Myrtle the ordinary

A myrtle plant belonging to the Myrtov family is an evergreen shrub or a small tree that grows to about five meters in height, with whole leaves three to five centimeters long, which contain a fragrant essential oil. Beautiful white flowers are like a star with five petals, sepals and many stamens flickering in the bright sun. Fruits - large berries are often blue-black with several seeds. There is a myrtle and with amber berries. Flowers are pollinated by insects, and seeds are spread by birds, for which berries represent food.

Myrtle common has a lot of cultivars, among which special interest is the tarentina Variegata - a miniature plant with flowers of pink hue and silvery-green leaves glittering in the sun. In regions with a mild Mediterranean climate, this plant is sometimes used to decorate low fences.

In general, myrtle ordinary with its glossy emerald green foliage is one of the most "shining" among all members of the genus. This fragrant plant grows in the Mediterranean region and in the countries of the Middle East. In the wild, it can be found in the dry and warm regions of western Asia and southern Europe.

There is an ordinary myrtle on the territory of southern England and in the warm regions of North America. In the UK, myrtle seedlings along with orange trees were brought from Spain in the late sixteenth century.

This elegant plant has strong associations with religion and mythology. Greeks and Romans considered myrtle plant sacred, connected with the goddesses of love and beauty - Aphrodite and Venus. Often one of them was depicted with a branch of myrtle, coming out of the sea foam. Myrtle rod Venus punishes Psyche, stole the heart of her son Cupid. And when Venus is pursued by lascivious satires, myrtle covered her with its branches. For millennia, close to the temples dedicated to Aphrodite / Venus, there have always been magnificent Mediterranean myrtles spreading their delicate fragrance everywhere.

The evergreen myrtle has long been associated with immortality. Myrtle wreaths were crowned by playwrights and philosophers, thus symbolically confirming the immortality of their creativity. The plant has always been used to decorate banquets and religious rituals.

Sweet branches of myrtle are traditionally used in wedding bouquets. In the Victorian era in England, this plant was considered a symbol of love and faithfulness. According to English beliefs, the myrtle will grow only if a woman planted it.

If we seriously talk about myrtle farming, we should mention some important points concerning the cultivation of this culture. Myrtle common, which is also known as myrtle present, myrtle bride and sweet myrtle, prefers well drained soil with acidity between 6.5 and 7.0 and a warm sunny place. In Russia and other CIS countries (except for the southernmost regions), this culture is grown in a closed ground.

If you were lucky enough to live in a place with a Mediterranean climate, it's easy to grow a myrtle. To test the acidity of the soil , litmus can be used. If the pH turns out to be below 6.5, the lime added to the soil will help balance the acid balance. If the pH is higher than 7.0, then the soil is combined with peat moss.

Having identified with the substrate, you need to dig a hole for the bush. It should have the same depth as the container in which the plant is located, and the width - twice as much. Then you need to remove the myrtle from the container, putting it on its side and gradually pushing the bush, so as not to damage the roots.

Now the bush needs to be placed in the center of the prepared pit and to bury the hole with earth, pressing down the soil around the main stem. After planting, it remains to water the plant.