Planting and leaving
Planting and caring for the seaside armeria is not difficult even for amateur gardeners. However, there are some rules to follow.
The flower of this species loves the sun and is drought tolerant. He needs moderate watering, during the rain there is enough natural precipitation. It is necessary to ensure that the soil has time to dry out between waterings in order to prevent root rot. In hot weather, it is necessary to provide the flower with irrigation by sprinkling.
The soil for planting should be sandy or stony, about 20 cm deep. You can create it yourself using river sand and earth from a greenhouse.
Landing
Armeria is a flower that loves light, so it is best to plant it in a well-lit corner of the garden. Before planting, the soil must be pre-prepared by thoroughly loosening and adding fertilizers.
It is necessary to monitor the moisture content of the soil so that the roots do not rot. If the soil is very wet, drainage is necessary.
Depending on whether you want the plant to grow in carpet or in separate sods, it is planted either at close range, or at a distance of at least 40 cm between seedlings.
Pruning
One of the important steps in flower care is pruning. It is necessary to cut off the armeria after the active phase of flowering, using a pruner. This simple method will allow the flower to bloom again in one season, and also will not allow energy to be expended on buds that will no longer bloom.
Wintering
This plant is very unpretentious, so it tolerates wintering well. Especially if the winter is snowy. If there is little snow, then it is better to cover the plant with spruce branches or rotted leaves.
Growing
When growing seaside armeria, it is fed three times a season using organic and mineral fertilizers. One top dressing should be mandatory before flowering. Early spring or late autumn is the best time to plant Armeria seeds.
Breeding features
The plant needs rejuvenation every 5-6 years. To do this, you need to dig it up, carefully divide the rhizome and plant it in new places in the garden. Armeria flowers can be propagated using seeds or cuttings.
Growing from seeds
Growing armeria seaside from seeds is possible using seedlings, or in a seedless way.
For armeria, the seaside seedling method is more preferable. The seeds must first be placed in containers. After the plant has grown a few centimeters, it must be transplanted into a greenhouse. And only after the leaves appear, the plant is planted in open ground at a permanent place of growth. It is necessary to monitor the distance between the seeds, since the armeria grows well, the flowers will interfere with each other if they are planted too close.
If you use a seedless method for growing, then it is better to do it in the fall. After lying in the soil all winter, the seeds will sprout in March. Unfortunately, this method is only suitable for temperate climates, since the sprouts will sprout with the first warmth, and unexpected frosts can destroy the plant.
Cuttings
For propagation by cuttings, small rosettes are chosen, which are rooted in the ground in spring or summer. Planted cuttings will germinate well, provided the summer is warm. If the weather is cold, then it is better to cover them with a glass jar so as not to die.
Peculiarities
Astilba is a perennial herb that belongs to the Saxifrage family. Astilba is native to Japan, the USA, Asia and the Far East. The peculiarity in the description of this flower is its compact size and abundant flowering.In the summer, the plant pleases its owners with curly greens and decorative inflorescences, which completely die off after the onset of cold weather. The height of the shrub depends on its species and ranges from 10 cm to 2 meters, and its annual growth does not exceed 5 cm. Astilba leaves have a feathery complex dissected structure, jagged edges, wrinkled and velvety surfaces, and a wide range of colors. The most common shades:
- green;
- brown;
- White;
- pink;
- lilac.
Due to the unusual and very beautiful structure of the leaf plates, which fit tightly to each other, the bushes have high decorative characteristics even in the absence of inflorescences. The beginning of flowering depends on the variety of the bush, which are early, medium and late. During this period, astilba looks the most attractive. Miniature flowers of this variety are located on the top of a long stem and form an inflorescence that resembles long feathers. Depending on the variety, inflorescences can have several types of structure:
- pyramidal - the location of the lateral branches of the inflorescence at a right angle relative to the axis of the trunk;
- rhombic - the location of the side branches at a certain angle relative to the central axis;
- paniculate - the location of the branched branches of the inflorescence at an acute angle relative to the axis of the main stem;
- drooping - the direction of the inflorescences down.
