Glechoma

           

Family. Lamiaceae

Origin. Europe. Often found in shady, damp places.

Description. Glechoma is a perennial, fast-growing evergreen herbaceous plant. Although this creeping species is considered a weed, its variegated form is quite attractive.

The stems are square in cross-section, with pronounced ribs, mostly weakly branched, erect or creeping. The surface of the stems is covered with light pubescence.

It is interesting that the stems are divided into flowering and vegetative - used only for reproduction. Flowering branches are erect, vegetative - creep along the ground.

The leaves are round, with diverging veins and serrated edges, bright green, silvery or variegated, depending on the species, have a faint minty smell. The surface of the leaf blade is pubescent.

The leaf nodes are often bordered with long white hairs.

In summer, pale lilac, sometimes white or pink flowers of irregular shape with a tubular cup 4-7 mm long are formed in the leaf axils.

The variegated variety is distinguished by silvery spots on the leaves.

Height. The length of creeping stems reaches 25-70 cm, flower shoots reach only 10-15 cm in height.  The flower develops quickly. 

Planting and care

Growing in open ground

Glechoma is easy to grow in the garden as a flowering or decorative-deciduous groundcover species.

When planting, pay attention to the fact that the plant is capable of self-propagation and quickly fills the area provided to it.

Plant only specially bred varieties in open ground that are easy to care for, or limit planting with garden decorative tape to avoid uncontrolled spread.

For planting, choose a place protected from direct sunlight during the day.

Since the flower is not picky about the composition of the soil, the main condition for successful cultivation is a slightly acidic, neutral or alkaline pH reaction of the soil. Strongly acidic soils can be pre-diluted with lime milk, crushed chalk or wood ash can be added to them.

Glechoma is planted in the garden both as seedlings and by direct sowing of seeds.

Planting holes for seedlings are prepared at a fairly large distance, since the stems of adult specimens can grow up to 70 cm in length and cover a large area with a solid carpet.

The seedling is taken out of the cup along with a lump of earth and lowered into the planting hole.

The root system is sprinkled with prepared soil and abundantly watered with warm water.

Further care will consist of timely watering and fertilizing.

Fertilizing is sufficient only 2-3 times per season.

Seeds are sown both in spring and autumn so that the shoots do not have time to appear before the onset of frost.

The flower easily tolerates wintering and does not need shelter. An interesting feature of the plant is that it retains green leaves throughout the winter, and with the onset of the first spring days, a bright green carpet immediately appears from under the snow.

Reproduction

In spring or summer, easily rooted stem cuttings, creeping stems and seeds. 

In nature, glechoma easily spreads independently with the help of roots that form in leaf nodes upon contact with the ground.

1. At home, you can take advantage of this property and root the shoots in a small pot placed near the mother plant in spring and summer.
2. The shoots are taken into this pot, pinned to the surface of the soil and the flower is regularly watered, keeping the soil evenly moist. Young leaves that appear on the cuttings will indicate that roots have formed underground.
3. Such cuttings are separated from the mother bush 1 - 1.5 months after the appearance of new growth. 

Stem cuttings root successfully in spring and summer both in a moist substrate and in plain water.

1. Cuttings 7–10 cm long with several leaf nodes are separated from adult specimens.
2. For rooting in water, semi-lignified cuttings are immersed in liquid by 1 cm. It is better to shade the base of the cuttings from the sun, since roots form faster in the dark.
3. The water in the glass is changed every 5-6 days and an activated carbon tablet is added to it.
4. The first rudiments of roots can be seen after 3-4 days, and when the roots reach 1-2 cm in length, the seedlings can be planted in the ground.

Cuttings rooted in water after replanting slightly slow down their growth - at this time their root system gets used to new conditions.

1. When rooting in soil, choose a transparent plastic container with a lid for planting.
2. The cuttings are separated with sharp pruning shears and the lower leaf blades are removed.
3. The bases of the cuttings can be powdered with growth hormones, but this is not necessary.
4. The bases are immersed in a loose and well-moistened soil mixture and covered with a transparent lid. In such conditions, increased air humidity is created, which will facilitate rapid rooting.
5. The container is placed in a warm place, protected from direct sun.
6. From time to time, the cover is lifted, the resulting condensation is removed and the seedlings are ventilated.
7. If necessary, the plants are sprayed with warm water from a fine spray bottle.

It will be possible to speak about the fact that roots have appeared under the surface of the substrate when young leaves appear on the cuttings. The shelter can be completely removed at this time. 

