Obrietia growing from seeds. Aubrieta - decorative flower colony in photographs (how to grow plants from seeds). Aubrieta perennial: description

Aubrieta, or aubration, is a perennial ground cover crop that can fill garden plot creating a colorful floral corner. Its main advantage is frost resistance and the fact that with the onset of cold weather it does not lose its decorative foliage. Aubrieta enjoys increased attention from flower growers when creating alpine slides, vertical gardening and as a background when filling large flower beds.

The flowering period begins in May and lasts for 5-8 weeks. In this case, a large number of small simple flowers are formed, consisting of 4 petals, which are collected in inflorescence brushes. During this period, the foliage is completely hidden under the flowers, resulting in the impression of a flower carpet. Shaving leaves in the summer period acquire a characteristic bluish hue, and with the approach of cold weather - a bright green color. The plant can grow in poor soils where other crops die.

In total, there are about 12 types of shaving in nature, but many of them, such as white aubration, cloat, graceful, Kolumka, can rarely be found in flower beds. There are several varieties that are often used by flower growers in the garden.

Deltoid shaving

1. Aubrieta deltoid, which is often called a lilac bush. It is considered the progenitor of all modern varieties of aubration. It is a perennial herbaceous plant with a stem height of up to 15 cm. The foliage is distinguished by the presence of characteristic teeth along the edge of the plate. Flowers reach a diameter of 1 cm and have a purple or lilac hue, form loose inflorescences. Flowering occurs in May, its duration is no more than 4 weeks. One of the varieties of this species - Aubrieta Bougainville - is distinguished by a bright orange center of flowers against a background of light purple petals, its height is 20 cm.

2. Aubrieta hybrid, or cultivated, is a separate group of plants wintering under the snow. Thanks to the efforts of breeders, it is distinguished by a variety of shades. Some varieties of this species have large double and semi-double flowers. When seed growing, it retains all the specific qualities of the mother plant. The cascaded varieties of the hybrid shaving that have been bred allow them to be used for hanging planters and balcony boxes. It has a longer flowering period of 50 days.

The most common varieties of this species:

Red Cascade is a cascading variety with red-hued flowers that hang down on long shoots. Often used to decorate stone walls.
Greencourt Purple - distinguished by double flowers of a lilac-purple hue.
Côte d'Azur - rich blue flowers are pronounced against a background of dark green foliage, is a re-blooming variety.
Dr. Mules - differs in colors of a rich purple or violet hue.
Enchanting Morocco - is one of the lush flowering varieties, is distinguished large size flowers with a diameter of up to 1.5 cm.

Growing from seeds

Aubrieta can be grown by sowing seeds directly into open ground, but then the first flowering will come only next year, and by seedling, which will make it possible to plant fully formed bushes by the beginning of the season. Propagation of a flower by seeds allows you to get a large number planting material and create a unique decorative flower garden.

Sowing in open ground

Aubrieta prefers to grow in open sunny areas, but light shading is also allowed, which will contribute to a longer flowering period.

It is possible to sow seeds directly in open ground only when the soil warms up enough and the threat of a return of late frosts has passed. IN middle lane In Russia, this falls on the second decade of May. It is necessary to prepare the site for planting in advance: dig it up, clear it of weeds and add sand and wood ash. After that, it is necessary to level the surface so that there are no depressions and elevations.

The algorithm of actions is as follows:

1. Moisten the soil beforehand and try to distribute the seeds as evenly as possible on its surface.
2. Sprinkle the seeds with a layer of sand of 0.5–1 cm.
3. From above, the soil must be moistened with a spray gun.
4. Cover the crops with non-woven material, which will protect them from possible late frosts and prevent the soil from drying out.

Seedlings will appear 10-20 days after sowing. As soon as the bushes grow and get stronger, if necessary, you can transplant them to another place, but without exposing the root system of the seedlings, since the plant does not tolerate transplanting well. The first flowering will come next year.

Aubrieta prefers to grow on poor soils, but at the same time, the earth must be loose and freely let water through. Stagnation of moisture can cause rotting of the roots of the plant and cause its death, therefore it is not recommended to plant shaving in clay soils.

Seedling cultivation

In order for the obrieta to bloom already in the current season, it is necessary to plant the plant for seedlings at the end of February: this will make it possible to get already strengthened and formed bushes by May. But it is necessary to grow it correctly at home: since the plant forms a long tap root, then in further transplant on permanent place can be detrimental to young seedlings. To avoid stress, shaving seeds should be planted in peat tablets or cups - this will help avoid the negative consequences of transplanting.

It is necessary to plant in a permanent place in open ground at the end of May at a distance of 5-10 cm from each other.

Features of care

Further care of the culture will not cause much trouble. Aubrieta grows better on small elevations, so it can be used as a decoration for an alpine slide. Throughout the season, it is recommended to loosen the soil near the roots and regularly mulch the crops with a layer of river sand 3-5 cm. In especially hot periods of summer, it is necessary to additionally water the plant by sprinkling. Aubrieta safely tolerates drought, but at the same time loses its decorative effect.

Fertilizing with organic fertilizers should not be carried out, as this negatively affects flowering.

To improve the growth and development of bushes, it is recommended to feed mineral fertilizers, it stimulates the growth of buds and lush bloom shavings. To do this, you can use the drug Kemira Lux. After the flowering period, it is recommended to cut the shoots under the root to stimulate the growth of new lush bushes, which will bloom again in September.

After repeated flowering, cutting the shoots is not recommended, as this will weaken the plant's immunity before the upcoming wintering. This procedure is best postponed until spring. Aubrecia is a frost-resistant crop, but in regions with a more severe climate, it is recommended to cover it with dry spruce branches or foliage before frosts.

Aubrieta is an unpretentious plant that will help create a bright accent in the garden without requiring increased attention. And having mastered seedling method cultivation, can be removed different varieties and views and add variety to the flower bed at the very beginning of the season.

Aubrieta

The obriet plant is one of the most attractive in the Cabbage family - it is frost-resistant and remains decorative for several years. One of its features is green leaves wintering under the snow. But above all, it is famous for the abundance and duration of flowering.

Wild-growing representatives of the genus Aubrieta (Aubrieta) are widespread on the Eurasian continent, including the east of Central Asia. The plant got its name in honor of the French florist Claude Aubrier, who specializes in botanical images. Currently, there are 20 types of shaving. By their nature, they are all close to field colza.

Thanks to the work of breeders, the flower has found its place in the gardens and flower beds of Europe and around the world. Most often, Aubrieta deltoid (A. deltoidea) and its varieties, as well as hybrids obtained with its participation, are found in them. Such plants are usually called Aubrieta cultural (A. x cultorum). However, in the scientific community, all obrieta hybrids are distinguished into a separate type of obriet hybrid (A. x hybrida) - this is one of the 20 types of obrieta.

