Armeria is one of the most beautiful and delicate flowers that can delight the gardener’s eye for many years. From Celtic its name can be translated as “close to the sea.” And this is not surprising, because the most common type of armeria is seaside. Another version of the origin of the name of this plant says that, translated from French, “armories” is one of the varieties of cloves that has an external resemblance to armeria.
So, if armeria has settled in your garden, the cultivation, care, propagation of this flower and its characteristics should be well known to you.
Appearance
Reaches a height of up to 50 centimeters. Has a small root. The stem is straight and may be smooth or pubescent. The flowers are small, collected in rosettes, their shades vary from white to purple, collected in inflorescences. They form round spherical “pillows”. Due to its low growth and brightness, it can act as a plot if the planting is dense enough. Looks good next to creeping plants.
Armeria blooms from May to August. There are more than 60 species of this plant, the most common are turf, alpine, prickly and seaside.
Growing from seeds
A well-groomed armeria can be a decoration for any garden. Planting, care, and cultivation features must be studied by the gardener before he decides to acquire a blooming beauty. For those who don't want to buy ready seedlings, it is possible to grow armeria from seeds yourself.
Seed propagation can be carried out by seedlings and without seedlings. IN open ground seeds are planted before winter or in early March. If seedlings are to be grown in greenhouses, the seeds are sown at the end of February.
Flower seeds are planted in wooden or plastic containers. Keep in a dry, warm place. After the seeds have sprouted a little, they are covered with film or gauze, creating And only after this the sprouts can be transplanted into open ground.
Armeria is propagated by seeds or by division in spring or early autumn, placed in water and waiting for sprouts to appear, and then planted in the ground. It is best to divide each bush into small parts that can take root easily and quickly.
Landing Features
What kind of soil does Armeria like? Planting and caring for this flower should be done in areas with moisture, light, not too much moisture. alkaline soil. The location should be open and sunny, with only slight darkness possible. The soil should be kept loose and moist at all times, preferably in sandy and rocky areas.
Some plant species require calcium-rich soil. When preparing a site for planting armeria, much attention is paid to drainage, since the flower does not tolerate moisture accumulation at the roots.
The Armeria plant is considered unpretentious. Growing and caring for it can be carried out both during periods of drought and frost. However, despite this, in hot, dry weather the flower must be watered regularly.
What more could Army ask for? Planting and caring for a flower also includes the application of fertilizers. Fertilizing is carried out before flowering begins. During the season they are organic and are applied about 2-3 times. Much attention must be paid to fertilizing if armeria grows on peat, clay and loamy soils.
Plant care
If you have an armeria on your site, planting and caring for it will not take much effort and time, since this flower is quite unpretentious. In order for the plant to distribute all its forces to the formation of new buds and enjoy long flowering, it is necessary to promptly remove wilted flowers, as well as flower stalks on which new buds will no longer form.
When the armeria reaches five years of age, it must be dug up, divided into several small parts and planted. In the future, this procedure must be carried out every 2-3 years, otherwise the plant will overgrow.
Since Armeria is frost-resistant, it does not require special shelter for the winter. But the plant does not tolerate winters with little snow, ice crusts, or long wet periods. Therefore, it would be correct to plant the flower on hills, and in snowless winters to cover it with leaves or spruce paws.
There is an opinion that armeria should not be grown in one place for more than 7-8 years. So after this period it is better to replant the plant.
Armeria: planting and care in open ground
The seeds of the plant are planted in open ground in late autumn or early spring. Lightly sprinkle earth on top. It is very important to keep the beds constantly moist, but you need to water them very carefully so as not to wash out the seeds or bury them far into the soil. Before sowing, the seeds are kept in the refrigerator for about a week. After this, they are soaked in water for 6-7 hours and then planted.
If planting in open ground is carried out not with seeds, but with seedlings, then the armeria are placed at a distance of 20 centimeters from each other to create a dense flower carpet. Planting is done in rows, in shallow trenches.
In the first weeks after planting, regular, abundant watering is necessary. However, waterlogging of the soil should be avoided.
