Mattiola two-horned (night violet): cultivation and care

Flower growers in many countries love to grow such a decorative flower as matthiola bicornuum. Planting and caring for it is incredibly simple, which allows you to not spend a lot of time and effort.

As night falls, mattiola begins to emit a delightful aroma that fills the entire garden.

At the moment, many different species are known, but the decorative properties of Matthiol bicornus are not too different. During the daytime, she hides the beautiful petals of her flowers.

Mattiola two-horned description and characteristics

Mattiola bicorna is planted annually, as it is ready to please for no more than a year. This flower is unusual and differs in many characteristics. Features include:

Mattiola has a straight or spreading stem, this fact depends on what variety it belongs to. A large number of shoots with thick fluff, like the foliage, are scattered throughout the flower;

If you properly care for the flower, it can reach 60 centimeters in height;

The bright green leaves are covered with large teeth;

Small and not too brightly colored flowers are collected in inflorescences whose shape resembles graceful brushes;

Flowers open after sunset and fill the entire garden with a pleasant aroma; with sunrise, the flowers close;

Matthiola blooms for a long time. It can last from the first days of summer and end only when frost comes;

The ripening of small seeds occurs in pods. Seeds can be stored for 3 years maintaining good germination.

Features of the plant

Matthiola is an annual, biennial or perennial herbaceous plant. Some types of violets are subshrubs with branched stems, bare or covered with felt pile. Their height reaches 20 – 80 cm. Flowers can be different: pink, white, yellow, as well as simple and double. Regardless of their appearance, they are all collected in inflorescences resembling a spike or elegant brushes.

Levka blooms from early June to November. The fruits are small pods containing violet seeds.

The main distinctive feature of flowers is their special smell, which simply cannot be confused with anything else.

Terry varieties will become a laconic, charming decoration of the garden; they are often grown on the balcony. Non-double species are excellent honey plants. Levkoi are easy to care for, and even a child can cope with planting in open ground.

Varieties

About 60 varieties of this plant grow in natural conditions. Mattiola also received such a name as “fragrant violet”. In garden plots you can only find matthiola two-horned and matthiola gray or levkoy, the second name. Thanks to the work of breeders, it was possible to develop a large number of different varieties of these species, whose aroma and color differ from each other.

Particularly popular among gardeners are the following varieties of matthiola bicorne:

• Evening aroma - a distinctive feature of this variety is considered to be straight shoots, which are especially branched. These bushes do not exceed half a meter in height. They have small lilac inflorescences emitting a bright, rich aroma;

• Starlight is an amazing flower from a varietal mixture. It opens with flowers of various colors and are located on straight stems whose height does not exceed 50 centimeters. Each of them has its own aroma, and together they create a fairy tale atmosphere in the garden. This variety is best suited for planting near the house;
• Mattiola pink - this flower can be an excellent decoration for the balcony. It does not exceed 30 centimeters in height. When opening, these pleasant lilac flowers, collected in a racemose inflorescence, emit a sweet scent.
• Lilac - this variety has good resistance to cold, but prefers to grow in sunny areas. Half a meter in height, this plant attracts everyone by emitting its soft and unique aroma.
• Summer Evening is a particularly favorite variety among gardeners. The height of this plant is half a meter, lilac flowers are collected in inflorescences-tassels and emit an unforgettable aroma, distinguished by its durability.

Kinds

There are 3 types grown in our country:

1. Levkoy gray or gray (lat. Matthiola incana) - grown in the Middle Zone, Moscow region and to the south.
2. Fragrant leftover (lat. Matthiola fragrans) - grown in the Voronezh, Rostov regions and further south.
3. Levkoy Tatar (lat. Matthiola tatarica).

It is rare to see the long-petaled gillyflower (Matthiola longipetala), which smells great but is not particularly ornamental.

The natural species most often grown in gardens is the grey-headed left-wing, its cultivation will be discussed in this article. About 20 million of these flowers are sold annually on Dutch stock exchanges.

Levkoy grey, often called matthiola grey, is a representative of the natural flora of the Mediterranean and Canary Islands. Its natural habitats are also found in Europe, Asia, and Africa. In our conditions, it grows to about 60 centimeters and has straight shoots.

