Gorse Radiant

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Radiant gorse (lat. Genista radiate) - one of the few representatives of the genus gorse of the legume family. Belongs to the category of plants suitable for the decoration of rocky and rustic gardens. The homeland of the species is considered to be the Alps, or rather their northern part. Typical natural habitats are rocky hills, mountain slopes, and areas endowed with dry light soils.

Characteristics of culture

Radiant gorse is represented by perennial plants, not exceeding 80 cm in height. They are characterized by ribbed pubescent shoots of green color, which are formed in huge numbers. They, in turn, are crowned with trifoliate foliage, consisting of medium-sized elongated leaves, reaching a length of 15 mm.

The flowers of the culture under consideration are small, yellow, very bright, collected in small inflorescences that form at the tops of the shoots. Flowering occurs in late spring, usually in the third decade of May, less often in the first decade of June. The flowering period is 21-25 days.

The fruits of the gorse are represented by oval beans, equipped with a pointed tip. They carry no more than two shiny dark brown seeds. Fruiting occurs in mid-September, in regions with a temperate climate - in the first or second decade of October.

It should be noted that radiant gorse belongs to the group of winter-hardy plants. However, when cultivating crops in the Urals or Siberia for the winter, plants need to be covered with spruce branches or any other insulating material. It should also be noted that the culture in question is unpretentious in care.

Growing features

The main condition for the successful cultivation of radiant gorse is a sunny location. The shade, especially the thick one, can destroy the plant. In addition, on shady areas, gorse will not please with active growth and abundant flowering. It is not forbidden to plant a crop on hills and hills.

Soils, in turn, are preferable light, loose, drained, with deep groundwater. Poor soils and soils with a lot of sand and limestone are also suitable. You should not try to grow gorse in areas with saline, damp, waterlogged and heavy clay soils.

It is important to remember that radiant gorse, like all its closest "brothers", has a negative attitude towards transplanting when the plant reaches two years old, since the root system grows very strongly and it becomes almost impossible to dig up the plant without damaging it. In addition, old bushes are not as attractive as young ones. By the age of three, they lose their former decorativeness: the stems are bare, fewer flowers are formed.

It is advisable to plant radiant gorse in the fall (in different regions the timing varies) or in the spring with the onset of heat. Young seedlings should be provided with abundant watering, but without waterlogging, and regular loosening of the soil. Removing weeds is encouraged, although the culture in question is not afraid of them, because it feels calm in poor areas.

A procedure called mulching will not be superfluous. It is not forbidden to use fine gravel or expanded clay as mulch. It is not recommended to apply peat, because it acidifies the soil, and the radiant gorse of the community with acidic soils will not tolerate. By the way, if there are acidic soils on the site, lime should be added to it before planting, and the problem will be solved.

In addition to loosening and watering, radiant gorse needs pruning. He tolerates this manipulation painlessly. In the spring, it is recommended to carry out sanitary pruning, which boils down to the removal of broken, frostbitten and diseased shoots. Rejuvenating pruning is also encouraged, but is done when the plant is 3-4 years old.