Alyssum: planting and care in the open field, description of varieties, growing from seeds

Issues of care and planting of alyssum are of interest to beginners and experienced gardeners. This plant attracts a variety of colors, long flowering, simple farming techniques and aroma. Its smell is hard to forget. It is very refined and delicate. In the orchard, the alyssum flower bed attracts bees, which affects the crop. The quality of pollination of apple trees, pears, stone fruit crops is increasing.

Description

Alyssum has other names. Many flower growers know him as a beetroot or a stonecrop. This is a genus of ground cover plants of the Cruciferous family. It includes at least 100 species.There are frost-resistant perennial varieties and more heat-loving varieties that are grown as annuals.

The plant is undersized, ground cover, the length of branched shoots is 10-40 cm. The root is fibrous. The lower part of the branches becomes woody over time. Young shoots are covered with a light fluff. Leaves alternate, obovate, no petioles.

The bottom of the leaf plates is covered with gray or silvery villi. Inflorescences are formed at the end of May on the tops of the shoots. The calyx is made up of 4 petals. Coloring is very different. In culture, alyssum happens:

• white;
• pink;
• lilac;
• yellow;
• purple;
• purple.

The flowering period captures the whole summer. A fragrant flower attracts bees to the garden. By the end of summer, seed pods form in place of pollinated flowers. Seeds brown, small. Annual species are characterized by longer flowering.

Types of flowers

There are at least 200 species of this plant. All varieties are characterized by unpretentiousness and a long flowering period.

Regular

The variety is grown as a perennial plant. The stems are short (10 cm), creeping, covered with gray-green oval leaves. Apical shoots are formed at the ends of the shoots, consisting of many yellow four-petal flowers.

Iberian

This is a dwarf herbaceous variety, native to the Iberian Peninsula. The length of the shoots is 20 cm. The shape of the leaves is oval. They are fleshy, covered with fluff, have a bluish tint. The flowers are white and bloom in summer.

Diversified

Landscape designers love to include this variety in garden arrangements. Her varieties are considered the most beautiful. The plant is perennial. The length of the shoots is 5-30 cm. The diameter of the spherical inflorescences is 25 cm. The color of the flowers is yellow.

Crooked stem

Dwarf perennial. The length of thin shoots does not exceed 6 cm. They are covered with oval gray-green leaves. The size of the inflorescences is small, the color is yellow.

Gimlet-shaped

The stems are gray, lignified below, reach 40 cm in length, covered with light fluff.

Dagestanian

Shoots 25 cm long, densely covered with narrow linear and spatulate leaves. The shape of the inflorescences is umbrella-shaped, the color of the flowers is fawn.

Marine

In temperate climates, this heat-loving species of alyssum is grown as an annual. Stems creeping, rigid, short (20 cm), silvery due to pubescence. Flowering begins in June. The color of inflorescences in varietal varieties is varied:

• white;
• pink;
• lilac;
• purple.

Alyssum of the sea, growing in natural conditions, has white, lilac, white-lilac flowers.

Creeping

Under natural conditions, a perennial species found in the mountain and steppe regions of Eastern and South-Eastern Europe and Western Asia. Bushes 40-60 cm high are covered with gray-green leaves. At the bottom they form a socket. Inflorescences are elongated, consist of bright yellow flowers.

Mountain

Perennial frost-resistant variety. Begins to bloom at the end of April. Creeping shoots, 20 cm long. Leaves look gray due to strong pubescence. Inflorescences are fragrant, bright yellow.

Ampelous

Effective plant with long strongly branched shoots. During flowering fills the air with a rich aroma. Varieties of ampelous alyssum are grown in pots.

Silver

The tallest variety of alyssum. The length of the shoots reaches 80 cm. Flowering lasts 2-2.5 months. Starts in May, ends in July. The species was called silver because of the small leaves - green above, bluish-ash below.

Rocky

Bushes up to 40 cm in diameter form strongly branching shoots up to 30 cm long. Perennial plant. To maintain decorativeness, it needs anti-aging pruning. Over time, the lower part of the branches is exposed.

Honey

Perennial about 25 cm high. Shoots strongly branched. Bushes hemispherical. The leaves are elongated, forming dense rosettes. Inflorescences racemose, dense. Flowers yellow, small. The flowering period lasts 1.5 months.

Popular varieties

Varieties based on rock and sea alyssum are popular with flower growers. Bushes have different sizes and colors of inflorescences.

