Aubrieta is a very popular perennial plant in modern gardening. It is used to decorate flower beds and create a living flowering carpet. Planting aubrieta, propagating and caring for it in the open ground is a pleasant and interesting activity, and the variety of varieties will allow you to emphasize the individuality of your garden.
Aubrieta: varieties and varieties
The second name for aubrieta is aubretia. Plants are perennial, grown primarily for use in landscape design. The crop is classified as a ground cover because of its growth pattern: the bushes grow, covering the ground, forming a very beautiful living carpet.
Aubrieta will help you create a unique landscape design for your site
The flowers of aubretia are not large, but their number is impressive. The color varies from white to purple and blue. Flowering occurs in two stages - from the end of May (about 45 days) and in September (30-35 days). In the photo you can see that the plant is not tall (10-13 cm), and forms beautiful flowering pillows from evergreen leaves.
The varieties and types of aubretia differ not only in the color of the flowering, but also in its shape, as well as in the structure of the plant itself. The choice of aubrieta variety depends only on the personal preferences of the gardener.
Cascade. Quite a popular variety of aubrieta. Perennials have beautiful flowers blue or red with a small yellow core. Leaves are grey-green and stay that way all year round, decorating the garden even in winter period. For this species, pruning is recommended immediately after flowering, which occurs in early or mid-summer.
Aubrieta cascade
Hybrid or cultural. The earliest of all types of aubration. The blooms are pink, purple and sometimes red, rising above the green foliage. It looks very beautiful in stones, in cracks in walls and fences. Among all the varieties of hybrid aubriet, the following are distinguished:
Hybrid variety of Henderson's aubriet
- “Charming Morocco” is a variety with the largest flowers (up to 1.5 cm in diameter), the color is varied - from blue to pink and red;
- "Doctor Mules" is a rather tall variety (14-16 cm tall), with delicate blue-violet flowers;
- "Borshies White" is the only variety with large white inflorescences.
Deltoid. People call it “Lilac Bush”. Under natural conditions, varieties of this species are found in South-Eastern Europe. The flowers are purple, blue or violet, medium-sized (1 cm in diameter). The inflorescences are collected in clusters, which makes the plant similar to lilac.
Aubrieta deltoid
Planting a plant
As soon as it got warm outside the window spring sun and the night frosts have subsided, you can plant aubrieta. This is usually done at the end of April - beginning of May (depending on the region). You should carefully choose a landing site. Growing is recommended in plenty of sunlight. The brighter the place, the more abundantly the aubretia blooms, and the blooms acquire a more saturated hue.
The plant thrives in light, not very fertile soils. The presence of lime or chalk is welcome. Oily soils, peat and clay soils are not to the liking of Shaver, and it will be capricious on them, if it takes root at all.
Aubrieta can be planted in open ground in early spring
The plant is buried in the ground in accordance with the length of the root. The distance between the bushes is at least 5 cm. The planting pattern is arbitrary, depending on the goal pursued by the gardener.
Important! To reduce acidity, lime or wood ash is added to the soil.
Planting the plant on a hill is encouraged - an alpine hill, a wall, blooming waves.
Shaving care
Although the plant is unpretentious, it should not be ignored. Planting and care include several main points.
The first and only abundant watering is carried out when planting aubretia in open ground. Further watering is carried out in rather meager portions. Excess moisture in the soil harms aubrieta flowers. They crumble and the plant looks dull.
Protect the plant from overwatering
Aubrieta does not tolerate moisture, but it does not tolerate drought very well, so the soil under the plant is mulched with sand, in a layer of 2-3 cm. At the beginning of summer, the mulch is renewed, and at the end of August, mulching is carried out again.
To prevent the aubrieta from losing its decorative effect, faded buds must be removed. Since the plant is perennial, the bushes must be pruned at the end of flowering. Next comes abundant autumn flowering, after which pruning is not recommended. It is necessary to prune bushes and remove damaged leaves before the next season - in spring.
Mulching the soil around the aubriet
With the arrival of autumn, the flowers do not shed their green mass, but if frost intensifies, the leaves may fall off. Some gardeners advise covering the plant with dry leaves or straw.
Advice! To prevent the soil from becoming waterlogged, take care of drainage at the site where the aubriet is planted.
Fertilizer and feeding
Plants don't really like fertilizer. Fertilizing is required no more than twice per season. Mineral and potash fertilizers are best absorbed. You can limit yourself to entering wood ash.
Advice! You can only feed grown seedlings before flowering.
If the aubrieta has been fed with nitrogen-containing fertilizers, its cultivation becomes more difficult. It is also not recommended to feed young seedlings after transplanting into open ground. It is most advisable to apply fertilizer before flowering and after pruning the bushes.
When growing aubrieta, fertilizing may not be used.
Plant propagation
Reproduction of aubrieta is carried out by several methods, each of them is good in its own way.
Diseases and pests
Aubrieta is a plant resistant to many bacteria, viruses and pests. Greatest harm It can be caused by excessive watering: rotting of the root system and death of the plant. The wrong choice of soil can also cause harm. Among insects, the plant is most often affected by aphids.
At the first symptoms of bacterial infections, the plant needs to be treated with insecticides
The most common disease among all varieties of aubrieta is powdery mildew. Plaque appears on the affected areas, and leaf deformation is observed. They fight the problem with the help of colloidal sulfur. Most often, affected plants are removed and burned.
Advice! Take proper care when growing and the plant will not suffer from diseases or pests.
Aubrieta: combination with other plants
Most often, aubrieta's partners in the garden are plants that creep along the ground. Pairs perfectly with milkweed or Caucasian rhizome, red soapwort or alyssum.
The combination is carried out according to color scheme. Varieties with all shades of red will complement perennial dwarf irises, in which a blue tint predominates in flowering, or Douglas phlox.
Aubrieta in landscape design
Aubrieta in landscape design
In landscape design, aubrieta most often acts as a living flowering carpet in a border or rock garden, where it will create an inimitable backdrop for plants that bloom a little later. Aubrecia looks very beautiful in flower beds decorated with natural stones (rockeries). Some gardeners manage to plant a plant in the cracks of the walls, creating cascades of indescribable beauty.
Growing aubrieta from seeds: video
Types of aubrieta: photo
Aubrieta (lat. Aubrieta) – perennial herbaceous plant family Brassicas. The name is given in honor of Claude Aubrier, a French artist who worked in the style of botanical illustration. The plant can also be found under the name aubretia, popularly known as windbag.
Aubrieta is a very popular garden crop. This unpretentious ground cover grows quickly, forming a continuous living mat. The height of the cushion is only 10-20 cm. The leaves are small, elliptical in shape, pubescent, have solid or jagged edges, attached alternately on short petioles. The plant is evergreen - with the onset of cold weather, the leaf cover remains.
When does aubrieta bloom?
What is the flowering period for aubriet? Flowering is not only lush, but also occurs in 2 stages: from late May to mid-July, the second wave occurs in September (about 35 days).
During the flowering period, the bush is complemented by a haze of inflorescences. The corollas are four-petaled, reach a diameter of 1 cm, but their number is numerous: the flowers almost completely hide the leaves. The colors are blue, violet, purple, less often – white.
The fruit is a pod with small brownish seeds.
IN natural environment Lushly blooming living mats of aubretia can be found along rocks and river banks in the south of France, the Balkans, Italy, Asia Minor, and South America.
Growing aubrieta in the garden is an interesting and uncomplicated process. A variety of species and varieties allows you to emphasize the individuality of your site.