Armerias are used for planting in borders, rockeries, in wall crevices and between path slabs.
Diseases and pests
Armeria is not at all afraid of diseases or pests. Planting and caring for it only acidic soils with stagnation of moisture in winter period can cause the flower to become weak and vulnerable to aphids. This pest can be controlled by completely pruning the plant. It also helps a lot preventative treatment flower in early spring.
Armeria seaside
Marvelous beautiful view is the seaside armeria. Planting and caring for it do not require knowledge of special agrotechnical rules. This plant is quite unpretentious and frost-resistant. In natural conditions it grows in Europe and North America on sea dunes and coasts. The height does not exceed 20 centimeters, the flowers are pinkish-purple. Flowering continues almost all summer.
So, there are many varieties of armeria. All of them are distinguished by their unpretentious disposition and resistance to various weather conditions. The plant has taken root well in our climate and is able to bloom throughout the summer; it coexists well with other flowers. With minimal care these the most delicate flowers will serve as a real decoration for any garden and will delight you for many years.
Many gardeners dream of decorating their garden with extraordinary, beautiful flowers. One of the flowers that will definitely decorate the garden is Armeria maritima. The choice facing gardeners is quite difficult. It is important that the flowers are easy to care for, bloom well and beautifully, combine harmoniously with each other and turn the garden into a fairy tale.
Armeria seaside fits harmoniously into the design of a rock garden or rock garden.
Differences between Armeria seaside
Armeria maritime is a perennial plant with beautiful flowers Pink colour. This beautiful and ornamental plant There will definitely be a place in the garden. It will certainly delight you with its beauty during flowering. This is a fairly unpretentious and, moreover, perennial plant. He is not afraid of either cold or frost. During the cold season, you don’t even need to cover it.
These are bright flowers, reaching 15-30 cm in height, with linear, narrow, flat and blue-green leaves, collected in a basal rosette. The flowers do not have leaves, but form capitate inflorescences up to 3 cm in diameter.
Armeria is used for group plantings and grows well on rocky soil.
Armeria flowers come in different shades depending on the species. Armeria will bloom very much long time, flowering can take more than 2 months, starting in July and ending in September.
Armeria can be used for group plantings, planting in rocky gardens, curbs or ridges. The rosettes of the flower are dense, they retain their greenery all winter, so Armeria can be used with excellent success as a creeping plant. If the armeria is planted tightly enough, the end result will be a very beautiful covering on the soil, reminiscent of a soft carpet. Beautiful Armeria grows quite well in combination with sedums, low phlox and lobelia.
Europe and America are considered the birthplace of armeria. Main characteristics of this flower are shade-tolerant and drought-resistant qualities. In total, there are more than 50 species of this plant in nature.
Common types of armeria:
Armeria Siberian begins to bloom in early June.
- Alpine Armeria. Most often used for planting in the garden. The plant is covered with beautiful light pink flowers, which begin to bloom in June. Flowers last for a whole month. The leaves are narrow, but when gathered together they form large clusters, tightly planted to each other, occupying up to 30 cm in diameter.
- Armeria Velvich. An example of a tall species, flowers reach 35 cm in height. It has extensive and very long flowering. But it will only grow in soil with high level potassium
- Siberian species. This is another species with tall peduncles (about 30 cm). Pink flowers will delight the eye in early June.
- Seaside view. It is distinguished by long flowering, lasting up to 70 days. It has several subspecies, differing in different flower colors. Among them, it is worth noting lilac-pink, deep pink, dark red, carmine-red inflorescences. The flowers reach a height of up to 20 cm.
- Bulbous appearance. Differs in early flowering. Armeria begins to bloom in May, retaining its flowers throughout June. Pleasing to the eye beautiful combination white and pink flowers.
- Prickly look. It has fairly tall flowers, reaching 30 cm. The bluish leaves of the plant are an excellent photon for pink flowers. This combination looks gorgeous in the garden.
- Soddy appearance. An example of one of the most fastidious types of armeria. It does not tolerate direct sunlight on flowers and leaves; it must be protected from winter frost. At the same time, it is distinguished by the most extensive flowering. In mid-summer it opens with beautiful pink or red flowers that completely hide all the greenery. Flowers last for 50 days.