Snow carpet

Effective snow-white inflorescences form large (10 mm) flowers. The variety prefers sunny places, can grow on a rocky slope.

Pink Queen

Flowering low bushes (10-20 cm) form colorful rugs in delicate pink-purple hues. The variety is planted along paths, rocky slopes are decorated.

Wonderland

The flowers are small, carmine-pink. The bushes are neat, about 10 cm high. The plant is grown in a pot culture, used to decorate borders.

Gold placer

A creeping variety of alyssum. Rocky gardens are decorated with bright yellow inflorescences. Flowering bushes are spherical in shape.

Magic circles

Shoots grayish-green, 15 cm long. Inflorescences light yellow, fragrant.

Tiny Tim

The length of the shoots does not exceed 8 cm. During flowering, dwarf bushes resemble sea foam. They are covered with numerous snow-white flowers.

Easter Bonnet Deep Rose

A variety belonging to the marine variety of alyssum. The name translates to purple Easter hat. During long flowering, the bushes are strewn with lush bright pink inflorescences.

Princess in Purple

Ampel plant. Inflorescences are purple. When grown on a flat surface, the flowers form a continuous bright carpet. In a pot, the variety looks even more amazing. Long, flower-covered shoots resemble a waterfall.

Violet Konigin

The variety was called the Purple Queen because of the color of the racemes. The bushes are low (15 cm), neat, shaped like a ball.

Pallet

Bushes are low, the length of the stems is 10 cm. The color of the flowers is very different: brown, raspberry, yellow, red, white.

Pink rug

Shoots 12 cm long. There are a lot of them in the bush. During flowering, they form a continuous purple carpet.

Big Jam

The flowers are large white, lavender, purple or light lilac. Stem length 35 cm.

Compactum

Alyssum rocky. The bushes are low (18 cm), covered with bright yellow inflorescences.

Citrinum

Rock alissum variety, pale yellow inflorescences.

Fiore Rieno

Rock alyssum variety, golden yellow inflorescences.

Golden wave

Grown as a perennial flower crop. The first flowering occurs in the 2nd year after planting. Inflorescences golden yellow. Shoot length 25 cm, bush diameter 40 cm.

Plenary Meeting

Terry inflorescences, bright yellow.

Easter hat

This is a series. It includes early-flowering undersized (10-20 cm) varieties. The range of colors is wide. The colors are saturated. Inflorescences are large, retaining decorative effect for a long time.

Giga

Fast growing variety with strongly branching stems and large inflorescences.

Aphrodite

Rocky alyssum variety. Prefers openwork penumbra in the middle of the day, fertile soil, moderate watering. The bushes are low, the inflorescences are purple. For abundant and long flowering, they are fed with complex fertilizers.

Growing from seeds

Alyssum seeds are very small. Perennial varieties are sown directly into the ground before winter or spring. Annual varieties are more often grown in seedlings.

Through seedlings

Alyssum seedlings bloom at the appropriate time for the variety (March, April). It is convenient to use when creating garden compositions.

Soil preparation

Alyssum seedlings are small, so shallow containers made of transparent plastic with a lid are used for planting. The soil is taken light, nutritious. The package should have a mark that it is neutral.

Choosing a seat

Any window will do if there is an LED lamp. The seedlings will have to be illuminated. At the same time, the lamp is placed low, 15-20 cm from the seedlings.

How to drop off

It is easier to sow alyssum in an ordinary way, because shallow grooves are marked on the surface of the soil. Make them at a distance of 3-4 cm from each other. Seeds are sprinkled with a thin layer of sand. The soil is moistened with a sprayer.

Seedling care

Before germination, the container is tightly covered with a lid or a piece of cling film. Once every 2 days, open slightly for ventilation so that mold does not form on the soil. At room temperature 18-20 ° C, small seedlings appear on the 5th day.

Irrigation

The soil is moistened carefully. Seedlings are very tender and small. Everyone waters them differently:

• syringe;
• teaspoon;
• a small rubber bulb.

Temperature

Within a week after the emergence of seedlings, seedlings are illuminated around the clock. The temperature is reduced to 18-20 °C.

Picking

Seedlings dive 1-2 times. With a single transplant, seedlings in phase 2 leaves are immediately planted in separate glasses. With a double pick, they are transplanted first into a common box, and after 2 weeks - into separate containers. Seedlings transplanted twice bloom faster.

