Alissum - planting and care in the open field, recommendations for growing

To decorate the homestead, different ornamental plants are used. Novel gardeners will be interested to know what alissum, planting and care in the open ground is, and other nuances concerning this herbaceous culture, otherwise it will not be possible to get a beautiful landscape composition.

Alissum - Species

Many species of perennial and annual plants are known. This garden culture surprises with an abundance of colors, so you can grow flowers of pink, red, white, purple and other shades. Finding out what the alissum looks like, it is worth dwelling on several facts:

1. The flower reaches a height of 10-40 cm. It has semi-adnate strongly branched stems. With proper care, you can get a thick carpet or a lush ampel hat.
2. The leaves of the alissum are long and narrow, and their color is gray-green. Inflorescences are small with four petals. They are twisted and have a strong pleasant aroma, which has honey notes.
3. After the wilting of the flowers, fruit is formed in the form of a pod. Alyssum has a fibrous root system in shape, like a bundle.
4. In horticulture, other names are used - a stone or a borax.

Alyssum

Most gardeners use annual varieties, so you can regularly change landscape compositions. The initial forms are such alissum varieties: "Bentama", compact, variegated and prostrate. Breeders, combining them, have received many hybrid forms that are simply grown from seeds. In the description of the alissum it is indicated that annual crops should be sown in prepared light soil in mid-April.

Alyssum

Herbaceous plants, which can be grown for many years, amaze with their variety of forms. It is possible to grow herbaceous forms reaching a height of 8 cm, and semishrubs, in which the stems have a length of 80 cm. The main forms that can be grown in the open ground include such varieties of alissum: Gmelina, pyrineus, sea, creeping and rocky. There are hybrid variants, and grades. If you are interested in how the alissum blooms, then the flowers are small and there are a lot of them. Reproduction can be carried out by seeds and vegetatively.

Alissum - landing

This garden culture is unpretentious and it can be planted on open solar plots. Shaded areas are also suitable, but the bloom will not be so bright. The landing of the alissum and the care in the open ground behind it implies the choice of a dry and well drained site. Acid and waterlogged soils are not suitable for cultivation. For growing, you can use seeds, seedlings and cuttings.

How to plant alissum seeds?

Planting material can be collected independently or bought in the store. The second option is more successful, because the seeds have been trained. To understand how to sow an alissum, you should consider a number of recommendations:

1. Make a landing at a time when the open ground is already well warmed up, so you'll have to wait until May.
2. It is better to pre-treat the seeds, for which they are soaked for several hours in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Thanks to this, you can protect yourself from pests and diseases.
3. To sow the alissum, correct planting and care in the open ground means creating grooves, a depth of not more than 1.5 cm. It is possible to sow generously, since few people will get tiny seeds to be used separately. When there are shoots, necessarily dilute the plantations.

How to plant seedling alissum?

Many growers prefer growing sprouts, as this is a more reliable method. If you are interested in planting alissum on seedlings, then consider a number of tips:

1. It is necessary to purchase a light and nutritious soil, which must contain a small amount of lime, so the pH should be 5.5-6.2.
2. Seeds are planted for seedlings in March-April. Take the seedling box, fill it with soil and spread the seeds on the surface. Do not do this densely, as this will reduce the chance of germination. On top, lightly sprinkle with soil mixture or simply press the finger on the seeds.
3. Cover the top with glass or film to create a greenhouse condition and put it on a well-lit place. Maintenance means maintaining the temperature within 10-15 °. Humidification should be moderate and do not forget to periodically ventilate the seeds. If all these conditions are met, then sprouting will occur in a week, and even earlier.
4. Picks are held when 2-3 leaves appear. If there is a rapid growth, then such a procedure may not be necessary at all and immediately the alissum is planted in the open ground.

At what distance is the alissum planted?

Seeds plant at a specific distance from each other is difficult, because they are small, so after the appearance of seedlings, it is important to thin them. The landing of the alissum in the ground by bushes must pass so that the distance between them is not less than 20-30 cm, depending on the variety. If the landing is to get a live curb as a result, then the distance between the bush should be minimal. Pits are recommended to be prepared in advance, and they should be a bit more rhizome with an earthen lump. Do not go too deep into the plant.