Levy flowers appear in June and persist until July, forming magnificent inflorescences with an unusual, very strong, characteristic odor, a bit like the aroma of the spice cloves. For this smell, which intensifies at night, it is also called “night violet”. The flower is large and expressive. The stems and leaves are covered with a layer of hairs, and numerous branches form on the stem.

Matthiola bicornuosa reproduction

The best way to plant matthiol is considered to be seed; seedlings are grown extremely rarely. The fact is that the root system of the flower is quite weak and may not survive replanting. However, enjoying all the beauty and aromas of these flowers at the very beginning of summer is only possible through seedlings.

First you need to prepare the container and fill it with a suitable mixture before sowing. The soil should be loose, nutritious, water- and breathable. Before planting, it is necessary to treat the container and soil with manganese.

Content

• Growing conditions
• Growing from seeds
• How to care for uninvited guests

seeds-farm / Personal archive

Summer. Country house. Evening . We are surrounded by neighbors after hard work, sitting with a cup of tea, enjoying relaxation and the aroma of our favorite flowers. Evening and night time, the time when the thick aroma of night violet, mattiola, fills the area.

In my opinion, there is nothing more mesmerizing than this delicate scent . I want to sit silently and listen to this fragrant silence. I wish I had more moments like this in life!

Michael Kesl / Personal archive

Night violet or, as we call it, matthiola ( Matthiola longipetala - editor Procvetok) has always been very popular among flower lovers. They usually try to plant it closer to the house or in a recreation area, along paths, so that the aroma of flowering plants is always nearby .

Not a single flower bed or flower garden is complete without matthiola. The smell is so attractive that everyone turns a blind eye to the fact that during the day the plant’s appearance is somewhat lost against the background of other flowers. The plant looks drooping and as if withering.

Aline Dassel / Personal archive

Matthiola two-horned planting

1. Sowing of seeds is carried out in early February. You can sow in March, but then the flowering time will be different.
2. Sowing should be carried out on prepared soil with a distance of 4 centimeters from each other. The seeds do not need to be pressed into the soil; just sprinkle them lightly with soil. Next, you need to carefully pour water at room temperature and cover with film or glass.
3. Containers with seeds should be placed in a well-lit place. You should not water until the first shoots appear.

In order for seedlings to grow well, certain conditions must be met. As soon as the first shoots appear, it is necessary to provide the plant with good lighting, and the air temperature should drop to +12 degrees, otherwise the seedlings will begin to stretch.

If seedlings are grown in seedling boxes, then planting should be done every 14 days. It is important to remember that matthiol has a very fragile root system, so the seedlings will die when transplanted, no matter how careful you are.

Well-moistened soil into which you plan to replant will help protect the roots from damage. You need to take out the plant one at a time, protecting its fragile roots. Before this, it is necessary to make planting holes in a new container into which the seedlings are transplanted. Next, they need to be covered with a layer of soil up to the leaves, carefully, using the pads of your fingers, compacted around each plant and watered well.

Gardeners with experience in growing matthiola do not pick seedlings. To grow without picking, you can use a box where eggs or chocolates were previously stored. These cells are filled with soil and 3 seeds are planted in each. When they all grow up, you can choose the strongest one and remove the rest.

Transplanting a flower to a place where the plant will grow permanently is carried out together with a lump of earth and with the onset of constantly warm weather. It is best to carry out these activities in the last days of spring or in the first days of summer. When planting, it is important to leave a distance of 20 centimeters or a little more between plants, it depends on what varieties are planted. For better adaptation and faster rooting, the young plant needs to create shade.

Rules for planting in the garden:

First of all, you need to treat the land with manganese. Next, loosen and form furrows, the depth of which will not exceed 50 mm. If the distance is deeper, the sprouts will not be able to appear above the surface of the soil.

In order for the seeds to be evenly distributed, they must be mixed with sand in equal parts and scattered along the furrows.

Next they need to be sprinkled 50 mm. layer of earth. In this case, compaction is not required; light spraying with water is necessary.

A flower planted in February will be able to please with its colors and aroma at the very beginning of summer.

Selecting a location:

Mattiola likes to grow in open sunny areas; in the shade it will stretch out and take on a sickly appearance. The site must be protected from strong winds. If you follow all these simple rules, then in a short time you will be able to enjoy the magnificent aroma of flower brushes.

