single landings;
• when making mixborders;
• use in discounts;
• for decorating walls and hedges;
• for shading high bushes;
• when decorating shaded areas of a personal plot.
However, despite all the beauty, we must not forget that the flower is poisonous due to the content of glycosides, which slow down the work of the heart muscle.
Digitalis should not be planted in places where there is free access for children and pets.
Thus, when choosing flowers for decorating a personal plot, one should not forget about a beautiful and unpretentious digitalis, which will present abundant flowering and a variety of colors.
