Alissum

Alyssum is a perennial plant, but many gardeners grow it throughout only the 1st season. It is a flower with a sprawling low stem, which is covered with a large number of inflorescences of purple, yellow, purple or white flowers. In the people of his styled in different ways, for example: lobularia, a stone-mason or burachek.

Special soil for planting this plant is not necessary. It is unpretentious, except that overwetting is strictly prohibited to him.

It is possible to grow alissum both by means of seedlings, and direct sowing in the ground. The latter method is simpler. In regions where the growing season is limited, with cold winters and late spring, it will be better to grow this crop from seed through seedlings.

Growing an alissum from seed correctly

• It is possible to sow the seeds of a stone-bed in the unprotected soil before snow falls or when frost comes in for the winter. In the spring, planting time starts from the end of April to the beginning of June. After the spring frosts go irrevocably (it can be tracked according to the weather forecast), the seeds are allowed to be planted in the ground.
• If the seeds were sown for the winter, then there is the likelihood of their infection with fungal diseases. But choosing this time for sowing, you can wait for the plants to bloom much earlier than during spring sowing. Some gardeners plant an alissum in the spring so that their flowerbeds will not stop flowering, because this flower is replaced in this process by tulips and daffodils.
• When growing a stone-house by planting seeds, you must first select the sunny part of the garden, because in the penumbra or shade of its inflorescence will not be different pomp. With regard to the soil itself - loam or sandy loam, in which organic fertilizers have been introduced, since compost is best suited. It is recommended to drain the stones, so oxygen will better penetrate to the roots of the plants.
• By the way, for fertilizing the land, compost or humus is best applied a month before the seeds are planted. You also need to know that the area should be perekopan and leveled with a rake. Seeds need to be scattered in a mixture with sand over the surface of the soil, slightly pressed, but not covered with earth. After a week or a little later (everything will depend on the air temperature) after the first sprouts appear, the soil should be loosened, and the plants themselves should be watered, but not too much.

• After 3 weeks after the seeds germinate, the plants should be transplanted. Between each of them there should be a distance of 20 cm. The remaining flowers can be planted at the other place of the site. With a dense planting, the allissum will bloom poorly, and in addition to this it can become infected with various diseases, for example, with powdery mildew.
• In his care, the stone-house is unpretentious, it does not require fertile soil for its planting, and also copes with temporary cooling. Fertilizer should be applied to the soil only when planting plants, in the wells themselves. Re-feeding is necessary only when the shoots lose their color.
• Alissum is developing well at a normal level of air humidity, but during long droughts it is worth watering. In other situations - waterlogging, especially if the plant develops without drainage in heavy soil, it will simply die.
• In order to increase the number of flowers in the inflorescence, the plant should be cut about 5-7 cm.

Alissum rocky: features of the species

Alyssum rocky is a hemispherical, undersized bush, reaching a height of 30 cm. This plant grows in the wild in the territory of Asia, mostly in Siberia, North America, Europe. In another way, it is also called the stone flower, it can be both perennial and annual.

The root system is fibrous, creeping stems, branched with tree shoots. The flowers of the rocky alissum are small, consisting of 4 petals, bright yellow, which gather in lush inflorescences. The leaves are gray-green and in frequent sockets. The flowering of this alissum variety begins at the end of April and lasts until the beginning of July. By the way, in the one-year species the flowering period is longer, but it is more vulnerable to frost than the long-term one.

Before growing a stone flower in the first place should worry about the bright light, as well as neutral and drained soil. Frosts Dominus 10 degrees will not harm this plant, however, as well as drought. He easily goes through dry frosty winters.

Gardeners who grow this flower on their plots speak well of him. He is particularly unpretentious in the care. But, like other plants, rocky alissum needs feeding. Often in this role are nitrogen fertilizers no more than 2 times in 1 season. At the end of the flowering period, the flower stalks should be cut from the edge of about 10 cm, this will allow the plant to bloom again.

This culture propagates mainly seeds, which are formed after flowering. They have a flat shape and very small sizes. They should be planted in open ground in the month of April. But you can propagate the stone flower and with the help of cuttings, and dividing bushes. When grafting, a flower can be propagated at the beginning of June. After 2 months after the shoots appear on the soil surface, the plant will begin to bloom.

This culture is subjected to the following diseases: viral mosaic, rapid rot of the root system, jaundice, powdery mildew (both false and real). Also, garden pests do not bypass the plant side, in particular the cabbage moth, bedworm, cruciferous flea. Tobacco dust should be used against cabbage moth, it should be mixed with sand and sprinkle the soil around the flower with this mixture. It will scare away insects. In this way, the soil should be processed in the summer, just at the time of egg-laying by moths.

It is necessary to apply infusions of insecticidal plants (potato tops and wormwood) from the back of the whitegrass, by spraying. Potato infusion is prepared as follows: chop the tops (1 -1.2 kg) and pour 10 liters of warm water (up to 40 degrees). Leave the solution for 4 hours to infuse and spray them with flowers.

Beautiful snow carpet of flowers

This is a flowering annual plant for flower carpets, flower beds, alpine slides and balconies. It reaches a height of up to 15 cm, and its flowers have a pleasant aroma. A snow carpet is sown in April for seedlings or in May directly into the soil. Sprouts appear already after 8-10 days, at an air temperature of 18-20 degrees, this flower will also develop normally at a temperature of 12-15 degrees.

Seedlings obtained by sowing seeds should be planted in open ground in the second half of May, and each plant should be left at 15 cm. This alissum type does not require special care, but prefers nutrient neutral soils without fresh organic fertilizer. Flowering begins in July and ends in late autumn.

Photos of the best varieties

Any kind of alissum is incredibly beautiful, it can beautify any garden. It is so easy to care for him that even a beginner can handle it. The plant is not demanding for irrigation, the quality of the land and fertilizing. And with pests that can damage it, it is easy to handle in standard ways.