Speedwell filamentous or filamentous is a plant with soft blue or white small flowers, which often greatly bothers owners of summer cottages. Indeed, it is aggressive in its vitality and almost invincible - it quickly clogs not only paths, lawns, flower beds, but also vegetable gardens. On the one hand, this vitality and indomitable energy can be put to good use, on the other hand, it greatly interferes with useful plantings and is considered one of the most annoying weeds. In this article we will tell you how veronica filamentous is destroyed on the lawn in various ways.
Description of Veronica threadlike
Speedwell filamentous , or filamentous (Veronica filiformis), belongs to the Norichnikov (Scrophulariaceae).
It has creeping shoots that instantly take root at any opportunity. There is no point in describing the agricultural technology, this fast-growing plant turned out to be so unpretentious and tenacious. This charming appearance of Veronica would rightly be given a tag with the inscription “terrible aggressor”. On our site, veronica filamentous spread in huge light spots across the lawn, covered many uneven spots, and filled the spaces between the paving slabs. There is especially a lot of it in the part of the site where forest trees rise. We also allowed her to live among the stones near the decorative pond. Veronica filamentous feels great under fruit trees and currant bushes. She is ready to fill the flower beds and strawberry beds, but she is no longer allowed there. This low ground cover plant with tiny rounded leaves and small white or blue-blue flowers (they close in bad weather) calmly tolerates full sun, partial shading and even shade. It grows well with moderate moisture and does not die from drought. That is why Veronica filamentous need not be created with special conditions and her morals should not be taken into account. She is able to take care of herself and defend her interests in competition with neighboring plants. Even dandelions look helpless under the pressure of an aggressive neighbor.
Features of caring for the area where filamentous grass grows
Veronica can be easily removed by hand if the plant grows too large or is simply unnecessary. There should be no problems with cleaning the lawn, unless Veronica has been growing there for more than one year and its roots are too intertwined. Then you will have to use garden tools, removing the flowers along with the top layer of soil. When carrying out such work, it is necessary to ensure that not a single shoot of filamentous or creeping speedwell remains in the soil, a photo of which can be seen in the article, otherwise the extremely fast-growing flowers will again fill the entire area.
Using such a plant as a landscape decoration will add tenderness and ease to the area. Such a lawn or garden will look impressive, and individual landscape compositions will look complete. By providing care and monitoring the growth of grass, you can control it, creating an amazingly beautiful composition.
Combination of Veronica with other plants
Veronica is often used as an excellent group plant, which can be used as one of the main decorative elements in alpine slides, flower beds and mixborders. The main purpose of using veronica in landscape design is to give the garden area ease and lightness. Veronica is suitable for growing near borders, where not every plant can survive.
An excellent combination of plants in the garden would be with buzulnik, bergenia, etc. By the way, even such a simple combination as speedwell and chamomile can create harmony in any area of the garden.
Advice. If you are willing to take risks for the sake of a spectacular garden plot, try using contrasting combinations: for example, speedwell and rose. As a result, you will get a winning composition in which each element will be beautifully emphasized by the other.
These are all the subtleties that need to be taken into account when growing veronica in open ground. Good luck!
Watering and fertilizing mode
Veronica is a moisture-loving plant, the cultivation, planting and care of which does not require special skills and knowledge. It needs to be watered periodically, but the flower can withstand a short drought. It tolerates snowy Russian winters, although some varieties should still be covered for the winter with an insulating cushion of spruce branches.
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Twice a year, mineral fertilizers are applied, for example, standard mixtures for indoor plants. At the end of summer, to increase the frost resistance of the flower, they switch to fertilizers with potassium. After flowering, continue to actively water the soil, and also cut off dried stems and flower stalks.
Reproduction methods
To grow filamentous veronica in your garden plot, it is not necessary to purchase seeds and young shoots at a flower market or in a specialized store. It is not difficult to meet this representative of the flora in the natural environment, not far from home: in the forest, in a meadow, along the side of the road. It reproduces in three ways .
Seeds
Seeds are subject to mandatory stratification, the process of which depends on the time of sowing. You can plant a herbaceous flower in two steps. Each gardener chooses the most convenient option for himself.