Growing aubrieta aubretia from seeds at home
Aubrieta aubretia seeds photo
Aubrecia reproduces well by seeds. Most often, aubrieta is grown through seedlings.
- Start sowing seedlings around the end of February.
- Seedlings do not need picking or intermediate transplantation - sow immediately in individual containers.
- Peat-humus pots or peat tablets are perfect.
- Moisten the soil, place 2-3 seeds on the surface, sprinkle with sand (layer no more than 0.5 cm), and also moisten the sand cushion with a fine spray.
Aubrieta planting seeds photo seedlings
- Cover the crops with glass or film, germinate in diffused light, ensure the air temperature is within 18-21 °C. Ventilate the crops daily.
- Expect the emergence of seedlings within 3-4 weeks - when they appear, the cover can be removed.
- Water the soil with caution, avoiding waterlogging.
- If the sprouts develop poorly, a couple of weeks before transplanting into open ground, feed with complex mineral fertilizers(make the concentration weak).
Plant aubrieta seedlings in open ground when the threat of return frosts has passed. Pre-harden the seedlings.
How to plant aubrieta seeds for seedlings, watch the video:
Planting aubrieta aubretia with seeds in open ground
Experienced gardeners sow aubration directly into open ground. This can be done in the spring (around April) or before winter (mid-late September).
Pre-prepare the area: dig up to a depth of about 15 cm, clear weed, stones, apply complex mineral fertilizer, wood ash. Level the bed. Distribute the seeds over the surface of the ground, sprinkle on top with a layer of sand or garden soil (3-5 cm thick), and carefully water from a watering can.
How to sow aubretia seeds in the ground
How long does it take for aubrieta to sprout? When sown in the ground in spring, seedlings will appear in 10-20 days. The plants will need to be broken through, leaving at least 5-7 cm between them.
Propagation of aubrieta by cuttings and dividing the bush
Aubrieta is propagated vegetatively: by cuttings and dividing the bush.
Cuttings of aubretia
After spring pruning, you will receive many cuttings. Select the strongest ones, plant them in a sand-peat mixture under a film cover, regularly water and ventilate them, and remove the film when it gets warm. By the end of summer, the seedlings will have a well-developed root system - transplant them to permanent place growth. Before the onset of cold weather, the seedlings will take root successfully. If the winters in your region are harsh, it is better to keep the rooted cuttings in a greenhouse until spring.
Dividing the bush
Dividing the bush is carried out extremely rarely, since the plant tolerates the procedure painfully. This is done in spring or autumn. Carefully dig up the bush, divide it into parts (each section should contain roots and well-developed shoots), and plant it in previously prepared holes.
Reproduction of aubretia by layering
Aubrecia can be easily propagated by layering: lodging shoots can be sprinkled with earth and by the end of the season you will get new independent bushes, which can be separated and planted in a permanent place in the fall.
Place for growing aubrieta
Aubrieta in garden design photo
Choose your landing site carefully. The plant will be able to demonstrate its decorative potential to the maximum in the presence of bright sunlight: flowering will be abundant, the shade of the inflorescences will be saturated.
As for the soil: the poorer it is, the better for the plant. Oily, peaty, and clayey soils are not suitable - the aubrieta may not take root. Moderately fertile, loose garden soil is ideal. The reaction is preferably neutral or slightly alkaline. To reduce acidity, add wood ash or chalk.
Grows well on rocky soil (can be planted among concrete slabs, stone steps).
Planting and caring for aubration in open ground
Aubrecia seedlings ready for planting photo
When and how to plant
As soon as the spring sun warms up and the threat of night frosts recedes, you can begin transplanting aubrieta seedlings into open ground. Focus on the climatic conditions of your region ( best time landing - late April-early May).
Make holes according to the size of the root system, keep a distance of at least 8-10 cm between bushes. Choose a planting scheme depending on your goal: do you want to create a continuous carpet or scattered islands bright colors.
The plant is unpretentious in care, but cannot be completely ignored. Care procedures come down to several points.
Watering
Water thoroughly immediately after planting in open ground. In the future, water only during periods of prolonged drought. Saturation of the soil with moisture leads to active growth of green mass to the detriment of flowering. Young plants will need a little more moisture, but stick to moderation. It is best to use sprinkling.
After watering and precipitation, loosen the soil and remove weeds. Remove weeds.
Mulching
Feeding
Frequent feeding can be harmful. It is not recommended to apply nitrogen-containing fertilizers or feed seedlings immediately after planting in open ground. The best option– applying mineral potassium fertilizer (you can limit yourself to adding wood ash) before the first flowering and after summer pruning.
Trimming
To maintain the decorative appearance of the bush, regularly remove faded inflorescences. After the end of the first wave of flowering, prune - the stems are cut almost to the root. After repeated autumn flowering, pruning should not be carried out; the plant should not go “naked” for the winter. In spring, trim the bushes, remove damaged shoots and leaves.
How to care for aubrieta and propagate it, look at the video:
Wintering the aubrieta
Perennial aubrieta successfully winters in open ground in the presence of snow cover. Its own green mass will not protect the plant from extreme cold. If a snowless winter with sudden temperature changes is expected, it is better to additionally cover with available materials (fallen leaves, spruce branches).
Diseases and pests of aubration
When implementing proper care the plant is not exposed to diseases and pests.
Excessive watering provokes rotting of the root system. If the soil is chosen incorrectly, the appearance of the plant will be depressed, and flowering may be absent.
Occasionally it is affected by powdery mildew (deformation of the leaf plates is observed, a whitish coating appears on them) - most often the affected plants are removed from the site and burned. The rest are treated with a solution of colloidal sulfur or a fungicidal preparation.
Pests: aphids, cruciferous flea beetles. Apply insecticide treatment.
Types and varieties of aubrieta with photos and names
Types and varieties of aubrieta differ in the structure of the plant and the color of the corollas.
Aubrieta deltoid or Aubrieta deltoidea
Aubrieta deltoidea variety Kitte Purple photo
People call it a lilac bush. The height of the bush is 15 cm. The leaf blades are deltoid, there are 1-2 teeth on each edge, the shade is gray-green. Loose racemose inflorescences consist of small flowers (corolla diameter about 1 cm) of a lilac or purple-blue hue. Cultivated since 1710. Bougainvillea variety: plant height is 20 cm, flowers are light purple with an orange eye.
Cultural aubrieta or hybrid aubrieta Aubrieta x cultorum
Cultural aubrieta or hybrid aubrieta Aubrieta x cultorum Red Carpet photo
A group of perennial herbaceous plants no more than 20 cm high, in temperate climates they successfully winter under snow cover. The leaves are oblong, serrated. Flowers can be simple, double, semi-double. Some varieties can be grown as potted crops, some are suitable for cutting.
Let's look at the most popular varieties of cultivated aubrieta:
Aubrieta hybrid Aubrieta x cultorum Cascade Purple photo
Cascade - leaves of a gray-green hue; red or blue inflorescences are decorated with a yellow eye.
Charming Morocco - has the largest flowers (about 1.5 cm in diameter), colors from blue to various shades of red and pink;
Aubrieta aubrieta Dr. Mules Aubrieta x cultorum ‘Dr. Mules' photo
Dr. Mules is a bush about 15 cm high with blue-violet inflorescences;
Aubrieta white Snowdrift White photo
Borshiz White is a rare variety with snow-white inflorescences.