Growing from seeds
Gardeners in most cases want to grow their own plants from seeds rather than purchase them ready-made. It is also possible to grow seaside armeria from seed; there is nothing special, much less difficult, about it. When planting a seed in the ground, the gardener gets an excellent opportunity to immediately acquire many young shoots that can be used for decorative design garden plot.
The unpretentiousness of the plant allows you to plant it at any convenient time, you can choose either autumn or spring. It can be planted as seedlings, as well as directly in open ground.
A feature of the seaside armeria is its frost resistance. The quality of seeds is very important in planting. If planting material will High Quality, then Armeria will show very high germination rates, because it is capable of reproducing even by self-sowing.
Seeds can be sown in open ground in late autumn or early spring.
After sowing, the seeds are sprinkled with a small layer of earth and the beds are constantly moistened, but very carefully, not allowing the seeds to go very deep and outward.
Armeria sprouts need to be watered regularly.
In regions with warm winters, it is better to transfer sowing to spring period.
In the spring, before planting, the seeds should be stored in the cold for 1-2 weeks; a refrigerator is perfect for this. Next, the seeds need to be soaked in warm water for about 7 hours and planted in the ground (for seedlings - in March, and in open ground - in April).
Crops in pots (and subsequently, sprouting seedlings) are kept at a temperature of approximately 15° C. Seeds sprout about 2-3 weeks after sowing. As soon as the frosts stop outside, the grown seedlings can be transplanted into open ground by choosing sunny place.
Plantings require regular watering, as well as fertilizing with mineral fertilizers. The most suitable soils are sandy loam, preferably with an acidic reaction.
Armeria grows well in rocky and sandy soils. The plant usually begins to bloom in the second year.
Plant care
Due to its close location near water in nature (on the shore of a reservoir, for example), the Armeria was nicknamed “living by the water.” In the flower garden for of this plant You need to find a sufficiently humid place, but still do not allow excess moisture. If there is a lot of moisture, the roots of the flower will begin to rot. Watering must be done moderately but regularly.
Armeria flowers reach a height of 15-30 cm.
For planting, it is best to choose an open sunny place. Direct sunlight does not adversely affect the seaside armeria. Vice versa, shady place It is absolutely unsuitable, since it will not be able to grow, much less bloom. Light shading is acceptable.
Useful in spring mineral fertilizers so that the armeria can produce as many flower stalks as possible. This will affect both the duration of flowering and its quality. Therefore, it is advisable to repeat feeding several times during the summer.
The soil for planting should be light, sandy, possibly turf or neutral, but always free of lime. IN garden conditions River sand and turf soil are added to the greenhouse soil; rotted pine needles, crushed dry grass, sawdust, and hay are used, which increase the looseness of the soil, preventing subsidence and compaction. This natural fertilizer for army. Over time, the plant grows and eventually loses its decorative effect, so every 3-5 years it must be divided and replanted.
Wintering of the seaside army
Throughout the warm season, Armeria continues to delight with its decorativeness, preserving its beauty. In regions with warm winters, it delights with its greenery, because part of the foliage survives the winter well without fading. Armeria seaside tolerates frosts down to -10-15°C well, but in more severe frosts shelter is required.
Diseases and pests
Fortunately, the seaside armeria is practically not affected by various pests and diseases. The worst thing for this flower is rotting of the roots, because as the rot progresses, the entire root system suffers and spots appear on the leaves. It’s not difficult to notice, so you’ll just need to limit watering.
When the disease appears, the plant will slow down its growth and flowering will be blocked. Leaf spotting will need to be eradicated as early as possible. This can be done by treating armeria with fungicides.
The greatest harm to armeria is caused by aphids. From annoying insects Preventive treatment of plants in the spring will help. At reappearance insects will require additional treatment in the summer. To combat aphids, the drugs Intavir, Kafbofos, Kinmiks are very helpful. But in general, it should be noted the unpretentiousness of the plant and its beauty, which any photograph can convey.