How to plant in open ground

One-month-old seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place by transshipment. The site is chosen in the sun or in partial shade. They are planted in shallow holes at a distance of 30-40 cm. The bushes are watered. In hot weather, the first days cover them from the sun.

Sowing in open ground

Perennial varieties of beetroot are propagated by direct planting of seeds in the ground. Sowing is carried out when the soil warms up and the daytime temperature does not fall below 15 °C.

Timing

Sowing time depends on the climate zone. In the middle lane, seeds are sown at the end of April, in Siberia - from May 1 to May 15. Shoots appear in a week. Inflorescences bloom after 2 months. Flowering lasts until autumn.

Plant pattern

Dig up the earth before landing. Break up lumps. They make grooves. Spill them profusely. Seeds are distributed evenly. Sprinkle them with a mixture of garden soil, peat, sand, humus, taken in equal proportions.

Before germination, the flower bed is covered with a film. When planting high-quality seeds, seedlings appear in a week. Inflorescences are formed in 2 months. Seedlings are thinned out, taking into account varietal characteristics. The distance between the bushes should be 20 cm.

How to care properly

Caring for blooming alyssum is a pleasure. Time consuming, not very difficult.

Irrigation

Duration and intensity of flowering depend on watering. With a lack of moisture, few flowers and many leaves are formed. The decorativeness of the bushes is reduced. To prevent this, the soil is moistened regularly, but moderately. With the right watering scheme, the ground at a depth of 4 cm is always wet.

Loosening and weeding

Removal of weeds is carried out simultaneously with the loosening of the topsoil. They do this after rain or another watering.

Cutting

In spring, diseased and dry shoots are removed from perennials. Summer pruning has 3 goals. With its help, the decorativeness of the bushes is restored. Stimulate flowering. Prevent powdery mildew disease.

The procedure involves the removal of inflorescences that have lost their decorative effect, pruning of shoots up to 7-10 cm. In rocky alyssum varieties, they are shortened by ⅓ of their length. Bushes cut after flowering form new inflorescences.

Feeding

If the soil is fertile, top dressing is carried out once in the spring. Stimulate the growth of vegetative mass with nitrogen fertilizer. Use urea and flower fertilizer "Agricola-7". Each bucket of water is added 1 tbsp. l.

To increase the decorative effect during the flowering period, alyssum is fed twice with nitroammophos or fertilizer "Master" with the formula NPK 16:16:16 (10 l of water, 10 g of fertilizer). The interval between fertilization is 10-14 days.

Nuances

There are no special nuances in growing alyssum. Ground cover bushes planted in a sunny corner of the garden bloom profusely all summer. Under adverse weather conditions, plant development may stop.With a simple technique, they are reanimated and flowering resumes.

How to prolong flowering

Alyssum bushes, weakened by heat and drought, are reanimated. First watered, then cut out part of the shoots. Leave 5-6 pieces per bush. Preparing liquid feed:

• water - 10 l;
• urea - 1 tbsp. l.;
• "Agricola-7" - 1 tbsp. l.

After restoration measures, the flowering of alyssum resumes, lasting until frost.

Features of winter planting

Winter hardiness of perennials is average. To protect against frost, alyssum bushes are covered with fallen leaves for the winter. In winter, snow is thrown on the flower bed.

Diseases and pests

Alyssum rarely gets sick with good care. Outbreaks of brown rot (late blight) occur when irrigation rules are violated. Active reproduction of the fungus causes increased humidity of the soil and air. First, signs of decay appear in the lower part of the shoots, then the plant dries up.

Treat diseased alyssum bushes with fungicides. To prevent the spread of infection, diseased and he althy plants are treated. Use the drugs "Kuproksat", "Ordan". Stop watering for a while.

With an excess of nitrogen in the soil, a large difference in daily temperatures, a white coating appears on the leaves. This is a symptom of powdery mildew. Infected shoots stop growing, turn black. They cope with the fungus with the help of Fitosporin-M, Fundazol preparations.

Cruciferous flea

Alyssum plantations suffer from cruciferous flea infestation in early June. This is a small black insect that parasitizes plants of the Cruciferous family. Pests are repelled by sharp-smelling infusions. For their preparation, garlic, wormwood, shag are used.

Apply insecticides:

• Aktara;
• Aktellik;
• "Taboo".

Chemistry is used in extreme cases. The drugs listed above are toxic to bees, and alissum is a honey plant.

Caterpillars

From gnawing insects, alyssum bushes are treated with infusions of tobacco or chamomile. For better adhesion, liquid soap is added to them.