Aubrieta Cascade Red Cascade Red photo
Côte d'Azur - aquamarine inflorescences decorate the garden throughout June-July, repeated flowering starts in September and lasts until frost;
Aubrieta ‘Axcent Violet With Eye’ photo
Giant waterfall - bushes 15 cm high with flowers of purple, pink, red, lilac. It is a mixture of varieties - aubrieta violet, pink, red, lilac... On this winter-hardy perennial up to 15 cm high, flowers open with a diameter of up to 1 cm.
Aubrieta aubrieta ‘Hamburger Stadtpark’ photo
Also pay attention to the varieties Gloriosa, Don, Carnival, Queen, Blue King, Vanda, Triumph, Royal Cascade.
Aubrieta in landscape design
Aubrieta in landscape design
In landscape design, flowering aubrieta cushion bushes most often serve as a ground cover plant.
Aubrieta and Arabis in landscape design photo
It looks spectacular on hills - plant it in rock gardens, some manage to plant aubretia in the cracks of the walls, which allows you to create a cascade of amazing beauty.
Aubrecia in landscape design photo
The combination with stones is beautiful: plant it in a rock garden, on an ordinary rocky area.
Aubrieta in landscape design photo
The variety of varieties allows you to mix different shades.
Suitable partners would be phlox, perennial dwarf irises, spurge, red soapwort, Caucasian rhizome, and alyssum.
Aubrieta in facade design photo
Aubrieta is a pretty herbaceous perennial that can amazingly transform your country cottage area. It will cover a rockery or alpine hill with a colorful carpet, create a bright background for other flowers in the flowerbed, and decorate vertical surfaces with a cascade. The obrieta is also good as a potted plant. indoor plant. It can be grown as a balcony crop and gets along without any problems with all its flowering neighbors on the site. It is best to grow the plant from seeds.
Aubrieta growing from seeds: when to plant
The color of the flowers of this highly ornamental plant can be very diverse. There are varieties with flowers:
- light blue;
- soft pink;
- purple;
- blue;
- raspberry;
- violet;
- lilac;
- purple;
- white.
Coloring of aubrieta flowers
The aubrieta comes from Southern European and Central Asian countries. This ground cover is suitable for continuous vertical and horizontal decoration of gardens and is successfully used by landscape designers around the world.
Advice! A plant grown from seeds begins to bloom in May of next year. The flowering period lasts one and a half months. If you trim the shoots of aubrieta immediately after flowering, it may bloom again. This way, it is easy to ensure a flowering carpet throughout the summer.
Varieties of aubrieta
There are about 40 cultivated varieties of this plant. The most popular of them are five.
Earth, light, water
Aubrieta is difficult to classify as an unpretentious flower. It is demanding on three agrotechnical aspects at once:
- Soil composition
- Watering mode.
- Lighting.
In addition, the plant is almost impossible to propagate by dividing the bush - it tolerates replanting very poorly and the survival rate of the divisions is low. Therefore, the seed method of sowing directly into the soil in a flower bed or alpine hill is optimal.
It is worth growing aubrieta seedlings only in peat tablets
In order not to risk the loss of seedlings when picking and planting in the ground, when growing seedlings, aubrieta should be sown only in peat tablets. This way, the plant will not be damaged during transplantation.
When to sow
Aubrieta can be sown in the ground both in spring and autumn. In spring it is May. Autumn – October. If the seeds are sown in the spring, germination can be expected in 10-15 days. When sown in autumn, the plant germinates only the following year in the spring.
The seeds are immediately sown in a permanent place at a suitable interval. You should not thicken the crops too much - the seedlings will not be able to develop normally, and the feeding area for them will be insufficient. But there is also no need to sow ground cover too rarely. The optimal distance between bushes, depending on the variety, is 15-20 cm.
Seeds are immediately sown in a permanent place at a suitable interval
The soil
It is very important to choose the site that is most suitable for the plant. Aubrieta looks spectacular anywhere, but it will not grow well everywhere. She needs to be provided with light nutritious soil with an alkaline reaction. Acidic soils are absolutely not suitable for the plant. Heavy clay soils are also contraindicated for the plant, but the plant likes sandy loam.
Advice! Aubrieta is a very light-loving plant. It makes no sense to sow it in the shade, since the leaves will stretch out, the flowering will be sparse and the expected decorative effect will not be achieved.
Before sifting, the soil needs to be prepared.
- Clear of stones and weeds.
- Dig to a depth of half a shovel handle (10-15 cm).
- Add humus and wood ash if sowing occurs in the fall.
- Add a mineral complex and wood ash during spring sowing.
- Add chalk or lime (the plant needs calcium for successful development).
- Loosen the fertilized soil so that there are no lumps and the structure is uniform.
- Moisten the area.
- Prepare a soil mixture of peat and sand for filling the seeds.
Fertilizing the land with wood ash
Sowing
Aubrieta seeds are not very large, flat, and brown in color. Before sowing, especially in open ground, they must be prepared and disinfected. Preparation can be done by soaking the seeds in a growth stimulant (epin, heteroauxin) dissolved in warm water, proportions and time - according to the instructions. Disinfection can be carried out using a dry method, dusting it with a fungicide, or traditionally keeping the seeds for one hour in a solution of potassium permanganate.
Aubrieta seeds
When sowing, the seeds are laid out on a prepared, moistened area at a given interval. The crops are sprinkled with a mixture of peat from the sands in equal proportions, and watered with “rain” from a watering can.
Advice! The aubrieta looks very beautiful in a rock garden. You can sprinkle the seeds between large stones (just place fertile soil there first). The aubriet shoots falling from the stones look fascinating.
Aubrieta in the rock garden
Growing aubrieta for seedlings
Many people do not want to wait a year to get flowering plants, preferring to grow aubrieta seedlings. This can be done without loss if you do not pick the plants and plant them in the ground without removing them from the cup. Peat tablets and pots will help you grow seedlings at home. In this case, you can sow the seeds starting in February. Plants are planted in the ground in April.
Aubrieta grown from seedlings will bloom in June. A week after germination, the seedlings should be fed with a mineral complex for flower seedlings, and subsequently fertilized every 10 days.
Video - How to grow aubrieta from seeds
Plant care
The flowerbed where the aubrieta flaunts must be loosened monthly, all weeds must be weeded, and the plants must be watered by sprinkling or drip irrigation.
This ground cover is very fond of fertilizers, so it needs fertilizing at all stages of growth: from the very first - two weeks after germination, to the last - before the second autumn flowering. If you do not feed, the plants will not bloom as profusely as we would like. When feeding aubrieta, a standard complex of minerals is used (nitrogen + phosphorus + potassium).
Shab requires feeding at all stages of growth
At the stage of the beginning of growth, you need to use fertilizing with a high nitrogen content, then switch to a diet with a high content of phosphorus; at the stage of the beginning of flowering, the plant needs potassium most of all.
On fertile soils, the plant should be fed at least three times every two months. If the soils are not very nutritious, fertilizing will be needed every two weeks. Also, once every two weeks you need to fertilize plants in rock gardens and alpine slides and cascade varieties intended for vertical decoration.
Advice! In addition to mineral complexes, young plants can be additionally fertilized with sodium humate twice a month (at different times, between main feedings).
Three times during the growing season, the soil under the obrieta must be mulched with fine sand. After trimming the faded shoots, it is good to mulch the ground with a mixture of sand and peat.
The soil under the obrieta must be mulched with fine sand
Frequent watering is not required. Overmoistening of the soil will lead to the forcing of leaves to the detriment of flowering. However, in hot weather it is necessary to water the flower, at least twice a week.