- Autumn sowing. Seeds undergo natural stratification during winter. The entire planting process is extremely simple. An area is selected and cleared of uninvited guests (weeds). The earth is brought into a state of lushness, loosened and leveled. Sowing of seed material is carried out in holes or furrows to a depth of two centimeters. The seeds must be sprinkled with soil, peat or humus on top. In spring, a neglected area will delight with friendly shoots.
- Spring sowing. For seeds, an artificial temperature difference is created in advance, which is required for good germination. Crops are placed in a container with sand or drainage substrate, lightly covered with the substrate. The surface is carefully moistened (preferably sprayed with a spray bottle). A mini-greenhouse is equipped: the container is covered with a film with small holes made in it to allow air to enter the soil. For a month, this structure is placed in cool conditions (temperature at +5°).
“Overwintered” crops are ready for planting either directly in open ground or for growing through seedlings. For seedlings, the mini-greenhouse is placed in a warm, well-lit place. The first shoots appear after 14 days. The film is removed. Further care continues as usual with the seedling method.
Dividing the bush
This is the easiest way to propagate filamentous veronica.
The guaranteed result is achieved from any initial instance (if it is viable). It is advisable to carry out the procedure before the time of flowering, or after its completion. Selected plant specimens are dug out of the ground. With care, the roots are divided into parts with the presence of growth points at each. The separated pieces are placed in moist peat or sandy soil under cover. Film, glass or plastic containers , and a small greenhouse are suitable. After a week and a half, after the first adaptation period, the shelter is removed.
By cuttings
Propagation by cuttings is carried out in the summer. The material for planting is prepared as follows:
- Young healthy stems are selected.
- Cut into pieces no more than 10 centimeters.
- The tops and inflorescences must be removed.
During the formation of roots, the cuttings are buried two centimeters into a moist substrate (the composition used is of the same properties as for bush division).
The container is covered to create a certain microclimate. Care consists of ventilation and watering according to the established schedule. The appearance of young leaves allows you to open the shoots and replant them in the garden or flowerbed. Rooting of cuttings can occur when placed in a vessel with plain water. Such individuals are transferred to open ground upon completion of the formation of the first stage of development of the root system (the appearance of root growths). Most often, after standing for two weeks on the windowsill .
Growing and care
Veronica is an absolutely unpretentious plant. Caring for her does not require much time or special effort. Of course, growing has some of its own characteristics, which we will now briefly consider.
Veronica is a sun-loving species; of course, it will grow and develop in partial shade, but its decorative qualities will be lost. The flowers of the plant will be small and inconspicuous, and in some species they may be completely absent. Therefore, planting should be done in an area where there is enough sun. Under such conditions, the plant will not only fully develop its decorative qualities, but also retain its healing properties.
Caring for Veronica should include proper watering. The fact is that not all types of plants can tolerate drought well; some need moist soil for normal growth and development. Mountain species can survive without long-term watering. Veronica vulgare, gentian, filamentous, prostrate, long-leaved varieties require timely watering. But this should be done only after the top layer of soil has completely dried, no more than once every three weeks.
It is possible to successfully grow Veronica in garden plots and garden beds without additional fertilizing. Since the plant is unpretentious, it has enough natural reserves of nutrients in the soil. If decorative flowers were planted in soil of poor quality, it is recommended to add organic matter once every two years (fertilize the soil with cow manure or humus). It is best to do this in early spring.
Caring for a plant must necessarily include caring for the stems. Tall species need a garter, otherwise, growing up to one and a half meters, the straight stems begin to fall to the sides, which does not add decorative value to the semi-shrubs. You also need to periodically remove faded inflorescences that spoil the appearance, and new ones will appear in their place.
Many varieties of speedwell can easily tolerate drops in air temperature to minus twenty-nine degrees and do not die. If your region has harsher winters or you planted a more capricious species, then you need to cover the roots with peat or humus for the winter. Such care will not only protect the plant from the cold, but will also serve as additional feeding.
Growing veronica is not difficult. The grass has good immunity and rarely suffers from diseases and pests.
What you can encounter is downy mildew. If it is detected, flower beds need to be treated with fungicidal preparations.
Veronica can also become infected with the ringspot virus.
The most common pests are caterpillars, cutworms, moths, and moths. You can get rid of them with the help of insecticidal preparations.
Rarely, but still there are nematodes that attack the root system. They are destroyed with special targeted preparations that are applied directly to the soil.
