Alyssum annual planting and care. What kind of lighting does alyssum like

AT open field you can grow the most different flowers. Properly selected plants can decorate country cottage area during the whole year. And an excellent option for growing can be alissum. Such a plant is also known under the name beetroot or sea lobularia. Not so long ago, alyssum was little known, but in last years his popularity is increasing. After all, this culture is unpretentious, has an attractive appearance and rich honey aroma. Let's clarify what an alissum is in a little more detail, let's talk about how it is planted, and what kind of care it needs. We will also give a photo of alissum and discuss its cultivation at home from seeds.

Alyssum is a short growing crop. This ground cover plant can reach fifteen to forty centimeters in height. Small flowers can be painted in white, yellow, lilac, pink, red or purple tones. They are collected in small brushes. Alyssum blooms from May until late autumn. This culture is a honey plant, bees flock with pleasure to its spicy honey aroma.

Gardeners grow both perennials and annuals. They are great for decorating flower beds, flowerpots and flowerpots. Quite often, alyssums are placed in an area that is empty after the early spring bulbs have faded.

Growing alyssum from seeds

You can sow alissum on your site either directly in open ground or through seedlings.

Most gardeners successfully grow the flower through seedlings. After all, this method of reproduction is more reliable. Alyssum seeds should be sown in late March - early April. They should be placed in light nutrient soil, which is characterized by a low content of lime (the optimum acidity level is 5.5-6.2 pH).

planting material it is necessary to decompose on the surface of the prepared soil, sprinkle with a small amount of soil and spray well. Cover the crops with glass or film and keep them at a temperature of ten to fifteen degrees.

Periodically moisten the soil and ventilate the alissum crops in the home greenhouse. A week later, the first shoots appear, at this stage of cultivation, the shelter must be removed and provided to the seedlings. good lighting. After the first true leaf appears on the plants, fertilize using a complex fertilizer. And after the formation of a couple of real leaves, pick the seedlings into separate containers. Many gardeners refuse to pick and plant directly in open ground.

Alyssum flowers - planting and care in the open field

Sowing in open ground should be carried out around the beginning of May. The seeds are buried no more than one and a half centimeters, and then, after the appearance of abundant shoots, thinning is carried out. It is worth noting that during the spring sowing of alissum, the cultivation of the plant goes through all the prescribed stages, as well as when receiving seedlings, and therefore the plant blooms in the soil an order of magnitude later.

In principle, readers of "Popular about Health" can sow seeds in open ground in November. Over the winter, they will go through a process of natural stratification, which will make young plants stronger and help achieve earlier flowering.

Alyssum planting

Alyssum seedlings should be planted in open ground closer to the end of May - the beginning of June. It is best to place it in a sunny area. Plants thrive in dry areas with well-drained soil. The earth should contain a lot of humus, it is best to give preference to soil with neutral acidity. Alyssums may well grow between slabs or stones heated by the sun.

It is necessary to plant seedlings with an interval of forty centimeters. It is best to prepare pits for plants a little bigger size. Seedlings do not need to be deeply buried, immediately after planting, abundant watering should be carried out. For planting in a flower bed, it is quite possible to divide the already overgrown alyssums and plant them as separate plants. Flowering usually begins six to seven weeks after seed germination.

What does Alyssum love, what is the right care for him?

Such plants are not whimsical at all. They require little to no care, making them a great option for beginner gardeners. Alyssum only needs to be watered periodically, it is also worth loosening the soil from time to time and removing weeds from the site. Among other things, it is advisable to periodically trim and feed the growing plants.

Alyssums need regular moisture. If the plants experience a severe moisture deficiency, they may drop flowers or buds. However, the organization of abundant watering requires preliminary planting only on permeable soil. Otherwise, excessive moisture can lead to root rot and death of the plant.

After watering, just the same, it is worth loosening the soil and eliminating weeds between plants. In order to facilitate the care of alyssum, you need to mulch the soil after planting the seedlings.

As for top dressing, at the stage of active growth of greenery, you can use a tablespoon of Agricola-7 and urea per bucket of water. And before the start of active flowering, complex fertilizers should be used. Annuals may well be fed four times per season (the first time before flowering) to ensure re-blooming.