Pruning can be done at the end of each mass flowering. You need to cut the stems sparingly to the very base. The plant will immediately send out shoots that will bloom again.
In order for this ground cover plant to be flowering and healthy, it must be treated with colloidal sulfur against powdery mildew, which often occurs in aubrieta. It can also be treated with insecticides against pests.
An undeniable advantage
Aubrieta is not afraid of extreme cold
In addition to long, abundant, beautiful flowering, this plant has another important advantage - it is not afraid of even extreme cold. Aubrieta does not shed its leaves in winter, and freezes only at very low temperatures, below 30 degrees below zero. Therefore, the decorative effect is preserved all year round for many years.
Aubrieta is a luxurious plant, the care of which causes some trouble, but the result and decorative effect that this flower produces on the site is worth the effort.
Aubrieta (aubrecia) is an evergreen herbaceous plant from the Cruciferous family. It decorates gardens and rock gardens throughout the European continent, but its homeland is considered to be South America and Central Asia.
Under natural conditions, the plant is most often found in rocky areas and on river banks. Curvy flowering bushes the soil is covered with a continuous carpet, so aubrieta, like arabis, is planted to decorate personal plots. In addition, the plant is an excellent neighbor for other green “pets” in indoor conditions. And such a “beauty” will turn an ordinary balcony into a fairy-tale corner, forming a chic floral cascade.
general description
Aubrieta is similar to Arabis, but the plants differ in the size of the pistils, the latter having much shorter and thicker ones. Despite its “southern” origin, aubretia is a frost-resistant plant. When winter comes, it does not shed its leaves, even the color remains the same.. In April–May, the bushes begin to bloom wildly, which lasts up to 50 days. In autumn, the flowering process of aubrieta is repeated.
The palette of shades of the plant’s petals is quite diverse; they can be: pink, reddish, purple, blue and light blue (cascade blue variety), lilac, white, violet. Miniature leaves have an elliptical or egg-shaped, their edges can be either jagged or solid. Small flowers consist of four petals, like Arabis, and the inflorescences are racemose.
Growing conditions
Growing aubrieta, like arabis, is easy both in the open ground and at home. In the first case, it is better to plant from mid-May, when there is no longer any cold weather. The main condition when choosing a suitable site is maximum sun, then the bushes will delight you with an abundance of bright flowers. The soil for planting needs to be loose and permeable; it must have chalk, lime or ash. Oversaturated and peaty soils are not the best option for the plant. Aubrieta bushes are so viable that they can easily grow in the cracks between stone steps and concrete structures. Therefore, the soil suitable for growing is very poor in nutrients.
Planting a plant
Aubrieta, like Arabis, is quite flexible, so it is planted in the desired order according to the flowerbed plan. The plant should be deepened into the ground taking into account the dimensions of the rhizome, but the interval between seedlings should be about 5 cm. If the plant was in a plastic or ceramic container, then lower it into water before planting in the ground. When bubbles begin to form on the surface, carefully remove the seedling from the pot with the soil lump and plant it in a hole, the width of which should be 2 times the diameter of the dish. Then you should compact the soil and mulch it with sand. Optimal thickness sand layer - 4-5 cm. At the end, water with a small amount of liquid.
Caring for a garden plant
Aubrieta is unpretentious, but planting and care contain several main rules. When grown in open ground, the plant is watered once immediately after planting, then water is added in small doses if necessary. Excessive humidity soil negatively affects flowers, they fall off and look sparse. Aubretia prefers dry soils, although severe drying out also harms beautiful bushes, so on hot summer days aubretia needs to be watered. Mulching with sand is a mandatory procedure for the plant; it is performed in June, and then at the end of August.
Aubrecia is a perennial, like Arabis, so at the end of summer flowering the bushes need pruning. In the fall, the aubrieta begins to bloom again, but after this process it is not advisable to prune the bush, although many gardeners do otherwise. The next pruning should be done at the beginning of spring. In winter, the leaves of the plant do not fall off, but if the frosts are very severe, this may happen. To avoid dropping the green mass, it is recommended to sprinkle the bushes with straw, although dry leaves will also work.
Perennial aubrieta does not like heavy feeding, so the soil should be fertilized very carefully.
When is the best time to feed a plant? Complex fertilizers are applied 2 times a year: with the arrival of warmth before the inflorescences appear and in the fall after the last pruning. Complex fertilizers are used as top dressing.
Diseases and harmful insects
Diseases and pests rarely affect flowering bushes. However, sometimes aubrieta becomes infected with powdery mildew. This disease is characterized by the presence of a white coating on leaves and flowers. Affected areas turn black and wilt, and overall bush growth is inhibited. Fungal disease It is treated with a special drug – colloidal sulfur.
The most dangerous enemy of aubration is aphids. These pests can carry viral diseases; to combat them, the plant must be treated by special means: Fufanon, Karbofos or Biotlin.
How does a plant reproduce?
Reproduction of bushes occurs through cuttings and seeds. In this case, you can initially grow seedlings and then transplant them into the ground. But more often, aubretia, like arabis, is preferred to be sown directly on a flower bed. Before sowing, dig up the soil in a layer of 15-20 cm, then clear it of debris and add ash and chalk (lime). Aubrieta seeds should be sown not infrequently, but not too thickly. The seed is not buried in the soil, but simply sprinkled on top with a layer of sand up to 5 cm. Then the sand is watered a little using a watering can. If you sow in the spring, the shoots will sprout within 2-3 weeks, and if you sow in the fall, the shoots will appear only the next spring season.
The plant is also propagated by cuttings. After summer flowering, pruning is performed, and after it there are many removed stems that can become cuttings. These plant residues are planted in a greenhouse; suitable soil is peat and sand in a 1:1 ratio. At the end of summer, the seedlings should form roots, then they are moved to a permanent place. Usually, the “young growth” manages to gain strength before winter, but if the climate of your area is very harsh, leave the plants in the greenhouse until the weather warms up.
Reproduction by dividing the bush is very painful for the plant. The easiest way for aubration to carry out this procedure is in the autumn and spring period s. The bush is dug up and divided into parts, each component must have strong shoots and rhizomes. Then the particles are placed in the holes. But the rehabilitation process for aubrieta after such a forced injury is difficult, so it is better to propagate the plant by seeds or cuttings.
Aubrieta: growing from seeds
A flowering bush can be easily grown from seeds by purchasing a bag of seed of the required variety in the store. But when growing a plant at home using this method, you can lose the best parental qualities. And one more disadvantage of such bushes is that they begin to bloom in the second year after germination.
The seedling method of propagating aubretia is considered the most reliable. At the end of winter, they take seeds of a certain variety and plant them in separate peat tablets or in special pots with peat and humus. Then, together with these containers, the seedlings are planted in the ground. Place several aubrieta seeds on the surface of the moistened soil, sprinkle them with a sand layer of up to 5 cm, then lightly moisten the sand with a sprayer. The container is covered with glass or film and then placed in a warm place. At a temperature of 19-22 °C the seed germinates best.
Crops are ventilated every day, watering is carried out if necessary. The sprouts hatch in about 21-30 days, after which the greenhouse is removed from the pot. If the seedlings grow reluctantly, then 10-14 days before planting, the soil is fertilized with a weak solution of complex mineral fertilizer. Aubrieta does not like picking, so it is advisable to plant the plant seeds immediately in separate containers.
