Groundsel ∗ The great guide from A to Z (ragwort)

Characteristics

• Scientific name: Senecio vulgaris
• Family: daisy family (Asteraceae)
• Genus: Ragweed with 1000+ species
• Synonym: groundsel
• Occurrence: worldwide neophyte
• Growth type: herbaceous plant
• Growth height: 10 cm to 30 cm
• Sheet: rich in form
• Flower: capsicum
• Fruit: achene with pappus
• Toxicity: toxic
• Hardiness: sensitive to frost

growth

groundsel is a native, widespread plant species from the cosmopolitan genus Senecio. The botanical name Senecio vulgaris is popularly associated with numerous synonyms, such as common groundsel, common groundsel, common groundsel or simply groundsel. Read these important characteristics of growth in brief:

• Growth type: herbaceous plant with yellow cup-shaped flowers and short lifespan (therophyte).
• Growth height: 10 cm to 30 cm.
• Root system: richly branched, filigree root strands up to a depth of 45 cm.
• Occurrence in Central Europe: ruderal areas, construction sites, dumping grounds, arable land, railway embankments, overgrown parks and gardens.
• Horticulturally interesting properties: easy-care weed, short-lived, sensitive to frost, friendly to bees, decorative inflorescences and fruit clusters, poisonous.

Long frowned upon as a weed, common groundsel with its authentic, rustic growth is increasingly valued as a weed for natural garden design.

Common groundsel in portrait

blossom

Groundsel belongs to the daisy family (Asteraceae). This assignment is reflected in naturally beautiful flowers with these distinguishing features:

• Inflorescence: Umbelliferous-panicled entire inflorescence with numerous individual capsicum flowers.
• Single flower: Flower heads with a double perianth and 60 to 80 tubular flowers (outer involucre with 10 lanceolate, dark brown tipped bracts).
• Cup shape: cylindrical, narrowed at the top.
• Flower size: 4 mm wide, 8 mm long.
• Flower color: yellow
• Flower ecology: hermaphrodite
• Flowering time: at any time of the year, main flowering period in summer.
• Pollination: bees, hoverflies, spontaneous self-pollination.
• Infructescence: nut-like incipient fruit with white hairs and seeds in the form of umbrellas (hence the name groundsel).

In contrast to most groundsel species, Senecio vulgaris does not form ray florets. This is a helpful criterion for accurately distinguishing common ragwort from the highly poisonous ragwort (Senecio jacobaea).

Sheet

Groundsel is an annual or annual overwintering wild plant. In the event of overwintering, ragwort often thrives as a semi-rosette plant. During the cold season, some of the leaves gather at the base of the stem to form a loose rosette, from which the shoot axis rises in spring. In any case, decorative leaves sit along the stem. You can also clearly identify groundsel by these leaf characteristics outside of the flowering period:

• Leaf shape: pinnate or ovate-pinnate.
• Single leaflet: roughly toothed to bluntly split, broadened towards the tip of the leaf.
• Leaf color: green, mostly glabrous, rarely felt-like hairs.

Groundsel species

Of the more than a thousand ragweed worldwide, these five ragweed species are particularly common in this country:

toxicity

Groundsel is poisonous. All parts of the plant contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids. These toxic, secondary plant substances are hazardous to the health of humans and animals. If consumed intentionally or unintentionally, the substances can, in the worst case, cause severe liver damage, cause cancer or alter the genetic make-up. Groundsel poses a particular risk to grazing cattle, horses and domestic animals. Hobby gardeners should avoid direct skin contact with the plant sap. However, the poison concentration in Senecio vulgaris is significantly lower than in Senecio jacobaea, the dreaded one Ragwort.

digression

Silver Leaf - Structural plant for the flower bed

plant groundsel

Groundsel or other groundsel species are easy to plant. This is inexpensive and uncomplicated sowing. The main thing that can be bought ready to plant is the decorative white felted groundsel. The best planting tips for beds and balconies to read:

sowing

These are the ideal conditions for growing groundsel using sowing:

• Preparation: put on gloves, soak seeds in water.
• Time: late February to early April.
• Location Options: Window Sill, Greenhouse, Conservatory, cold frame.
• Seed containers: bowl, seed pot, coco spring pot.
• growing substrate:(€7.00 at Amazon*) commercially available seed soil, mix of peat-free potting soil, sand and coconut fiber substrate.
• Sowing depth: Press the light germinator a maximum of 0.5 cm deep into the soil or sieve thinly and press down with wooden boards.
• Germination time and temperature: 2 to 4 weeks at 15° to 18° Celsius.
• Care: water when dry, do not fertilize, after emergence isolated to 5 × 5 cm.

Direct sowing of groundsel seeds is possible from the end of April/beginning of May. However, this variant usually results in winter annual growth. The young plants overwinter as rosettes of leaves and only bloom in the second year.

Location

As a ruderal plant, groundsel also thrives in inhospitable places. If the wild herb is granted this location, its natural charm unfolds in full splendor:

• Sunny location without blazing sunlight from midday onwards.
• Warm, preferably with temperatures above 15° Celsius.
• normal garden floor, humic, nutritious, fresh to moderately dry and well-drained.
• Ideal pH 5.5 to 6.5.
• Extra tip: compacted clay soil enrich with sand and compost soil.

planting

The best time to plant early or ready-made groundsel is in the spring after the last heavy frost. In regions with harsh winters, the time window for planting in beds and pots opens in mid-May after the ice saints. Worth knowing planting tips for the garden and balcony:

• The diameter of the planting hole is twice the size of the root ball.
• Soak groundsel root balls in water for 10 to 20 minutes before planting.
• Planting distance in the bed: 25 cm to 30 cm.
• Suitable pot substrate: potting soil without peat content expanded clay,(€19.00 at Amazon*)lava granules or sand as an aggregate.
• Cover the bottom of the pot 3-5 cm high with potsherds, grit or expanded clay as drainage.
• Plant ragwort in the bed and pot just as deep as before in the seed pot or container.