The flower prefers loose and fertile soil, but applying organic fertilizers in the form of mullein is not recommended due to the content of late blight spores in it. Loamy and sandy loam soils are a good option. The acidity level in the soil should be neutral.

You should not choose a site where plants belonging to the cruciferous family were previously grown. This legacy is often dangerous and the flowers can become susceptible to diseases such as clubroot and fungal infections.

Preparation of the site for planting is carried out in the autumn. The soil must be dug 50 centimeters deep and cow dung must be added at the same time. Thanks to digging, you can destroy fungal spores in the ground and prevent the further development of blackleg.

Growing conditions

We must pay tribute to the night violet - there are no special problems with it when growing . Mattiola is quite unpretentious . The planting site and soil requirements are not very different from those of most plants.

• Despite its nocturnal lifestyle, matthiola feels great in an open area , but it is better to choose a place with shading or partial shade , where flowering lasts longer .
• Not picky about soil , will also grow on sand. But, like many plants, matthiola likes loose, light, well-moistened and nutritious soil , neutral or slightly alkaline.
• The plant is cold-resistant and winters well without insulating shelters. In spring it is not afraid of frosts down to -5 °C.
• If you water the plant on time, the summer heat will not scare .
• Gets along well with neighbors in the flower bed. Geraniums, nasturtiums, violas, petunias and other plants feel comfortable nearby.

Al-Bargit / Personal archive

Mattiola bicorne care

Growing matthiola bicornuum healthy is not at all difficult even for a novice gardener; to do this, you just need to follow some rules.

1. Picking of seedlings is carried out after the first 2 true leaves appear. Maintain a distance between plants of 20 to 40 centimeters, while taking into account the characteristics of a particular variety and its growth. If planting is carried out in close proximity, fungal diseases may occur.
2. Matthiola is a moisture-loving plant and needs regular watering, but it is not tolerant of stagnant moisture, which leads to rotting of the roots. It is also important not to forget to remove weeds when they appear, as they make the plant weaker and provoke the development of fungal diseases.
3. Every time after watering, it is necessary to loosen it, this increases the access of oxygen to the roots.
4. In order for the plant to have enough nutrients, it is necessary to remove all inflorescences that fade.
5. As soon as the matiolla is transplanted into the garden, it needs additional feeding. In this case, fertilizers that are used to feed indoor plants during flowering are well suited. The first feeding is carried out 21 days after the flowers were planted in the flowerbed. It is very important to support the plants with nutrient mixtures as buds form and flowering begins.

Popular varieties

The most popular varieties of night violets, which most gardeners boast about in their garden.

Vintage

Terry variety, which is recommended for cultivation in regions with cool climates. It can grow at least 40-50 cm in height. The leaves are dark green and oblong in shape. They have dense inflorescences in the form of a brush of a delicate pink shade. Flowering lasts for 30-45 days. The number of inflorescences is regularly renewed due to growth and the appearance of numerous lateral shoots.

Cinderella

An annual low-growing plant up to only 20 cm in height. The stem is strong and branched. The leaf is lanceolate, bright green in color. The variety is distinguished by the presence of large double flowers, collected in large, dense, high-mounted inflorescences in the form of brushes. They have a varied palette of shades.

Bouquet Katz

A tall variety, capable of reaching more than 80 cm. The stem is dense, moderately branched. The bushes are decorated with dark leaves of an oblong shape and large size. It has large double inflorescences of various shades, from white to purple. Based on the name, it is used exclusively for cutting.

Harmony

An annual low-growing variety, the representatives of which are only 15-20 cm tall. The leaves are small, the stem is strong, moderately branched. The inflorescences are double, located at the top of the peduncles.

Rich aroma

The variety is medium in size, has bright small leaves and a strong stem. Valued for its double flowers, collected in inflorescences and located at the top of the plant. Has a spicy aroma.

Lilac

The annual plant grows to a maximum height of 50 cm. The trunk is strong, erect, and branches abundantly. The leaves are large, serrated at the edges. The racemose inflorescences have purple flowers. Flowering duration is at least 2 months and begins on average 60 days after sowing.

Appleblossom

A low-growing terry variety with a height of only 20 cm. It has a persistent straight stem on which grayish-green leaves are abundantly located. Inflorescences at the top of peduncles in various pastel shades.

Summer evening

An annual crop up to 50 cm high. The flowering period is only 1 month, it pleases in the last ten days of June. Spreading branched stem. Inflorescences in the form of brushes of a lilac hue.