Plant varieties
In its natural environment, this plant includes 12 species, some of which are cultivated. The most popular varieties among gardeners are:
- aubrieta deltoid (lilac or bluish flowers, gray-green leaves with several teeth along the edges) - Royal Violet, Red Carpet, etc.;
- aubrieta cultivated or hybrid (bred on the basis of the previous variety, tolerates snowy winters well, has miniature elongated leaves with jagged edges, different shades of flowers) – Charming Morocco, Gloriosa, Carnival, etc.;
- cascade (blooms in spring, petals are bluish, blue, lilac or pink-red, ideal for decorating a balcony) - cascade blue, cascade purple, etc.
Pay more attention and time to your green “pet”, then you will be proud of the result!
Aubrieta is an evergreen, creeping plant of the cabbage family, growing as a perennial herb. Natural habitat – shores and rocky areas South America and Asia Minor. The plant is very beautiful - developing, it forms a continuous thick carpet, covered during flowering with bright flowers of violet, purple, red, pink, white flowers and their shades. Few-flowered racemose inflorescences adorn the plant for quite a long time, from about mid-spring until the very beginning of summer. As a result of flowering, fruits are formed in the form of pods filled with brown seeds.
The plant is planted in autumn or spring, when established warm weather and night frosts are excluded, around mid-May. Since this plant is quite demanding in terms of growing conditions and care, it is worth choosing the right site before planting. At the same time, it is assumed that aubrieta loves a lot of sunlight, loose, light soil that conducts moisture well and breathes. Separately, it should be noted that great importance has soil acidity - it should be neutral or low, within a pH range of 6 to 7, no more. If, upon checking, it turns out that this parameter is outside the optimal range, the soil will have to be amended, for example, by adding a little lime to it.
As for the nutritional properties of the soil, here the plant is not at all demanding. Aubrieta grows very well on moderately nutritious soils and even when they are completely poor, but it will be better if you add a little peat or charcoal - this will accelerate the growth of green mass and help the flower to fully reveal its decorative potential.
Landing
Aubrieta seedlings, after germination, are planted in open ground in groups, but no more than 5 plants in one place. If the seedlings were grown in peat flowerpots, the seedlings are planted directly into them, but if the flowerpots are plastic or clay, the plants will have to be carefully removed. To do this, the flowerpots are immersed in water, but only heated to a temperature environment and wait until air bubbles appear on the surface. Now, the seedlings can be carefully removed and planted in holes at a distance of at least 5 centimeters from each other.
After planting all the seedlings, the soil is compacted, sprinkled with sand in a layer of about 5 centimeters and watered, but only through a sprayer so as not to expose the roots.
Rules of care
This plant is very demanding on lighting, the slightest lack of which has a depressing effect on it, but as for care, no special frills are required. And yet, in order for a flower to develop healthy and delight with its splendor and abundance of flowers, you need to follow some rules.
Watering
A mature aubrieta can easily do without watering - natural rain moisture is enough for it. However, during hot, dry periods it will be better to water the plant, but only a little - it is strictly not recommended to water it, especially in late autumn. But young plants require regular moderate moisture as the top layer of soil dries.
Along with watering, you can lightly feed the plant by adding a little sodium humanate to the water. It promotes the overall development of the bush and its root system. But this must be done very carefully, since an excess of nutrients will lead to increased growth of green mass, and flowering, if any, will be very rare and insignificant.
Fertilizer and feeding
Young plants do not require fertilizer; on the contrary, this is contraindicated for them, but it is advisable to feed an adult bush twice a season, but very moderately and only with mineral compounds - no organic matter.
The first feeding is applied in the spring, before the formation of buds, and the next in the summer, after the pruning procedure.
Bush pruning and rejuvenation
Pruning is necessary not only for sanitary care - removing diseased and outdated branches and leaves, but also to activate the second flowering. The first one lasts about a month and a half, after which you need to cut off all the stems at the roots, loosen the soil, fertilize it a little and mulch it. If this is not done, the aubrieta takes on an unkempt appearance and does not bloom a second time.
Autumn pruning is not recommended - it weakens the plant before the winter cold. It is better to do this in the spring, when it gets warmer.
Over time, the aubrieta degenerates and weakens. It becomes painful, and in addition, it blooms poorly or does not bloom at all, so it is advisable to rejuvenate the plant at least once every 2–3 years by growing a new one from its cuttings. It is best to do this in the spring.
For cuttings, young shoots without flower buds are selected, cut into small sections so that they have several growth points and planted in nurseries. Wide flowerpots or special boxes filled with a feeding substrate - peat mixed with sand, in approximately equal proportions - are suitable for this. There should be at least 10 centimeters between the cuttings, otherwise they will interfere with each other. Such seedlings, already at the beginning of summer, can be taken out into the air in a box, where they will get used to natural conditions, and at the beginning of autumn they can be transplanted into open ground.
For the first winter, it is advisable to insulate the plants by covering them with mulch, and if a frosty winter is expected, preferably also with spruce branches.
If everything is done correctly, the aubrieta will begin to bloom after wintering, abundantly and for a long time.
Growing from seeds
This method is quite effective and not complicated, but it is worth knowing that seed propagation often leads to the loss of varietal characteristics of the plant, in addition, seedlings bloom no earlier than after a year, or even two.
Procurement of seed material
To grow high-quality seeds, after the first flowering, you need to cut off the stems of the bush, leaving only a few of the healthiest shoots with fruits and, when they ripen, collect the pods, dry them and extract the seeds from them.
They can and preferably be planted this fall, but they can also be stored until spring planting in a dry, cool and dark place, for example, in cardboard box on the refrigerator shelf.
Sowing seeds
There are two ways to germinate aubrieta seeds - in nurseries and directly in open ground.
For nurseries, it is worth using peat pots or tablets, which will then be easy to transfer to open ground. Seeds are laid out in groups of 3 on a damp substrate, covered with a layer of sand about 4 millimeters thick, moistened with a spray bottle and covered with film - a greenhouse is set up. This is done in early February and, until transplantation, the seedlings are kept at a temperature within 18 - 20°C. From time to time, the greenhouse is ventilated and the substrate is moistened, and with the onset of warmth, they are planted directly in the nurseries in open ground.
If you decide to sow seeds immediately in open ground, you will have to dig up the prepared area and remove weeds and fertilize with lime and charcoal. If the soil is heavy and clayey, it is advisable to prepare a drainage layer by laying expanded clay under the soil to a depth of approximately 10 - 15 centimeters, and then pour earth on it.
Sowing of seeds is carried out without deepening them into the substrate - they are covered with a layer of sand about 4 centimeters thick on top, watered from a watering can and a greenhouse is built over them, which is regularly ventilated, and removed when shoots appear. Shoots appear within one and a half to two weeks and, under optimal conditions, quickly develop and give rise to new plants.
When choosing a sowing option, it is worth considering that obrieta reacts very painfully to transplantation. Therefore, it is best to sow it immediately in open ground, or at worst, in self-dissolving seedling pots or boxes. In addition, it is worth immediately determining how many bushes will be planted in one place, since picking aubrieta seedlings is extremely undesirable.
Rules that must be strictly followed
Full development is possible only if very important conditions for the plant are observed, which are quite simple to implement and also few in number:
- For abundant flowering, watering should be as limited as possible - you can water only during dry, hot periods and very little;
- It is also necessary to fertilize and feed the soil carefully - twice a year and in small doses, since an excess of fertilizers, especially nitrogen, is more dangerous for shaving than its lack;
- It is necessary to regularly loosen the soil and weed out weeds. After each weeding, it will be good to mulch the ground - this will greatly slow down the growth of weeds.