When growing armeria in the garden, it is best to combine different kinds colors. This will add beauty to the landscape of the flower garden. Armeria pleases with its flowering for a very long time. It looks beautiful not only in flower beds, but also when creating bouquets. Flowers should be cut only when they have fully opened their buds. Armeria can be dried to create unusual winter bouquets.
Armeria is a pretty herbaceous perennial that can decorate any alpine hill. Its tiny and dense linear leaves in the basal rosette form a dense cushion, above which rise large lush flowers, so similar to carnations. But lush flowering and the special silver, purple or bright green color of the greenery will please only those Armerias that have been provided with optimal conditions cultivation and attentive, caring care.
Growing conditions
Armerias are drought-resistant crops that adore bright sun and will not grow in shade. Even their appearance suggests that they seem to have been created to decorate mountain slopes illuminated by the direct sun. It is better to plant armeria in those parts of the garden that are the warmest and brightest, in particular in the southern location. There is an exception - the whimsical, if not capricious, soddy armeria, which does not like direct rays of the sun, but at the same time needs sufficiently rich lighting; in winter it needs shelter and absolutely cannot stand high humidity during the rest period.
The soil for growing armeria should be light, slightly moist, preferably sour, with at least a slight acidic reaction. The structure of sandstones is preferable. Armerias categorically do not tolerate lime, so before planting, if necessary, it must be neutralized by increasing the acidity using the means available to you.
Landing
Planting armeria is a simple process. The soil on the site is loosened twice and fertilized with organic fertilizers at least two weeks before planting. The whole process depends on whether you want to get a single soloist or a dense carpet that will completely cover the soil in the selected area.
Armerias are planted for solo parties or in mixed loose groups at a distance of about 30-40 cm from neighboring plants, digging a simple hole under each bush, installing a division or seedling in it so that the rosette of leaves is not lowered into the ground low and renewal buds from the root the neck was at the same level at which it grew in the pot or near the mother plant. The hole is carefully filled and compacted, watering immediately.
To create a dense carpet, armeria are planted very densely, at a distance of about 15, maximum 20 centimeters, planted in rows in dug shallow trenches. The technology is the same as when landing single armies. In the first three weeks after planting, especially for cuttings, it is necessary to ensure regular watering, but still not allowing abnormal humidity and waterlogging of the soil.
Reproduction
Armerias are propagated both by seeds, preferably freshly harvested, and by dividing adult bushes or cutting cuttings.
Growing seedlings from seeds
Armenian seeds can be sown seedling method or directly into the soil.
- They are sown in open ground before winter or in early spring, and for seedlings - at the end of winter or early March. Sow sparsely and shallowly, covering with half a centimeter of soil and regularly maintaining moisture. The germination rate of Armeria seeds is very good.
- Plants are grown in the same containers in the light to a height of several centimeters, and then dived not in open ground or individual bowls, and into the soil of a greenhouse or greenhouse.
- After releasing strong leaves, you can plant them on permanent place. Plants obtained by seedlings bloom only in the second year, and if armeria was sown before winter or in early spring, perhaps already in the fall.
Armeria is able to reproduce by self-seeding, which can be used in landscape-style rock gardens.
Delenki
Since Armeria bushes are divided very often, it is more advisable to propagate the plant in divisions. After flowering is completed, and better in autumn Adult two- or three-year-old bushes are dug up and divided into small parts (armeria has amazing abilities for rapid rooting, so you can safely divide it into small parts with several leaves and good roots).
The cuttings are planted at a distance of about 20 cm. The cuttings can be cut during the warm period almost the whole year, and the cuttings are not shoots at all, but small daughter rosettes of an adult plant.
Wintering
Despite their heat-loving nature, these strikingly colorful plants are quite winter-hardy. Soddy armeria, as we mentioned above, should be covered for the winter - almost the same as roses, wrapped in dry peat and plant materials, covered with spruce branches and non-woven materials. All other armies do not need any additional preparation for winter cold if the winters are normal and snowy, without long periods of warming.
