Planting and caring for cross-pair microbiota
For successful care, planting microbiota must be kept in a weed-free state, shallowly loosened at a young age. The best planting material is plants grown in containers.
After planting cross-paired microbiota when caring for plants, digging up the soil is dangerous by damage to the roots, therefore, it is advisable to apply fertilizer as a bedding in the near-stem circle. Any kind of rotted organic matter is suitable: manure humus, compost, etc. Application period - from spring to mid-summer, dosage - up to a bucket per adult bush.
Watering is necessary every time the root layer of the soil dries up. In dry periods, water is watered in the evening about once a week, preferably by sprinkling, and not under the root.
In order to save moisture, it is very useful to mulch the near-trunk spaces of the bushes with peat. You can also use composted sawdust, humus, crushed bark, leaves and needles of forest species. When watering and in the rain, mulch absorbs moisture, and then gradually gives it back. The optimal mulch layer is 6-8 cm.
At first, the bushes grow slowly, so pruning usually becomes relevant only after 12-15 years of age. The goal is to remove damaged branches, regulate growth. It is not recommended to leave the stumps, it is necessary to cut the branches into a ring. Pruning time is spring, from the moment of the final melting of snow until the beginning of the growing season.
Microbiota is stable in an urban environment and can be successfully used for landscaping cottages, backyards, as well as summer cottages and garden plots.
It grows well on slopes, but when caring for cross-pair microbiota, you should be especially careful about its moisture supply. When planting on a slope, it is advisable to specially prepare the seat by filling it with a nutritious moisture-absorbing substrate. And after planting, form a hole around the bush in the form of a shallow depression, designed to retain precipitation and irrigation water. Based on the moisture content, on the slopes of the microbiota, lower and medium-height locations are better suited.
Methods and types of vegetative propagation of plants
Plant propagation methods include dividing the rhizome. This method is generally suitable for herbaceous perennials with a fibrous root system. It is best to carry out the procedure in late summer - early autumn, when new vegetative shoots begin to form. The plant is dug up, the soil is shaken off from the roots, the shoots are cut and a piece containing one or more buds is broken out. If necessary, you can use a knife for this. Divided specimens are planted in pre-prepared holes to the same depth at which the mother plant grew, and watered. In this way, you can propagate chrysanthemum, hosta, peony, etc.
Rhizome division is one of the most common ways of propagating perennial crops. The procedure is best done in autumn or early spring. The plant is dug up, the rhizome is freed from the ground and divided with a sharp knife into several parts so that each of them has a kidney. Then new specimens are seated in pre-prepared holes and watered.
Layering propagation is another method of vegetative propagation of plants that is widely used in the cultivation of, for example, strawberries. For this method, young flexible branches are chosen. They are bent to the ground and buried in, leaving the top of the shoot on the surface. Twigs and leaves located in the buried area are preliminarily removed. The shoot can be fixed in the ground using a special hairpin.In order to stimulate root formation, small incisions are made in the buried area of the shoot.
Types of plant reproduction include grafting of adult specimens with their subsequent rooting in a fertile substrate. With this method, cut shoots are rooted either in a container with water, or directly in the ground. In the second case, you can use special preparations that stimulate root formation. Cuttings are cut at an angle, the lower tip is dipped into a growth stimulator, after which the planting material is placed on a previously prepared area.
Many ornamental plants reproduce by self-seeding. The seeds of others have to be collected and sown annually. It should be remembered that this propagation method is only suitable for non-hybrid plant varieties. Otherwise, the characteristics of the variety will not be preserved and the result obtained will most likely not meet expectations.
There should be a lot of beauty!
To make a spectacular flower garden, there should be a lot of planting material.
The color issues of flower beds are a separate difficult topic. A whole block of the course "Secrets of creating modern flower beds" is devoted to her, in one article all the laws of this science cannot be covered. Lyudmila Belykh, one of the best Russian flower garden designers, says: "The effect" oh, what a beauty "is obtained in two cases: when it is beautiful in color, or when there is a lot of color."
Based on this recommendation, when making a flower garden from those flowers that are now growing in the garden, follow rule 2
The second rule of flower garden arrangement:
Plant flowers in large blocks or blotches in multiples rather than one at a time.
I agree, in a garden store, the hand does not rise to buy several plants that you like at once. It is both expensive, and it is not known how this plant will feel in the garden, and it is not clear - will it like it when it grows? Another thing is those pets that grow on your site. If the flowers have grown and need to be divided, take advantage of this and plant the flowers in large spots. After all, there will be a lot of planting material when dividing.
