Enchanting grassy plant lagurus, popularly called cattail, can make an attractive and original home plot and decorate the bouquet compositions. His unpretentiousness in the care and decorative throughout the year, the view attracted to the cultivation of experienced and novice gardeners. Growing lagurus at home is easy, and this will help in the correct sequence of actions.
Botanical characteristic
Zaitsekhvost (lat. Lagurus) - one-of-a-kind in the form and form of an annual plant of the family of cereals.
To the family of cereals also include such plants as barley maned, feather grass, couch grass, citronella, turf meadow grassland, fescue, rye, chumizo, timothy meadow, bristle.Low temperatures are detrimental to him, which explains his attitude to the class of annuals. Under natural conditions, the tailtail grows self-sowing and belongs to the class of perennial plants.
Did you know? A large number of flowers used in floristics contain toxins and are poisonous.Natural habitat: North Africa, East Asia, Europe. Category: lawn, ornamental plant.
Botanical description:
- root system: highly developed, tuberiform;
- stems: light green, straight, dense, 40-60 cm high;
- inflorescences: white or lilac, swept, ovoid, densely pubescent, 4 cm / 2 cm long / wide;
- grain: dense, fusiform;
- leaves: elongated, flat, lanceolate, covered with fine pubescence.
Reproduction: seed. Pest resistance: high. Decorative effect occurs from the time of flowering and persists until the first frosts. 
Sowing and growing
The haretail prefers to grow in warm latitudes, but despite this, planting and growing a plant in our climate will not be difficult. The only available way to grow lagurus is seed.
Seeds can be purchased or harvested from previous seasons. By the way, the germination of lagurus seeds lasts for 2-3 years, after which it significantly decreases.
Initially, you can purchase seed in garden or flower shops for a reasonable price, and then harvest it yourself.
Did you know? There is a way to plant lagurus seeds in anticipation of the onset of the first frost. This method will not allow seeds to germinate until spring and harden them for future productive germination.
Harvesting seeds is not difficult and requires timely cleaning of inflorescences. This time falls on an early and still warm autumn, when the "tails" dry up a bit. Before harvesting, the grain must be dried well in a dark place, after which it should be thoroughly washed in the hands.The loose seeds are preferably sifted from a height of 30-40 cm in order to extract all unproductive.
Choosing a place
The haretail is a heat-loving plant, so a future landing should be planned in a well-lit area with a moderate shade.
Thermophilic plants include peperomia, caladium, trachelium, bergamot, left-wing, dieffenbachia, and tuberose.
In order for the lagurus to begin its development and flowering as early as possible, it is important to pre-grow and prepare seedlings.
The time of planting seeds for seedlings should fall on the beginning of April. For growing any warm room without direct sunlight (room or balcony) is suitable. 
When the planting material is strong, it can be transplanted to an open and prepared area. As a rule, this time falls on the second half of May.
Important! Lagurus painfully transfers the process of transplantation, therefore, it is necessary to plant the seedlings using the "transshipment" method, i.e. with preservation of the whole earthen coma.
Soil preparation and fertilizing
Despite its overall unpretentiousness, to obtain strong and durable seedlings, it is necessary to properly prepare the ground for planting. The most favorable for planting a mixture of soil in equal parts with humus and sand.
Such a light and loose soil will allow the seeds to easily and quickly sprout. To protect young sprouts from the appearance of pests, the prepared soil can be 20-30 minutes. "fry" in the oven or "steamed" in a water bath. 
Before planting, prepared soil should be shed with water in good quality so that excess moisture can evaporate.
For a good future rooting, you can add to the water to impregnate any rotor (for example, "Kornevin").
In the initial stage of growth, the soil can be fertilized with mullein diluted with water at a ratio of 1:10, and at the stage of active growth it is permissible to impregnate the soil with any mineral fertilizer (nitrogen-phosphorus).
Mineral fertilizers include: Plantafol, Azofoska, Sudarushka, Kristalon, Ammophos, Kemira, Master.
Planting seeds
Good germination of seeds does not provide for their prior stratification, i.e., special preparation of seeds for rapid germination. This quality allows you to sow the seed directly on the prepared wet soil. 
Sowing seeds can be rarely or densely, but with subsequent picking.
Important! The optimal distance between the growing sprouts is 3-4 cm.
For planting fit any capacity: it can be boxes, special containers for seedlings or ordinary flower pots. The main condition is that the seedlings have enough space for development.
Sowing seed, it is necessary to powder it on top with a thin layer of soil (0.5 cm) and cover with polyethylene for the first 2-3 weeks. This will help to avoid fluctuations in April temperatures and accelerate the germination of the first shoots.
For strength and growth in the daytime, plants can be placed closer to the light, but avoiding direct rays, with a gradually increasing time for "airing" and "hardening" the shoots. 
Watering and moisture
During the cultivation of seedlings it is important to moisten the soil in time, but avoid overflows. The most optimal at this time to carry out watering with a spray gun, it will help avoid leaching of soil and seeds.
During active growth you need to water as the soil dries. On hot days, this should be done daily.
Important! In overmoistened soil, the hawthorns root system begins to rot, which leads to the subsequent death of the plant.
Harvesting dried flowers
In order to use the plant for decorative purposes as decoration of bouquets (or of a different kind) of compositions, the material should be prepared during the full maturation of the broomstick. 
Panicles are cut during the day, avoiding the time of early morning or late evening. This will help avoid the appearance of dew on the "spikelets" and their subsequent loss of decoration.
For convenience, cut off panicles should be tied into small and loose bunches and snickered and dried by hanging or carefully spreading them on any surface.
It is possible to store the prepared material for creativity both in a suspended condition, and the placed free bouquets or spread out in containers. Keep better in a ventilated area away from sunlight, so the natural color of the plant will be preserved.
This method will also help to avoid their subsequent burning out and drying out. 
Did you know? If you dry the lagurus in direct sunlight, the panicles will turn white, which later will facilitate their decorative coloring.
The use of dried flowers in floristics
The use of a tailor in the design of bouquets is possible both in its natural color and by means of coloring. For dyeing suitable natural dyes in the form of solutions, inks or aerosols.
For this, panicles are placed temporarily in a solution with dye or ink. The amount of exposure time depends on preferences and expectations.
After aging in a solution with paints, it is necessary to rinse the plant with water in order for the coloring to end evenly, then dry in a shaded place. 
As for the staining with spray paints, everything is much easier. The plant is uniformly colored, and then suspended to dry paint away from sunlight.
Store the resulting material can be shared and in the same conditions with unpainted.
Growing a horsetailtail, it is possible not only to improve a garden or a personal plot, but also to provide oneself with a “natural” decorative material for making floral (and not only) compositions. This is a very cute and ornamental plant, resembling a "rabbit tail."
Even a novice gardener will be able to plant and grow it, since it is not demanding in care, and ease in harvesting seed material will allow it to be grown from year to year.