If there is not enough snow, then it is better to cover the armeria on top with spruce branches to protect it from temperature changes (however, it will not allow you to admire the greenery, which retains its attractiveness even in winter).
Features of care
Since armeria prefer light soil moisture, during periods without natural precipitation it is advisable to add water to the planted plants, despite the fact that this crop is considered drought-resistant.
Regardless of its role in the garden, this squat, cushion-shaped plant is pruned immediately after flowering, which helps stimulate possible re-blooming in the fall. If you want the armeria to bloom for longer than 2 months in the spring, it is better to remove fading flower stalks in a timely manner, before they turn completely yellow.
Unpretentious and hardy, armeria does not need mandatory feeding, but without additional “feeding” it will not bloom so massively and for a long time. So, if you want to enjoy an incredible parade of charming delicate flowers, full mineral fertilizers must be applied before flowering, or better yet, repeat this fertilizing one or two more times during the summer. The need for fertilizing is higher, the more significantly the soil differs from the preferred sandy loam (loams, peat bogs, etc.)
A feature of caring for armeria is the need to rejuvenate plants every five, at least six years. Rejuvenation is very simple: to do this, just dig up the armeria and divide it into sections, obtaining a new generation of plants that can be used in sunny areas in the garden.
Diseases and pests
Armerias are not afraid of diseases and pests. Only on insufficiently acidic soils and when moisture accumulates in winter can the plant weaken and become vulnerable to aphids and spotting, which are best dealt with by standard radical pruning.
Armeria flower - description
The Armeria plant reaches a height of 15 to 60 cm. It has a short taproot, and numerous linear-lanceolate sessile entire leaves, collected in a basal rosette, form dense clumps - pillows. The stem is straight, smooth or pubescent. Small flowers white, pink, purple flowers and their shades are collected in capitate inflorescences. The fruit is single-seeded. Armeria flowering begins in May and ends at the end of summer. The most popular species in culture is the seaside Armeria maritima. Growing seaside army is carried out in the same way as growing armeria of any other species, the only difference is that it is preferable for seaside armyia to grow near a reservoir.
Growing Armeria from seeds
Sowing armeria.
Seed propagation of Armeria is carried out both by seedlings and in a seedless way. Armeria seeds are sown in open ground at the end of autumn (so that they undergo natural stratification over the winter) or in the spring, at the beginning of March. Armeria seeds are sown for seedlings in greenhouses at the end of February or beginning of March. In addition, Armeria reproduces well by self-sowing. Wherever you sow the Armeria seeds - directly into the ground or into a container for seedlings - plant them shallowly, sprinkling them with a half-centimeter layer of soil on top. The germination rate of Armeria seeds is high.
Armeria seedlings.
If you want to get healthy shoots, keep the Armeria seeds in the refrigerator for a week, and before sowing, soak them for 6-8 hours in warm water. Armeria seeds sown in boxes and lightly sprinkled with soil are kept in a warm, bright place. When the seedlings reach a height of several centimeters and they have a pair of true leaves, the seedlings dive into greenhouses and grow until they become stronger.
Planting armeria in open ground
When to plant armeria.
As soon as you are sure that the leaves of the Armeria in the greenhouse have become strong and strong, and the frosts have completely receded, you can start transplanting the seedlings into open ground. Determine the warmest and sunniest area for the armeria with light, slightly moist, acidic soil - sandy or rocky soils are most suitable. If the soil is limed, try to correct this before planting, as Armeria does not tolerate lime. To neutralize, add ammonium nitrate to the soil under digging or spill the area with a solution of acetic acid.
How to plant an army.
Two weeks before planting, thoroughly loosen the soil on the site and apply organic fertilizers. If you decide to grow armeria as solo plants, they are planted in holes at a distance of 30-40 cm from each other and from other plants, placing the seedling in such a way that the rosette of leaves is not lowered into the ground and the root collar is shallow. The holes are filled with earth, the soil is compacted around the seedlings and the planting is watered. If you want Armeria to grow in a continuous carpet, then the seedlings need to be planted densely so that there is a distance of no more than 15-20 cm between the specimens, and not in holes, but in shallow trenches. For the first three weeks, try to water the armeria often, but let the soil dry out between waterings. Armeria from seeds usually blooms the next year after planting. Armeria maritime is grown from seeds according to the same rules as any other species.