Evening scent

A perennial characterized by the most pleasant aroma that can spread over large areas. The bush is small, reaches 45 cm in height. The stem is branched and erect. Racemose inflorescences consist of lilac flowers that open and emit fragrance only in the evening. They are distinguished by abundant flowering.

Resistance to diseases and pests

Mattiola is not often affected by various diseases and pests, but, nevertheless, this sometimes happens. The most common are clubroot and fusarium. These are fungal diseases that are transmitted to plants through spores that can maintain their vital activity even in frost.

Pests that love matthiola include cruciferous flea, cabbage grass and whiteweed. The first two pests are capable of completely destroying a flower. To prevent this from happening, you need to periodically inspect the plants. As soon as signs of the appearance of these insects are detected, it is necessary to immediately carry out treatment using special products that can be purchased in nurseries.

Use in landscape design

Mattiola is considered one of the few plants that are bred not for their external characteristics, but for their wonderful aroma. Decorative terry varieties are used to decorate flower beds and create various color compositions. A cut plant can maintain its original appearance for a week. Matthiola is usually grown near benches and windows of houses, as well as in other places intended for recreation. Excellent neighbors for culture are rosemary, lavender, mignonette, thyme, and cornflower.

Matthiola is a beautiful plant with a pleasant, memorable aroma. It is this feature that has made the culture so popular. It’s hard to notice because it’s not always planted in visible places, but you can’t help but smell it.

Preparation of seed material

The best way to prepare planting material is pre-soaking. Soak cotton pads in warm water, squeeze lightly, and place in a saucer. Place gauze on top of the discs, twice the diameter of the saucer. Sprinkle the seeds onto the cloth and cover with the other end. Cover the saucer with a lid and place in a warm place for a day. During this time, the seeds will be saturated with moisture.

IMPORTANT! The seeds should not be in water, they should simply be saturated with moisture.

Sowing gillyflower seeds step by step

How to plant matthiola bicornuum for seedlings:

1. In the fall, prepare the soil for spring sowing and growing. In the garden, collect plant soil in a container (basin, bucket). Sift through a medium sieve. Add nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) mineral fertilizers to the sifted soil according to the instructions on the package. Mix. Store in a cool place until spring. Another option is to buy ready-made soil in a store. Add a little lime to the purchased soil (1 tbsp per 5 liters) and mix.

1. In the spring, 3-4 days before planting gillyflower seeds, bring the prepared soil and purchased soil mixture to a warm room with a temperature of at least 22°C. Pour in warm water with the addition of soda (1 teaspoon per liter of water) or potassium permanganate (several grains) to treat the soil against diseases. Leave to warm up.
2. The day before you plant matthiola, you need to prepare the seed and containers. Treat cups and tetrapacks with hot water. For processing, you can use chemical solutions - soda, manganese.
3. On the day when you plan to plant flowers, remove the cloth with the soaked seeds from the saucer and transfer it to another dry saucer for a couple of hours so that they dry slightly. You can do without soaking the gingerbread. Collect soil into containers prepared for planting, leaving 2-3 cm on top. Lightly compact the soil. If dry, water.
4. Sprinkle Matthiola over the surface of the soil. Sprinkle 1 cm thick soil on top. Sow one seed into a glass. It will take a lot of cups, more space for seedlings, and more plant soil, but the result is worth it. The quality of seedlings will be many times higher.
5. After you plant the seeds of the gillyflower into the soil, you need to spray the soil from a spray bottle with water or a solution of a plant growth stimulator diluted according to the instructions.
6. Cover the containers with film. Place in a warm place.

When to sow leftover seedlings

The 2022 lunar calendar marks the following favorable days for sowing seeds of matthiola and other flowers:

• March 3, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17;
• April 8, 9, 13, 14.

Levkoy seeds are sown for seedlings from mid-March to the second ten days of April.

Attention! Experienced gardeners sow matthiola every 10 days. In this case, a flowerbed with beautiful, abundantly blooming flowers will decorate your garden from June until frost.

But since there are few completely favorable days for sowing Levkoy in 2022, you can plant seedlings from March 21 to 16, 29, 30 and from April 17 to 22, 25, 26, 27. On these dates, the Waning Moon is under good Zodiac Signs for flowers.