Planting a plant in open ground
The plant is considered to be quite unpretentious to growing conditions, therefore, when choosing a suitable site for growing speedwell in open ground, it is not necessary to make a strict selection: the plant is suitable for heavy clay soil, loose sandstone, and swampy soil.
Advice. Although speedwell is not a picky plant, it is very sensitive to the amount of sunlight, so the place for planting the crop must be chosen exclusively sunny (in extreme cases, partial shade will do, but dense, beautiful flowering will be much more difficult to achieve).
Planting a young plant or seeds must be done in moist and well-loosened soil, previously enriched with nutritious organic matter.
How to deal with Veronica filamentous on the lawn
Despite its “angelic” appearance, the delicate filamentous veronica is still a serious enemy of the lawn. Rapidly spreading, it is capable of killing lawn grasses, capturing more and more new areas. And at the same time, it reacts weakly to herbicide treatment.
How to deal with it? In what order? First of all, it is worth observing how the lawn grass itself feels, the types and varieties of which must be carefully selected. If there are voids and bald spots between the shoots, then the weed will definitely settle in them. Then you need to understand what the herbs need and what the weed prefers.
Rules for placement in the garden
The use of herbaceous representatives such as filamentous veronica gives landscape compositions originality and naturalness. Rapid growth over a designated area in a short period of time will make it possible to achieve the final design of a multi-component composition or an individually designated area.
Giving the decorated space a tenderness of perception, the plant adds very useful and pleasant features. Placing it under fruit and berry crops has a practical purpose. The safety of falling fruits, maintaining moisture and looseness of the soil will delight any gardener.
In the recreation area, a planted flower will create an amazing soft green carpet that will attract attention not only in terms of aesthetics, but also from tactile perceptions. It will produce pleasant sensations in your bare feet. It is noteworthy that the grass quickly recovers after walking on it barefoot.
Another useful feature of the shoots is the suppression of the growth of weeds. With the created density of growth, all representatives of wild herbs become uncomfortable. The decorative appearance of overgrown Veronica greenery can be easily maintained using any type of lawn mower or garden shears.
The spectacular appearance is maintained even in the absence of flowering. Abundant thickets refresh the surrounding area with the light greenery of numerous foliage. It is useful to use veronica on slopes and retaining walls. It creates a natural strengthening of the top soil layer, rooting the stem weaves at any point of contact with the ground.
By following fairly simple recommendations , following simple tips, there is a unique opportunity to get a simple and reliable assistant in your garden. Creating a beautiful exterior for a separately selected area or the entire area is a personal matter for everyone. It is worth firmly remembering one important detail: left to its own devices, a cultivated plant will quickly turn into its usual state - into a weed.
Description and characteristic features
A low perennial (up to 7 cm) covers the free area with a thick carpet woven from thin, easily rooted stems. Refers to ground cover species. Numerous small leaves have a rounded shape and a light green color.
Mass flowering is observed from late spring to mid-summer. The plant carpet is covered with blue and blue or white patches of small flowers, which open together in large numbers. Interestingly, in inclement weather the flowers are closed.
Veronica filamentous is undemanding to placement conditions. Preferring damp places with light shade, it can grow remarkably well both in full sun and in constant shade. It tolerates short-term dry weather disasters without problems.
When placed under fruit trees (apple, pear, cherry, blackthorn, various currant bushes), it exists perfectly on its own and protects its neighbors. Thanks to the created carpet, Veronica filamentous maintains the moist state of the soil under its shoots, which is important for cultivated trees and shrubs. At the same time, it does not deplete the soil.
Thus, the trees and bushes under which the growing speedwell filamentous vegetation is located are protected from drying out and compacting the soil. The herbaceous guest has also proven itself in use on alpine hills or for flower borders. However, there is a downside to good survivability.
If left uncontrolled, ornamental speedwell can turn into a feral, malicious weed - an aggressor for garden beds. To avoid such a situation, a little attention and effort is required: proper maintenance, restriction of free reproduction.
The most popular types of veronica
Botanists have described several hundred species of speedwell. They grow in different conditions, adapting to the existing climate. Some species are weeds. But since ancient times, it is the medicinal varieties that have been known that were used to heal various diseases. Veronica began to be cultivated as a decorative garden decoration not so long ago. They are planted individually or in groups, combining the simplicity and charm of this flower with other garden crops. Let's talk about the most interesting and popular types of veronica.