Armeria - care
How to grow armeria.
Caring for an army is not difficult. Before it blooms, add complete mineral fertilizer to the soil as a top dressing, and then repeat the top dressing once or twice. Remove faded flowers in a timely manner and cut off flower stalks that no longer bear flowers, so that the plant directs all its energy to the formation of new buds. If the summer turns out to be dry, water the armeria, but try not to overdo it with moisture. When the plant reaches five years of age, it must be dug up, divided into parts and planted, and then do this every 2-3 years, otherwise the armeria will grow. This is how armeria is planted and cared for. It's simple.
Pests and diseases of Armeria.
Armeria is not afraid of diseases or pests, but if it grows in insufficiently acidic soil, problems with aphids or spotting may arise, which are best dealt with by radical pruning of the shoots.
Armeria after flowering
How and when to collect Armeria seeds.
Perennial armeria in winter.
Armeria is a frost-resistant plant and can easily survive the winter without shelter, especially if there is a lot of snow in winter. The only exception is the soddy armeria, which must be covered. Dry peat, spruce branches and non-woven materials are used for covering. If, according to forecasts, the winter is expected to be snowless, it is better to cover other types of armeria with spruce branches: they will be warm and you will be at peace.
Types and varieties of Armeria
About ten types of Armeria have become widespread in culture. They are used in group plantings, ridges, rock gardens, rock gardens, and also as colored borders.
Alpine Armeria (Armeria alpina)
- a perennial plant that forms dense cushions up to 30 cm in diameter and about 15 cm in height. Many of the linear-lanceolate leaves survive winter. The flowers are light pink, collected in axillary capitate inflorescences up to three centimeters in diameter. Peduncles up to 30 cm tall. It blooms for three to four weeks from June. Varieties:
- – “Alba” – white armeria;
- – “Laucheana” – armeria with carmine-red flowers;
- – “Rosea” is a variety with bright pink flowers.
Pseudoarmeria, or beautiful armeria (Armeria pseudarmeria)
- a plant reaching a height of 40 cm with rosettes of evergreen leaves and inflorescences of white or pink flowers. Blooms from early to late summer. Varieties:
- – “Joystick White” – a variety with white spherical inflorescences, can be grown as an annual;
- – “Thrift” – low-growing variety height only up to 20 cm;
- – “Red Planet” is a perennial with red balls of inflorescences on peduncles up to 35 cm tall;
- – “Bees Ruby” – bright pink armeria up to 60 cm tall.
Armeria maritima
grows naturally on sea coasts. Its height is no more than 20 cm, the diameter of the rosette is the same. The leaves are narrow, linear, flat, blue-green in color. Flowers in capitate inflorescences are pink-purple, covered with filmy bracts. It blooms in May and fades in about seventy days. Sometimes it blooms again in the fall. Varieties:
- – Armeria Louisianan – a variety of Armeria seaside with pink flowers;
- – “Dusseldorf Stolz” – a variety with dark red flowers;
- – “Vindictive” – red armeria;
- – “Bloodstone” – dark red armeria.
Soddy Armeria, or juniper-leaved Armeria (Armeria juniperifolia = Armeria cespitosa)
comes from the highlands of Spain and Portugal, it is a perennial up to 15 cm high with narrow linear leaves collected in a rosette up to 20 cm in diameter. Red or pink flowers in capitate inflorescences are framed by membranous bracts, peduncles up to 6 cm tall. The flowering is so abundant that sometimes the leaves of the Armeria are not visible because of the flowers with bracts. It blooms for forty to fifty days from July. Does not tolerate stagnation of moisture in the roots. A popular hybrid is Armeria turf and Armeria seaside called Armeria Zundermann. Varieties of Armeria turf:
- – “Brno” – a low-growing variety with purple double flowers;
- – “Bevan's Variety” – double flowers, pale pink.