And how many flowers do you need to plant in a spot if your flower garden is multi-tiered? It all depends on the size of the plant itself, and the dependence here is as follows: the smaller the plant, the more they need to be planted in the spot. For example, the ratio is: plant 3 medium and 5 smaller plants on 2 large plants.
Reproduction and transplantation of coniferous microbiota
Reproduction of microbiota is carried out by seeds and vegetatively - by layering and cuttings. Seed reproduction is very difficult, because male specimens are more often found in the plantings, and female specimens are able to give seeds only at the age of 15-17 years.
Shoots pressed to the ground are used for layering, and lateral branches of the previous or current year with a length of 8-10 cm go to the cuttings.Transplanting a microbiota without a root coma does not tolerate well.
Subject to the humidity and temperature regime and the use of root formation stimulants ("Heteroauxin", "Kornevin", "Kornerost"), rooting can be carried out during the spring and summer. By the fall, 90-95% of the cuttings form a good root system and they are transplanted to the nursery school.
The past years have clarified all the features and preferences of the microbiota when caring for this plant in culture. It turned out that it is absolutely frost-hardy practically throughout the entire forest zone, sun-loving, but very whimsical to soils. For example, dry, marginal sands are completely unsuitable for her, she also does not like close proximity to large trees, which can intercept food from her shallow roots.
For growth and development, a mixture of sod land, peat (humus) and sand in a ratio of 1: 2: 1 is sufficient for her. It is useful to add one part of the top layer of litter from old pine forest to the substrate. The most favorable conditions for shrubs are formed on moisture-rich, but well-drained, light, high-humus structural loams.
The microbiota is absolutely frost-resistant and grows well both in open sunny and shaded areas.
In nature, microbiota often settles in crevices of rocks and on stony placers, where plant residues accumulate for years.
In terms of illumination, the place can be completely open or slightly shaded.
With what other plants is it good to combine microbiota in the garden. Shrub diseases and pests
The microbiota looks great among stones, so it can be safely planted in rockeries in combination with dominant tall, as well as dwarf spherical conifers. Hardwoods are also suitable as neighbors, for example, barberry, bubblegum.
Good microbiota both in a single planting on the lawn, and in a group as a curb. In the same compositions of rockeries against its background there will be even brighter flowering shrubs, for example, rhododendrons, Japanese quince, etc.
Plant diseases are very rarely affected. Pests also dislike microbiota.
The cross-pair microbiota, thanks to its grace, is capable of transforming any area. It will bring a little trouble, and it will be possible to admire its greenery for many years in a row.
In different styles
Shaped plants can be used in gardens of almost any artistic style and direction, from regular plants, where they act as the most important form-building elements, to naturgardens, in which clipped conifers are used to decorate a private home space or in protective fences. On plots designed in a cottage style, with the help of molded conifers, green walls of garden rooms are built, and in the eastern gardens they take pride of place as nivaki.
Labyrinths and nodal parterres require painstaking work
More and more often you can find in our gardens low bosquets and borders made of sheared thujas, various topiary forms as part of coniferous groups and mixed compositions. The beauty and originality of clipped conifers, their high decorative potential, more than compensate for the hassle of caring for them.
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Coniferous care in spring
With the arrival of spring and the beginning of the snow melting, it is time to take care of the garden. We have prepared several articles with recommendations, adherence to which will save you time and ensure the healthy growth of your trees and shrubs.
Growing
Seeds. It is theoretically possible to propagate microbiota using seeds. This method is not easy: even getting the seeds out of the cone is not the most trivial thing! It is best to use seeds that have just been harvested for planting - after all, after storage in normal room conditions, their germination is lost in a couple of years. Planting seeds should provide for their stratification, as is typical for many conifers. For this reason, the seeds are either kept for 2-3 months at a low positive temperature - about 3-5 above zero, - or planted "before winter". Shallowly placed seeds, and even mulched from above, are remarkably stratified in a natural way. Home seedlings are quite similar to any other coniferous, and take root in the open field even better than others.
Cuttings. However, vegetative reproduction methods are still the most successful. For example, cuttings, and especially from young plants. The best season for harvesting cuttings is the beginning of summer. Take strong, but not actively growing side shoots, at least 10-15 centimeters in length.