Key Veronica
This plant has several other popular names - coaster, nameless, opposite, water flower. It grows everywhere in Russia, preferring moist areas along the banks of rivers and lakes, next to streams and ditches, and water meadows. It can be found both in shallow water and under water. For decorative purposes, low herbaceous bushes that look rather inconspicuous are planted in artificial ponds.
In season, inflorescences appear on the stems in the form of blue or white brushes. Key veronica is valued as a medicinal plant, decoctions and drinks from which are used in the treatment of various inflammations. The ability of such drugs to lower blood pressure and normalize heart rate is also noted.
Veronica is big
Veronica big, or as it is also called - royal, is a perennial flower growing in many forest and forest-steppe regions of Russia. One plant forms several erect shoots up to 70 cm high. The leaf blades have soft pile on the underside. The flowers are small, but collected in spectacular long racemes. Due to its bright blue hue and long-lasting flowering, this type of speedwell is very popular among gardeners.
When cultivated, the brushes are removed after flowering, so that the seeds ripened in the boxes will not fall into the ground. The flower loves sunny areas, grows on any type of soil, and tolerates dry periods. But in order not to lose the presentable appearance of Veronica, it should be watered on time. The plant is grown as single lush bushes, and in group flower beds. It is also used to decorate bouquets.
Oak speedwell
Oak grove speedwell is sometimes confused with forget-me-not. The low plant has small bright blue flowers. True, there are only four petals in the corolla, not five. And the leaves are shorter. They sit on the stem in pairs opposite each other. This type of plant is quite low - only 30 cm from the ground. But it can withstand trampling and grow again after some time.
Reproduction occurs through rhizomes and ground shoots. It can also spread by self-sowing seeds. Seed material that did not have time to germinate before frost calmly endures the winter and begins to take root in the spring. And the plant itself is quite resistant to cold and can overwinter with green leaves. In the garden plot, oak speedwell is grown as a lawn that does not require regular mowing.
Spike speedwell
Gardeners also call this species speedwell and speedwell. The culture is quite unpretentious, so it has become widespread in the wild in many countries. For wintering it does not require special shelters, and if it freezes out in the absence of snow, it quickly and independently recovers.
Due to its shallow root, the plant can bloom even in rocky areas. The height of the stems ranges from 15 to 80 cm. The shoots end in fluffy single inflorescences that look like a spikelet. Among the cultivated species, pink, snow-white and purple corolla colors are found. Spike speedwell is used to decorate various garden landscapes and is also valued in folk medicine.
Longleaf speedwell
Long-leaved speedwell prefers open sunny areas with good humidity; it is not without reason that in the wild it can be found in swampy meadows, in floodplains of rivers, and on damp forest edges. In the natural environment, this species is distinguished by its height, some shoots reach 120 cm. Its shoots are erect and branched, ending in apical flowers collected in a long blue or purple raceme (up to 25 cm).
The species is valued precisely because of its gorgeous fluffy inflorescences; in some varieties they are white. Long-leaved speedwell blooms for several months from June to early autumn. In well-groomed areas it is combined with other cultivated plants in white and yellow shades. It looks good both in a single accent planting and in collective mixborders.
Austrian speedwell
Austrian speedwell (toothed) prefers to grow in steppes and dry forests and does not like moist soils. The height of different varieties ranges from 30 to 60 cm. The stems are single, erect, with featureless leaf blades. The flowers of the plant have pointed petals, which makes them resemble stars from a distance. Rich lush inflorescences of bright blue color are collected in brushes. In cultivated forms, the peduncles are removed after flowering. Otherwise, Veronica will reproduce by self-seeding, which will disrupt the well-groomed appearance of the site.
Like all representatives of its species, Austrian speedwell is frost- and drought-resistant and is not fussy to care for. Looks great in combination with bells, carnations, phlox and conifers. Combines with roses. It is noteworthy that this species was included in the Red Book of the Moscow Region as a plant that is declining in number.
Speedwell threadlike
Veronica filamentous or filamentous has the ability to easily take root when planted and quickly grow due to long recumbent stems. If the plant is left unconstrained, it can eventually take over a large area, displacing other green competitors. The growth rate is up to 40 cm per year. The height of the plant is 4–5 cm. Above the head of greenery there are single pale blue flowers on thin stems. Hence the apt name of the species.