Armeria Welwitschii (Armeria welwitschii)
- one of the tallest types of armeria - up to 35 cm in height. The leaves are large, reaching a length of 10 and a width of 5 cm. Pink flowers The capitate inflorescence is up to 2 cm in diameter. Flowering is abundant and long lasting from June until the beginning of winter. This species requires calcium-enriched soil.
Common Armeria, garden (Armeria vulgaris)
grows up to 60 cm in height, linear, entire leaves reach 12.5 cm in length and 1 cm in width. The bare peduncles are crowned with capitate inflorescences of carmine-pink fragrant flowers, of which there can be up to 40 on one plant.
Beautiful Armeria (Armeria formosa)
forms compact rosettes of narrow-linear evergreen leaves. Stems are rigid, rounded, erect. Inflorescences up to 5 cm in diameter, white, red or pink, bloom profusely until October.
In addition to the listed types of Armeria, Japanese, Siberian, spiny, bulbous, Arctic and others are also known.
When creating your own flower garden, few gardeners can pass by the seaside armeria. This is wonderful the plant impresses with its thick, green foliage and bright colors , which will delight the eye for 2-3 months.
Armeria primortica is a herbaceous, perennial plant that is part of the pigweed family. In the wild, such a flower can be found growing on the sea coast. located in northwestern Europe or North America.
Due to its unpretentiousness and high frost resistance, this plant is very popular among flower growers, who have successfully cultivated this species since the 17th century.
By appearance Armeria seaside is a lush and small bush, no more than 15-20 centimeters high and a diameter not exceeding 15 centimeters. The leaves of this plant are linear, long and flat, colored bluish. Usually, they gather in a pineal-shaped rosette.
Globular inflorescences are located on peduncles that rise above the leaves, on average their height is 20 centimeters. The round and lush inflorescences consist of many small flowers, no more than 1.5 centimeters in diameter. Typically, their petals are pink-purple, but the hybrids bred by breeders have a more diverse range of colors.
On average, Armeria primortica begins to bloom in mid-May. The duration of this process is 60-80 days. In the presence of favorable conditions the plant can bloom again in late August - early September.
The most popular varieties of Armeria
Thanks to scientific experiments There are a huge number of varieties of Armeria seaside in the world, which most often differ in the color of their petals.
Alba
The plant has narrow and lined leaves of a rich green color. A special feature is the snow-white color of the petals., thanks to which the inflorescences become like small clouds.
Rosea Compacta
This shrub grows to average heights, and its flowers, growing against the backdrop of straight, emerald leaves, painted bright pink.
SplendencePerfecta ( Splendens Perfecta)
This variety is the smallest and most compact representative of the seaside Armeria. Its leaves are especially narrow, somewhat reminiscent of arrows. The inflorescences are crimson, very bright and rich.
Rubrifolia
This armeria differs from its relatives in that it is dark, purple leaves and shoots. The spherical inflorescences are painted in a delicate, lilac color.
Nifty Thrifty
The leaves of this plant are straight and narrow, there is a white border on their edges, while the main part is presented in green. The inflorescences resemble bright, pink balls.
Bloodstone
This variety got its name thanks to dark red, almost burgundy inflorescences, which look very advantageous against the background of rich green linear leaves;
Roeschen
The petals of such flowers are very delicate and beautiful, painted in a poor pink shade. The leaves, like other varieties, are narrow and straight.
Is it possible to grow armeria from seeds?
Armeria maritime, like other species of this group in the wild, reproduces by self-sowing, so it can easily be grown from seeds.
There are two methods of growing this flower from seeds:
- sowing in open ground;
- growing seedlings.
Given the good frost resistance of this plant, You can sow seeds in open ground in early March or before the first frost. In this case, the planting material will be able to undergo natural stratification and the percentage of germination will greatly increase.
When choosing seedling method seeds are planted in containers at the end of February. It will be possible to transfer young flowers to a permanent place at the end of May.
Rules for planting flowers in open ground
Seeds for planting armeria can be purchased at a specialized store or collected independently. In the second case gauze is wrapped around fading inflorescences, and then wait until the plant is completely dry.
