Plant type: perennial or annual.
Description: These hardy plants can be ascending or bushy. The upward growing vines can reach a height of 1.8 meters and the dwarf bushy species 30-60 cm. They are mainly distributed in eastern and western Europe.
- Foliage: These flowers are covered with double blue-green leaves that reach 5 cm.
- Care: Careful care is required.
- Temperature Conditions: In general, the ranks prefer a cool environment. The temperature should be between 10-24°C.
Flowering: The plant produces flowers 5 cm wide, 1 to 4 on each stem. Their shade can be pink, red, red-brown, white, yellow or blue. There are also bicolor varieties. They have a pleasant aroma.
Lighting: full sun. Although these flowers require good light, some scarlet and orange varieties do well when covered with gauze.
Soil Type: Chyna requires well-cultivated soil. Since this flower has an ascending nature of growth, it should be supported with sticks or a lattice. The soil must be well plowed and saturated with nutrients. It is best to enrich the soil using a large amount of rotted manure or compost, and you can also add superphosphate. If the soil is acidic, you can add limestone. All this can be done in the spring, but the most suitable period for this procedure is autumn. Chin prefer compacted, well-drained soil.
Watering: The soil should always be moist. Dig a ditch 60 cm wide and 35 cm deep, and if the subsoil is poor in nutrients, add 5-7 cm of nutrient-rich loam. If the subsoil is rich, then dig it up and add coarse-grained compost or other organic fertilizers.
Fertilizers: when the ranks reach their half height, top dressing should be applied. As fertilizer, it is best to use a 7-cm layer of manure or other organic residues. Fertilizers should be scattered scattered along each row in late spring. It is not recommended to use fresh manure, as it can damage the plants. Chemical fertilizers also need to be used carefully, as if you overdo it even a little, it can cause the flower buds to fall off.
Reproduction: Chins can be reproduced by separately planting seeds in 7 cm pots filled with sandy, loamy soil. Reproduction should be carried out in March or April. When the seedlings are well rooted, they can be transplanted into the garden. In regions where winters are not as cold, seeds may be planted in November, but they will not germinate until spring. As soon as the seeds are planted in November, cover them with a 7-10 cm layer of hay or straw. Do not remove it until late winter or early spring, until the cold weather stops. Seeds need to be covered with a layer of soil as thick as their diameter. If you want to grow chinas for ornamental purposes, then propagation should be started in a cool greenhouse at a temperature of 4-10 ° C. The soil should be of the following composition: 3-4 parts of garden soil (loam), 1 part of peat moss and 1 part of sand. If the soil is too clayey, then it is advisable to add more sand and peat. All this must be sifted through a sieve with holes 1 cm wide and mixed.
Application: These plants are known to be used in medicine. China meadow, for example, is used in a number of countries as a sedative or anti-inflammatory agent. Also in medicine, the forest rank is used. Its decoction of the roots is used to treat syphilis, epilepsy and other diseases.
Optional: as soon as the plants begin to sprout, drive stakes 1.5 meters high into the ground. In order to prolong the flowering period, you need to cut the flowers before the seeds form. Chin, which is grown for decorative purposes, should not branch, but have one stem per vine. With this approach, the flower stems will grow 38-45 cm or longer, and each of them will produce 4-5 large magnificent flowers. To achieve this, remove the extra sprouts that have appeared while they are still small, but do not damage the main stem. If you are growing the plant in large quantities, then drive in stakes at the ends of the row and connect them with wire. If the rows are very long, additional stakes may need to be driven in. The wire should be on top and bottom. The lower one is at the level of 60 cm from the ground, and the upper one is 1.5 m.
Tuberous chin – Lathyrus tuberosus
This species is native to the temperate regions of Western Asia and Europe. The tuberous rank, or as it is otherwise called the tuberous rank, also has a creeping growth pattern, and it is fixed with the help of antennae. In height, this variety reaches about 1.2 meters.
Broad-leaved chin – Lathyris latifolius
This species was first discovered in southern Europe. The broad-leaved chin is hardy to cold weather, and reaches a height of about 1.8 meters. Grows well in full sun or partial shade.