Well, and most importantly, growing aubrieta can only be successful if it grows in a well-lit, sunny place. No partial shade, and especially shaded areas, otherwise you won’t get flowers, the bush itself will be weak, painful and may even die.
Problems during cultivation
If the plant is provided with optimal conditions, close to those to which it is accustomed in its natural habitat, it is unlikely to bother you with its diseases. However, sometimes the obrieta still gets sick. Most often this is the result of insufficient lighting or improper humidity conditions - overflow. As a rule, the flower is bothered by powdery mildew, which covers the stems and leaves of the bush with a dirty white coating that greatly spoils the appearance. If the disease is not treated, over time the plant greatly slows down its growth, loses its immunity and may freeze in winter. Treatment is carried out with a solution of colloidal sulfur, strictly following the recommendations of the manufacturer of the product.
As for pests, most often these are aphids - an insect that feeds on leaves, sucking the juices from them, causing the plant to starve. Depending on the severity of the infestation, up to four insecticide applications may be needed to get rid of aphids. After treatment, be sure to rinse the leaves with warm water, but only after the sun has set, otherwise another problem will arise - burns.
Aubrieta is very immune to other diseases and pests and suffers from them extremely rarely.
The beautiful aubrieta is a perennial ground cover plant that covers the ground with a lush and bright carpet. These wonderful flowers decorate any corner of the garden, be it an alpine hill, a shady alley or an ordinary flower bed. In order to appreciate all the splendor of the aubrieta, it is necessary to create optimal conditions for its growth and development.
How to grow aubrieta from seeds
Choosing a location and preparing the soil for seeds
Before you start planting seeds, choose the right site for the future plant. Adhere to the following rules:
- Aubrieta does not take root well in sour, heavy and clay soils. The reaction of the soil where the plant is planted is neutral (6.0-7.5 pH).
- Choose a sunny location. In the shade or partial shade the plant will not bloom, and the bushes themselves will stretch out.
- Remove all weeds from the site. Then dig up the soil with a pitchfork to a depth of 10-15 cm. Apply complex fertilizer to the soil, add a little wood ash, chalk or lime. This will provide future flowers with enough calcium.
- Before planting seeds, carry out shallow mulching with sawdust or river sand, a layer thickness of 5 cm. Repeat the mulching procedure three times during the season.
- Aubrieta does not like waterlogging, so drain the soil well.
- Since the flower carpet grows quickly, select a large area for the plant.
The aubrieta will best take root in a rock garden.
When to plant aubrieta seeds
Seeds by appearance flat, small and brown. They are planted in open ground only in mid-May, or in September-early October, when frost is still far away. If you plan to plant flowers in the spring, then growing aubrieta from seeds begins in advance, in February. Seeds take a long time to hatch - 2-3 weeks. The seedlings must get stronger before transplanting into the ground, so the seedlings are kept for 1 month at home.
Planting seeds in pots
Planting aubrieta seeds follows the following rules:
- The temperature in the room where the seeds will germinate is maintained at 18-21°C.
- The seeds are carefully distributed into loose soil for flower plants, to which a thin sandy layer is added. The soil is sometimes replaced with vermiculite. Please note: there is no need to sprinkle the seeds with soil on top; they need light to germinate.
- The soil is moistened by spraying (not very abundantly).
- Covering plastic film, which is removed when sprouts appear.
- A month later, the seedlings are planted in separate pots, and transplanted into open ground only after the soil has thoroughly warmed up.
Please note: aubrieta will not bloom in the first year of planting seeds or seedlings.
Yulia Petrichenko, expert
Planting seeds in the ground
- Loosen the soil, moisten it, sow the seeds in the beds (this way you won’t confuse the newly hatched aubriet sprouts with weeds).
- Mulch the top soil layer with sand.
- Water carefully (it's better to just spray).
Seeds planted in the fall will not germinate until the following spring.
Planting seedlings in open ground
The seeds have sprouted, now you need to know how to properly plant and care for obriet seedlings.
- Place the pots with seedlings in water and wait until air bubbles appear on the surface of the water. Immersion in water will make it easier to detach the soil from the walls of the pot and protect the plant from damage.
- Dig holes along the length of the seedling's root, the distance between individual sprouts is at least 5 cm. The width of the hole is twice the size of the seedling's soil ball. This rule is true for open areas, because aubrieta grows well in narrow crevices between stones in rock gardens and in cracks in steps.
- Sprinkle the soil around each bush with sand, and then water it generously from a watering can.
Rules for caring for a shaving
Watering
Aubrieta needs watering extremely rarely, only in very hot weather and as the top soil layer dries out. In temperate climates, only young plants need periodic watering. Excessive moisture intake contributes to rotting of the roots, or all the strength of the plant will go into the growth of leaves, and there will be no flowering. Add sodium humate to the irrigation water, which promotes the development of the root system and the growth of the bush as a whole.
Top dressing
Fertilize the plant carefully, as aubrieta is sensitive to excess nutrients. Fertilizing with mineral fertilizers is carried out twice per season: first in the spring, before the formation of buds, and then in the summer, after pruning.
Until the plant has two pairs of leaves, fertilizing is not introduced.
Trimming
The first wave of aubrieta flowering lasts about 4-7 weeks. To get a second flowering in a season, the plant mat is thoroughly trimmed. The stems of faded plants are cut off at the root, the ground is fertilized and mulched. In autumn, pruning is not carried out so as not to weaken the plants. If there are damaged leaves on the plants in the spring, they are removed.
Cuttings
Over time, the bushes weaken, degenerate and become more demanding of conditions than young plants. Therefore, one of the important rules for caring for aubrieta is annual cuttings of plants.
Aubrieta choose young shoots that do not bear flowers as cuttings. They are pruned in the spring, in May, and placed in a greenhouse, where a sand-peat substrate is used to root the cuttings. The optimal distance between seedlings is 10-15 cm. Cuttings with roots are planted in the ground in late summer - early autumn.
If there are doubts that the cuttings will not survive the winter in open ground, you can postpone transplanting them from the greenhouse until spring. Unlike seedlings and seeds, cuttings will bloom in the next season.
Preparing for winter
The plant does not require special care during the winter. Aubrieta tolerates light and medium frosts well, but to protect the roots of the plant from freezing, cover the aubrieta mat with an armful of dry leaves before frost.
What does obrieta cause?
The most common and dangerous ailment of aubrieta is powdery mildew. With this disease, the leaves and stems of the plant are covered with a brownish coating, which later becomes deformed. If treatment is not started at the first signs of the disease, the disease will destroy all plants. To combat powdery mildew, an aqueous solution of colloidal sulfur is used, which is sprayed on infected bushes. If the bushes are extensively damaged, they are completely weeded out. To see what the powdery mildew pathogen looks like, look at the photo on the website about plant diseases.
The second enemy of aubrieta is aphids. Since the plant overwinters along with the leaves, pest eggs often remain on the plant. The use of insecticides and other toxic substances against aphids is allowed only as a last resort and with great caution. Nettle infusion is used to combat aphids. As a preventive measure, it is recommended to fertilize the soil well before sowing seeds and do not forget to mulch it.
Popular varieties of aubrieta
The following varieties are especially popular among gardeners:
"Red King".
The plant reaches 10 cm in height, the flowers are quite large, about 5 cm in diameter.
"Charming Morocco."
Aubrieta of this variety spreads into lush and unusually beautiful carpets.