At the next stage, you need to remove the gauze and select the largest seeds without visible damage. They are thoroughly cleaned of flower residues and further dried.
For armeria, a sunny area with light, acidic soil is best suited. Sandy or rocky soil is usually used for such purposes. You can also use a mixture consisting of the following components:
- greenhouse land;
- river sand;
- turf;
- chopped dry grass;
- sawdust or hay.
Before planting a flower, the soil is additionally loosened and organic fertilizers are applied, approximately 5-6 kilograms of peat or humus per 1 square meter.
If the land chosen for planting the plant has previously been limed, it will need to be neutralized. This effect can be achieved by digging up the soil and adding ammonium nitrate, or the area can be watered with a weak solution of acetic acid.
To plant seeds in open ground, they are scattered over the surface of the ground and buried with a layer of soil equal to 5 millimeters, after which they are watered with warm water.
Seedlings are planted using the same scheme., only in this case the seeds must undergo artificial stratification. To do this, they are wrapped in a damp cloth and kept in the refrigerator for 7-9 days.
Caring for seedlings involves regularly watering the seedlings. The first shoots should appear in 2-3 weeks. Optimal temperature for seedlings it will be 18-20 degrees.
As soon as the last frost has passed, the armeria can be transferred to open ground. Work is carried out according to the following rules:
- hole size should be small and correspond to the size of the root system;
- the seedling is immersed in a hole in such a way that the leaf rosette necessarily remains on the surface;
- with a successful outcome first flowering will appear next year.
Plant care rules
Since in nature Armeria primorica grows near water, when growing such a plant, the soil should never be allowed to dry out. Water the flowers regularly using a moderate amount of water.
Armeria is very responsive to fertilization. To make flowering more luxuriant and abundant in spring Complex mineral fertilizers are applied during digging. This procedure can be repeated every month, simply scattering granules with fertilizer before watering.
Also it is necessary to loosen the soil in time, remove weeds and trim dried flowers and flower stalks. Armeria does not require shelter for the winter and tolerates cold very well directly in the open ground.
Every 3-5 years, flowers need to be replanted to maintain their decorative value.
Reproduction
Besides seed propagation Vegetative methods can be used.
Dividing the bush
To carry out such work a plant at the age of 3 years is dug out of the ground and divided into several parts shovel or sharp knife. In this case, each of the divisions must have developed roots. Then the resulting planting material is planted in a new place.
Armeria can be “divided” both in spring and autumn, but many gardeners note that divisions prepared in the autumn have the best survival rate.
Cuttings
Root shoots are used as cuttings, which can be harvested throughout the summer season.
Cut shoots are rooted in a moist substrate consisting of equal parts of sand, peat and leaf soil. To create a greenhouse effect, the plantings are covered with non-woven material. In the first week, in addition to watering, the cuttings must be sprayed daily. With the appearance of 2-3 true leaves, the flowers can be planted in a permanent place.
Diseases and pests
Armeria seaside is not afraid of diseases and pests. When growing it, it is very rare to encounter such a problem as leaf spot. It is extremely easy to detect the disease; in addition to the characteristic spots on the green part of the plant, you will notice that flowering becomes more rare and dull.
The appearance of spotting is caused by excessive watering, so to get rid of the disease, it is necessary to reduce the amount of moisture applied and treat with fungicides.
Another aphids can be a problem. To avoid its appearance in the spring, plants are treated with special chemicals, such as Intavir, Karbofos, etc. If insects do appear, the treatment should be repeated again, but using a different product.
Application in landscape design
Thrift looks good as a single composition, and as part of various groups of annual and perennial plants. Usually, with the help bright inflorescences decorate alpine hills, rocky gardens, rockeries and borders. Armeria is also used to emphasize tall perennials.
From low-growing species better neighbors are considered:
- thyme;
- Lyubelia.
Armeria seaside is just a godsend for a novice gardener. With the help of bright and unusual inflorescences you can decorate any garden plot , and the unpretentiousness of the plant will not leave anyone indifferent.
