Stonecrop: varieties and types, planting and care in the open field, how to propagate

Some plants attract not with exquisite large flowers of unusual shapes, but with large inflorescences. A large number of small stonecrop buds, collected in dense brushes or umbrellas, can become a real decoration of a flower bed. The succulent has taken root in summer cottages and in the apartments of flower growers, delighting with lush greenery and a sea of small flowers. Consider the features of planting and caring for stonecrop, the best types and varieties of flowers.

Culture characteristics

The Latin name for the culture is Sedum. The plant is a succulent, belongs to the Tolstyankov family.

Most species grow as perennials, some as biennials. A variety of forms often makes sedum unrecognizable - stonecrop grows in a lush bush or tightly braids the soil with a real carpet. Sedum has dense fleshy leaves that accumulate moisture and clean it from drying out. Leaf plates are painted green, gray, often have pink stains. Foliage color depends on living conditions.

Flowers are collected in inflorescences in the form of a brush, umbrella or corymbose. Almost all types of sedum have a pleasant smell and are honey plants. The color of stonecrop flowers is varied - pink, white, blue, yellow. Blooms in summer and autumn. Sedum is ubiquitous in nature. There are more than 500 species, of which about a hundred are cultivated. Many varieties and hybrids have been created for landscape decoration of plots. Homes grow tropical species.

Features of application in landscape design

Large sedum inflorescences and bright juicy greens can decorate any site.In landscape design, many varieties are used in flower beds to create "velvet" paintings with alternating colors. Sedum bushes look great near ponds. Stonecrops are planted along the edges of flower beds, to create a border, and along garden paths. Dense planting of low varieties creates dense lawns that look good even in the absence of flowers - because of the decorative foliage. Creeping forms will hide the gaps of alpine slides and rockeries.

Benefits of growing at home

Flower growers have long grown stonecrop at home. To ensure flowering, special conditions are required:

• moderate watering;
• decrease in temperature in winter (10-12 °);
• warm and sunny (south side) in summer;
• timely feeding.

Sedum blooms only with experienced flower growers who can provide the necessary conditions.Even in the absence of flowers, sedum pleases with decorative greenery, the beauty of the bush. Many appreciate the plant for its medicinal properties. It is used as a biostimulant, similar in action to aloe leaves. Juicy leaves are used for wounds and injuries of the skin, make healing infusions for pain in the heart and hypotension.

Reference: close relatives of sedum - jade, kalanchoe, echeveria.

Types and description of stonecrop varieties

Sedum grows everywhere, the variety of natural forms is great. Plants are so different in appearance that it is sometimes hard to believe that they belong to the same family. Consider the most popular and favorite types and varieties of stonecrop.

Ground covers

When creating a harmonious flower garden, ground cover plants with creeping stems come to the rescue. They cover the ground and serve as a backdrop for other crops. Stonecrops plant the territory with a beautiful juicy carpet, which is colored with bright spots of buds.

Cornflower blue

Stonestone stems grow 8-10 centimeters. The tops of the stems with leaves of a gray-green hue themselves look like flowers. The buds are pink-purple, when opened they reach 0.5-0.6 cm. Blooms in August.

Siebold's stonecrop

It has thin lying stems and fleshy leaves collected in whorls of 3 pieces. The leaves are rounded, with a red tint along the edge. The flowers are pink, collected in dense umbrellas or corymbs.

Forster Sedum

Tightens the entire area with a dense low (10 centimeters) carpet. The foliage is gray-green in color, interspersed with pink. Yellow flowers rise 20-30 centimeters. Looks good in pots hanging down.

Divergent

A low creeping plant hides all gaps in flower beds with a thick carpet 5 centimeters high. The leaves turn pink in the sun. Flowers slightly rise above the green mass, may be pink and yellow.