The use of obrieta in landscaping the site

All wild-growing shavings have undersized bushes that form curtains, covered with small greenish-silvery pubescent leaves, oblong-oval, sometimes serrated. Their flowers are four-petalled, small (up to a centimeter), but bright and numerous. They are collected in small inflorescences and at the time of flowering almost completely cover the leaves.

Among cultural shavings there are both simple and terry forms of the following colors:
purple;
raspberry;
pink;
blue;
white.

In garden design, growing shaving is advisable, first of all, as a ground cover plant, because each of its bushes, with an average height of 10-15 cm, can grow horizontally up to half a meter. Growing, the shoots take root easily and give life to new individuals. Particularly relevant is the design of alpine hills, rockeries, rocky gardens with shaving. Use this plant when decorating various architectural forms, vertical slopes and walls - it seems that the sheath descends along them in a continuous cascade. Shave is planted and along garden paths. If the path is paved, then you can leave a window in it and plant shaving in it, or sow its seeds in the seams between the plates. The plant looks good in flowerpots and hanging containers. Varieties with high (up to 20 cm) shoots are suitable for cutting. It is noteworthy that in winter, under the snow, the leaves of the shaving remain green. They begin to please the eye immediately after the snow melts.
Thanks to the bred new varieties and hybrids, each owner of the site can choose a plant according to his taste and desire.

Shave varieties

Breeding work on the plant has been going on for about two hundred years. Until now, the variety of shaving deltoid “Taurikola”, obtained in late XIX century. It has low, up to 5-6 cm, bushes and flowers 1.0-1.5 cm in diameter of lavender color.
Now there are varieties with larger semi-double and double flowers, as well as with variegated foliage ( variegated ).
Wanda - a variety with purple double flowers;
Doctor Mules - four-petal flowers up to 2.5 cm in diameter have a purple-blue color, bushes 10 cm high, the variety has been awarded the Krolev Horticultural Society of Great Britain.
Doctor Mules Variegated - differs from the previous variegated foliage (silver green leaves have a whitish-cream border)
Alba - this variety of deltoid shaving has snow-white flowers, the height of the curtains is 10 cm;
Red Carpet - a hybrid of shaving deltoid and shaving pinardii, low 10 cm bushes cover red-burgundy large 1.5 cm simple flowers;
Campbell - forms 10-centimeter curtains, covered with large, up to one and a half centimeters in diameter, light blue flowers;
Vaitevel Jam - large-flowered shaving, bushes height up to 15 cm;
Double Pink - a variety with large pale pink flowers arranged in two rows.

Of interest to gardeners is the variety of obrieta hybrid from the Alpine Hill series, it includes:
Blue Cascade is a low-growing variety 10-11 cm high, the bushes are dotted with small leaves, the flowering period begins in late spring and continues into the first summer weeks. When making vertical walls the plant looks like a blue waterfall.
Cascade red - differs from the previous type in dark red colors, looks gorgeous on the front line of landscaping in front of more tall plants. When landscaping horizontal areas, red flowers look like a continuous bright carpet.
This series also includes "Cascade Purple" and "Cascade Mix", which includes plants with blue, pink, purple flowers.
The variety Golden Emperor looks attractive, which has purple flowers and leaves with a golden edge.
Recently, heterotic hybrids of the F1 obrieta of the Audrey (Audrey) series have appeared on sale. They are represented by varieties with different colors of petals - red, pink, blue, bright blue, dark blue. All plants are distinguished by abundant and friendly flowering, uniform form of erect bushes, the height of which can reach 17 cm. Suitable not only for open ground, but also for pot cultivation.
After choosing a variety, it remains to find out how to grow shaving from seeds or cuttings, about planting it in the garden and caring for the plant.

Planting and growing shaving

To plant a shaving on the site, it is most convenient to grow it from seeds by choosing a bag you like in the store with its image and description of its characteristics and agricultural technology. It is not worth harvesting seed material on your own, since seedlings obtained from seeds do not retain their characteristics mother plant. If shaving bushes are already growing on the site, you can propagate it with cuttings or daughter rosettes.

It is possible to grow shaving from seeds both by direct sowing on the garden bed and by seedlings.

Seedless growing method

One way to recklessly grow from seeds is to sow shaving in open ground in late autumn. For her, choose a site with good lighting and soil, which has a fairly light structure and an alkaline reaction. If the soil is acidic, then lime or chalk must be added to it. Sand is added to clay soil. In no case do not use peat. The site is dug up, the earth is loosened and watered. Planting shaving in partial shade, and even more so in the shade, is not permissible. In these cases, flowering can not wait. It is also forbidden to grow shaving places with high soil moisture and spring flooding. Aubrieta reacts sharply to an excess of moisture and warms up, so the plant is planted in places with good drainage, elevations are welcome. A painful reaction to excess soil moisture is the most acute problem in growing shaving.

Seeds are scattered over the surface, without deepening them into the ground, covered with a layer of sand, its thickness should be about three centimeters. From above, it is desirable to lay spruce branches and spunbond (remove the shelter in spring). As soon as warm weather sets in, the seeds will sprout. Since the seedlings are thin in the first days after germination, they must be watered carefully, and it is better to protect the place itself with wooden sides so as not to lose the crops.

You can also sow in the spring, after the soil thaws and warms up (seeds germinate at + 16 degrees). The rest of the cultivation from seeds is the same. After about 15 - 20 days, shoots should appear from the seeds. It is important in the first year to regularly water young plants, feed them two or three times during the summer with a full range of mineral fertilizers. After wintering, young shavings will bloom for the first time.

Growing seedlings from seedlings

In this case, crops are carried out in late March - early April. The method is good because it is possible to grow a flowering plant from almost every seed, since in the conditions of an apartment the seeds are not afraid of open ground weeds, as well as winter damping or freezing.

Growing seedlings of shaving is carried out similarly to growing from the seeds of most flower and vegetable crops. For this, seedling boxes, bowls, any containers filled with soil for cabbage crops are suitable. Seeds are laid out on top and sprinkled with sand. Everything is moistened, covered with a film, placed in a warm place with a temperature not lower than + 15 degrees. When sowing in cells, 4 seeds are placed in each.

After the emergence of seedlings, the box with the shave is placed in a well-lit, not too hot place - the shave does not like very much high temperatures. When three true leaves appear on the plants, you can plant the seedlings in individual cups. In late May - early July, holes are made on the prepared bed and seedlings are transferred there. A distance of 15-20 cm is left between plants. A denser planting is carried out in containers. After planting, the seedlings are well shed with water, the soil around is mulched with coarse sand or small pebbles.

Propagation by cuttings

Cuttings are harvested in June, this can be done when pruning after flowering. Root them in a greenhouse. For this process, you need a soil mixture consisting of equal parts of peat and sand. In the greenhouse, you need to maintain a humidity regime. By August, roots appear on the cuttings, they can be transplanted to a permanent place, but it is more reliable to keep them under cover until the next season. It should be noted that many varietal shavings are quite capricious, therefore, in order to preserve their qualities, plants should be cut annually. If you leave the plant without such care, after two or three years it may simply disappear.
Among all the methods of vegetative propagation of shaving, daughter rosettes take root best of all.