Glechoma is quite easy to grow from seeds that are sown in the spring.

1. For sowing, use a transparent plastic container filled with loose, nutritious and well-moistened substrate.
2. Seeds are sown on the surface of the soil and covered with a small layer of earth 3 - 5 mm thick.
3. From above, the crops are thoroughly moistened with a sprayer and covered with a lid to create a greenhouse effect.
4. The container is placed in a place shaded from direct sunlight, but well-lit with a temperature of 20 - 22 degrees Celsius.
5.  The cover is removed daily, gradually increasing the time of ventilation of the crops.

2 - 3 weeks after sowing, you can notice the appearance of the first shoots - at this time the cover can be completely removed.

Plants are planted in separate cups when each bush has 2-3 true leaf blades. The picking is carried out as carefully as possible, trying not to disturb the root system.

After picking, after 10-14 days, the first feeding is carried out using a weak solution of mineral fertilizers with a high nitrogen content.

How to care

Glechoma is extremely unpretentious - adult specimens are resistant to drought and easily tolerate polluted atmosphere. This is an extremely easy-to-care-for species, undemanding to the substrate and preferring shading.

Variegated varieties are more demanding of maintenance conditions and need brighter lighting, regular watering and a substrate rich in nutrients.

In early spring, pinch the tops of the shoots and cut off too long stems, maintaining a compact shape.

Remove old and damaged branches in a timely manner with a sharp sterile pruning shears. The plants easily tolerate even radical pruning and quickly recover.

In the spring, take the pot out into the fresh air, placing it on a balcony or loggia.

In the cold season, do not place the bushes near heating systems.

Temperature

Cool conditions in summer, minimum temperature in winter around 10°C. Glechoma does not like intense heat and only abundant watering and high air humidity will help to cope with it.

During the winter months, it is better to provide a cool rest period, as the new growth that appears at this time will be unsightly - loose and elongated.

The plants will experience an acute lack of light in the fall and winter, and low temperatures will slow down their development. Representatives of this genus should not be exposed to temperatures below 5 °C.

Flowering time 

At the end of spring, in the middle of summer. 

Diseases and pests 

Diseases are rare in plants receiving proper care.

• If there is not enough light, the bush may become loose and elongated, and its flowering will be less abundant or will not occur at all.
• Exposure to direct sunlight during the daytime in spring and summer can cause burns on the leaves.
• Insufficient air humidity can manifest itself in the form of dry leaf tips.
• With a lack of nutrition, glechoma leaves turn yellow and dry out.
• A fungal disease such as powdery mildew occurs in plants kept in a cool, damp and poorly ventilated place.
• With an increased nitrogen content in the substrate, green mass grows abundantly, and the buds become rare and small.
• When moisture stagnates in the soil or in the pan, root rot begins.  

Harmful insects that may attack include whiteflies, aphids and spider mites.

Lighting

Bright lighting, but not direct sun. To keep the flower, choose eastern or western windows.

Shoots and leaves can take sun baths in the morning or evening. During the day, it is better to protect them from the scorching rays.

When growing on the southern windowsill, the pots are moved deeper into the room or protected from the sun with a light tulle curtain. When kept on the northern side, artificial lighting should be provided, for which fluorescent daylight lamps or special phytolamps are used.

Variegated or variegated varieties need more light, since their leaf blades contain less chlorophyll. Make sure that these specimens receive 3-4 hours of direct sunlight daily. When grown in partial shade, white spots disappear.

Rotate the pot a quarter turn around its axis once a week so that the bush remains symmetrical and thick, and the stems do not stretch towards the light source.

Soil

A loose mixture based on soil or peat is suitable for maintenance. The plant does not have any special requirements for nutrient content.

Glechoma tolerates a wide range of soil pH well - from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline (pH from 5.5 to 7.5). The flower does not tolerate only highly acidic soils and increased salinity.

The mixture can be composed of such components as peat, garden soil, humus, leaf and turf soil.

Adding a small amount of wood ash or pieces of charcoal will help loosen the substrate and fill it with nutrients.

To improve drainage, use coarse river sand, perlite or vermiculite.

The substrate should not only easily pass moisture, but also allow the root system to breathe.

Feeding

In spring and summer, feed every 2-3 weeks with liquid fertilizer. It is advisable to dilute the fertilizer to half the dose recommended on the package.

In the autumn months, the frequency of feeding and the content of nutrients in them are reduced. In the winter months, when the flower is resting and slowing down its development, fertilizers should not be used.

Resume regular feeding in the spring, when the bush begins to form young leaves and shoots.

