Levka or mattiola - elegant, luxuriantly flowering plant with a wonderful aroma. Often it is used to decorate park beds and summer cottages, but in the pot on the balcony this flower looks very bright and appropriate, which is not always the case for a garden plant. Mattiola has always been valued by flower growers for its beautiful and lush bunches of fringed flowers, as well as for the spicy aroma that they exude.
Conditions for growing mattioli (left)
- The sun
- Watering
- Air access
Previously, Mattiola beat only with a garden flower, and many are interested: "Is it possible to grow Levkoy on the balcony?".
The answer is - you can, because now there are ornamental varieties, besides, the plant needs active gas exchange and is afraid of excessive moisture.
It's all about the high density of the bush, which needs good ventilation, in order to avoid the appearance of pests and fungal infections, which so much like stuffiness and moisture. 
However, at home on the purchase of sterile soil Levka rarely affects any diseases. All recommendations for the prevention of disease relate mainly to garden varieties.
On the balcony you can also grow gladiolus, cloves, dumping, dill, sweet peas, coriander, savory, cucumbers and tomatoes.
Landing at home
Levka will very quickly become a wonderful decoration of your balcony or terrace, if you follow the simple requirements for planting and care.
First you need to decide on the place where the pot will stand, then pick up the capacity for the plant of the desired size and material, and the most difficult thing is to choose the desired variety from the whole variety. 
Did you know? Curiously, but still the ancient Romans appreciated the beauty and spicy scent of these flowers and used them to decorate banquet halls and opochivalen.
Seed preparation
Mattiola is grown from seeds that are harvested from dried pods in mid-autumn. The seeds of the left have a round flat shape and reach 2.5-3 mm. in diameter, at the edges have a white border.
Seed color varies from dark olive to brown, and you can buy them in any specialty store or via the Internet.
The procedure for the preparation of seeds for planting seed includes two stages:
- Soak. Soaking has two functions: growth stimulation and disinfection. Water well stimulates growth and helps the future plant to slip through a hard shell. For the best seedlings, the seeds are placed in warm water for about a day, for swelling. During soaking, the procedure of seed disinfection is carried out, because spores of fungi and other pathogens can be found not only in the soil, but also on the seeds. Fungi are not terrible for dry seeds, since the latter need favorable conditions for their development, which, unfortunately, often coincide with favorable conditions for seedling and seed growth. For disinfection, you can use a weak solution of potassium permanganate (barely pink) or soda at the rate of 1 tbsp. l soda per liter of water.
- Stratification. Stratification is an artificial imitation of winter conditions, during which there is an active growth of the embryo inside the shell and the solid horn ball is destroyed under the influence of cold and moisture. After soaking, the seeds are spread on a wet basis (matter, cotton, wood substrate or vermiculite) and placed in a refrigerator for 4-6 days. It is necessary to distribute seeds on a wet basis evenly, avoiding accuracy and overlapping of seeds with each other. Starting from day 3, it is recommended to observe future seedlings, as there is a possibility of early germination and molding.
The choice of capacity and soil for planting
Capacity. Sprouted seeds of lewkoy are planted in containers or special cassettes and trays for seedlings. Also for these purposes, sometimes use disposable cups, but given the characteristics of care for seedlings, containers and tapes will be more convenient. 
The choice can be made in favor of mini-greenhouses. Such a thing is unlikely to be found at home in a novice grower, but it is quite inexpensive, but very convenient and designed for repeated use.
The soil. Levkos feel good on fertile, humus-rich soils, so black soil will be the best choice for them, as well as sandy and loamy soils.
But if we talk about seedlings, then you can purchase a special substrate for germinating seeds. Sour and too clayy heavy soils will not work at all.
Seeding technology
Seeds deepen into a prepared moist soil or a special substrate to a depth of about 0.5 cm. The distance between the seeds should be at least 1.5 cm, so that the shoots do not interfere with each other.
You shouldn’t worry about which side to put a damned plant in the ground - it’s will surely find a way to the surface.
After placing the seeds in the ground, a container or cassette for the seedlings is covered with plastic wrap (this is where the mini greenhouse is useful) and placed in a dark place for 4-6 days. During this period, the soil is not moistened. Basically, after the specified period, the shoots begin to spill over the surface of the ground, but sometimes this process takes about 14-15 days.
If the germination period is delayed for such a period, it is advisable to check the soil moisture and, if necessary, water it.
Seedling care rules
Important! Levkoy need to be planted in late March or mid-April, as the flower is sensitive and dependent on temperature fluctuations. For example, for seedlings the ideal temperature - 12-13 ° C.In the period from germination to planting in a permanent pot, seedlings also need special care. As soon as the sprouts make their way through the soil surface, it is necessary to immediately place the container with the seedlings in a well-lit place and remove the film.
Ideally, at this moment it should be the end of April or the beginning of May, so that the temperature on the balcony or veranda, where the container will be delivered, does not exceed 12-13 ° C. From the seedlings you need to remove the film or open the lid of the greenhouse, depending on what you used. 
From the moment the seedlings are taken out in the sun and dive, at least two weeks must pass, during which the seedlings will get stronger and their root system will be sufficiently developed to bear the inevitable damage during transplantation.