Landing of the alissum in the open ground - terms

It all depends on how the culture multiplies. To grow an alsom, planting and care in the open ground means planting seedlings, when there will already be 2-3 pairs of full-grown leaves. The ideal time is from the end of May to the beginning of June. If you are interested, when you plant a plant alissum in the open ground, then you need to do this in May, when the earth has warmed up. At the spring planting, the plant will bloom at the end of summer, and in order to see flowers in May, sowing is carried out in autumn in November. During the winter, the seeds will grow stronger, and the shoots will be more enduring.

Alissum - growing conditions

One can not but rejoice at the fact that this plant is unpretentious and can be grown in different territories. It is not afraid of drafts, stony soils, arid areas, sun and neighborhood with other plants. Finding out how to grow an alissum, it is worth noting that if you want to enjoy bright colors for a long time, then you should pay attention to the quality of the soil in the selected area.

Ground for the alissum

Before landing, it is necessary to prepare the soil.

1. When growing a plant alissum in the open field, you must first apply humus or compost . This procedure should be followed a month before sowing.
2. Experienced gardeners recommend improving the drainage properties of the soil, for which laid keramzit, river sand or small pebbles.
3. After this, the digging and leveling of the soil by rakes is mandatory. In order for the alissum to develop well, planting should be carried out in non-acid soil, in which the pH should be at the level of 6-6.3.

Do they pinch the alissum?

If the seedlings are too stretched, then it is recommended to pinch the main shoot. Remove 1/3, and in some cases 1/2 part of the stem, leaving 3-4 pairs of real leaves with axillary buds. This happens if the seedlings were grown with a lack of light or too high temperatures. After the procedure, the plant will start to bush and will form lateral shoots.

Alissum, cultivation and care for which should be done according to the rules, includes pruning and it should be carried out regularly. Thanks to this procedure, growth will increase, and flowering will be more lush. It is important for all species of this culture to remove up to 8 cm of shoots. The only exception is the rocky alissum. For rejuvenating trim after wilting the inflorescence, all shoots are shortened by 1/3.

Alyssum - care

There are several tips to consider in order to preserve the beauty of this flower.

1. Top dressing. After disembarkation after five weeks, it is recommended to water the bushes with a solution of potassium and nitrogenous fertilizers. When the period of active growth and flowering comes, take care of the nutrition of the soil. You can use this composition: in 10 liters of water, dissolve 1 tbsp. a spoonful of urea and "Agricola-7". Annual species need to repeatedly apply fertilizers and for the summer period there should be about four additional fertilizing, and the first one is carried out before flowering. You can use a complex fertilizer, 20 g per 10 liters of water. To keep the alissum blossoms longer, when planting and leaving in the open ground, they mean the repeated use of complex additives, but in this case 40 g are taken for 10 liters.
2. Watering. If fertile and nutritious soil was chosen for growing perennial varieties and the precipitation level in summer is not lower than average, then additional irrigation can be completely ruled out. The thing is that with an overabundance of moisture, the root system will get wet and the shrub will die. In the drought period, in order to maintain the decorative nature of the alissum flower, care includes additional watering. When planting annual species irrespective of the weather conditions, it is necessary to systematically moisten the soil and in large quantities.

In order not to hurt the alissum, planting and care in the open ground should be carried out according to all the rules, otherwise in the absence of fertilizers or sanitary trimming, and excessive watering, the appearance of various diseases may occur:

1. The most common problem is late blight or brown rot. This problem occurs if the recommendations for irrigation are not followed and the land begins to sour. As a result, the root collar decays, and the alissum withers. To cope with this problem, completely treat it with fungicides, for example, using "Ordan" or "Kuproksat." From watering for a while should refrain.
2. Another problem for alissum is powdery mildew , which manifests itself on the leaves and forms a white coating on them. As a result, they become black and die. The problem arises if the pruning of the shoots was excessive or a large amount of nitrogen fertilizers was added to the ground. Another reason - sharp and severe temperature changes. Cope with powdery mildew, you can use Bordeaux liquid or fungicide, for example, "Fundazol".
3. To grow well, the alissum, planting and care in the open ground implies the use of protection against pests. The flower can perish from a flea of ​​cruciferous, cabbage moths or bryanka repinus. It is important to start treatment immediately, using special chemicals.

Alissum in landscape design

The popularity of this garden culture is due to the fact that it looks great in different compositions. Alissum on a flower bed in the open ground is well combined with many annuals and perennials, as well as ampel and ground cover plants. Planting grassy crops in the open ground is carried out on alpine hills , rockeries and mixborders . Tall grades are cut and combined with roses, irises and tulips.