After flowering, it is worth cutting off the shoots of ratsenia by five to eight centimeters, eliminating dried flower stalks and unhealthy shoots. In such conditions, alyssum will bloom again.

For the winter, perennial alyssums should be sprinkled with dry leaves, and after snow falls, snowdrifts should be thrown over the bushes. And in the spring it is desirable to carry out another pruning - sanitary.

Alyssums are great for growing in the garden. They are not at all capricious and have an attractive appearance.

Lobularia, beetroot, alyssum, aurinia, mason - it is not in vain that so many different names have been invented for one unpretentious plant. undersized bushes one-year-old lobularia are covered with a lush honey cap from the beginning of summer until severe frosts. fragrant flower planted in balcony containers, boxes, used to create various compositions in flower beds, to complement rockeries and rock gardens.

The annual alyssum is a beautifully flowering plant that will make a wonderful addition to your flower garden and will look great as a border for your flower beds. This annual begins to bloom from the first summer month and continues until late autumn with whole clouds of white, pink or purple flowers. The flowers of the plant emit a pleasant smell with a honey note, which attracts bees and other insects beneficial to plants.

In this article - a description of the plant and its most common varieties and information on growing annual alissum from seeds, on the features of planting and caring for alissum, as well as its use in landscape design: where is it better to plant alyssum and in combination with which plants.

Alyssum annual: plant description

The bushes of the plant are lush, sprawling and strongly branching, but at the same time retaining compactness. In height, they can be from 15 to 40 cm. Alyssum flowers can be white, pink, red and purple. Under the small flowers are small leaves of silver-green color.

Alyssum varieties

Alyssum variety "Pink Queen" is very famous. It is distinguished by its small size - only 10-20 cm, small flowers and a pleasant smell with a honey tint. Lilac-purple flowers of the plant form a beautiful solid "carpet". "Queen" tolerates drought well, loves the light. It begins to bloom in June and ends in August, it is necessary to sow the seeds in May.

The most common variety of alissum "Snow Carpet" is very similar to the "Queen", with the only difference being that it has a stronger aroma and white flowers.

There are also varieties with crimson, blue and lilac flowers. good decision there will also be a purchase of seeds with a mix of varieties of different shades.

Alyssum annual: growing from seeds

This annual is propagated by seeds. You can sow seeds in containers for seedlings. This should be done in March-April. If you maintain the required temperature level (16-20 gr), then the first shoots will appear in 8-12 days. More about . Seedlings are planted in open ground at a distance of 10-15 cm.

Alyssum annual: planting and care

Since this plant is quite unpretentious, growing alyssum will not be special difficulties. The main care that is required after planting is regular watering. It is best to water with the end of the hose down to the ground so that the water spreads well. When flowering ends and you cut off the inflorescences, it will be possible to water the alissum from a watering can.

Once or twice during the summer, the plant will need to be fed with a solution of Agricola-7 and Effekton fertilizers (one tablespoon per ten liters of water) or Ross (two tablespoons per ten liters of water). After fertilizing, be sure to water the plants to wash away fertilizer residues from them.

It is important to maintain the required level of moisture, otherwise the plant will not bloom and dry out on dry soil. However, the plant can resume flowering if its stem is cut to 5-6 cm and watered abundantly, as well as fed with nitrogen fertilizers (one tablespoon of urea and Agricola-7 per ten liters of water).

Use in landscape design

Most often, alissum is used to form the border of the beds, in flower beds or discounts and in mixed landings in flowerbeds.

Alyssum is well suited for growing on a balcony. If you sow alyssum in containers or boxes on the balcony, then the pleasant smell of the plant will fill your room with a wonderful aroma.

Best Partners:

When compiling compositions with this plant, the question may arise: with what to plant alissum, what plants will complement it and grow in similar conditions with similar care?

The best partners will be plants with contrasting flowers of purple and of blue color, as well as with pink flowers, which will create a harmonious combination with white and pale lilac flowers of the annual alissum. These are plants such as late flowering tulips, forget-me-nots, phloxes and irises.