Rooting them in the substrate (in a greenhouse, with constant good humidity), you cannot turn the branches upside down. With normal care, rooting will begin by mid-late summer, even without the use of stimulants. Depending on the degree of development of the root system, cuttings winter in the open field with varying success. It may be wise to cover the seedlings with less roots.
There are also methods of stem layering, which, having achieved rooting, should be separated from the mother plant gradually: over and over again, cutting their connection more and more.
How to plant and care for a cross-paired microbiota
Cross-pair microbiota reproduces well by seeds, layering and cuttings. Less commonly, division of the bush is used, but this is only necessary for very old shrubs, which, due to their growth, can no longer form new shoots. However, it is known that microbiota can live up to 100 years, so its vegetative reproduction by dividing the bush is not always possible. For planting microbiota with seeds, use only fresh planting material, as it quickly loses its germination capacity. Seeds are sown before winter or kept in the cold for stratification for several months. Thorough care is not required even for young plants, they are looked after in the same way as for adult plantings. Prepare an acidic soil before planting a coniferous shrub.
Vegetative propagation by cuttings is possible in early spring at the beginning of active growth. Closer to autumn, shoots take root. Layers are also laid in the usual way, as when propagating other garden shrubs, and cut in September. For grafting, it is best to use shoots with a "heel" (part of the wood that is obtained when the shoot is detached from the stem).
Cross-pair microbiota hibernates without shelter only in warm regions. In harsh winters, it must be mulched high with peat or deciduous soil and covered with spruce branches
It is important when caring for the planting of microbiota to remove the weeds that grow under the branches. When doing this, use gloves, as in shaded areas the coniferous foliage is very prickly
If weeds are not removed, their root system can damage the roots of the microbiota. Single plantings are loosened to a depth of palm width (5-10 cm). This procedure is not recommended for group plantings.
For the ornamental species of the cross-pair microbiota, systematic active watering is important. The shrub easily tolerates drought, provided that the earthen lump has not dried out. Also, waterlogging and waterlogging of the soil are dangerous for planting, therefore, a powerful drainage layer is installed in the hole before planting, and it is better to dig up the soil with the addition of fine river sand. The beauty of the crown can be maintained by spraying with water every evening.
Diseases and pests
Delosperma is quite resistant to pests and diseases. However, if liquid stagnates in the soil, for example, due to frequent watering or too dense soil, then because of this, the flower may rot.
Of the pests, the following most often settle on the bush:
- Mealybug. The bushes are sprayed with an insecticide solution, the main active ingredient of which is cypermethrin.
- Aphids. If there are few pests, then dissolve half a bar of laundry soap in 5 liters of hot water. When the mixture cools down, bushes are treated with it.
- Spider mite. Use a cotton swab moistened in soapy water to remove as many pests from the plant as you can. Then it is sprayed with a solution of a chemical or biological acaricide.
Nine creeping shrubs
1. Juniper recumbent Nana (Juniperus procumbens Nana)
In height - 0.5–0.6 m, in width - no more than 2 m.
The needles are bluish, the crown is dense, open. Photophilous. Unpretentious, except for damage that can occur in the absence of snow. does not tolerate excessive moisture. Looks good with stones, on dumps, on terrain, on the border of paving. It grows slowly.
Bonsai from juniper lying Nana (Juniper procumbens)
2. Cross-pair microbiota (Microbiota decussata)
Height - 0.5 m, width - 3 m. Long-lasting plant with creeping shoots, tolerates shading. Dark green needles turn brown at the beginning of winter. Very hardy, unpretentious, but does not tolerate waterlogging. May suffer from sunburn in spring. better perceived when viewed at an angle.It grows slowly.
Cross-pair microbiota (Microbiota decussata)
3. Norway spruce Loreley (Picea abies Loreley)
Height - 0.6 m, width - 2 m. Semi-dwarf variety of ordinary spruce, creeping when grafted into the root collar. On sale more often there are standard specimens or those that have a formed vertical shoot. it is better to plant on the differences in the relief, allowing the plant to hang down a little. It grows slowly.
4. Norway spruce Repens (Picea abies Repens)
In height - 0.5 m, in width about 2 m. The ends of the shoots hang slightly. The main body of the crown is quite dense, a lot of debris accumulates in it, and you need to regularly clean the plant. It looks better when viewed not from the front from above, but from the side. It appeared in Russia recently, the sizes are given according to European data.