Shaving care in the garden

Aubrieta blooms for up to one and a half months from May to June. In order for the plant to remain decorative as long as possible, wilted flowers are removed.

In dry summers, in the absence of precipitation, the plant, especially young ones, needs additional watering. It is important not to overdo it with water.

Three times a season, it is necessary to make mineral mixtures, obrieta especially needs calcium. It is advisable to do this in the spring before flowering, in the summer - after it ends, in the fall - before the onset of cold weather.

After flowering ends, you need to prune the shoots. This will prevent the plant from overgrowing and keep it compact. After such a procedure, the shaving will bloom a second time in the fall. If you do not remove the faded inflorescences, fruits are formed - pods up to 2 cm long. The ripening of seeds will require the plant to have strength, which will worsen its appearance, and will not always contribute to reproduction, because we often choose hybrid shaving for planting in the garden.

Weeding, weed removal, loosening and mulching of the soil are also important for shaving. And although the plant is considered a winter-hardy ground cover and is recommended for frost resistance zones from the fourth to the ninth, for the winter it is still better to sprinkle it with dry leaves, and remove the shelter early in the spring. This is especially important for hybrid varieties.

Among the "enemies" shaving cabbage fleas and aphid , which can gnaw out its castings, shoots, flowers. With improper maintenance, the bushes can be affected by a fungal disease - leaf spot. In all cases, standard control and prevention schemes are used.

If the gardener finds with a shaving " mutual language"and organizes proper care for her, then she will decorate the site for many years and delight with a scattering of her bright colors.

Aubrieta is a perennial plant that is very popular in modern gardening. It is used to decorate flower beds and create a living flowering carpet. Planting shaving, reproduction and care for her in open ground- a pleasant and interesting activity, and a variety of varieties will allow you to emphasize the individuality of your garden.

Aubrieta: varieties and varieties

The second name of shaving is aubration. Perennial plants grown primarily for use in landscape design. They refer to the culture as ground cover because of the peculiarity of growth: the bushes grow, covering the ground with themselves, forming a very beautiful living carpet.

Aubrieta will help you create a unique landscape design for your site

Aubrecia flowers 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 low (10-13 cm), from evergreen leaves it forms beautiful flowering pillows.

Varieties and types of aubration differ not only in the color of flowering, but also in its shape, as well as in the structure of the plant itself. The choice of shaving variety depends only on the personal preferences of the gardener.

cascading. Quite a popular cultivar. Perennial plants have beautiful flowers blue or red with a small yellow core. Leaves are grey-green, 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 cascading

hybrid or cultural. The earliest of all types of aubration. Blooms of pink, purple and sometimes red hue, towering over green foliage. It looks very beautiful in stones, in cracks in walls, fences. Among all varieties of hybrid obrieta, there are:

Hybrid variety of obriet Henderson

"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" - a rather tall variety (14-16 cm tall), with delicate blue-violet flowers;
"Borshiz 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 purple medium-sized (1 cm in diameter). The inflorescences are collected in brushes, which makes the plant similar to lilacs.

Aubrieta deltoid

Planting a plant

As soon as the warm spring sun has warmed outside the window and the night frosts have receded, you can plant the shaving. Usually this is done in late April - early May (depending on the region). You should carefully approach the choice of a landing site. Cultivation is recommended for large quantities sunlight. The lighter the place, the more abundant the aubration blooms, and the blooms become more saturated.

The plant feels good in light, not very fertile lands. The presence of lime or chalk is welcome. Fatty soils, peat and clay are not to your liking, and it will be capricious on them, if at all take root.

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 a plant on a hill is welcome - an alpine hill, a wall, flowering waves.

Shaving care

Although the plant is unpretentious, it should not be left without attention. Landing and care include several main points.

The first and only abundant watering is done when planting aubration in open ground. Further watering is carried out in rather meager portions. Excess moisture in the soil harms the flowers of shaving. They crumble and the plant looks downcast.

Avoid over watering your plant

Aubrieta does not tolerate moisture, but it does not treat drought very well either, so the soil under the plant is mulched with sand, with 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.

So that the obrieta does not lose its decorative effect, faded buds must be removed. Since the plant is perennial, at the end of flowering, the bushes must be cut. Further, abundant autumn flowering will come, after which pruning is not recommended. It is necessary to trim the bushes and remove damaged leaves before the next season - in the spring.

Mulching the soil around the shave

With the advent of autumn, the flowers do not shed their green mass, but in the event of increased frost, the leaves may fall off. Some gardeners advise covering the plant with dry foliage or straw.

Advice! So that the soil does not become waterlogged, take care of drainage at the landing site of the shaving.

Fertilizer and top dressing

Plants do not like fertilizer very much. Top dressing is required no more than two times per season. Mineral and potash fertilizers are best absorbed. You can limit yourself to the introduction of wood ash.

Advice! You can only feed the grown seedlings before flowering.

If the obrieta was fed with nitrogen-containing fertilizers, its cultivation is difficult. It is also not recommended to feed young seedlings after transplanting into open ground. The most appropriate is the application of fertilizer before flowering and after trimming the bushes.

When growing obrieta top dressing can not be used

Plant propagation

Reproduction of shaving 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. Excessive watering can cause the greatest harm to it: rotting of the root system and death of the plant. It can also harm the wrong choice of soil. Among insects, the plant is most often affected by aphids.

At the first symptoms of bacterial lesions, the plant must be treated with insecticides.

The most common disease among all varieties of shaving is powdery mildew. Plaque appears on the affected areas, leaf deformation is observed. Fight the problem with the help of colloidal sulfur. Most often, affected plants are removed and burned.

Advice! Carry out proper care during cultivation and the plant will not be afraid of either diseases or pests.

Aubrieta: combination with other plants

Most often, shaving partners in the garden are plants creeping along the ground. It goes well with milkweed or Caucasian rezuha, red soapwort or alyssum.

The combination is carried out color scheme. Varieties that have all shades of red will complement perennial dwarf irises, which are dominated by a blue tint in bloom, or Douglas phlox.

Aubrieta in landscape design

In landscape design, shaving most often acts as a living flowering carpet in a border or rock garden, where it will create an inimitable backdrop for plants blooming a little later. Aubrecia looks very nice 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 shaving from seeds: video

Types of shaving: photo

Aubrieta (lat. Aubrieta) is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Cabbage family. The name is given in honor of Claude Aubrier, a French artist who worked in the style of botanical illustration. Also, the plant can be found under the name of aubration, the name windbag goes among the people.

Aubrieta is a very popular garden crop. This unpretentious groundcover grows rapidly, forming a continuous living rug. The height of the pillow is only 10-20 cm. The leaves are small, elliptical in shape, pubescent, have solid or serrated edges, attached alternately on short petioles. The plant is evergreen - with the onset of cold weather, the leaf cover is preserved.