False

A wonderful plant native to the Caucasus. False stonecrop is grown on alpine hills, sloping roofs are planted with greenery. It has a long creeping rhizome, spreads rapidly over a large area. The leaves are wedge-shaped, the flowers are pink-lilac, the inflorescences are without upper leaves. Blooms for a long time - from June to October.

Sedum

The natural form of sedum is successfully grown as a cultivated plant. A low stonecrop (8-10 centimeters) covers the entire area with a thick green carpet. In the middle of summer it is covered with abundant yellow flowers that attract bees with a pleasant smell.

Lydian

Sedum Lydian covers the ground with real thickets, the stems are showered with a large number of medium-sized elongated fleshy leaves. Grow well in the shade. The flowers are white, rising low above the foliage.

Sedum Evers

Evers stonecrop is used for landscaping pebble slopes, screes. The plant is planted on alpine hills, they hide bare areas near the house. Blooms in July, flowers last up to 2 months. The foliage is decorative, densely growing on smooth stems. The buds are densely arranged on corymbose inflorescences. Petals - light pink or crimson.

Styloid

In nature, styloid stonecrop grows on the mountain slopes of the Caucasus. Shoots with a large number of subulate-linear brittle leaves of a yellow-green hue. Inflorescence corymbose, dense, with white flowers.

Six-row

Sedum grows up to 8-18 centimeters, the stems strongly branch straight from the base. The foliage is cylindrical in shape, grows very densely on the side shoots. Leaf color is green.

Inflorescence loose, bright yellow flowers are sparsely arranged, shaped like small stars. Planted in a large group or alternating with other species.

Ampelous

Ampel varieties and types of stonecrop are popular for cascading decoration of garden plots and apartments. They look good in pots and flowerpots.

Most favorite:

1. Morgana. Sedum has stems that grow up to a meter and are strewn with thick cylindrical leaves with pointed tips. Blooms with pink-red buds. They call it “monkey tail.”
2. Siebold. The stem hangs down by 20-25 centimeters, the leaves are rounded, different shades.
3. Burrito. Looks like Morgana, leaf edges are round.
4. Small-leaved Makina. Stonecrop with small leaves of different colors.
5. Mexican. Ampel bush with shoots up to 20 centimeters and thin leaves. The leaves turn yellow in the sun, we bloom yellow.

All ampelous species are unpretentious, they develop well with a lack of sun. When grown in a pot, regular watering is required.

Shrubs

Sedums with tall bushes and peduncles are more popular with flower growers. They are clearly visible in the flower beds, they are planted in separate curtains or form large groups of different shades. Their stems do not cover the ground, so crops need regular watering.

Red Dot

Sedum peduncle rises up to 60 centimeters, the color of the buds is white and different shades of pink. The foliage is not particularly bright, gray-green in color. The main difference between red-dotted stonecrop is late flowering, which occurs in September. Avoid planting in cold regions.

Tough

Herbaceous perennial found in nature in the Far East and Siberia. Grows on edges, meadows, rocky slopes of rivers. Refers to poisonous plants.

Regular

Vysokostebelny type of stonecrop - among the most popular. Based on it, popular garden varieties have been created. Bright, petiolate leaves have teeth on the edges. The peduncle rises 40-60 centimeters. Flowers bloom at the end of July. The corymbose inflorescence is densely packed with buds, the opening flowers look like stars. The best varieties - Matrona, Linda Windsor.

Prominent

Natural species, came from Asia, has long been cultivated in Japan. The bush is erect, grows up to 60 centimeters. The leaves are sessile, dense, green. Inflorescences stand on a dense stem, diameter - up to 15 centimeters. Flowers pink or carmine red, each no larger than 10 millimeters.

Sedum prominent became the ancestor of many varieties - Neon, Xenox, Brilliant.

Adolf

Evergreen shrub with many stems. Foliage is green and fleshy when young, becoming yellow and pink with age. The inflorescences are hemispherical, the color of the petals is white. When grown indoors, blooms with difficulty.