Norway spruce Little Gem (Picea abies Little Gem)
5. Canadian Hemlock Cole's Prostrate (Tsuga canadensis Cole's Prostrate)
In height - 0.8 m, in width more than 2.5 m. More often it is sold grafted on a stem. If it is small - 10–15 cm, then the illusion of a creeping plant remains. Has a more noble appearance than creeping spruce forms. With age, in the middle part of the crown, the needles fall off, and it thinns somewhat. It grows very slowly.
Canadian hemlock Cole's Prostrate
6. Cotoneaster dammeri
Height - 0.6 m, width - 2.5-3 m. Photophilous deciduous shrub with creeping shoots. White-pinkish flowers turn into red-orange fruits. The autumn color is bright. It can freeze slightly in snowless winters, but it easily recovers. Grows quickly, is unpretentious, tolerates a haircut.
Dammer's cotoneaster (Cotoneaster dammeri)
7. Blackberry cut (Rubus laciniatus)
Up to 0.8 m high, up to 4 m wide. Semi-creeping shrub with thorny shoots and split leaves, purple in autumn. Edible berries. Brings out partial shading. It freezes only in snowless winters. Does not tolerate stagnant moisture. Gives root suckers.
Blackberry cut at the end of summer - at the beginning of autumn
8. Buckthorn willow (Salix rhamnifolia)
The height is no more than 10–20 cm, the width is not limited. Shoots lying on the ground take root. It blooms inconspicuously, the foliage gives the effect of a green rug. It grows quickly, prefers a lighted place. Good for decorating the edge of ponds. Excess moisture tolerates well.
9.Stefanandra incised-leaved Crispa (Stephanandra incisa Crispa)
Height - 0.5 m, width - 2 m. Photophilous, but tolerates some shading. Hardy and unpretentious, if it freezes, it quickly recovers. In homogeneous group plantings, it can create green surfaces of almost any area. Growing fast.
Reproduction methods
As a rule, flower growers and gardeners propagate delosperma mainly in two ways: seed (through seedlings) and cuttings.
Growing from seeds
Sowing seeds for seedlings, which will then be transplanted into open ground, is recommended in mid-January. In this case, by the time of planting, the seedlings will have time to get stronger and bloom very early.
Take a container and fill it with peat soil. Spread the seed over the surface and cover it with a layer of snow that is not too thick. As the snow melts, the resulting water will be absorbed into the soil mixture, carrying the seeds along with it. From above, the container should be closed with glass or foil, after which it is placed in a place where it is always cool for 15 days. Then the crops are transferred to well lit place.
After the first seedlings appear, the shelter is removed. Moisten the substrate from the sprayer as it dries, and do not allow the liquid to stagnate in the container. It is necessary to split the grown bushes into separate cups after they have formed 2 or 3 pairs of true leaf plates. With the onset of heat, the bushes are planted in the garden if necessary, do not forget to harden them first. At the same time, remember that even small frosts can destroy the seedlings.
Delosperma. Sowing a seed. Review of seedlings.
Cuttings
Delosperm stems form roots in places where they come into contact with the ground. If necessary, from such a shoot, you can cut off a stalk already with regrown roots. Moreover, this procedure can be carried out throughout the growing season. And if the bush grows in the house, then you can propagate it by cuttings all year round.
Cut off an area with roots and foliage from the shoot. The resulting stalk can be immediately planted in a flower garden or in an individual pot. He will quickly start and start growing.
If there are no roots on the stems, then several cuttings are cut with a length of no more than 75 mm. They are left in the open air for a couple of hours so that the cut sites have time to dry well. The container is filled with cactus potting soil or sand. Then 1 stalk is planted in it, which is immediately transferred to a sunny windowsill. Water the cuttings sparingly and only if necessary, while making sure that the moisture did not get on plant and did not stagnate in the substrate. The roots of the segment will appear after a few days.
You can also use a container filled with water to root delosperm cuttings. When the roots appear, the young plant is planted in a pot with a substrate or in a garden.
Description and varieties
The cross-pair microbiota is a coniferous shrub belonging to the Cypress family.
The second type of shrub is Goldspot. 
This microbiota variety is larger than Jacobsen. At the age of ten, the plant reaches 0.5 m in height and 150 cm in diameter. At the ends, the needles have a creamy shade. The main part of it is green. Cones ranging in size from 30 to 60 mm have only one seed, which ripens in early September. The roots go deep underground. Loves shade and needs shelter from the wind.
Microbiota cultivation is impossible without fertilization. You can use mullein solution.
- Give your microbiota lots of micronutrients.
- Remove nitrogen from top dressing.
