Content
Agrotechnics of the ball-headed Mordovnik honey plant consists in the selection of a suitable soil composition, time and technology for planting seeds. The subsequent care of the plant, including watering and fertilization, affects the germination and honey productivity of late summer honey plants.
Description of the plant
A herbaceous plant Ball-headed Mordovnik is a representative of the Astrov family, distributed in Western Europe, the North Caucasus District, in the South, the European part of the Russian Federation, found in Siberia and the Urals. The plant blooms in early July. Perennial Mordovnik ball-headed belongs to medicinal plants, cultivated as a honey plant. In pharmacology, it is the basis of the drug "Echinopsin". It is used in traditional medicine.
External description of the plant:
- Mordovnik grows up to 2 m in height.
- The stem is long, thin, branched upwards. Trichomes of a brown shade, resembling a pile, are formed along the entire length.
- The leaves of Mordovnik ball-headed are pinnately dissected with formations along the edge in the form of small thorns. The plate is elongated (up to 20 cm), up to 8 cm wide, the surface is rough, the edges are carved. The color of the upper part is deep green, the lower part of the leaf plate is light gray. The leaves grow along the entire stem in the form of a spiral, at the base the diameter is larger, towards the top it decreases, at the end point of growth the leaves are small in size.
- Flowers are located on the main axis, collected in a spherical, prickly inflorescence up to 400 pieces. Up to 35 inflorescences with a diameter of up to 6 cm are formed on the stem. Depending on the type, the flowers are white, light blue or blue.
- Fruits in the form of cylindrical achenes with a cupped tuft.
- The root system is pivotal, in-depth.
Ball-headed Mordovnik bears fruit for 2 years of growing season, the first season the plant forms a basket of long leaves, the diameter of which is about 65 cm. Flowering begins in July and lasts until mid-August. The culture belongs to the second wave of honey plants that bloom after the May and June honey plants. The flowers of Mordovnik ball-headed are available to bees all daylight hours, they close in the complete absence of lighting.
What types are there
Mordovnik has more than 180 species. Most of it grows like weeds on roadsides, wastelands, forest edges, in the steppe. Mordovnik is grown in three varieties.
In addition to the ball-headed one, the common Mordovnik is cultivated. This compact honey plant does not extend upwards more than 65 cm. The central stem and the underside of the leaf plate are covered with glandular trichomes. The color of the leaves is bright green, the same throughout the leaf, 15 cm long.It blooms at the end of summer with white, blue-tinted inflorescences, 2.5 cm in diameter.
The height of the broad-leaved mordovnik is about 80 cm. The stem is hard, thick, covered with silvery trichomes, looks white against the background of foliage. Leaves are up to 25 cm long, 10 cm wide, green in color. Along the edge there are wide teeth ending in spines. It blooms with blue or purple flowers.
Benefits of growing as a honey plant
The cultivation of the Mordovnik plant as a honey plant does not require special agricultural techniques.The culture tolerates changes in night and daytime air temperature well, the vegetation is not affected by the proximity of weeds. After sowing, the ball-headed Mordovnik needs only one top dressing. The plant is drought-resistant, it can do without watering for a long time, but for greater productivity in the first year of growth, the plant needs moderate watering. Then the root system goes deep into the soil, soil moistening becomes irrelevant.
The advantage of the ball-headed mordovnik is the secretion of nectar during the entire illuminated time, regardless of the weather. The honey plant blooms relatively late and is the main supplier of nectar. Duration of flowering is about 45 days. The spring harvest is mainly used for feeding children, and at the end of summer there is a mass harvesting of honey for the winter, so planting a plant is economically justified. Ball-headed mordovia grows in one place for 10 years, independently scattering seeds and filling empty spaces.
The plant is aesthetically pleasing, looks harmoniously with flower crops on the site, complements the landscape design. It is a favorite among honey plants. Possesses medicinal properties, the fruits consist of active substances that are widely used in alternative medicine and pharmacology.
Agricultural applications
Ball-headed mordovnik is cultivated as a fodder for livestock. Cutting is carried out 3 times during the summer-autumn season. The first two go for fodder, the last one is laid in silo pits. For the winter period, farmers provide animals with a feed additive with a large amount of useful microelements.