"Crimson Sea"
This plant variety grows well in height, so it is most often used to decorate retaining walls and fences.
"Cascade".
In the series of this variety, flowers are purple, red, turquoise, and blue. Perfect for growing at home, and also used as a decorative cover on alpine hills and flower beds.
If the plant seeds are purchased in a store, then planting and caring for the plant, photos of flowers and other information are indicated on the bags.
Growing aubrieta from seeds yourself is not so difficult. The main thing is to adhere to the basic rules of its cultivation, and in gratitude this amazing plant will spread its bright carpets in the most picturesque corners of your garden.
Are you also a fan of aubrieta? Share your experience in the comments, and at the same time learn useful secrets of floriculture from other amateur gardeners.
Aubrieta (lat. Aubrieta) is a perennial evergreen creeping plant, belongs to the Cabbage family. In nature, there are more than 12 species growing in southern Europe and America. It owes its name to the artist Claude Aubrier. During flowering, aubrieta presents a continuous carpet of gray-green leaves and many small flowers of purple, blue, violet, white and their shades with a yellow or orange eye in the center of the four petals.
Plant care
Aubrieta is unpretentious. However, for long and vigorous flowering it is necessary to create favorable conditions.
The soil
Preference should be given to poor soils with neutral or slightly alkaline reaction– pH 6.0-7.0.
The soil should be loose with good water permeability. Before planting, the area intended for planting aubriet should be dug up; if necessary, sand can be added, as well as peat and ash. In case of an acidic reaction, the soil can be deoxidized by adding lime.
Lighting
Under natural conditions, the plant grows mainly in the south, where a lot of sun. In southern latitudes, it is advisable to plant the flower in semi-shaded places. It is preferable if there is shade during lunch hours. However, in temperate climate zones and further north, it should be planted only in sunny areas.
With a lack of lighting, it stretches in length, the leaves become smaller and sparser, and flowering may not occur or only a few flowers will appear. Sufficient quantity sun rays will increase plant nutrition and, as a result, abundant flowering.
Watering
The plant practically does not need watering. Get enough precipitation. Small irrigation is allowed in the evening or morning, and only during particularly dry periods. Watering is carried out with settled warm water.
Also, the flower should be watered if grown in closed systems and be extremely careful, avoiding flooding. If there is an excess of moisture, it is affected by diseases that are quite difficult to fight. In addition, the number of flowers decreases and they become smaller.
Feeding
Florists do not recommend overusing fertilizing. They should be started only in the second year and no more than once or twice a season during the flowering period and only with mineral fertilizers. Dissolved compounds should be applied as close to the root system as possible and after application is completed, the flower must be watered to ensure their even distribution in the soil.
Using organic fertilizers, they should be diluted with water at the rate of 300 g per 10 liters and left for two weeks. Then dilute 500 grams of the resulting liquid in water in a ratio of 1 x 10. More concentrated solutions contain a significant amount of nitrogen, which can destroy the flower.
Preparing for winter
Even in cold climates, the aubrieta winters well under the snow. If there is concern that the winter will not be snowy, the flower should be covered with special material.
It is allowed to use sawdust or pine needles. Fallen leaves of trees and shrubs can carry fungal spores or other diseases, which will lead to the destruction of the plant.
When preparing for winter, aubrieta should not be pruned, since a significant amount of sugars and nutrients from the root pass into the foliage and stem, and the liquid is expelled from the plant so that when the weather gets cold, the plant cells are not damaged. And cutting will deprive the flower in the spring of nutrients necessary for growth and development, and, consequently, lead to death.
Maintaining a decorative appearance
After young shoots appear, old and damaged ones must be removed. Mulch with sand 2-3 cm from the ground level and already in May you can enjoy a flowering carpet. Flowering, depending on the variety and compliance with the rules of care, continues for quite a long time. It is recommended to carefully remove wilted flowers and damaged leaves to avoid a sloppy appearance.
After flowering is completed, pruning should be done, leaving only a few leaves at the base of the root. This will provoke abundant leaf growth and by August the next wave of flowering will appear, which can be admired until severe frosts.
Pests and diseases
Very rarely, aubrieta is affected by diseases or pests. When plants are flooded with water, they may appear fungal diseases. Sometimes it gets affected. When the first symptoms of the disease appear, damaged parts of the plant and leaves should be removed and treated with fungicides.
Pests can eat succulent leaves. To combat these harmful insects it is necessary to use special insecticides. Since aubrieta is rarely used for cutting and not all varieties are suitable for these purposes, insecticides can be used periodically for prevention, but no more than 4 times.
Planting and propagation
Aubrieta seeds have a very high germination. Since flowering begins only in the second year of the plant’s life, planting can be done in early autumn.
Sowing in open ground, when to sow
It is advisable to sow seeds in September. The soil should be prepared for planting. Fertilizers may not be applied. Seeds are poured evenly onto the surface intended for cultivation (not covered), after which they are mulched with sand with a layer thickness of 3-5 cm. Afterwards, moistening is carried out. It is recommended to plant in the first half of the month so that seedlings appear and have time to collect sugar for wintering. In case of delay in sowing, seedlings may appear in early spring.
You can also sow seeds in the spring, in the same way, starting in mid-April. The first shoots will appear in 2-3 weeks.
To accelerate growth and increase leaf mass, the flower can be fed with mineral fertilizers, following the requirements set out in the instructions.
Most gardeners prefer this method of cultivation, because aubrieta does not tolerate transplantation well and some of the plants die. Therefore, it is not recommended to propagate it by dividing the bush. The transplanted plant takes root very poorly.
Growing seedlings
To ensure flowering in the spring, you can use the seedling method of growing. To do this, pour the prepared soil into separate containers, plastic or peat cups. Sowing is carried out with a small amount of seeds on the surface without embedding, and the top is mulched with sand. Humidification is carried out from a spray bottle. Then the top is covered with polyethylene or glass.
Ventilation is carried out daily. Watering is done only when necessary. When the time of night frosts has passed and the plant has gained sufficient weight, it is transplanted to a permanent place. You should be careful when doing this. Peat cups immediately placed in moist soil. Other containers can be cut and a lump of earth along with flowers is transferred to the site.
Propagation by cuttings
A common way to increase the number of aubrieta is propagation by cuttings. It allows you to save indefinitely varietal characteristics. To do this, after spring pruning, a large number of cuttings are obtained, which are used for further cultivation.
Cut parts of the plant without flowers are planted in moist soil (you can use a greenhouse or other structure where you can create a greenhouse effect), to a depth of 2-3 cm. Cover the top with a transparent film, which is slightly opened during the day for ventilation. The soil needs to be moistened without drying out.
In August, the strengthened plant is transplanted to a permanent place. It is allowed to leave the aubrieta in the greenhouse until spring and only transfer it to the site at the end of April.
Dividing the bush
This method requires certain skills and caution. Some of the plants are carefully dug out of the ground with a special shovel, along with part of the soil, so as not to damage the root system and transplanted to a new location. Of course, this method will preserve all species and varietal characteristics, but it requires a very delicate approach and is practically not used.
Use in landscape design
Designers, gardeners and simply lovers of beauty grow aubrieta mainly for decoration of borders and paths. When used in this way, the flower fits perfectly with other low-growing plants:
- rocky;
- rhizome;
- milkweed;
- dwarf;
- phloxes and Pozharsky.
A carpet made from aubriet looks excellent, but you should be careful about its length and not allow it to grow too much. Along the perimeter, the shape of the flower bed can be created from a special stone or other low enclosing structures.
