Armeria flower is a beautiful perennial, with dense buds of various colors. Used to design flower beds. It looks best on alpine slides and near ponds.
Description of armeria: varieties and varieties
The plant has about 90 species, but 10 varieties of flower are most successful. They are breathtaking with gentle simplicity that stands out against the backdrop of pompous flowers.
A lush plant with bright buds will decorate a flower bed, a rock garden, an artificial pond
Alpine armeria - height up to 15 cm, diameter up to 30 cm. Inflorescences are axillary and capitate, with a diameter of about 30 mm. Flowering occurs in early June. Duration - from 3 to 4 weeks. Leaves can be preserved even when severe colds occur.
The color is pale, each of the varieties has its own color variations:
- Alba - white color;
- Rosea - buds of a saturated pink color;
- Laucheana - petals are painted in a carmine shade.
Beautiful armeria or pseudoarmeria - the height of the bush is about 40 cm. The leaves are evergreen. Inflorescences are collected from many small flowers. It blooms from early June to late August. Varieties:
- Bees Ruby - bush height 60 cm, buds of a saturated shade.
- Joystick White - spherical inflorescences painted in bright colors. Often a variety is cultivated as an annual.
- Thrift - undersized bush up to 20 cm high, light petals.
- Red planet - the name speaks for itself, it is light burgundy flowers, the height of peduncles is 30 cm.
- Ballerina Lilak - painted in delicate fuchsia.
Armeria seaside (Armeria maritima) in nature grows on the sea coasts. Height - 20 cm. The diameter of the outlet - 20 cm. The color of the petals has a purple hue. It blooms in May, delights with its colors for 2.5 months. Repeated flowering in autumn is possible when creating favorable conditions. Varieties:
- Bloodstone - burgundy petals;
- Dusseldorf Stolz - dark fire buds;
- Louisiana Armeria - light purple flowers;
- Vindiktiv - petals are painted in purple;
- Armada White - snow-white flowering.
Juniper leaf armeria - in nature grows in the highlands of Portugal and in Spain. The height of the bush is small - 15 cm. The diameter of the inflorescences is up to 20 cm. It is characterized by abundant flowering. Sometimes the buds completely overlap the leaves. It blooms in July, pleases with lush buds for 45 days. Varieties:
- Brno - lilac;
- Biveenz Varrieti - gently lilac petals.
Garden armeria (ordinary) - the height of the bush is about 60 cm. The color of the petals is light carmine.
The beautiful Armeria is an evergreen shrub that is very similar to grass. It is recommended to plant it among stones and artificial rocks, near ponds, to separate the border of the paths with bushes. The most popular flower of this variety is Anna Maria. In height, it reaches about 30 cm. Petals can be of different colors - and carmine and snow-white.
Other plant varieties that even a novice flower gardener can easily grow in their own area:
- The buds of the Siberian armeria are small, in diameter no more than 2 cm. It blooms in June, the buds last 40 days. Homeland - Eastern Siberia.
- Arctic - rarely cultivated. At 2 years, natural death occurs. The flowers resemble a bulbous inflorescence.
- Armeria ballerina red - very similar to cloves. The diameter of the inflorescence does not exceed 4 cm, the height of the plant is from 20 to 25 cm.
- Wilcheva - bush height up to 25 cm, leaf length - 10 cm, width 5 cm.
A carnation-like plant looks impressive in any exterior
The culture is very unpretentious. Regardless of the subspecies, it can be easily grown in gardens and decorate flower beds and alpine slides with ponds.
Landing location, soil
Armeria flower is perennial, loves well-lit areas. The soil should have a low or medium acidity.
Attention! The plant does not tolerate drafts and strong winds. There should be no lime in the ground. It will never grow in those areas of the soil where there are elements of deoxidizing drugs. If no other landing site can be found, the effect of substances can be neutralized by watering the ground with acetic acid dissolved in water.
In order to achieve the desired alkalinity of the earth, acetic acid and ammonium nitrate can be added to it. The ideal landing site is a stony, sandy loamy substrate. If this is not in the garden, you can create it yourself. To do this, you need to prepare a mixture of turf, greenhouse land and river sand, which are mixed in equal parts.
Sowing seeds in open ground
You can sow the seed in the late autumn, or in the spring (from the first days of March). If seedling is grown in a greenhouse, the time is suitable for this - February and early March.
Grains are not buried in the soil. They are sprinkled with earth, the layer thickness is 5 mm. Strongly water the earth is not necessary, it is recommended to moisten it abundantly through the spray gun.
Planting Armeria seedlings in open ground
A method of planting a flower through germinated seedlings is preferred. To increase the likelihood of gathering, it is recommended to put the grains a week before planting on the side shelf in the refrigerator. Immediately before landing, they must be poured with warm water for 6 hours.
Harvesting seedlings and planting them is the best option, which always gives a positive result.
Prepared grains are placed in fertile soil, sprinkled with earth and placed in a warm place. The earth must always be kept moist.
When the seedlings form 3 full leaves, they can be planted in the soil.
Attention! Seeds are laid out at a distance from each other so that the flowers are not crowded.
Planting is carried out in the spring at a time when the frost will not return. The soil is well moistened with a slight acidity. The distance between the bushes is not less than 30 cm. If you plan to plant the bushes with a continuous thick carpet, a distance of 15 cm is made between the holes. The leaves of the flower should not be immersed in the ground. After lowering the seedling into the hole, it is covered with earth, rammed and watered. The first 20 days after planting, watering should be regular, but during breaks the soil should be allowed to dry.
