Kirkazon Griffith

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

Kirkazon Griffith (lat. Aristolochia griffithii) - winding shrub; species of the genus Kirkazon of the Kirkazonov family. The second name is Griffith's aristolochia. A rare species, rarely used in landscaping. It grows naturally in South and North America.

Characteristics of culture and features of reproduction

Kirkazon Griffith is a climbing shrub with hairy cylindrical stems and reddish-brown shoots. Leaves are thin, large, rounded or heart-shaped, auricular or cordate at the base, white or brown-reddish pubescent in the central part, rarely pubescent at the edge, up to 26 cm wide, up to 28 cm long, sit on densely fleecy petioles up to 10 cm.

The flowers are single, medium-sized, with a dark purple calyx covered with yellow spots, a horseshoe-shaped tube, a blood-red throat and a discoid-rounded three-lobed limb up to 12 m in diameter. The fruit is a cylindrical capsule up to 3 cm wide, up to 18 cm long., suitable for vertical gardening.

It is used extremely rarely in Russia. The species is relatively winter-hardy, resistant to pests and diseases, does not differ in drought resistance, likes high humidity (and this applies not only to the soil, but also to the air). Like other species, Griffith's kirkazon propagates by seeds, green and winter cuttings and layering. All methods are effective, but the seed method causes some difficulties. The fact is that in zones with a temperate climate, the fruits of plants are not always tied, and if they are tied, then the seeds do not have time to ripen before the onset of stable frosts.

You can get seeds by acting as follows: bring Kirkazon for the winter to a room with an air temperature of at least 15C, cut off part of the shoots, leaving those that bear fruit. As soon as the seeds are ripe, the pods will begin to crack, at which point you need to collect the seeds. It is preferable to sow fresh seeds, previously subjected to cold stratification, the duration of which is 1, 5-3 months. The seeds of kirkazon are stratified in wet sand, stored in a cellar or refrigerator at a temperature of 0-5C.

Sowing is recommended to be carried out in May in pre-prepared ridges to a depth of 1, 5-2 cm. The distance between rows should be at least 10 cm. It is also not forbidden to sow in the fall immediately after harvesting, in this case stratification can be dispensed with, if, of course, the seeds will be sown in open ground under cover in the form of a dry leaf or any other organic insulation. Both in spring and in autumn sowing, seedlings will appear together and in large numbers. So, seeds sown in autumn will germinate in late May - early June; sown in spring - in July.

In the first year, the seedlings of Kirkazon Griffith develop very slowly, which is associated with the return of all forces to the formation of a strong root system. The maximum growth of an annual seedling is 30-50 cm. The seedlings obtained from seeds are transplanted to a permanent place in the second or third year of life. Two weeks before planting, a pit measuring 50 * 50/60 cm is prepared and a soil mixture, which is made up of garden soil, leaf humus and sand in a ratio of 1: 1: 1. A drainage layer must be laid out at the bottom of the pit. The roots of the seedling are shortened by 1/3 of the length.

What is important to remember when landing? First, the root collar of the seedling is not buried; secondly, they install a solid support on which the bush will curl; thirdly, after planting, it is necessary to carry out abundant watering; fourth, to carry out mulching. The latter procedure will facilitate maintenance, that is, eliminate weeding and reduce the amount of watering, because mulch helps to retain moisture in the soil for a longer period.

Subtleties of care

What procedures does Kirkazon care consist of ?! These are standard operations that are not difficult even for novice gardeners. These include: watering, loosening, weeding, sanitary pruning (formative pruning is not required) and feeding with mullein solution (2-3 times per season, the exact amount of dressings depends solely on soil fertility). Watering is the main care procedure; without it, plants feel defective, develop slowly and bloom poorly.