When the shaving blooms

What is the flowering period of obrieta? 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-petalled, reach a diameter of 1 cm, but their number is numerous: the flowers almost completely hide the leaves. The colors are blue, purple, purple, less often - white.

The fruit is a pod with small brownish seeds.

In the natural environment, luxuriantly blooming living rugs of aubration can be found along the rocks and river banks in the south of France, the Balkans, Italy, Asia Minor, and South America.

Growing shaving 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 aubretia aubretia from seeds at home

Seeds of obrieta aubrecia photo

Aubrecia is well propagated by seeds. Most often, shaving is grown through seedlings.

Start sowing seedlings around the end of February.
Seedlings do not need picking or intermediate transplanting - 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 (a layer of no more than 0.5 cm), also moisten the sand cushion from a fine sprayer.

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. Air the crops daily.
Expect sprouts to appear for 3-4 weeks - when they appear, the shelter can be removed.
Water the soil with care, 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).

Planting seedlings of shaving in open ground should be carried out when the threat of return frosts has passed. Harden off seedlings first.

How to plant shaving seeds for seedlings, look at the video:

Planting aubretia aubretia seeds in open ground

Experienced gardeners sow aubration immediately in open ground. This can be done in the spring (around April) or before winter (mid-late September).

Pre-prepare the site: dig to a depth of about 15 cm, clear of weeds, stones, apply complex mineral fertilizer, wood ash. Level the bed. Spread the seeds over the surface of the earth, sprinkle a layer of sand or garden soil on top (3-5 cm thick), carefully pour from a watering can.

How to sow aubration with seeds in the ground

How long does shaving take? When sown in the spring in the ground, seedlings will appear in 10-20 days. Plants will need to be broken through, leaving a minimum of 5-7 cm between them.

Shaving propagation by cuttings and dividing the bush

Aubrieta is propagated vegetatively: by cuttings and dividing the bush.

Cutting aubration

After spring pruning, you will get a lot of cuttings. Select the strongest ones, plant them in a sand-peat mixture under a film shelter, water and ventilate regularly, and remove the film when heat sets in. By the end of summer, the seedlings will have a well-developed root system - transplant them to a permanent place of growth. Before the onset of cold weather, seedlings will successfully take root. If the winters in your area are harsh, it is best to keep the rooted cuttings in the greenhouse until spring.

The division of the bush

The division of the bush is carried out extremely rarely, since the plant tolerates the procedure painfully. Do it in spring or autumn. Carefully dig up the bush, divide it into parts (each division should contain roots and well-developed shoots), plant in previously prepared holes.

Reproduction of aubration by layering

Aubration can be easily propagated by layering: lodging shoots can be sprinkled with earth and by the end of the season new independent bushes can be obtained, which can be separated and planted in the fall in a permanent place.

A place to grow shaving

Aubrieta in garden design photo

Choose your landing site carefully. The plant will be able to show its decorative effect as much as possible in the presence of bright sunlight: flowering will be plentiful, the shade of the inflorescences will be saturated.

As for the soil: the poorer it is, the better for the plant. Fatty, peaty, as well as clay soils do not fit - shaving may not take root. Moderately fertile loose garden soil is perfect. The reaction is preferably neutral or slightly alkaline. To reduce acidity, add wood ash or chalk.

It grows well on rocky soil (can be planted among concrete slabs, stone steps).

Planting and caring for aubration in the open field

Aubrecia seedlings ready for planting photo

When and how to plant

As soon as the spring sun warms up, the threat of night frosts recedes, you can start transplanting shaving seedlings into open ground. Focus on the climatic conditions of your region ( best time landings - end of April-beginning of May).

Make holes according to the size of the root system, keep a distance of at least 8-10 cm between the bushes. Choose a planting pattern depending on your goal: whether you want to create a solid carpet or scattered islands of bright colors.

In care, the plant is unpretentious, but it is impossible to completely ignore it. Care procedures come down to several points.

Watering

Abundant watering should be carried out immediately after planting in open ground. In the future, water only during a period of prolonged drought. Saturation of the soil with moisture leads to an active build-up of green mass to the detriment of flowering. Young plants will need a little more moisture, but keep it in moderation. It is best to use sprinkling.

After watering and rainfall, loosen the soil, remove weeds. Weed out weeds.

Mulching

top dressing

Frequent feeding can be harmful. It is not recommended to apply nitrogen-containing fertilizers and feed seedlings immediately after planting in open ground. The best option- the introduction of mineral potash fertilizer (you can limit yourself to the introduction of wood ash) before the start of the first flowering and after summer pruning.

pruning

To maintain the decorativeness 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; for the winter, the plant should not go “naked”. In the spring, cut the bushes, remove damaged shoots and leaves.

How to care for shaving and propagate it, look at the video:

Wintering shaving

Perennial obrieta successfully winters in open ground in the presence of snow cover. Own green mass will not protect the plant from extreme cold. If a snowless winter is expected with sudden temperature changes, it is better to additionally cover it with improvised 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. With the wrong choice of soil, the appearance of the plant will be oppressed, 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.

Of the pests: aphids, cruciferous flea. Treat with an insecticide.

Types and varieties of shaving with photos and names

Types and varieties of shaving differ in the structure of the plant, the color of the corollas.

Aubrieta deltoid or Aubrieta deltoidea

Aubrieta deltoid purple Aubrieta deltoidea cultivar Kitte Purple photo

In the people it is called a lilac bush. The height of the bush is 15 cm. The leaf plates are deltoid, there are 1-2 teeth from each edge, the shade is gray-green. Loose racemose inflorescences consist of small flowers (corolla diameter of about 1 cm) of a lilac or purple-blue hue. Cultivated since 1710. Variety of Bougainville: plant height is 20 cm, flowers are light purple with an orange eye.

Aubrieta cultural or hybrid Aubrieta x cultorum

Aubrieta cultural or hybrid 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 a pot culture, some are suitable for cutting.

Consider the most popular varieties of cultural shaving:

Aubrieta hybrid Aubrieta x cultorum Cascade Purple photo

Cascading - leaves of a gray-green hue; inflorescences of a red or blue hue are decorated with a yellow eye.

Charming Morocco - has flowers of the largest size (about 1.5 cm in diameter), colors from blue to various shades of red and pink;

Aubrieta aubretia Dr. Mules Aubrieta x cultorum ‘Dr. Mules' photo

Dr. Mules - a bush about 15 cm high with inflorescences of a blue-violet hue;

Aubrieta Snowdrift White photo

Borshis White is a rare variety with snow-white inflorescences.

Aubrieta Cascade Red Cascade Red photo

Cote d'Azur - inflorescences of a shade of a sea wave adorn the garden during June-July, re-blooming starts in September and lasts until frost;

Aubrecia Aubrieta ‘Axcent Violet With Eye’ photo

Giant waterfall - bushes 15 cm high with flowers of purple, pink, red, lilac. It is a variety mixture - shaving purple, pink, red, lilac ... On this winter-hardy perennial up to 15 cm high, flowers open up to 1 cm in diameter.

