Alyssum rocky: reproduction and care

Surely everyone at least once met an elegant and bright flower called alissum... Gardeners love him very much, they decorate flower beds and personal plots with them. The secret of such popularity of the plant is in its beauty, sweetish aroma and unpretentiousness.

Content:

• General description of the plant
• Cultivation and reproduction
• Features of caring for rock alyssum
• Alyssum varieties

General description of the plant

Rock alyssum is a low-growing perennial plant. Its height does not exceed 30 cm. The stems seem to spread along the ground and branch out, creating voluminous compositions. They begin to bloom in May-June. The flowers are yellow, small, but the inflorescences are lush and beautiful. The leaves are few, and they are rather small, which is why the alyssum looks so bright and elegant in the flower bed. The fruit looks like a pod.

This flower also has other names - beetroot, stone stone.

One of its features is the preservation of its appearance for a long time. And if properly cared for, the plant can bloom a second time. As you know, after pollination, many plants crumble and become less attractive in appearance. But alissum blooms even with fruits. Its flowers grow and look even more beautiful.

This flower comes from the Mediterranean. It has been known in culture for a long time, since the 18th century. It is still found in the wild in Southern Europe, Africa, Asia. Alyssum is used exclusively as ornamental plant, although it has long been known that this plant is also curative.

However, its composition and properties have not yet been sufficiently studied for this flower to become widespread in folk medicine.

Its seeds are known to contain fatty oils and organic acids. Leaves and flowers are sometimes used as a diuretic and laxative. I also use fresh leaves to remove freckles and whiten the skin. Due to the lack of information about this plant, it is recommended to refrain from using it for young children and pregnant women.

Literally the name can be translated from Latin as "not canine rabies". Perhaps, once this flower was used to treat rabies in animals. Alyssum is a good and early honey plant. The flowers exude a strong honey scent, to which bees and bumblebees flock.

Cultivation and reproduction

This plant is ideal for our climate because it can withstand any frost. Some species are even able to survive the harsh Russian winter without losing their foliage.

Alyssum also tolerates drought well, which allows it to bloom even in the hottest and driest summers.

Seeds can be purchased at any gardening store or ordered online. No seedlings required. They are planted in open groundbetter in May. The soil should be slightly damp, but not too damp. The seeds are carefully poured into the prepared hole, without deepening too much into the soil. From above they are covered with a thin layer of earth (no more than half a centimeter). If you want the alyssum to bloom in mid-spring, the seeds can be planted in the winter as well. This should be done in early autumn or late summer. However, in this case, germination will not be as high as when planting in May.

You can plant seeds in a greenhouse in early spring and then transplant them outdoors when the night frost has passed. Alyssum is usually propagated seeds or cuttings... The seeds begin to ripen in June.They are small and flat. They need to be carefully collected and dried. You already know how to plant seeds.

Propagation by cuttings:

• Reproduction by cuttings is carried out either in June or in August.
• Cut a healthy, small outgrowth from the plant, about 10 cm long.
• The lower leaves need to be removed, leaving only the upper few leaves. This stalk does not need to be kept in water, so it will not take root.
• The twig is planted in a mixture of sand and peat, after which the first roots appear.
• Fortified cuttings are planted in the ground at a distance of about 30 cm from each other.

Alyssum begins to bloom in a month and a half after the emergence of shoots. It blooms long and luxuriantly. When propagated by seeds, flowering may be slightly delayed. It is not required to cover the plant for the winter. Alyssum is able to survive the cold even without insulation. However, it is not recommended to cut it before winter, it may die. To shorten the shoots, prune them as soon as flowering ends. The more time separates the pruning from the cold, the better.

Features of caring for rock alyssum

As mentioned above, alissum unpretentious and resistant to any bad weather. But there are some care tips that will help make the flower bed even more lush and beautiful, and the plant will bloom until late autumn. Basic rules of care:

• Watering alissum is a delicate matter. Any plant will die without water, but excess moisture for this flower is also destructive. Therefore, in the presence of regular precipitation or mild droughts, it is recommended not to water the plant at all (of course, the soil should be sufficiently nutritious). Only annual varieties need regular and abundant watering. If the weather is very hot and dry, to water it is possible, especially during flowering, to extend its time.
• All types of alyssum, including rock alyssum, need regular pruning. Without this, the bush will begin to fall apart, will lose its appearance. Rock alyssum cut off after flowering, removing a third of the shoots. After that, it will bloom even more magnificently and longer.
• The soil needs to be nutritious, so it needs to be fertilized. Alyssum rocky can be fed once in the spring. This will be enough. If the soil is depleted, top dressing should be done up to four times over the summer. A nitrogenous fertilizer is perfect for this.
• Remember to loosen the soil before watering. It shouldn't be too tight. Roots need air.
• Weeds need to be removed. They not only take nutrients from the plant, but also shade it, because alyssum grows quite low.
• Since alissum is a relative cabbage, the cabbage moth can hit him too. If you notice this, the plant needs process.
• In order for the plant to bloom and spike, add sand and compost to the holes before planting.
• Remember to prune the flower every summer. If this is not done, the next year the flowering will be poorer, and the flower bed will lose its appearance.
• It is not necessary to constantly select a new place for the alissum. If it is sunny enough, the flower will take root well and will exist for a long time in the same place.

Alyssum varieties

Alyssum has many varieties and varieties, alissum rocky is just one of them. Consider what other types of this flower can be purchased and grown in your garden:

• "Gold placer". Yellow bright flowers, the plant tolerates cold well, grows in a bush resembling a circle. In leaving, this type of alissum is unpretentious. Does not require frequent watering, but loves light. It does not bloom immediately, but a year after planting. Flowering lasts a little more than a month, with good care it can be repeated.
• "White carpet". Abundant small white flowers that creep along the ground really resemble a carpet. They do not grow very high in height, no higher than 25 cm. These beautiful flowers can be used for decoration, flower beds, front gardens, balconies, verandas. Does not require complex care, blooms for a long time, exudes a pleasant sweet smell.
• "Nautical"... This variety of alyssum is annual, it cannot survive the winter. However, it blooms for a very long time, until the first severe frosts appear. The name was given to this species for a reason. White or purple flowers spread quickly, filling the entire space of the flower bed with a solid floral carpet. It can be easily shaped, trimmed, while it will only grow and bloom more actively. Requires frequent watering.
• "Purple Queen". This variety can be called dwarf, its height is no more than 15 cm. The flowers are very small, purple. It can bloom for a very long time if you properly care for and remove wilted flowers. It tolerates cold well. If you plant flowers at a distance of 10 cm from each other, the flower bed will look like a purple carpet.
• "Silver". This is a perennial plant up to 80 cm high. It can be called evergreen, it does not shed its leaves in winter. The flowers are yellow and the rosettes are silvery.
• "Magic circles". A very beautiful variety. The flowers are small, white, pink, purple. In extreme heat, it stops blooming. It is important not to allow waterlogging and decay of the stems.

The choice of the variety will allow you to decorate your garden with magnificent flowers that will delight the owner and guests for a very long time.

More information can be found in the video.