An excellent solution for decorating a flower bed would be a plant such as alyssum. Growing from seeds of this flower is not difficult even for novice gardeners. In open ground, it will not become the most important "star" in the garden, but fragile and delicate flowers perfectly emphasize the brightness of other plants. A soft fluffy carpet of its buds is often used landscape designers for the design of parks and squares. The combination of alyssum with various varieties of petunias and tulips creates the effect of a flower waterfall, which is fragrant throughout the area with the wonderful aroma of cut herbs and honey.

So elegant and versatile

Gardeners appreciate alyssum (beetroot) for simple care, the ability to grow on stones, between plates. The owners of the fences fill the joints between the constituent elements with soil and plant the seeds. In just a couple of months, the fence is decorated with many flowing flower cascades. Fans of creating compositions on the balcony often use alyssum as a border for other plants. Here you need to take into account the nuance - flowerpots can attract many bees. This property is used by gardeners on their plots for pollination of various crops.

Sometimes gardeners have a problem - flower beds, compiled with all their hearts, begin to thin out. Plants bloom with early dates bud bookmarks. Planting a beetroot comes to the rescue. The seedlings will quickly grow leaves and young shoots that will cover the bald spots.

There is alyssum sea or mountain, perennial plant or an annual. In our country, perennials prefer not to plant, because they have an average frost resistance and even good care does not guarantee survival in winter in open ground. This variety can be grown as an annual. Marine species of alyssum attract attention with highly branched branches with dark green leaves, while mountain alyssum is more compact and elegant. The height of an adult bush varies from 15 to 20 cm, and the width reaches half a meter.


The color palette of the opened buds is diverse:

• delicate cream, white;
• rich pink, raspberry;
• lily, dark purple;
• yellow, with an amber tint.

Types and varieties of alyssum (and there are more than a hundred of them) have not only external differences, but differ in aromas. Experts distinguish them by the specific notes of the constituent components. Despite the many forms and colors, plant care is the same, which is important to consider when making flower beds.

The place for these miniature bushes should be the most illuminated. Planting a plant on dark place will lead to stretching of shoots and poor flowering. Alyssum is not picky about the soil - it prefers poor soils with neutral PH values. This allows the water not to linger, but to maintain the necessary moisture of the earthen coma.

Proper cultivation of beetroot

Alyssum is considered a plant undemanding to weather conditions, so landing on flower beds and further care held in early spring. The soil is first dug up, if it is dense, then a small amount of river sand is added. Experts advise moistening the soil before planting, but watering is also possible after work.

There are only three ways to grow.

• Planting seeds in garden beds.

Parallel grooves are made on the ground, and then small seeds are sparsely scattered. With the bottom of a plastic cup, they are easily tamped in the ground, without sprinkling anything. After a week, the sprouts that have appeared are thinned out (distance -10-15 cm) and complex fertilizer is applied. The initial dose is taken two times less than indicated in the instructions.

• Pre-germination in .

When growers want to achieve early flowering or budding in cycles, they start planting seeds in late February. Without deepening, they are rarely poured over the surface and covered with glass. Grow at a temperature of 18-20 ° C, not forgetting to arrange daily hourly ventilation for the sprouts. After the third strong leaf has broken through on the seedlings, they dive into pots and carry out further care.

• Propagation by cuttings.

In an adult plant, cuttings (8 cm) are cut from the shoots, dried and sprinkled with slices with a root formation stimulator. The flower is placed in a greenhouse or immediately in a flower bed.

Experienced gardeners prefer to grow alyssum from seed. You can purchase various varieties and types of plants, combine them in flower beds, taking into account growth in a certain color scheme.

Cuttings are used extremely rarely. Usually this method is practiced to preserve the unique features of the original sample. When strong young plants appeared on the beds, the earth on the surface is loosened and mulched. You can use freshly cut grass as mulch.

What can't be done without?

You need to start caring for alyssum in the open field in the middle of spring with pruning. Long and dry shoots should be shortened by at least a quarter - the plant will begin to grow many new ones, which will make its shape compact and lush. When the alissum has faded, the pruning is repeated, removing the tops of the shoots along with the peduncles. In this way experienced gardeners achieve repeated flowering, sometimes even more abundant than the first. Despite the unpretentiousness of the beetroot, it needs top dressing, especially when the buds are laid. The number of dressings depends on the species.

