Landscape designers have long loved the gentian for its delicate beauty. Although it's not easy to grow this mountain beauty in your garden, many are interested in planting and caring for it outdoors, including photos. That's what we'll explore now.
The gentian has come to us from the mountain heights, where it thrives, reaching altitudes of up to 5,000 meters. Therefore, this mountain beauty has a hard time adapting to our lowland conditions. It requires special soil and growing conditions, but with some practice, you can introduce this mountain guest into your garden, combining it with familiar houseplants and decorating borders.
There are many species of gentian, ranging from tiny plants measuring 6-7 cm to the yellow gentian, which can grow up to 1.2 meters. The large-leaved, medium-sized variety is particularly beautiful, with beautiful purple or green leaves. All species bloom until autumn, though some begin blooming in early summer, while others bloom in mid- or late summer, continuing to bloom until frost kills them.
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Daurian gentian
This variety can grow up to 40 cm, beginning to bloom in mid-June with fairly large, dark blue flowers. It makes a beautiful cut flower and is popular for edging and decorating flowerbeds.
Stemless gentian
Its proper name is Kokha. It's a very miniature perennial, growing no more than 10 cm tall, and delights with delicate, vibrant flowers ranging from blue to pink. It's very popular for decorating rock beds.
Yellow gentian
The tallest of all the plant species, it has thick, highly branched roots, large flowers, and an elongated, multi-seeded capsule. It's not as beautiful as other gentian varieties, but it has significant medicinal properties and is in demand in medicine.
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Planting and care
While growing gentian in your garden isn't easy, it's possible, and with the right conditions, you can bring this alpine plant indoors. To germinate the seeds, simply scatter them on the soil and water them, without covering them with soil. Running water will sink the seeds into the soil. Germination won't happen quickly; the process can take up to three months, and the seeds require a temperature of around 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius). Therefore, you need to plant them with this temperature in mind to prevent the seedlings from dying. The ideal soil mix for gentian is two parts sand and one part peat.
Gentian is easiest to propagate by dividing the bush. This is done in the fall, carefully removing the plant along with the soil, being careful not to damage the delicate roots. Gentian blooms until the first snow falls. At night, its flowers close, but with the sunrise, they open again, delighting the gardener's eye with delicate colors. All gentian species prefer moisture and drainage, so consider this when choosing a location for them in the garden.
When replanting a gentian, thoroughly loosen the soil, adding gravel and bone meal if the soil isn't loose. Dig a hole three times larger than the plant, but don't bury it too deeply. Leave 20-30 cm between the plants, sprinkling sand between the clumps.
Experienced gardeners say the best way to plant gentians is before winter. Cuttings are also taken before winter, choosing plants with strong, well-established roots and numerous shoots.
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