Cabbage moth and whitefish

To scare away butterflies, the preparations "Entobacterin", "Lepidocide" are used.

Reproduction

Alyssum is propagated by seeds and vegetatively.

Shanks

The cuttings are rooted in the summer. Prepare a small ridge, fill it with fertile soil. Apical cuttings 10 cm long are planted. The first week they are covered from the sun. Care is regular watering.

Dividing the bush

This vegetative propagation method is rarely used in practice.The bush is dug up in autumn. Place it in a container. Until spring, stored in the cellar. With the onset of warm days, it is divided into several parts. At least 4 shoots are left in each division. Planted in a flower bed on the same day.

Collecting seeds

Seeds ripen at the end of September. Dry inflorescences must be collected from he althy plants before October. Seeds are dried in a warm room before being sent to storage.

Prevention

Removal of weeds, regular, moderate watering serves as a prevention of fungal diseases. They protect against insects by spraying tobacco infusion.

Combinations with other colors

In the garden, beetroot blends harmoniously with flower plants. Large flowers of irises, peonies, lilies look advantageous against its background.

Heliotrope

Heliotrope loves the sun, blooms all summer, does not like tall neighbors. Low-growing varieties of alyssum serve as a good addition to it when decorating borders.

Turkish carnation

Carnation is a perennial plant, loves bright lighting, moderate watering. The color of the inflorescences is monophonic or variegated. Harmonious compositions are obtained from Turkish cloves and alyssum.

Pelargonium

Pelargonium, like all varieties of alyssum, blooms all summer. Its bright green leaves and buds look spectacular against a snowy white, purple or lilac carpet of flowering ground cover.

Use

A groundcover flowering plant is used to create expressive compositions. A dense flowering carpet of white, yellow, lilac color serves as a backdrop for taller ornamental plants.

Landscape design

Easy care and long flowering are qualities that gardeners appreciate. Alyssum is often used as a backdrop.

Alpine slides

For alpine slides, perennial varieties of mountain, rocky, prickly alissum are selected. Medium-sized varieties 12-25 cm high are suitable.

Rocky areas

Perennial varieties are planted. The groundcover goes well with large boulders and small pebbles. Against the background of silver foliage, the texture of the stones is fully revealed.

Mixborders

With the help of undersized species, they create a dense texture resembling a carpet. To create ornaments, varieties with inflorescences of different shades are used. Mixborders decorated in yellow are especially expressive.

Garden walls

Ampel varieties are used to decorate the supporting walls. A flowering plant gives the ensemble a natural, noble look. Silvery green shoots transform an ordinary wall into a unique object.

Flower Arrangements

The variety of colors makes it easy to create harmonious flower arrangements. The inflorescences of the ground cover plant are well shaded by bushes of roses, dahlias, phlox, lilies. In containers, it pairs well with zonal pelargonium. On borders and flower beds, alyssum is planted next to marigolds, snapdragons.

Smell

The honey aroma of inflorescences attracts bees, wasps, bumblebees. They pollinate fruit and berry crops, this increases the yield of the garden. Varieties with white flowers have a stronger scent.

Healing properties

Burachok has diaphoretic, diuretic and analgesic properties. Inflorescences are used for constipation. It contains organic acids and flavonoids. At high temperature drink infusion:

• boiling water - 250 ml;
• dry crushed alyssum florets - 1 tsp

Answers to questions

To preserve perennial varieties in winter, they are covered with fallen leaves. Rock alyssum varieties are easier to grow in warm climates. This species is less tolerant of low temperatures.

Rare varieties of alyssum can be cut from June to July. Apical shoots take root within 3 weeks. Plant them in a light substrate. Greenhouse conditions are created using a transparent shelter.

Reviews

Elvira, 41 years old, Krasnodar: “I sow the seeds of alyssum in tablets. Seedlings appear on the 5th day. After 10-12 days, I plant alyssum seedlings in separate bowls. They are small, so I transplant a few pieces. I put the seedlings under the lamp. I water moderately. In April I transfer to the greenhouse.”

Anna, 48 years old, Tolyatti: “Alyssum grew seedlings. After transplanting to a flower bed, all the bushes were eaten by a cruciferous flea. They came to life by the end of August, bloomed.”

Natalya, 30 years old, Moscow region: “I plant varieties with white and lilac inflorescences. Until May, I grow seedlings in a greenhouse, then I transplant them into a flower bed. Alyssum blooms all summer. Smells amazing.”

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