Leptinella squalida

Leptinella squalida

Today we are going to talk about a type of carpet plant that is easy to grow and can spread quite quickly. It's about the Leptinella squalida. They are plants that serve to cover the floors as if it were a garden but without being it directly. They are ideal to place on rockeries or to cover a free space in our garden. Since they are very easy to cultivate and spread through the land, it does not need too much care.

In this article we are going to tell you all the characteristics, properties and care that the Leptinella squalida.

Key features

It is a type of upholstery plant that serves to cover the ground that has holes both in the garden and in other land. The advantage over other cover plants is that it is a type of perennial plant. This means that they will be throughout the year covering the ground completely in full coverage. It belongs to the Asteraceae family and is also known by the name of cotule. Another of the frequently used groundcover plants in this area is known as Yarrow. This plant is also found with the same foliage and the same finesse when it comes to spreading throughout the territory.

La Leptinella squalida It is a plant native to New Zealand although it is also found in Australia, South America, Asia, South Africa and numerous plant nurseries throughout the planet. The ease of spreading and being able to inhabit different parts of the world it resides in that it has a great capacity to resist droughts. It is true that they do not like the land that is very often, rather it needs a certain degree of humidity, but they do have resistance when conditions are adverse.

These characteristics make the Leptinella squalida become a good ally of the gardener who seeks to quickly cover the free spaces in rocks, more inaccessible corners and some small spaces between the floor slabs. Since it is a plant that installs quickly, its price in the market is cheaper and it does not usually give maintenance problems.

Caring for the Leptinella squalida

leptinella squalida grass

Let's see what the care of the Leptinella squalida and the aspects that we must take into account if we want it to last as long as possible covering the ground. First of all is sun exposure. Like any plant that we grow in gardening for ornamental purposes, we need to take care of some aspects of the plant so that it survives as long as possible. Regarding sun exposure it is a plant that likes to be in shade or semi shade. Above all, if we live in a warmer area with high temperatures throughout the year, it is better to grow it in the shade. In this way we will be guaranteeing that the plant will not suffer from the direct incidence of the sun's rays.

It does not have to be a dark place, but it can be very bright without having too many hours of direct sunlight. These types of plants are commercialized since they can grow in almost any type of soil. There is no special soil for Leptinella squalida, but it can develop in almost anyone. The only thing that he has of preference is the fresh earth. However, in winter it does not tolerate too much excess humidity. This characteristic must be taken into account when we install it on a floor located in the shade. Here the evaporation rate of rain or irrigation water will be lower than elsewhere in the garden. Therefore, it is important that the soil has good drainage.

Soil drainage is the ability to filter irrigation or rain water and prevent its accumulation. If the rainwater accumulates constantly, the roots of this plant could die and end up leaving the soils with spaces again.

Maintenance of the Leptinella squalida

plant to fill holes

Some of the maintenance tasks for this plant is spraying. If the soil is too dry and the climate is warm, it is interesting to spray the plant. And it is that their greatest care requirements are at the time when the Leptinella squalida it was growing. It tolerates drought relatively but not for too long. We must be careful when we grow in tanks since it is necessary to water during periods of higher temperature.

It has a great resistance to cold since It is able to withstand temperatures of -15 degrees quite well. However, it prefers heat to cold. Since it is a wallcovering plant, it is not known my famous for its flowering. It is especially its leaves that seduce about this plant. The constant blooming of some small flowers of a yellow color but it is nothing spectacular. That is, it is not a plant that has an ornamental value as such.

As for the foliage, when we finally tell it it reminds us of the fern. It is a highly sought after plant by gardeners as they use it as if it were a carpet plant. They tend to be about 5 centimeters high and can serve as a replacement for grass or lawn. Where it is most used is for the most inaccessible corners of the garden. The advantage that this plant has over other upholstery is that agrees to be trampled. Its green leaves may have a variant and it is the Leptinella squalida Platts Black. This variety has a more remarkable foliage but of a purple red color. It is one of the varieties that most attracts gardeners who appreciate these tones in their decoration. It also serves to combine with other plants and make a very interesting game of colors.

Growth and multiplication

We mentioned at the beginning of the article it grows quite fast although it is not invasive. Grow from its rhizomes. It is also the engine of some advantages against diseases or pests since it is not usually prone to suffer any of them. When it comes to multiplication, we must know that, as soon as the heart of the plant blooms, it is a signal for the plant to divide. This usually happens in early spring.

I hope that with this information you can learn more about the Leptinella squalida and their characteristics.


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