Aubrieta aubrieta ‘Hamburger Stadtpark’ photo

Also pay attention to the varieties Gloriosa, Don, Carnival, Queen, Blue King, Wanda, Triumph, Royal Keskade.

Aubrieta in landscape design

In landscape design, flowering bushes-pillows of shaving most often play the role of a ground cover plant.

Aubrieta and Arabis in landscape design photo

It looks spectacular on the hills - plant in rock gardens, some contrive to plant aubration in the cracks of the walls, which allows you to create a cascade of amazing beauty.

Aubrecia in landscape design photo

A beautiful combination with stones: plant in rockeries, on a regular rocky site.

Aubrieta in landscape design photo

A variety of varieties allows you to mix different shades.

Suitable partners are phlox, perennial dwarf irises, spurge, red soapwort, Caucasian rezuha, alissum.

Aubrieta in facade design photo

Aubrieta is a pretty herbaceous perennial that can transform your summer cottage in an amazing way. It will cover a rockery or an alpine hill with a colorful carpet, create a bright background for other flowers in a flower bed, and decorate vertical surfaces in a cascade. Good shave and as a pot houseplant. It can be grown as a balcony culture and gets along without any problems with all flowering neighbors on the site. The best way to grow a plant is 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;
pale pink;
purple;
blue;
crimson;
violet;
lilac;
purple;
white.

Coloring of shaving flowers

Shaving comes from South European and Central Asian countries. This groundcover is suitable for continuous vertical and horizontal garden decoration and has been successfully used by landscapers around the world.

Advice! A plant grown from seeds begins to bloom in May of the following year. The flowering period is one and a half months. If you cut off the shoots of shaving immediately after flowering, it may bloom again. Thus, it is easy to ensure a flowering carpet throughout the summer.

Shave varieties

There are about 40 cultivated varieties of this plant. The most popular of them are five.

earth, light, water

Aubrietu is difficult to attribute to unpretentious flowers. It is demanding immediately to three agrotechnical points:

Soil composition
Irrigation mode.
Lighting.

In addition, the plant is almost impossible to propagate by dividing the bush - it does not tolerate transplantation very well and the survival rate of 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 seedlings of shaving only in peat tablets

In order not to risk the loss of seedlings during picking and planting in the ground, when growing seedlings, shaving should be sown only in peat tablets. Thus, the plant will not be damaged during transplantation.

When to sow

Aubrieta can be sown in the ground, both in spring and autumn. May is in spring. Autumn - October. If the seeds are sown in the spring, seedlings can be expected in 10-15 days. When sown in autumn, the plant sprouts only the following year in the spring.

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 it is also not necessary to sow the ground cover too rarely. The optimal distance between the 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 provide a light nutrient soil with an alkaline reaction. acidic soils the plant is completely unsuitable. Shaving heavy clay soils is also contraindicated, but the plant likes sandstones.

Advice! Aubrieta is a very photophilous plant. It does not make sense to sow it in the shade, since the leaves will stretch, flowering will be scarce and the expected decorative effect will not work.

Before sowing, the soil must be prepared.

Remove stones and weeds.
Dig to a depth of half a shovel (10-15 cm).
Apply humus and wood ash if sowing takes place in the fall.
Apply the 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.
Moisturize the area.
Prepare a soil mixture of peat and sand for filling the seeds.

Fertilizing the earth with wood ash

Sowing

Shaving seeds are not very large, flat, Brown. 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 dry, by dusting with a fungicide, or by traditionally soaking the seeds for one hour in a solution of potassium permanganate.

shaving seeds

When sowing, the seeds are laid out on a prepared moistened area, at a predetermined interval. Crops are sprinkled with a mixture of peat from the sands in equal proportions, watered with "rain" from a watering can.

Advice! Aubrieta looks very nice in rockeries. You can fill the seeds between large stones (only put fertile soil there first). Shaving shoots falling from stones look bewitching.

Aubrieta in rockery

Growing shaving for seedlings

Many do not want to wait a year before receiving flowering plants, preferring to grow seedlings. This can be done without loss if the plants are not picked and planted in the ground without taking them out of the cup. Peat tablets and pots will help grow seedlings at home. In this case, seeds can be sown starting in February. Planting in the ground is carried out in April.

Aubrieta grown by seedlings will bloom in June. A week after germination, seedlings should be fed with a mineral complex for flower seedlings, and in the future, top dressing should be carried out every 10 days.

Video - How to grow shaving from seeds

plant care

The flower bed, where the shaving flaunts, must be loosened monthly, weed all the weeds, water the plants with sprinkling or drip irrigation.

This groundcover is very fond of fertilizer, so he needs top dressing 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 plentifully as we would like. When feeding shaving, a standard complex of minerals (nitrogen + phosphorus + potassium) is used.

Shaving needs top dressing at all stages of growth

At the stage of the beginning of growth, it is necessary to apply a top dressing 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.

feed on fertile soils the plant is needed at least three times in two months. If the soil is not very nutritious, top dressing will be needed every two weeks. Also, once every two weeks, you need to fertilize plants in rockeries and on alpine slides and cascading varieties intended for vertical decoration.

Advice! In addition to mineral complexes, twice a month (at different times, between the main feedings), young plants can be additionally fertilized with sodium humate.

Three times during the growing season, the soil under the shaving must be mulched with fine sand. After cutting the faded shoots, it is good to mulch the ground with a mixture of sand and peat.

The soil under the shave must be mulched with fine sand

Frequent watering is not required. Waterlogging the soil will lead to the forcing of leaves to the detriment of flowering. However, in the heat, 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 without sparing the stems to the very base. The plant will immediately release shoots that will bloom again.
In order for this groundcover to be flowering and healthy, it must be treated with colloidal sulfur from powdery mildew, which is often found in shaving. You can also treat it with insecticides against pests.

Undeniable advantage

Aubrieta is not afraid of severe 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 foliage 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 refers to luxurious plants, the care of which brings some trouble, but the result and decorative effect, which produces this flower on the site, is worth the effort.

Aubrieta (Aubrecia) is an evergreen herbaceous plant from the Cruciferous family. It adorns gardens and rock gardens throughout the European continent, but South America and Central Asia are considered to be its homeland.

Under natural conditions, the plant is most often found in rocky areas and along river banks. Lush flowering bushes cover the ground with a solid carpet, so shaving, like arabis, is planted to decorate household plots. In addition, the plant is an excellent neighbor for other green "pets" in room conditions. And such a “beauty” will turn an ordinary balcony into a fabulous corner, forming a chic flower cascade.

general description

Aubrieta is similar to arabis, but the plants differ in the size of the pistils, in the latter it is much shorter and thicker. Despite its "southern" origin, aubration is a frost-resistant plant. When winter comes, she does not shed her leaves, even the color remains the same.. In April-May, the bushes begin to bloom violently, which lasts up to 50 days. In the fall, the flowering process of the shaving is repeated.