Cultivate groundsel

Groundsel is easy to care for. It is important to note that reliable protection against the poisonous plant sap is provided in the form of non-slip gloves with cuffs. The simple care program includes a needs-based water and nutrient supply. A pruning at the right time prevents unwanted self-sowing. Optionally, groundsel can overwinter in the pot. In the family garden, it may be useful to control ragweed. Read helpful tips and tricks for groundsel care here:

Pour

• Water groundsel in the bed if the drought persists.
• Water potted plants thoroughly when the substrate is noticeably dry.
• Preferably use collected rainwater or stagnant tap water as irrigation water.

Fertilize

• Fertilize the bed with horn shavings if there are signs of deficiency (yellowish leaves, pale colors, sparse flowers).
• In the pot from May to September a liquid every two weeks flower fertilizer(€27.00 at Amazon*) put in the water.

To cut

Groundsel is also becoming unpopular as a neophyte in Central Europe. After flowering and fruit ripening, ragwort sends myriads of winged seeds on their journey, which settle as parasol flyers throughout the garden. With the right cut care, you can put a stop to the invasive urge to spread. That is how it goes:

• Withered inflorescences should be cleaned off promptly with gloved hands.
• Alternatively, cut back faded stems to 10 cm in time for seed ripening.
• Important: only compost clippings if they do not contain any toxic fruit pods.

Regularly cleaning out withered flower heads has the advantage that new capsicum flowers constantly unfold for an extra long flowering period.

hibernate

With late direct sowing or cool weather conditions, groundsel thrives as an annual overwintering semi-rosette plant. In this case, the weed is grateful for a cover with autumn leaves and twigs as a light winter protection. Do you consider the expense of overwintering as worthwhile for particularly beautiful ragweed in pots? Then give the wild beauties a winter quarters with temperatures around 12° Celsius before the first frost.

Special case: fighting ragwort

In the reach of children and pets, poisonous groundsel, especially ragwort, is an unwelcome guest. If the weed brazenly nests in the garden, these control methods have proven themselves in practice:

• Grasp individual Ragwort specimens before and during flowering by the stem and pull them out of the ground.
• Ideally any wild herb with spade or cut out a hand shovel.
• Heavily infested areas several times a year scythe or mow to prevent the formation of flowers and seeds.
• Best prevention: Activation of soil life by doing without artificial fertilizers and pesticides in favor of organic ones soil activators.

The control measures are not aimed at the complete eradication of ragwort. The poisonous weed should only be removed from the immediate vicinity of children, pets, horses and grazing cattle. In this way, groundsel species remain as food plants for hungry wild bees, rare butterflies and useful hoverflies.

Popular Varieties

These groundsel species score with decorative attributes and are recommended as a design component worth seeing in the garden and on the balcony:

• Golden groundsel (Senecio doria): golden-yellow flowers from July to September above blue-green, lanceolate, 40 cm long ornamental leaves, height of growth at flowering time up to 80 cm.
• Fox Groundsel (Senecio nemorensis ssp. fuchsia): striking, yellow ray florets surrounded by numerous yellow tubular florets, height of growth 60 cm to 180 cm.
• South African groundsel (Senecio polydon): rare variety with purple-pink flowers from June to September, easy-care rock garden perennial, growth height up to 50 cm.
• String of peas (Senecio rowleyanus): unusual groundsel hanging plant with spherical leaves, beautiful in the hanging basket, tendril length up to 25 cm.

FAQ

Is Groundsel Poisonous?

All groundsel species are poisonous to varying degrees. Widespread common groundsel (Senecio vulgaris) or the popular silver leaf (Senecio cineraria) contain a far lower concentration of toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids than common ragweed (Senecio ovatus) or narrow-leaved ragweed (Senecio inaequidens). Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) poses the highest risk potential for humans and animals, which can cause significant symptoms of poisoning even when consumed in small quantities.

Can you plant groundsel in pots?

Various groundsel species are suitable for cultivation as a pot plant. These include common groundsel (Senecio vulgaris), white felted groundsel (Senecio cineraria) and golden groundsel (Senecio doria). Regular water and nutrient supply and frequent cleaning of withered flower heads are important for flowering growth. Always plant groundsel in a pot with a drainage made of potsherds on the bottom of the pot.

What is the difference between groundsel and ragwort?

Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris) and Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) can be easily distinguished by two characteristics. With a maximum growth height of 30 centimeters, common groundsel remains significantly smaller than ragwort, which can grow up to 100 centimeters. Furthermore, the flower heads of Senecio vulgaris do not adorn ray florets.

Are groundsel seeds normal germs or cold germs?

As a rule, the seeds of groundsel species are normal germs. At temperatures between 15° and 18° Celsius, germination takes between two and four weeks. If after this time there is still no life in the seed pot, we recommend a cold stimulus of several weeks at 0° to 4° Celsius, either on the balcony or in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator.