Goldenrod - ornamental and medicinal plant. In the natural environment is found in Europe, the Caucasus, in the European part of Russia, in Central Asia, the Mediterranean and Scandinavia. The plant prefers slopes on the banks of rivers, forest edges and glades.
Goldenrod (solidago)
Goldenrod is an herbaceous perennial belonging to the Asteraceae family. The plant grows up to a meter in height, the stem is straight, not ramified from below, grows as it grows. The entire aerial part is covered with a soft nap. Stem green, sometimes takes a reddish tint. In goldenrod oblong leaves, the shape is similar to an ellipse, the edge is sharp with notches. The flowers of the goldenrod are small, bright, yellow, clustered in racemes consisting of many baskets.
Fruits are seeds in the shape of a cylinder, ribbed and crested. Goldenrod blooms in July, blooms often to September inclusive. Fruits ripen in October. Goldenrod is known as a beautiful melliferous. The brightness of its sunny colors and the abundance of nectar in them attract bees. The goldenrod is used as a raw material for medicines, using both the aboveground part and the rhizome for processing.
Important! In its composition, the goldenrod, or solidago (scientific name of the plant) contains toxic substances. Drugs based on it should be used strictly according to the dosage prescribed by the doctor.
How to plant goldenrod, choice of location
Goldenrod looks great in a flower bed, mixborders and rabatkah. From the plant is obtained a spectacular curb. Solidago combines well with various types of ornamental grasses.
Lighting for goldenrod: sun or shade
Goldenrod feels equally good in the sun and in partial shade. In the first case, solidago flowers bloom earlier, in the second they bloom longer.
What soil is needed for growing goldenrod
The uniqueness of the plant is that it develops well even on heavy and poor soils. If you want to see luxurious lush flowering, it is best to plant it on nutrient, air-and permeable soil.
Planting technology of the goldenrod in the garden
The period of flowering solidago associated with the timing of planting and timely care. If you transplanted the plant at the end of April, it will bloom two weeks later than the rest of the goldenrod flowers. After planting and transplanting the plant needs abundant watering.
Landing time
The optimal time for planting and transplanting the goldenrod is April - May. Land and air should be sufficiently heated, and the percentage of rooting and survival depends on soil moisture.
How to plant saplings of goldenrod
For the plant you need to dig a hole, focusing on the length of the roots of goldenrod seedlings. Pit plenty of water and fill a small mound of soil on the bottom. Lower the seedling on the hill, straighten the root system, so that the roots do not bend and feel spacious. Then sprinkle with soil, lightly tamp with your fingers and water well.
Features care for the goldenrod in the garden
Goldenrod is a non-problematic plant in both planting and care. The plant tolerates drought well, but still do not allow the soil to dry out, if you want a beautiful flowering. The same applies to dressings. On poor soils, the goldenrod will not bloom well, so in the spring, make complex compositions for flowering plants with a predominance of nitrogen in 20% of the total composition. And in the fall with a predominance of nitrogen in 10%. 
The golden rod, as the plant is also called, grows well, sometimes the stalks need support. After flowering, if you do not want self-seeding, the inflorescences with seeds must be removed. Before frost, cut off the aerial part, leaving no more than 10 cm above the surface: this way the plant will survive the winter better. Covering the goldenrod is not necessary: it is cold-resistant.
Did you know? Honey obtained from the goldenrod is used in medicine to treat various inflammatory processes in the body. The main advantage of the product is long-term crystallization. Honey retains all its beneficial properties and characteristics up to six months.
Goldenrod breeding
For goldenrod, growing from seed does not always bring results. The seeds of the plant quickly lose their ability to germinate.
Seeds
If you decide to sow the seeds, wait for a temperature that is acceptable for sowing - not less than 18 ° C. Make shallow pits and place two or three seeds in one hole, pour and water. Sprouts should slip in two to three weeks.
Attention! Remember that you will wait for flowering only a year after sowing. However, the grown plants subsequently multiply well by self-sowing.
Seedling method
There is the possibility of breeding culture seedlings. When buying, inspect the pots with seedlings: the bush should be branched, the leaves clean and rich in color, the shoots - flexible and strong. If you want to achieve lush flowering, before planting seedlings in the ground, dig the area with the introduction of humus. When planting, moisten the wells, water the plant when finished.
Propagation of the goldenrod by dividing the bush
In the process of development, the goldenrod grows strongly, which makes it possible to reproduce by dividing the bush. Shared bushes every four years, in the spring. The bush is carefully dug, divided into several parts (each must have strong shoots and roots). When planting between the bushes leave about 40 cm. After planting it is plentifully watered.
Goldenrod cutting
Goldenroot and propagated by cuttings; Consider how to grow a plant with this method. For the procedure harvested strong shoots of the current year, often from the top of the bush. You can take those branches that grew from the buds after cutting the inflorescences. For rooting, boxes or wide pots are prepared, filled with a mixture of river sand and peat 1: 1. Cuttings with a slight bias deepen into the substrate, after rooting transplanted to a permanent place.
Interesting! The medicinal properties of the plant are known for a long time, even by ancient healers. Translated from Latin, solido means "to merge, connect." Goldenrod is really used for splicing tissues in folk and traditional medicine.
The resistance of the goldenrod to diseases and pests
Goldenrod is not prone to disease, except powdery mildew, with poor care. Powdery mildew can be provoked by frequent fertilizing with nitrogen, heavily planted plantings, as well as waterlogging. In order to protect the bush from the disease, it is necessary to know the measure of fertilizers, watering and thinning plantings more often, leaving a good distance between them. If the disease still struck solidago, spray the planting Bordeaux liquid or copper sulfate. 
Of the pests of goldenrod threaten slugs. These parasites need to be assembled by hand; To impede their access to the plants, scatter the crushed nutshell around the goldenrod on the soil. Having planted a goldenrod on your plot, you will get a wonderful decoration for a garden or flower beds. The plant looks beautiful and advantageous in a single planting, and in a group of plants that bloom in the same period. In addition, caring for him is ridiculously simple and does not take much time and attention.