• For perennial alyssums, a couple of dressings are enough. The first is produced before flowering with complex fertilizers with a high nitrogen content. Fertilize again after pruning. Some experts recommend care using only urea (0.5 tablespoons per ten liters of water).
• For lush flowering annual bushes require 4-5 dressings per season. Every three weeks, the plants are fed with mineral fertilizers, which are applied under the root.

Watering the flower loves plentiful, but without stagnation of excess moisture in an earthy coma. To determine when it's time to water, make a small hole in the soil. If at a depth of 5 cm the earth has already dried up, then it's time for water procedures. Water should not be sprayed on bushes, especially flowering ones - buds under the scorching sun can wrinkle and fall off.

Many flower growers like to plant alyssum not only for its decorative qualities, but also for healing properties. A decoction of fresh leaves will help get rid of excess fluid in the body, and women use an aqueous infusion of flowers to whiten their skin. For colds, the flowers are brewed in a thermos with boiling water and taken 50 ml three times a day.

Proper care is impossible without inspection appearance plants. Even if the planting of alyssum in the open field is extensive, once a week you need to inspect the bushes in search of the following pests:

• cruciferous flea;
• mealybug;
• various caterpillars;
• white turnip.

Alyssum began to drop buds, cobwebs appeared between the leaves, and the stems lost their turgor? Pests have invaded the garden. Especially often flower beds are attacked by the cruciferous flea. Modern insecticides easily cope with this problem with several treatments.

Flower growers like to plant these miniature bushes along garden paths. Some do not even collect seeds in autumn, allowing them to fall freely on the ground. After overwintering, the seeds sprout in the most unexpected combinations. It remains only to carry out further care of the plants.

Today, alyssum flaunts in many flowerbeds. It is planted as medicinal plant, as a border for flowers, in order to attract bees. And what a scent wafts through the garden! Of course, it is worth paying attention to this unusual bush.

In the summer I visited a friend and saw beautiful alyssum bushes in her. I could not resist and asked for seeds for myself, they were just ripe. Tell me, is alyssum a perennial or an annual? Will the plants survive our winters in the garden?

Among the undersized flowering plants it is worth highlighting alissum - compact lush bushes up to 40 cm high, which branch strongly. It belongs to the cruciferous family and is often used as a groundcover. Growing rapidly and releasing in different sides their long semi-lignified shoots, bushes form a beautiful carpet of small long leaves and small flowers. Alyssum blooms throughout the spring, spreading a delicate aroma around. The color of inflorescences in the form of panicles can be very diverse: from pale white to deep purple.

To date, there are about 200 plant species, among them there are both annual crops that require annual planting and renewal, and perennial varieties able to live in open ground for several years. All of them are quite unpretentious and do not need special care. But depending on whether it is a perennial or an annual, some differences in their cultivation still exist, and they are worth paying attention to.

Long flowering annual alyssum

Annual plant species are distinguished by a longer flowering period, most varieties delight with their fragrant inflorescences until mid-autumn. Their only drawback is intolerance to low temperatures, respectively, they will not be able to survive the winter in the open field.

Annual alissums are propagated by seeds, mainly through seedlings, transplanting it to a flower bed in the month of May. During the planting season, they are fed 4 times with mineral fertilizers, and after flowering is over, the bushes are cut off so that there is no chaotic self-seeding.

Of the annual species, lobularia or sea alissum is most often grown - a low plant up to 40 cm in height with creeping shoots. Blooms from mid-spring to early autumn, has many hybrids, the most popular among them:

Alyssum Snow Carpet is also very popular - the height of the bush does not exceed 30 cm, the inflorescences are white, densely covering the shoots.

Frost-resistant perennial alyssum

Perennial varieties of plants are able to winter in the open field, because they have a fairly good resistance to low temperatures. However, in regions with cold winters, even they need shelter.

Such alissums are fertilized half as often as annual species, and after a short flowering, the bushes are trimmed.

Among known species plants worth paying attention to such varieties:

Almost all types of alyssum can also be grown as a pot plant, but it should be borne in mind that they automatically become annuals, since neither variety is suitable for wintering indoors.