Watering and loosening the soil
Armeria planting and care in the open field is not difficult. The main thing a plant needs is regular watering. The hotter the street, the more often you need to give the flower water. The earth should dry between watering, but not dry out.
Attention! In the rainy season, frequent watering is not necessary, the plant will have enough natural moisture.
Loosening - regular, carried out as the earth is tamped around the flower. Looseness ensures the flow of oxygen to the roots, which promotes active growth and abundant flowering.
Breeding methods
Propagation of the flower is carried out arbitrarily, by division and cuttings. Separate bushes in order to grow a full-fledged plant from them is possible only on flowers from the age of 2 years. The bush is dug up and divided into separate fragments. Each part must have a well-developed root system.
Separate parts carefully so as not to damage the root system
The grafting procedure is simple - a young rosette without roots or with a poorly developed root system is separated from the turf. The shank is planted in the ground with good drainage, on top it is closed with a cap, the function of which can be performed by a plastic bottle.
Under the cap, the stem is from 1 to 2 weeks. Watering is regular. Rooting occurs in a fairly short period of time.
The plant multiplies well by self-sowing, the seeds of the flower are actively carried in the wind and settle in the soil. Therefore, if there is already a planted plant on the site, it makes no sense to propagate it by cuttings. But if it is not planned to increase the number of crops, the boxes after their maturation must be closed with gauze folded into several layers. This is the only way to prevent the independent spread of flowering bushes.
Feeding and transplanting
Planting and caring for armeria is affordable even for a novice flower gardener. The plant needs to be fed, which ensures regular and lush flowering.
Feeding is carried out with a frequency of 1.5 months. Complex mineral fertilizers are used. The prepared solution must be poured into the ground instead of water.
Recommended topical preparations:
- "Polygro Universal" - composed of potassium and nitrogen, magnesium and phosphorus, a number of trace elements.
- "Humate +7 iodine" - includes a standard set of mineral elements, additionally included in iodine, humic acids and sulfur. The drug contributes to the activation and strengthening of immunity.
- "Fertika Lux" is one of the most popular fertilizers, which contains all the mineral and nutrients necessary for the plant.
Additional Information! If the soil is peaty, it is possible to feed the plant with an interval of 2.5-3 months. Peat soil and without fertilizers is enriched with the necessary mineral and nutrients.
Transplanting is an important nuance in caring for a flower. The first division of the bush is carried out when he turns 5 years old. The bush is divided into several parts, each of which is planted in a new place. In the future, transplants are carried out with a frequency of 1 time in 2-3 years. If this is not done, the flower will overgrow and lose its attractiveness.
Trimming Armeria
To care for the flower correctly, it must be cut periodically. It is important to remove dry branches and leaves in a timely manner.
Pruning is the most important step in putting a plant in order and refining it.
The main pruning is carried out after the completion of active flowering of the bush. A sharp pruner is used. Remove wilted buds, weak branches sluggish leaves. The procedure will help stimulate the second flowering of the plant.
Pests and diseases
Caring for armerie is simple. Practically unaffected by pests and diseases. The only insect that can love a flower is aphids.
If aphids are found on the bushes, the earth around the plant should be sprinkled with tobacco dust. An infusion of tomato tops will help get rid of the insect.
Perennial armeria does not tolerate the presence of alkali in the ground. A sign of insufficient soil acidity is the appearance of spots throughout the plant. To deal with this problem is possible only by cutting the bush and acidifying the earth.
Root rot occurs due to stagnation of water, abundant root flooding, and insufficient drainage. To revive the plant, the bush needs to be dug up, cut off the damaged parts of the root system and transplanted to another place, observing all the recommendations.
How to prepare for wintering
The flower tolerates winter well even with very low temperatures, but subject to a sufficient amount of snow that covers the bushes and protects them from negative factors.
Close the plant for the period of cold weather so that the branches do not freeze
Attention! Soddy flower is the only representative of the plant that does not tolerate frosts. Before the onset of cold weather, bushes are mandatory covered with spruce branches or wrapped in a non-woven fabric.
If there is little snow, plants need to be covered with fallen leaves or spruce branches. You can use a non-woven fabric or dry peat for shelter. With the onset of the first warm spring days, the bush needs to be opened.
Flowering period and care after
When the plant blooms, watering should be increased and the soil loosened. At the end of flowering, drooping buds are pruned.
Use in landscape design
Beautiful lush flower has been widely used in landscape design. The plant looks best in rock gardens and among stony gardens and masonry. Dense leaves will be a bright decoration of the garden all year round.
In combination with other flowers, a herbal plant with lush buds will always be unsurpassed
It is recommended to combine with low flowers, for example, bells, phlox, thyme and saxifrage. Looks great combination of several varieties with different shades of petals.
Additional Information! The flower retains its beauty and tenderness even dried. To prepare an unusual bouquet, the buds collected at the peak of flowering should be hung upside down in a warm, well-ventilated room. Trim branches at the peak of the opening of the petals. Unripe buds in the water will not be able to open.
It is difficult to find the same delicate creature among the whole variety of plants and flowers as armeria - unpretentious in care, not prone to diseases and well reproducing. This herbal plant will become the queen of any flower bed, adding a touch of elegant luxury to even the most modest exterior.