In Europe, filamentous speedwell grows on mountain slopes and meadows. A similar mountain landscape can be arranged in the garden. The ground cover flower is good for creating a beautiful living carpet on the lawn. By nature, this type of Veronica is quite severe. Loves moisture, but can easily withstand drought. It tolerates snowy winters well, but sometimes freezes in the absence of snow. And it recovers on its own.
broadleaf speedwell
Broadleaf speedwell is a medicinal plant. It has erect shoots up to half a meter high. At the ends of the stems, many flowers appear, collected in inflorescences up to 7 cm long. Flowering occurs from early June to August. Broad-leaved speedwell looks good in collective planting of perennial plants. Used for cutting when decorating bouquets. For the winter, the flower does not require shelter; it loves abundant watering, but can withstand minor droughts. In folk medicine, it is valued as a medicinal plant, harvested at the beginning of the appearance of flowers. Products based on this veronica have anti-inflammatory, blood purifying and analgesic properties.
Prostrate Veronica
Prostrate speedwell is another species of the Podorozhnikov family, listed in the Red Book of the Moscow Region as rare. A low herbaceous perennial found in the wild in meadows and along the edges of pine forests. It has many low shoots that form a dense carpet up to 10 cm high. The leaves are short 1–2 cm, flower clusters appear in the axils. The color of the inflorescences ranges from blue to pale blue.
The plant is popular because of its unpretentiousness and beautiful appearance. In garden plots, prostrate speedwell is grown as a ground cover plant and one of the inhabitants of alpine hills. Flowers appear from late spring to mid-summer. Even after the end of flowering, lush greenery has a decorative appearance almost until the onset of frost. A plant with green leaves overwinters.
Virginia Veronica
Virginia veronica is a tall plant. When grown decoratively, the height of the bush can reach up to 130 cm, sometimes up to 2 meters. On single shoots in summer, juicy green leaves of oblong shape appear. The inflorescences are white or bluish in color and look like peaks with pointed ends. Flowers bloom from June to August. To prevent the plant from losing its decorative appearance, it is better to plant it in areas constantly illuminated by the sun.
Veronica Virginiana is a moisture-loving flower; during periods of drought it requires good, abundant watering. The stems easily tolerate pruning, which can be used to obtain beautiful garden forms. In gardens it is planted as an accent flower or added to a group of lower-growing perennials.
Streaming Veronica
Stream speedwell or veronica is a water-loving plant. You can find it on the banks of rivers and lakes, in swampy areas, and on the wet slopes of ravines. Therefore, in garden plots it looks great near artificial ponds and fountains. The height, depending on the variety, ranges from 10 cm to half a meter. The long stems of this herbaceous plant have a creeping appearance, the leaves are fleshy and oval. Inflorescences with small (up to 5 mm) flowers appear from the leaf axils. The petals come in different shades from blue and pink to purple with dark or light veins. After flowering, fruits appear - spherical boxes with 2-3 dozen seeds.
Veronica blooms from April to early autumn. The lush greenery of the plant is valued for its medicinal properties. From it you can prepare diuretic, hemostatic, analgesic, wound healing and other decoctions and infusions.
Siberian speedwell
Siberian speedwell grows in the wild only in the Siberian and Far Eastern regions. Tall (up to 150 cm) stems have rather large oblong leaves and end in narrow inflorescences in the form of spikelets. When cultivated, different shades of flowers are found: from sky blue to dark purple. Siberian speedwell blooms until mid-summer, but even later retains its decorative appearance. Looks impressive as a central bush with other smaller perennials.
Agrotechnical methods of weed control
The most effective method of controlling weeds on lawns is hand weeding. The first time it should be done about 20 days after you sowed the lawn, when the root system of the weeds is still quite poorly developed. If perennial weeds appear on the lawn - dandelion, field sow thistle, etc. - they are dug up along with the root system.
Perennials are the most durable weeds. They are dug out with a narrow scoop or knife. In this case, the root systems of the weeds are buried as deep as possible. Manual weeding is a rather labor-intensive process, but it often turns out to be the most effective. After this, the damaged soil must be thoroughly compacted and watered.
Regular lawn mowing is also an effective way to get rid of weeds on lawns. For example, annual weeds can be completely destroyed with regular lawn mowing.