- Use magnesium as the main nutrient.
The microbiota needs to be fed twice a year. The first top dressing is best done in May, the second in August, in order for the plant to prepare for winter.
In May, it is best to fertilize the shrub with the preparation "Uniflor Buton" - it contains magnesium, almost no nitrogen and many trace elements. "Uniflor Cactus" is also suitable - among other things, it contains calcium, and there are as many microelements as in "Uniflor Bouton".
It is very important to loosen the soil where the microbiota roots lie. Loosening is necessary to destroy soil compaction and remove the roots of harmful plants
You need to loosen very carefully so as not to damage the roots of the bush. Loosening is carried out in the spring as soon as the snow melts and the earth dries up from excess moisture in it. Further, loosening is carried out as necessary - when compacting the earth. Most often loosened during the growing season.
Weeding is necessary to control weeds: they take light from the shrub, the area for growth and nutrients from the ground. In addition, weeds favor the development of diseases in the plant, as well as the appearance of harmful insects on it. The use of chemicals is undesirable. They are only used in emergencies.
The shrub does not tolerate transplanting well without a root ball. For transplanting, shoots lying on the soil are used. Cuttings are taken in the size of 8-10 cm. It is necessary to use root stimulants, such as "Kornerost", "Heteroauxin", "Kornevin". 
It is also necessary to maintain the temperature and humidity regime. In the fall, about 90% of the cuttings can be transplanted into the school, as they form good rhizomes.
In order for the bush to winter well, it must be prepared for winter. To do this, at the end of autumn, it must be thoroughly watered. You need to pour at least two buckets under each shrub. In winter, the snow that has covered the microbiota must be swept away, as it can break the branches of the bush.
How to propagate a plant yourself
Reproduction of microbiota, if desired, is easy to carry out yourself. This is done by the following methods:
Since cones rarely appear on the plant and it is difficult to extract seeds from them, the second method of propagation is often used by amateurs.
To grow microbiota from green cuttings, perform the following work:
In the middle of summer, young, but already lignified shoots with a heel are cut.
Advice. It is better to harvest cuttings for propagation in cloudy weather. This will protect both the cuttings themselves and the cuts on the mother plant from damage by the sun's rays.
- The cut branches are freed from needles and bark to a height of 3-4 cm.
- The bottom of the planting container is covered with drainage material. Loose and nutritious soil is poured on top. A 1: 1 mixture of sand and peat is suitable. Produce abundant watering.
- According to the number of cuttings in the soil, small round holes are made at an angle of 60 °.
- A cutting is placed in each hole to the depth of the cut bark and squeezed.
- A greenhouse is being built over the box.
Cutting care includes watering and daily airing. Fertilizer is not needed during germination. Roots appear in 2.5-3 months. Until next summer, the plants are grown indoors.
Prerequisites for good microbit growth
The plant belongs to rocks, which are distinguished by their unpretentiousness to growing conditions in open ground. To ensure good growth, planting microbiota is carried out in lighted areas with moist soil. The bush adapts normally to shaded areas. It hibernates under snow at 40 degrees below zero and endures strong winds.
The illumination of the site should not be accompanied by direct sunlight for a long time. Regardless of the landing site, you need to monitor the level of moisture in the soil and its looseness.
Loamy soil or sandy loam is well suited for cross-pair microbiota, especially with the addition of rubble in the form of drainage. Stagnant moisture at the roots has a bad effect on the plant. During the scorching sun, you need to irrigate the crown of the microbiota.
Important! The mulching layer of the trunk circle allows you to keep soil moisture longer, especially in hot weather. In addition, it protects the soil from crusting and overgrowth of weeds.
Site selection for microbiota
The microbiota is a very strong plant, its crown can easily support the weight of a person, and in natural conditions it does not even suffer from the invasion of large animals. Thanks to flexible branches, it does not break from heavy snow. Ephedra withstands lack of light, preferring shady areas, and can grow on any moderately damp substrate. Cross-pair microbiota planting is permissible in calcareous soil. But best of all, the shrub develops on fertile sandy loam or loamy soil.
With an excess of sunlight, the bush develops more slowly. Excess moisture is also detrimental to the plant, because in nature it grows on dry rocky soils. Cross-pair microbiota perfectly tolerates cold and dry periods, but does not tolerate waterlogging of the soil. One of the features of the shrub is the absence of a dense root system, which allows transplanting at any time. Ephedra is well formed by pruning, it is resistant to most diseases and pests.
