The creeping bugle is a low-maintenance perennial that flowers mainly in blue-purple. Our tips will tell you how to achieve this blaze of color.
If the soil is fresh and nutrient-rich, the crawling bugle (Ajuga reptans) will often be found there. The labiate family is distributed worldwide. There are about forty different types. Only four species are represented in Central Europe. The plants originally come from North America and Asia.The evergreen ground covers are between ten and thirty centimeters high and grow up to an altitude of 2,000 meters. The garden bugle can often be found in sparse forests and on the edges of forests and fields. As an ornamental plant, the creeping Günsel is characterized by its joy of growth and its uncomplicated care. Nevertheless, you should consider a few things if you want the creeping Günsel in the bed to give you pleasure. In the following you will find out what is important when caring for the plants.
Watering the crawling bugle properly
The creeping bugle needs balanced soil moisture. The soil must not dry out, but it should not be too moist either. The plants must be protected from waterlogging. Waterlogging occurs when the liquid cannot drain off sufficiently. Waterlogging attacks the roots and, undetected, often leads to the death of the plant.
Your finger test will tell you whether the Günsel needs to be watered. If the substrate has dried slightly in the upper soil layers, you should use a watering can. If the soil continues to dry out, the plants will grow stunted or even die.
Tip: Use tap water and rainwater alternately for irrigation. This keeps the soil at a slightly acidic to neutral level and creates ideal growth conditions for the plant.
Fertilize the Creeping Bugle Properly
The plant's soil requirements should be taken into account when planting. The creeping bugle needs a nutrient-rich substrate. Barren soils should be enriched with compost or horn shavings. If the soil has a sufficient concentration of nutrients, it is sufficient if you start theFertilize in March during the growing season.
Tip: Incorporating compost after planting could damage the stolons that have already formed.
If the creeping bugle was planted in rather poor soil, it makes sense to fertilize more frequently with manure made from comfrey or nettle leaves. You can also place a few leaves of the plants mentioned in the planting hole when planting before planting.
Tip: If the creeping bugle was planted in nutrient-rich soil, it does not necessarily have to be fertilized.
If the plant shows signs of deficiency, such as stunted growth and discolored leaves or few flowers, fertilize regularly.
Does the crawling bugle need to be cut?
Regular trimming is not necessary. The plant only reaches a maximum growth height of 30 centimeters. If the flowers have withered, you should reach for the scissors. If you remove the withered inflorescences regularly, the plant does not have to invest unnecessary energy in the development of the Klaus fruits. As a result, the plants grow stronger and last longer. In addition, by regularly removing withered inflorescences, you reduce the self-seeding of the plant.
The creeping bugle does not need to be cut back in autumn. The evergreen foliage is a pretty ornament in the winter garden. In early spring, before the start of the growing season, you can cut back the remaining foliage or remove it with a lawn mower. To prevent the plant from spreading unintentionally, cut back stolons that are too long in spring and autumn.
Caring for crawling buggies - tips and advice
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Select pretty varieties for the ornamental garden
The creeping bugle is wrongly given comparatively little importance as an ornamental plant. Through the targeted selection of different varieties, you ensure an appealing variety in the bed.
✿ Crawling Bugle Mahogany
There is hardly a more beautiful form of the garden bugle. This bugle has glossy foliage that turns an expressive mahogany in fall. The blue-violet flowers are also an ornament. This variety grows about 15 centimeters high and is also suitable for planting in window boxes and planters.
❁ Multicolored Bugle "Burgundy Glow"
The multicolored foliage is the eye-catcher of this variety. The leaf green is enriched by white and pink nuances. A dash of color is particularly important in the rather dreary conservatory. The blue-purple flowers appear between April and May. With a height of 10 to 15 centimetres, this bugle is rather small.
❁ White-flowered bugle "Alba"
This particularly fast-growing variety can impress with its lush green foliage and white flowers. The flowering period extends from May to July. This variety also looks very decorative in planters.
❁ Red-leaved bugle "Elmblut"
This variety flowers as early as April. Bright pale blue flowers appear. This Günsel spreads quickly and is therefore very well suited as a ground cover. The reddish-brown glossy foliage provides a nice contrast. This bugle grows between 10 and 30 centimeters tall.
How to breed the crawling bugle?
The propagation of the crawling bugle is possible through stolons and division. Propagation is not a problem. You can simply divide the plants in spring and autumn and replant them in a different location. The roots can easily be divided with a spade. Since sooner or later you will counteract the spread of the plant with appropriate measures, you will not lack plant material for propagation. Bring the individual root segments to a length of about 15 centimeters and place the sections in a nutrient-rich substrate at the desired location. Rooting will then usually take place quickly and without further action.
Tip: Propagation by seeds is tedious and expensive, because the plants are cold germs.
Wintering crawling bugle: what isto consider?
No special precautions need to be taken. The plants are hardy and can withstand temperatures down to -20 degrees without any problems. This affects the Günsel in the field. Potted plants are more sensitive. The planter threatens to freeze completely. Therefore, provide winter protection from brushwood or leaves and place the bucket on a base made of wood or styrofoam.
Tip: In case of drought, the creeping bugle should also be watered on frost-free days in winter so that the soil does not dry out completely.