Red Leaf

Red-leaved or red-colored sedum is a shrub with falling shoots that rise with age. The leaves are pronounced green with a red ending. The flowers are yellow.

Rural

Sedum Rural has woody stems up to 40 centimeters high. A flower of yellow tones on a short pedicel, an inflorescence - an umbrella. This type of stonecrop is not very common. The bush grows slowly, requires sunny areas and regular watering.

Purple

Dense stonecrop foliage will be a real decoration of the garden. Sheets with carved edges, covered with a wax coating. Pink flowers stand out beautifully against her background. The peduncle rises up to 70 centimeters. The stems are dense, the tall bush does not fall apart, keeps its shape. Blooms in July.

The leaves have a slightly sour taste, they are eaten fresh, fermented.

Yellow

Yellow or pale yellow stonecrop has green, brown foliage, sometimes with a bluish bloom. The flowers are yellow. Winter-hardy, unpretentious look. Popular variety - Red Wiggle.

Sedum hybrid Abbeidor

Low bushes (35-40 centimeters) are covered with abundant green foliage. The color of the flowers is purple-pink. The bush is falling apart. The inflorescence is corymbose and very dense, with an abundance of buds. Used in mixborders.

Growing stonecrop in the open field

When growing stonecrop, it is important to imagine what kind of plant will turn out. Many varieties cover large areas of soil with stems, twine around neighbors.

Select location

Stonecrop is planted in a well-lit area. Partial shading is only allowed for some part of the day. Without enough sunlight, the bushes stretch out, the color of flowers and leaves suffers.Succulents do not like excess moisture; they do not use low-lying areas with stagnant water. If necessary, make drainage to drain the soil. For the same reason, you should not plant a bush under trees that drop their leaves in autumn.

Preparing the ground

Sedum does not impose special requirements on the composition of soils, it grows well on any soil. It is important to provide drainage, to avoid accumulation of puddles. With a high occurrence of groundwater, the beds are raised. The soil is dug up, weeds are carefully removed. Heavy clay soils are lightened with sand or fine gravel. Humus is added to increase fertility.

How to sow seeds: timing and technology

In warmer regions, sedum can be sown in the spring with seeds, directly into the ground, when the weather is consistently warm. Most flower growers prepare seedlings in advance.

Basic rules for planting stonecrop:

1. Sedum planting for seedlings is carried out in March-April.
2. Soil composition - sand, humus, fertile soil in equal parts.
3. Container - depth - 10-15 centimeters, with a laid drainage layer.
4. Spill the soil well, leave for impregnation.
5. Put the seeds in shallow grooves, sprinkle with soil.
6. Cover with foil.
7. Spray when dry.

It is recommended to keep the containers in the cold (5-7 °) for several days. Shoots appear in 2-4 weeks. When the third leaf grows, the seedlings dive.

Planting seedlings

Ready seedlings of stonecrop are transferred to open ground when the danger of freezing has passed. For different regions, this is the beginning-end of May.Seedling holes are made at a distance of 15-20 centimeters, they use the recommendations for planting this plant variety. The root system of the sedum is small, it is impossible to bury the seedling. Enough holes with a depth of 20 centimeters. After planting, the plants are watered abundantly.

Reference: sedum flowering begins 2-3 years after planting.

Plant care

Sedum is classified as an unpretentious crop, most varieties do not need special care. It is important to remove weeds in time, carefully removing them from the beds. Weed grass clogs stonecrop, slows down growth.

Irrigation

Sedum does not need frequent regular watering. Stonecrop is watered only during dry summers, 2-3 times per season. Excess water culture tolerates worse than lack. After watering, the soil is loosened, creating oxygen access to the soil. Do it carefully because of the shallow roots.

Fertilization

Sedum does not need a large number of dressings. Ground cover species can not be fertilized. They are especially careful when fertilizing with nitrogen, which disrupts the decorative effect of foliage and reduces frost resistance.

It is permissible to feed tall sedums 1-2 times per season with complex fertilizers with phosphorus and potassium.