The palette of shades of the petals of the plant is quite diverse, they can be: pink, reddish, purple, blue and light blue (cascade blue variety), lilac, white, purple. Miniature leaves are elliptical or ovoid, their edges can be either serrated or entire. Small flowers consist of four petals, like arabis, inflorescences are racemose.

Growing conditions

It is easy to grow a shaving, like arabis, both on the open ground and at home. In the first case, it is better to plant from mid-May, when there will be no more cold weather. The main condition for choosing a suitable site is maximum sun, then the bushes will delight you with an abundance of bright colors. The soil for planting needs loose and permeable, the presence of chalk, lime or ash is required. Oversaturated and peat soils- Not the best option for a plant. Shaving bushes are so viable that they can easily grow in the cracks between stone steps and concrete structures. Therefore, the soil for growing is very scarce in quantity. nutrients.

Planting a plant

Aubrieta, like arabis, is quite plastic, so they plant it 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 the water before planting in the ground. When bubbles begin to form on the surface, carefully remove the seedling from the pot with soil clod and plant it in a hole, the width of which should be 2 times the diameter of the dish. Then the soil should be compacted and mulched with sand. Optimal Thickness sandy layer - 4-5 cm. At the end, irrigate with a small amount of liquid.

garden plant care

Aubrieta, unpretentious, but landing and care contain several main rules. When grown outdoors, the plant is watered once immediately after planting, then water is added in small doses if necessary. Excessive soil moisture negatively affects the flowers, they fall off and look sparse. Aubrecia loves dry soils more, although strong drying also harms beautiful bushes, so on hot summer days, shaving needs to be watered. Sand mulching is a mandatory procedure for a 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 autumn, obrieta begins to bloom again, but after this process it is undesirable to cut the bush, although many gardeners do otherwise. The next pruning should be done with the beginning of the spring period. In winter, the leaves of the plant do not fall, but if the frosts are very severe, this can happen. To avoid dropping the green mass, it is recommended to sprinkle the bushes with straw, although dry leaves are also suitable.

Perennial shaving does not like abundant feeding, so fertilize the soil should be very careful.

When is the best time to feed a plant? Complex fertilizers are applied 2 times a year: with the arrival of heat before the appearance of inflorescences and in the fall after the last pruning. As top dressing take complex fertilizers.

Diseases and harmful insects

Diseases and pests rarely affect flowering bushes. However, sometimes obrieta becomes infected with powdery mildew. This disease is characterized by white coating on leaves and flowers. The affected areas turn black and wither, and the overall growth of the bush is inhibited. Fungal disease 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, it is necessary to treat the plant with 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, aubration, like arabis, is preferred to be sown directly on a flower bed. Before sowing, the soil is dug up with a layer of 15-20 cm, then it is cleaned of debris and ash and chalk (lime) are added. Shaving seeds should be sown not infrequently, but not too densely. The seed is not deepened into the ground, but simply sprinkled on top with a sand layer up to 5 cm. Then the sand is slightly watered with a watering can. If sown in the spring, then the sprouts will sprout in 2-3 weeks, and if in the fall, shoots will appear only in 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" has time to gain strength before winter, but if the climate in your area is very harsh, leave the plants in the greenhouse until the onset of heat.

Reproduction by dividing the bush for the plant is very painful. The easiest aubration transfers this procedure in the autumn and spring periods. The bush is dug up and divided into parts, each component must have strong shoots and rhizome. Then the particles are seated in the wells. But the process of rehabilitation in shaving after such a forced injury is difficult, so it is better to propagate the plant with seeds or cuttings.

Aubrieta: growing from seeds

A flowering bush can be easily grown from seeds by buying a bag of seed of the required variety at the store. But growing a plant at home with this method, you can lose the best parental qualities. And one more minus of such bushes - they begin to bloom in the second year after germination.

The seedling method of propagation of aubration is considered the most reliable. At the end of winter, seeds of a certain variety are taken and planted in separate peat tablets or in special pots with peat and humus. Then, together with these containers, seedlings are planted in the ground. A few shaving seeds are placed on the surface of the moistened soil, sprinkled with a layer of sand up to 5 cm, then the sand is slightly moistened 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 done if necessary. 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 top dressing. Aubrieta does not like picking, so it is advisable to plant the seed of the plant immediately in separate containers.

plant varieties

In the natural environment, this plant includes 12 species, some of which are cultivated. The most popular among gardeners are the following varieties:

shaving deltoid (lilac or bluish flowers, gray-green leaves with several teeth along the edges) - Royal Violet, Red Carpet, etc .;
obrieta cultural or hybrid (bred on the basis of the previous variety, tolerates snowy winter well, has miniature elongated leaves with notches, all kinds of flower shades) - 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!

A flower such as obrieta (Aubrieta) is also called aubration. It is related to the genus of creeping evergreen herbaceous flowering plants that are perennials and belong to the cabbage family. This genus includes about 12 species. Such a flower is cultivated in rock gardens, as well as in all European countries as garden plant. Under natural conditions, obrieta is found in Italy, in Asia Minor, in the southern part of France, as well as in South America, where it prefers to grow on river banks and rocks. The Latin name was given to the plant in honor of the Frenchman Claude Aubrier, who was an artist and worked in the genre of botanical illustration. In Russia, such a flower is called a windbag. During flowering, this plant looks like a spectacular solid carpet. This flower has one feature, its beautiful leaves do not fade even in winter.

Small alternate leaf blades are pubescent, as well as obovate or elliptical in shape. The edge is serrated or solid. Few-flowered racemose inflorescences consist of small four-petal flowers with a centimeter diameter and a purple, blue, violet or pink-red color. Flowering is plentiful and lasts from the second half of spring to the beginning of the summer period. If you provide the correct and good care, then in the autumn, shaving can bloom again. The fruit has the appearance of a pod, which contains flat brown seeds.

Below will be described how to properly plant, grow and propagate such a flower. And also how to protect against harmful insects and diseases.

This plant is quite easy to propagate by seeds, while it can be grown both through seedlings and in a seedless way. But if seeds are sown directly into open soil in September or May, then as a result this can lead to splitting of varieties. In this regard, experts recommend growing shaving exclusively through seedlings. The flowering of such a plant grown from seeds can be observed only in the second year of life. Obrieta seeds are sold in all specialty stores.

Seeding

Sowing is carried out in the last days of February, approximately 8–10 weeks before the onset of heat. Sow the seeds of such a flower immediately in separate pots. To do this, you can use peat-humus pots or peat tablets, planting seedlings in open ground is carried out directly in these containers. To begin, moisten the substrate of the pot or tablet, and then place 2 or 3 seeds on its surface. From above they should be sprinkled with a thin (0.3-0.5 cm) layer of sand. Moisten the sand from a fine spray gun, and after that the containers must be placed under glass or film. The best air temperature for crops is 18–21 degrees.