Many connoisseurs grow aubrieta on walls and fences. A thick, blooming, hanging cascade will definitely attract attention and will delight and delight the eye.
Subspecies and varieties
The flower has been cultivated in culture since the 18th century. Since that time, a large number of decorative varieties. The following are very popular among gardeners and designers:
- Deltoid. Purple or blue flowers grow to a height of 15-20 cm. The subspecies served as the basis for the selection of other varieties. A popular variety is Bougainvillea.
- Cultural. Winter-hardy subspecies. Easily tolerates the lowest temperatures. When propagated by seeds, it retains varietal characteristics. Popular varieties: Cascade, Charming Morocco, Cote d'Azur, Giant Falls.
Flowers of aubrieta or aubrieta, popularly known as “windbags,” are a genus of flowering plants. The cruciferous family. Perennial low-growing plant.
The flower is named after the French artist Claude Aubriette. Can be found in southern Europe and central Asia.
The plant is characterized bright colors buds that bloom in white, pink and purple to blue colors. The shoots are short and form dense thickets resembling a carpet.
The leaves of the plant are small, green, oval in shape with solid and pointed edges. They grow up to 25 centimeters in length.
Flowers on the aubrieta plant can usually be seen in April and June, a flowering period lasting approximately one and a half months. Bears fruit. The fruit is a pod with elongated seeds of a brownish hue.
Growing aubriet flowers from seeds is done exclusively by seedlings, and this requires effort and time. But the result exceeds even the wildest expectations.
Look at the photo of aubrieta flowers, this is a wonderful illustration of the aesthetic appeal of any cascading variety:
Growing aubrieta from seeds: planting and care rules
Shab is preferable to grow and put color on sunny places, therefore, when caring for it, it is advisable to place the plant in the sunny half of your garden or home.
The soil for planting aubrieta should be light, neutral, not necessarily fertile. It is strictly forbidden to plant the plant on soil containing clay or peat.
Before planting aubrieta, the soil for the plant should be loosened with special care.
Excess moisture will not benefit the flower, but will only harm it, especially in winter, so do not neglect the amount of watering. This will cause severe root rot. It is best to plant a flower on rocky hills, hills, or, in the absence of them, on soil with drainage equipment.
Before organizing care for the shaving plant, it is necessary to take into account that if there is a lack of moisture, the plant will lose its attractiveness. However, after you start watering again required quantities and volumes, the plant will come to life again.
Over the course of one season, it is recommended to mulch the soil near the plant a couple of times, preferably with a layer of two to three centimeters.
In spring and autumn, it is advisable to feed the plant with mineral fertilizer.
After the aubrieta has faded for the first time in the spring, it is recommended to cut its stems almost to the very root in order to prevent it from growing, and on it as much as possible. more young shoots appeared.
After you prune the plant, it will bloom again in the fall, of course not so abundantly, but still. Over time it will show its charm.
To maintain the attractiveness of the plant, it is advisable to remove wilted branches and flower stalks in due time.
There is a need to weed and water the plant only for the first time after planting. Later, when the plant grows, it will spread over the ground like a luxurious carpet that will not allow various weeds to crawl out.
Despite the incredible cold resistance to winter frosts, there is a high risk of the plant's leaves falling off, which does not add beauty to it. Most, in order to avoid such troubles, cover the plant with dry foliage for the winter so that at least a little heat is retained.
Aubrieta is propagated by seeds, cuttings and by dividing bushes.
For planting, it is recommended to plant seeds in the ground in spring or winter. A plant planted this way will only produce flowers the second year after it is planted, so don't be discouraged if you don't see flowers the first year.
The seeds should be given time to dry, then placed in soil that contains loam, sand and clay.
Then water and cover with a plastic bag or glass. It is better to ventilate the sprouts periodically, and as soon as they sprout, you can safely transplant them into a larger container.
When the sprouts have significantly increased in growth and are cramped, it will be possible to transplant them into open ground. Growing aubrieta with seeds using the seedling method makes it possible to obtain full flowering already in the first year after planting.
Sowing aubrieta seeds should be done in early autumn or late spring. It is necessary to mulch the soil with sand. Sow the seeds better beds, otherwise the sprouts will get lost in the weeds.
In addition, the flower can be sown at home. To do this, the seeds should be placed with a mineral from the hydromica group two months before the last frost ends, then hidden under plastic wrap.
When you notice the first shoots, immediately remove the polyethylene film and, after the end of the night frosts, transplant them into the soil to a permanent place of growth.
Aubrieta can also be planted immediately in open ground, but it is advisable to do such a procedure in winter, when various weeds will not be able to harm the growing flower in any way.
It is better to plant seedlings in shallow containers. After a week has passed, you should start feeding the plant with mineral fertilizers every ten days and combine this with watering.
It is also common to propagate this flower by cuttings.
Planting a plant in a similar way is carried out as follows: sprouts that have not yet fully matured are separated from the bush, the lower leaves and roots in the sand are removed.
Then the future flower is placed in a greenhouse with sand and peat soil. It is recommended to plant cuttings in August, but you need to make sure that roots have already formed on them. When you start planting a flower, be sure to ensure that the distance between the sprouts is 13-15 centimeters.
I would like to note that over the years the plant turns into more demanding and weaker, so it is advisable to carry out cuttings annually.
There is also a method of propagation by dividing the bushes, but it is not recommended to do this with this type of plant, due to the fact that such a procedure is painful for the flower and you can accidentally damage it and it will die.
You can divide the bush only as a last resort, if you did not have time to cut the cuttings or you need to transplant the flower to a new place. This also requires great experience in working with plants.
The main varieties of aubrieta for landscape design and balconies
Aubrieta has a couple of features that make it more widespread in our gardens, namely, long and abundant flowering, as well as the ability to overwinter with leaves.
In the garden, you can use it to decorate slopes and create a low-growing flower border; it looks especially good along the edge of a wall.
The main varieties of aubrieta are used in landscape design to decorate flower beds, flower beds and ridges. But there are types for landscaping balconies and loggias, these are the so-called cascade objects.
Among the varieties of aubrieta varieties, the following types can be distinguished, a description of which will be found below.
Aubrieta cascade (cascade)
The leaves are evergreen. Flowers of blue and red shades of four petals with a small yellow eye. It produces color in June and also in April-May. It reaches a height of up to 15 centimeters. Prefers sun or partial shade in absolutely any alkaline or acidic soil. Blooms later than any other species.
Aubrieta “Enchanting Morocco”
This is a hybrid variety of aubrieta. The flowers are large in size (diameter - 1.5 centimeters), from blue to red. Flowers can be seen in May-June.
Aubrieta hybrid
Flowers can be pink, purple, red or white. Blooms in spring. It grows up to 10 centimeters in length and up to 50-60 centimeters in width.
Varietal varieties of hybrid aubrieta:
- "Royal Cascade" Stems hang down, up to 25 centimeters long. The flowers are soft pink.
- “Red Cascade” Carmine-colored flowers.
- “Fruit Assortment” This is a bright variety mixture. Flowers in various shades of pink and red.
- "Lizzie" Reaches up to 15 centimeters in height. The flowers are up to one centimeter in diameter, bright red.
- "Campbell" The flowers are large, bright blue.
- "Deborah" Red flowers. It reaches a height of up to 20 centimeters.
- Alix Brett Flowers are raspberry-colored, slightly double.
- Astolat Leaves are variegated. The flowers are purple.
- Bressingham Pink Double flowers, pink.