Honey productivity
The main factor for breeding a culture is honey productivity. In Russia, only linden can compete with Mordovnik in the yield of nectar during the period of active flowering. Each inflorescence of Mordovnik ball-headed contains about 70% of polysaccharide and disaccharide compounds.
The inflorescence is large, round shape allows several bees to settle on it. Up to 170 individuals can visit the plant per hour. The nectar is constantly being produced. The productivity of Mordovnik ball-headed under favorable climatic conditions is from 0.5 to 0.9 tons of honey per 1 hectare. Low-growing varieties yield 350 kg from the same area. In very dry summers, productivity drops by 35%.
Nectar productivity
Nectar is generated in the flower of the honey plant by nectaries, through a conical passage it flows out to the surface, completely covering the entire inflorescence. At high air humidity and a temperature not lower than +250 C, one flower of Mordovnik ball-headed is capable of producing up to 7 mg of a transparent, colorless substance with a tart aroma.
Growing Mordovnik as a honey plant
Mordovnik ball-headed is planted in large areas with seeds. On a personal plot, you can propagate a honey plant by dividing an adult 2-year-old bush. The works are carried out in the spring. This method is laborious, the root system of Mordovnik is pivotal, in-depth. There are pluses in this breeding method: by the end of summer, the culture will bloom.
What soils does the honey plant grow on?
Ball-headed Mordovnik grows everywhere, it can be planted in untreated plots, the main condition is a sufficient amount of ultraviolet radiation. In the shade, the vegetation slows down. Soils for planting are chosen from neutral black earth, or clay, fertilized with organic matter. The best option is fields after wheat or corn. Wetlands with close groundwater are not suitable, the root system rots under such conditions, the honey plant may die.
Sowing terms and rules
Seeds of Mordovnik ball-headed can be collected independently or purchased. Sowing is carried out in open ground in the fall from mid-September to the end of October. Spring sowing is rarely resorted to, since the culture grows more slowly.
Algorithm of actions:
- The seeds are mixed with sawdust.
- Depressions (2.5 cm) are made in the form of grooves.
- Scatter the prepared mixture.
- Fall asleep with soil.
- The distance between the rows is at least 65 cm.
In a temperate climate, a honey plant Mordovnik ball-headed seedling is planted in a small area. Seed laying works are carried out in early March in containers with peat. After two weeks, the culture will give young growth. They are planted on the site in early May.
Care rules
The honey plant Mordovnik ball-headed does not require practically any agricultural technology. In the first spring after planting, it is recommended to feed the crop with nitrate or nitrogen-containing fertilizers. For normal growth, one top dressing is enough; in subsequent years, fertilizers are not applied. After the complete formation of the root system, the plant shows good drought tolerance. The first year, a honey plant in a hot summer without rain requires moderate watering; waterlogging of the soil should not be allowed.
Which type to give preference
For agricultural purposes, broadleaf Mordovnik is planted. In the first year of growth, it forms a powerful rosette of long leaves. Spines at the end of the leaf plate are formed in the form of rudiments. After cutting, the plant quickly recovers; by autumn, before harvesting silage, it reaches a height of 20 cm.
Mordovnik ordinary - a weed that grows in the wild. It is used mainly for the design of the territory. The nectar collected from this variety is part of the herb honey.
For commercial production of honey, preference is given to the ball-headed Mordovnik. This is the most productive type of culture. The inflorescences are large, the thorns that form in the first year of growth protect the honey plant from damage by herbivorous domestic animals.
What properties does mordovnik honey have?
A bee product of light amber color, liquid consistency with a delicate aroma. Does not form crystals for a long time. After crystallization, the color becomes beige with a whitish tint. It has medicinal properties, tinctures are made from it, consumed in its natural form. Mordovian honey is used to treat:
- headache of different localization;
- infectious diseases;
- pathology of the digestive system;
- joint abnormalities, back pain;
- age-related multiple sclerosis;
- cardiovascular disease.
Conclusion
Agrotechnology of the honey plant Mordovnik ball-headed does not require significant material costs, they will fully pay off next year, when the culture blooms. The plant is perennial, it grows in one area for a long time, gradually filling the voids with self-seeding. The field located near the apiary will provide the bees with enough nectar to produce marketable honey.