After two weeks, the seedlings dive in separate containers, if it is a container, and if the seedlings are in special cassettes, the procedure is not carried out. A week later, you can be transplanted to a permanent pot.
The first fertilizing with mineral fertilizers is made as soon as two strong leaves appear on the seedlings.
Subsequent landing in pots and care
After the young mattiols get stronger, plant them in pots, and their further care will consist only in watering and seasonal feeding.
Young and adults are not picky in caring. They are well tolerated by sharp fluctuations in temperature and even small frosts. to -5 ° C. 
The size of the pot can be chosen at will and depending on how much seedlings you have prepared. On average, each sapling of a short-growing left-wing should have about 8 cm² at its disposal. The plant can be planted and thick, subject to good air circulation.
Important! It is not necessary to plant all sprouted seedlings. For the formation of the pot is better to select the largest and strongest plants. If you leave everything, then the strong plants will suppress the weak, which in turn will be frail and ugly, only to darken the bush.Transplant is done in the usual way.: with as little land as possible, the root of a young plant is removed from the temporary flowerpot, after which it is buried in a new soil, in a previously prepared recess.
After transplantation, the upper layer of the earth needs to be compressed slightly (but not strongly!) In order to fix the above-ground part of the mattiola well.
Watering left on the balcony
Levka loves moisture and needs regular watering at a frequency of about two times a week. 
It is important to take into account the weather conditions and the rate of drying of the soil - this should be the main indicator of the frequency of irrigation. Watering should be well infused water at room temperature.
Fertilizer and soil care
Mattiol can not be fertilized randomly. At different periods of the growing season, the plant needs different organic and mineral fertilizers and this fact cannot be neglected.
The soil cannot be fertilized just before planting, mainly mineral fertilizers are used for this flower, if you decide to use compost, make sure that it is sufficiently ripe, otherwise it may have negative consequences. 
During the flowering period, fertilizers with a high content of potassium and phosphorus are used, and during the period of active growth and budding, complex mineral fertilizers are recommended.
Did you know? It is hard to believe, but the left one belongs to the same family as the well-known white cabbage we all know, and most cabbage growing manuals are applicable to mattiola.When cultivating on open ground, it is recommended to loosen and free from weeds the soil in which left-growing plants grow. Such measures are not needed when grown in flowerpots.
A little bit about the diseases and pests of the flower
Most dangerous bay disease - crucifa crucilla. The disease provokes a fungus that parasitizes on the rhizome of the plant, after which it leads to the decay of the entire root system and, accordingly, the death of the plant. 
Kila is the scourge of all members of the cabbage family, which is why it is not recommended to plant the left one at the sites previously used for planting other cruciferous species.
- Symptoms. The disease manifests itself both on the roots and on the aboveground part of the plant: growths of various sizes appear on the roots, and the stem and sheets of the flower are covered with white swellings. Also, symptoms can be observed only on the roots of plants.
- Treatment. The best treatment for keels - soil prevention. For a quick result, antifungal fungicides are used, for example, Fundazim. By the way, it is suitable for the treatment of already affected seedlings. The traditional methods of treatment include planting crops of the family of nightshade on the affected soil, which in the first season remove the spores of the fungus from the soil. If the flower is hit hard, it is dug out and removed along with a handful of soil around the rhizome. It should be noted that with pot growing, the chances of infection with a keel are practically nil.
Black foot and artifical mildew. It is also a fungal disease, developing on the background of excessive humidity, poor air circulation and low temperatures.- Symptoms. Symptoms of black legs are hard to recognize - the stem is covered with black rot and the plant soon dies. False mildew provokes the appearance of gray, similar to the bloom of bloom on the green part of the flower (especially on the back side of the leaf).
- Treatment. As in the case of the keel, the best treatment is prevention, but if the trouble has already crept in, then treat the soil with one of such drugs as Baktofit, Fitosporin or Phytophthorine — which one you can find. Instructions for use will be on the package. There are folk remedies, such as dusting with ash, sprinkling with a weak (1:10) vodka solution, such methods are mainly used for plants that are used in food.
Pests. Cruciferous flea - Another most common disease of cabbage. These are small winged insects that feed on the green part of the plant. 
Their favorite food is foliage.which they sometimes eat up to the veins. Unlike fungal diseases, parasites love heat, so they will most likely appear during a drought period.
- Symptoms. In a pot it is easy to see these pests visually. The initial symptoms are small holes in the foliage.
- Wrestling. Crucifers do not like moisture, so that with regular watering they will not feel comfortable. Also use a mixture of ash and tobacco dust for sprinkling the soil and leaves of the left. Suitable spraying of the soil and flower with a weak acetic solution in the ratio: 1 tsp vinegar on 1 liter. water.
Fungicides that suppress and destroy pathogens of your plants: "Abiga-Pik", "Alirin B", Bordeaux mixture, "Delan", "Albit", "Brunka", "Fundazol", "Scor", "Topaz", "Strobe ".Be attentive and admire the multi-colored fragrant clusters from summer to late autumn. Good luck!