Seedlings are very easy to care for. So, they need to arrange airing every day, and also water them when necessary. The first seedlings can be seen after 20-30 days, after which the shelter must be removed completely. It is necessary to water the plant very carefully, because the seedlings react extremely negatively to an overly moistened substrate. In the event that the seedlings are weak and their development is slow, it is recommended to fertilize with complex mineral fertilizer half a month before planting in open soil, while the concentration of the solution should be weak.

picking

Aubrieta reacts extremely negatively to transplantation; therefore, when growing through seedlings, picking is not performed. That is why seeds this plant it is recommended to sow in separate containers (more on this is described above).

What time is the drop off

It is recommended to plant these flowers in open ground only after the threat of frost has passed, and as a rule, this time falls on the second half of May. For landing, you need to choose a site carefully. When choosing a site, it should be noted that for the abundant and incredibly spectacular flowering of shaving, it needs the maximum possible amount of direct sunlight. When choosing soil, it should be borne in mind that such flowers grow and develop the better, the poorer the soil on the site. So, this plant grows well between concrete slabs and stone steps. However, it is worth remembering that the soil needs loose, well-permeable water, and it should include a small amount of peat or ash. It is also best if the soil is neutral or slightly alkaline pH 6.0–7.0.

How to plant

A flower such as obrieta is considered by gardeners to be very plastic. In this regard, it can be planted exactly the way you would like, while you can create a rock garden or a flower bed of any shape. The depth of the planting hole depends on the length of the roots of the seedling, while its width should be 2 times the width of the pot in which the shaving grows. When disembarking, it should be borne in mind that the distance between the bushes should be at least 5 centimeters. In the event that your flower grew in a container made of ceramic or plastic, then immediately before planting, the pot must be completely submerged under water. Wait for air bubbles to come out of the soil. After that, carefully remove the plant along with the earthy clod and place it in the prepared hole. When the plant is planted, the soil will need to be compacted, and its surface sprinkled with mulch (a five-centimeter layer of sand), and then carefully watered.

Watering

Caring for shaving is very simple and it will not take you much time. After the flowers are mature, they need to be watered only when there is a sufficiently long dry period. In the same case, if you often and a lot of watering shaving in normal summer weather, then you run the risk of provoking a rapid growth of greenery, while flowering will be relatively scarce. Young specimens should be watered more often than older ones, but even in this case one should be careful enough. Watering is recommended by sprinkling. After the shavings are watered or it rains, the surface of the soil must be loosened, and all weeds should be pulled out.

During the period of active growth of the plant, it is recommended to sprinkle the surface of the site with mulch 2 or 3 times. For this, sand is used, while the layer thickness should be from 3 to 5 centimeters. Aubrieta is fed with a solution of complete mineral fertilizer for perennial flowering plants. At the same time, top dressing is carried out in the spring before flowering begins, as well as in the fall.

pruning

After the aubration blooms in the spring, it must be cut off almost to the level of the soil surface. In this case, the active growth of young stems with leaves of a saturated color will begin. Against the background of shaving, others will simply look excellent. flowering plants. After some time, it will bloom again.

Planting and growing aubration is quite simple, the main thing is not to forget the basic rules for caring for it. It can be propagated very easily by cuttings and seeds. How to grow such a flower through seedlings is described above. However, gardeners with a lot of experience sow shaving directly into open soil. Before sowing, the soil must be prepared. To do this, it is dug up to a depth of 15 centimeters, all stones are removed and weeds are removed and complex fertilizer, chalk (lime) and wood ash are applied, and then moistened. Seeds should be placed directly on the surface of the earth, and they should not be sown too densely. It is not necessary to deepen them, just pour a layer of sand on top of the seeds, the thickness of which should be from 3 to 5 centimeters. Then the crops must be very carefully watered with a watering can. If sowing was done in the spring, then the first seedlings will appear in 1.5–3 weeks, and if in September, then only when the next spring period begins.

It is also quite easy to propagate this plant by cuttings. In the middle of the summer period, this flower is pruned, after which you will have a large amount of planting material. As cuttings, you can use cut shoots that do not have flowers. They need to be planted in a greenhouse in a soil mixture, which includes sand and peat (1: 1). At the end of summer, the rooting of the cuttings should end, and they can be planted in a permanent place in open ground. Before the onset of winter cold, young plants take root well and become strong. In the event that in your area in winter time very severe frosts are observed, or little snow falls at this time of the year, then the cuttings can not be planted in open ground, but left in the greenhouse until spring.

Also, the flower can be propagated by dividing the bush. This procedure is best done in spring or autumn. Aubrieta does not tolerate such reproduction very well, which is quite simple. To do this, you need to dig a bush and divide it into several parts, while each division should have roots and well-developed stems. After that, the delenki are planted in separate holes. But at the same time, it should be borne in mind that all your efforts may turn out to be completely in vain, and the shaving transplanted in this way may well die. Therefore, experienced gardeners prefer to resort to seed propagation or cuttings.

Aubrieta has a relatively high resistance to various diseases and harmful insects, and therefore it is quite simple to care for it. In some cases, the plant can become infected with powdery mildew, while a whitish coating appears on the leaf plates and flowers. Such a disease belongs to fungal, and as it develops, this plaque acquires a brown color. A bush infected with such a disease loses its spectacular appearance, and its growth becomes slower. The affected parts of the flower turn black and die off, while the bush itself becomes much less winter-hardy. To cure powdery mildew, you can use colloidal sulfur, and you need to follow the instructions on the product package.

The greatest danger of all harmful insects for shaving is aphid. It is a sucking insect that uses plant sap as food. Aphid is a distributor of dangerous viral diseases. You can get rid of such harmful insects with the help of Karbofos, Biotlin, Fufanon or Arrivo. Depending on the degree of infection of the bushes, 1-4 treatments may be needed.

In general, such a flower, which prefers to grow between stones, rarely gets sick.

How to care for perennial shaving after flowering

When propagating such a flower with self-collected seeds, you need to remember that they may not retain all the varietal characteristics of the parent plant. However, if you still want to collect the seeds, then when the shaving fades in the spring, it is necessary to leave 2 or 3 stems with ovaries during cutting. Wait until the seeds turn dark and carefully cut the pods. Hustle them, and bring the seeds into the room and ripen. These seeds can be sown before winter in the same way as described above.

Preparing for the winter

After spring flowering, experts advise to be sure to cut off all the stems of this plant. However, after the end of the second flowering, this is not necessary. Stems and flowers should be left for the whole winter, and they will need to be cut only with the onset of spring. These perennial flowers tolerate winter very well without shelter. But it should be noted that if the winter is too harsh and not snowy, then the shaving may well die, in this regard, experienced flower growers recommend covering the flowers with a layer of dry foliage or covering them with spruce branches.

Varieties and types of shaving with photos and names

There are 12 natural types of shaving, while some of them are grown by gardeners. Quite rarely, one can meet in the gardens of middle latitudes such species as: white shaving, Croat shaving, graceful shaving, Kolumka shaving. However, there are species that are more popular, and they will be discussed below.

