Poppy

Description and varieties. Mack from ancient times was considered a beautiful regal flower, with which many customs, rituals and even mystical ceremonies were associated. Probably, such a strong enchanting impression on people is rendered by fiery-red large poppy flowers. Perennial poppies are tall, thick shrubs that throw flowers up to 1 m high, at the end of the peduncle there is one large flower with 5 large, often fiery-red petals. In the wild, poppies have smaller flowers, but are able to form whole poppy fields and steppes, which produce an extraordinary impression. In culture, there are two main types of poppy, on the basis of which numerous varieties are derived. Poppy is usually used in mixed flower plantings, where it creates bright color spots, tall varieties look good in the center of the flowerbed, the rabbit. Good looking poppies and in solitary plantations on a green lawn or even just in a vast ridge.

Species and varieties

Oriental mackerel, or Chinese,

is a large plant with stiff-necked cicatricial leaves in a root rosette and numerous leaf stalks 70-90 cm high. The flowers are single, very large( up to 20 cm in diameter), simple orterry, pink, orange, bright or dark red with a black spot in the center, at the base of the petals. Blooms in late May - early June abundantly within 30 days. After flowering, the leaves and stems die off, and by the time they are radical, rosette, leaves grow back and winter.

Poppy bract Mac. It is believed that this type of poppy was introduced into the culture by English growers in the XIX century. This tall plant with erect stem up to 140 cm in height, long basal pinnat-dissected leaves densely covered with hard hairs, and large single flowers up to 16 cm in diameter. The petals are crimson-red with a black elongated spot at the base. Varieties of poppies are distinguished by the height of the bush, the shape and coloration of flowers. The most common varieties with a red color of flowers, but there are specimens with pink, orange and white flowers. Blooms in late May - early June. Red

König Sharlach and Colossus ( flowers large, up to 20 cm in diameter); Goliath ( powerful shrub up to 1.5 m in height, large flowers); Diamond ( flowers medium to large, 15 cm in diameter); Little Red Riding Hood ( low bush, not more than 40-50 cm, medium flowers). Red-orange

Marcus Perry( bush of average height, up to 60 cm, flowers large); Olisnia ( a bush of medium height with numerous thin peduncles, medium flowers, blooms early and abundantly).

Princess Alexandra ( flowers large, up to 17 cm in diameter).

There are forms with lilac-pink, white-crimson flowers. At the base of the petals, square black velvety spots are well discernible, and in the center of the flower there is a large head pestle with a lot of coal-black stamens.

Cultivation and care. Poppy is a light-loving ornamental culture, therefore should be planted on open, bright, well-sunlit areas. To the soil poppy is undemanding, grows well on clays, loams, sandy loam, if is deeply processed, contains enough humus and is normally moistened, but it does not tolerate excess moisture, and if the soil is waterlogged, its roots often rot. The plant is very responsive to fertilizing solutions of fertilizers - organic and mineral( 30-35 g. Per 1 bucket of water).After watering and fertilizing the soil, it is necessary to loosen. With such care, bushes develop more luxuriantly, give more flower stalks and larger flowers form. Adult plants suffer a very painful transplant, since the poppy has a core, deep-seated. Unbranched root, which can not be excavated without damage. Poppy is multiplied mainly by sowing seeds directly into the open ground. Seeds can be sown in two periods - in spring or winter, immediately on a permanent place or ridge with

followed by picking and thinning. When sowing early in the spring immediately on the site, shoots are thin at a distance of 80-100 cm from each other. Mack oriental, which has root offspring, you can divide during the rest period, in the summer after flowering. It is also practiced multiplying the poppy with cuttings. For cuttings use weak side shoots, usually growing on the bushes by the end of summer. Root them under the film, hold for 24 hours in a solution of heteroauxin. Cuttings planted in mid-August. After the flowering, the poppy loses decorativeness, the plant has a rest period, the leaves turn yellow. At this time, you can cut off the ground part. From the middle of August, a new growth of leaves begins, and in the warm autumn a second flowering is possible. Under winter, the plant leaves with green leaves, in the spring the growth begins at the end of April.

If seeds are not to be collected, the faded boxes to prolong the flowering period should be discontinued.

Poppy is fairly wintery, so shelter for the winter is not required.