Transfer

In one place stonecrop can grow up to 5 years. In the future, the bush ages, it needs rejuvenation. When updating a bush, it can be transplanted to another location. The bush is dug up in the spring, when the vegetation process has not yet begun rapidly, the soil is shaken off. Cut into pieces with a clean tool so that each has roots and buds. Leave for several hours in a shaded place. Sections are smeared with fungicides. Planted on a new site.

Cutting

Dried sections of the stem, damaged leaves are regularly cut. On bushes with colored foliage, green shoots are cut to maintain the decorativeness of the plant. In September or October, the bush is pruned in winter, so the plant is easier to cover from frost.

Pests and diseases: control and prevention

In rainy summers and with excess watering, stonecrop suffers from fungal infections. Rot spots appear on stems and leaves. The damaged parts of the bushes are cut out, the plants are treated with fungicides.

From pests, caterpillars, weevil, aphids, thrips attack sedum more often than others. Suitable insecticides are used for cleaning.

Sedum is not very susceptible to disease. When choosing a dry, ventilated area without strong shading and little watering, summer residents do not cause trouble.

How is the wintering of a flower

In autumn, plants lose their leaves. In tall bushes of stonecrop, in preparation for winter, the stems are cut, leaving 3-4 centimeters. Dried flower stalks remain decorative, so bushes are often left near houses until spring. You can cut off the overwintered stems when the snow melts, before the start of the growing season. In cold regions, plantings can be insulated with loose soil, river sand or fine gravel.If necessary, sprinkle with snow on top.

Methods of propagation of stonecrop

Reproduction of stonecrop is not particularly difficult. New plants are obtained by vegetative division and from seeds. Let's take a closer look at each method.

Seeds

Many growers get seeds from their own plants. To obtain seed, you need to withstand the flower stalks until completely dry and carefully cut. This is not easy to do, the stonecrop blooms for a long time, often until the very snow, the seeds do not have time to ripen.

Important: stonecrop hybrids do not produce full-fledged seeds, parental properties are not transferred.

You can plant seeds on seedlings at home or immediately in open ground. The second method is only suitable for warm regions.

Cutting

Most species of sedum are easy to propagate from cuttings. This method is considered faster and more reliable. In the spring, a cutting with 1-2 buds is cut from the bush and deepened into the ground by 2-3 centimeters. The bottom sheets must be cut off to prevent rotting. The prepared cutting can be rooted in a pot, and then transferred to the ground. When cutting cuttings in the autumn, young seedlings will have to be grown at home. Sedum cuttings are placed in water, waiting for the growth of roots. After that, they are planted in separate pots.

The transfer of stonecrop to the soil is carried out in the spring, when the weather is warm.

Sedum reproduces easily, the stem that falls to the ground quickly gives roots, forms a young plant. This property is used if sedum is already growing on the site. The soil around an adult bush is cleaned, loosened, fertilized. Press the stem to the ground with a hairpin, water. Rooting is fast. When cutting, the young bush completely retains the properties of the old plant.

Dividing the bush

Dividing one bush into several is another way to propagate stonecrop. It is good if the sedum has already sat in one place, it is time to rejuvenate the plant. When dividing, it is important to remove the old part of the roots and the bush, to create viable layers with roots, buds.

Division is carried out when the main vegetation processes have not yet started, the plant is not in the stage of active growth.

Growing and propagating sedum is within the power of any grower. The plant does not have a capricious character, grows well in drought conditions, does not need frequent feeding, pruning, and bush formation. Stonecrop attracts bees with a pleasant smell, promotes pollination of neighbors. The healing properties of sedum are another undoubted advantage of the plant.

With the help of different types of stonecrop, you can arrange alpine slides, flower beds, create borders.Sedum favorably differs from other flowering plants in its high decorativeness of foliage and bush. A wide variety of species and varieties allows you to decorate the site in accordance with the characteristics of the territory and personal tastes.

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