The height of this herbaceous perennial plant can reach 15 centimeters. Greenish-gray deltoid-shaped leaf plates have 1 or 2 teeth on each edge. Loose raceme-shaped inflorescences consist of small flowers (about 10 millimeters in diameter), which are painted in lilac or blue-purple. In May, obrieta begins to bloom. The duration of its flowering is a little more than 4 weeks. cultivated this species since 1710, the people call it "lilac bush". He has a variety of Bougainville, the height of its bush reaches 20 centimeters, the flowers are painted in pale purple, while the center has an orange color. Thanks to the breeders, a kind of cultural shaving was born, which is the most popular among gardeners, while they took the deltoid shaving as a basis.

This group of plants that do not exceed 20 centimeters in height and are able to overwinter under snow cover. The small leaves are oblong and serrated at the edge. The diameter of the flowers of purple or lilac color reaches 1 centimeter. To date various varieties of this species can have semi-double, double and simple flowers. They can be easily propagated by seed. There are varieties that can be grown in pots at home, and there are those suitable for cutting.

The most popular varieties of cultural shaving:

Cascading. The flowers of such a perennial can be painted in purple, pink, blue, turquoise or red, while they have a small yellow center. Greenish-gray leaf plates throughout the year have the same color.
Enchanting Morocco. The bush is lush and very effective. The flowers are relatively large (about 15 mm in diameter). Their color can vary from pink and red to blue.
Azure coast. Such a plant has very beautiful azure-colored flowers. Flowering continues for 2 summer months. In September, repeated flowering is observed, which continues until the onset of winter frosts.
Giant waterfall. This is a variety mixture that includes plants of various colors, namely: pink, purple, purple, red, etc. The height of such a winter-hardy perennial plant does not exceed 15 centimeters. The flowers are centimeter in diameter.

Also, gardeners are happy to cultivate such varieties of obrieta as: Carnival, Dr. Mules, Don, Gloriosa, Wanda, Blue King, Queen, Royal Keskade, Triumfant, etc.

Aubrieta beauty is a perennial groundcover covering the ground with a lush and bright carpet. These wonderful flowers adorn any corner of the garden, whether it is an alpine hill, a shady alley or an ordinary flower bed. In order to appreciate all the splendor of the obrieta, it is necessary to create optimal conditions for its growth and development.

How to grow shaving from seeds

Site selection and soil preparation 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 on acidic, 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 in partial shade, the plant will not bloom, and the bushes themselves will stretch.
Remove all weeds from the area. 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 ensure that future flowers have enough calcium.
Before planting the seeds, carry out a shallow mulching with sawdust or river sand, 5 cm thick. 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, choose a large area for the plant.

Best of all, shaving will take root in rock gardens.

When to plant shaving 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 the cultivation of shaving seeds begins in advance, in February. Seeds hatch for a long time - 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 shaving seeds follows the following rules:

The temperature in the room where the seeds will germinate is maintained at 18-21°C.
Seeds are carefully distributed in loose soil for flower plants where a thin layer of sand is added. The soil is sometimes replaced with vermiculite. Please note: you do not need to sprinkle the seeds with earth on top, they need light for germination.
The soil is moistened by spraying (not very plentifully).
Cover with plastic wrap, which is removed when sprouts appear.
A month later, the seedlings are planted in separate pots, and transplantation into open ground is carried out only after the soil has thoroughly warmed up.

Please note: shaving in the first year of planting seeds or seedlings will not bloom.
Yulia Petrichenko, expert

Planting seeds in the ground

Loosen the soil, moisten, sow the seeds in beds (so you don’t confuse the newly hatched sprouts of shaving with weeds).
Mulch the top soil layer with sand.
Pour carefully (better just sprinkle).

Seeds planted in the fall will only sprout next spring.

Planting seedlings in open ground

The seeds have sprouted, now you need to know how to properly plant and care for shaving seedlings.

Place 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 earth from the walls of the pot and protect the plant from damage.
Dig holes along the length of the seedling root, the distance between individual shoots is at least 5 cm. The width of the hole is twice the seedling's soil coma. This rule is true for open areas, because shaving grows well in narrow crevices between stones in rock gardens, and in cracks in steps.
Sand the soil near each bush, and then pour abundantly from a watering can.

Shave Care Rules

Watering

Aubrieta needs watering extremely rarely, only in very hot weather and as the topsoil dries out. In temperate climates, only young plants need periodic watering. Excessive moisture contributes to the decay 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 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 shaving is sensitive to excess nutrients. Top dressing with mineral fertilizers is carried out twice per season: the first time in the spring, before the formation of buds, and then in the summer, after pruning.

Until the plant has two pairs of leaves, top dressing is not introduced.

pruning

The first wave of flowering shaving lasts about 4-7 weeks. To get the second flowering of the season, the plant mat is thoroughly pruned. The stems of faded plants are cut at the root, the ground is fertilized and mulched. In autumn, pruning is not carried out so as not to weaken the plants. If in the spring the plants have damaged leaves, they are removed.

cuttings

Over time, the bushes weaken, degenerate and become more demanding on conditions than young plants. Therefore, one of important rules shaving care is the annual cuttings of plants.

As shaving cuttings, young shoots that do not bear flowers are chosen. They are cut in the spring, in May, and placed in a greenhouse, where a sandy-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 is any doubt that the cuttings will not survive the winter in the open field, you can postpone their transplantation 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 in winter. Aubrieta tolerates small and medium frosts well, but in order to protect the roots of the plant from freezing, cover the sheath rug with a handful of dry leaves before frost.

What is sick obrieta

The most common and dangerous disease of shaving is powdery mildew. With this disease, the leaves and stems of the plant are covered with a brownish coating, later their deformation occurs. If you do not start treatment at the first sign of the disease, the disease will destroy all plants. To combat powdery mildew, an aqueous solution of colloidal sulfur is used, which is sprayed with infected bushes. With extensive lesions of the bushes, they are completely weeded out. To see what the powdery mildew pathogen looks like, see the photo on the site about plant diseases.

The second enemy of shaving is aphids. Since the plant overwinters 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 care. To combat aphids, nettle infusion is used. 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 shaving

Among gardeners, the following varieties are especially fond of:

"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 with lush and extraordinarily beautiful carpets.

"Crimson Sea".

This variety of plant grows well in height, so it is most often used for decoration. retaining walls and fences.

"Cascade".

In the series of this variety, flowers are purple, red, turquoise, blue. Perfect for growing at home, and also used as a decorative cover on alpine slides and flower beds.

If the seeds of the plant are purchased in a store, then planting and caring for shaving, photos of flowers and other information are indicated on the bags.

It is not so difficult to grow a shaving from seeds with your own hands. 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 obrieta? Share your experience in the comments, and at the same time learn useful gardening secrets from other amateur gardeners.