Add a nutrient solution to moist soil after abundant watering. Chemicals getting on the root system in a dry substrate can cause a chemical burn.

Plants respond well to both mineral and organic fertilizers. Well-rotted manure, a solution of bird droppings or humus are added as organic matter.

The best results when growing glechoma can be achieved by alternating organic and mineral fertilizers.

These perennials tolerate nutrient deficiency better than excess, so fertilize with caution.

Spraying

Glechoma has no special requirements for air humidity.

Spray the leaves occasionally to prevent pests such as spider mites. Spray in the first half of the day - the water should have time to dry before dark.

Use water at room temperature, settled for a day or more. When spraying, moisture should not get on the buds and flowers.

During the flowering period, to increase the air humidity, you should use room humidifiers or simply place any container with water next to the pot.

When increasing the air humidity, do not forget about its sufficient movement - place the bush in a ventilated room with good air circulation.

Watering

In summer, keep the substrate moist; In winter, when kept in a cool room, watering should be limited.  For irrigation, use well-settled tap water at room temperature. Glechoma can also be watered with softened drinking bottled water or filtered liquid.

Excess water that appears in the pan after watering must be drained, not allowing water to stagnate at the root system.

Transplantation

Transplantation is carried out in the spring, when the roots fill the substrate. The best time will be the beginning of new growth.

The signal for transplantation will be the appearance of root tips in the drainage holes of the pot.

One of the gentle methods of transplantation is transshipment.

When transshipping, the bush is transferred to a new pot together with the old earthen lump, without destroying it.

You should not replant flowering specimens - wait until flowering is over.

1. To grow choose rather flat and shallow pots with large drainage holes.
2. The first thing to do is place a layer of drainage at the bottom of the pots, which can consist of small expanded clay, river pebbles, foam crumbs or broken bricks.
3. A small layer of soil is poured onto the drainage layer and the seedling is moved.
4. Pour fresh soil mixture into the pot around the perimeter and lightly tap the walls of the container so that there are no voids left in the soil. 
5. After transshipment, the soil is watered generously, excess water that appears in the tray is removed and the plant is placed in a warm place, protected from direct sunlight, for 7 - 10 days.

After 1.5 - 2 months after transshipment, you can feed with mineral fertilizers with a balanced composition. Earlier feeding is not worth it - the bushes will need only those nutrients that are already contained in the fresh soil.

Purpose

Glechoma is a magnificent ampelous perennial, hardy and easy to grow in hanging baskets.

The plant is also often used as a ground cover, planting it at the foot of large trees.

The flower has many useful properties and is used as a medicinal raw material for kidney diseases, abscesses, tumors and vision problems.

In open ground, it is often planted at the foot of large bushes and trees as a living mulch - the bushes suppress the development of weeds and do not allow moisture to evaporate too quickly from the soil surface.

Since many varieties tolerate dirty air with a fairly large amount of exhaust gases, they are often used in urban landscaping - in street flower beds and flower beds.

Seedlings are often placed between rows of strawberries - it is believed that they contain substances that save strawberries from rotting. By forming a dense grassy mat, glechoma ensures that the berries will be located on its leaves, and not on the ground.

Note - beneficial properties of glechoma

Glechoma is used in folk medicine as a plant capable of removing harmful toxins from the body. Green parts are collected and used in medicine during the flowering period.

The stems are cut in the morning or evening hours. Drying of raw materials is carried out in a warm and dry place without access to sunlight. The stems are tied into small bundles or simply laid out on shelves in a layer no more than 5 cm high.

Herbal teas, decoctions and tinctures with this herb help to strengthen and maintain the health of blood vessels, stimulate the production of gastric juice and increase appetite.

The plant contains zinc, which promotes the normal functioning of the pancreas, prostate, thyroid gland and helps to lose weight - it promotes the burning of fat in the body, speeds up metabolism.

The shoots and leaves have choleretic, expectorant, hemostatic and analgesic properties.

With the help of the flower, you can get rid of parasites. It is believed that fresh leaves can draw out pus and cleanse wounds.

The juice can dilate blood vessels, which means it helps lower blood pressure.

Baths with a decoction help relieve joint inflammation. Compresses help to fuse bone tissue, so they are applied to the site of fractures.

A flower planted on the site attracts bees and serves as an excellent honey plant - glechoma honey has a pleasant taste and aroma.

The essential oil is used to flavor various drinks, and also masks the unpleasant smell of some medications. In medicine, essential oil is used as a wound healing and disinfectant.