Content
Growing beautiful armeria from seeds is not the most difficult task. But before you start growing this plant, you need to familiarize yourself with its types and characteristics.
Description and characteristics
Armeria is a perennial plant from the Svinchataceae family with a long, thin, pubescent stem about 30 cm tall. The leaves are narrow, lanceolate, collected in a basal rosette. In June, the plant bears light pink, white or purple small buds in capitate inflorescences up to 3 cm in diameter. By autumn it produces fruits - oblong single-seeded plants.
The decorative period of armeria lasts about a month
The perennial grows throughout the world - in North America, Western and Eastern Europe, Mongolia and even in the Arctic highlands. In Russia you can see it in the Far East and northeast Siberia. The plant usually chooses rocky areas to live and is often found on sea coasts.
Types and varieties
There are several dozen varieties and types of Armeria with photos and names. Among them are several of the most famous and in demand in cultural breeding.
Alpine
Alpine Armeria (Armeria alpina) is a perennial plant up to 15 cm tall. It is a compact shrub with abundant foliage that persists through the winter. Blooms with light pink buds on long peduncles up to 30 cm.
Alpine armeria blooms in early June
Alba
The Alba variety reaches 20 cm in height. At the end of May it bears bright flowers on long stems. White armeria remains decorative for about a month and a half.
Armeria Alba can bloom again in the fall
Hatch
Armeria Lucina (Laucheana) is a plant with lush green leaves and beautiful carmine pink buds. It rises on average 30 cm from the ground surface.
Armeria Lucina blooms at the standard time in early June
Pseudoarmeria
Pseudoarmeria (Pseudarmeria) is a beautiful shrub about 40 cm tall with a basal rosette of leaves. It blooms with buds of pink and white shades; the period of maximum decorativeness is from June to July. The leaves at the roots of the plant are partially evergreen.
Pseudoarmeria can also be found under the name beautiful
Ballerina Red
The popular Armeria variety Ballerina Red is a small shrub about 20 cm tall.From the beginning of summer it bears spherical buds of bright scarlet color. Armeria falsearmeria Red Ballerina can remain decorative until September.
The Ballerina Red variety can be grown in the Moscow region and in the northern regions
Primorskaya
Armeria maritima is a low-growing perennial often found on sea coasts. It rises in height by an average of 20 cm and has a similar diameter of the root rosette. From the end of May to July, the sea army bears pink buds in capitate inflorescences.
Primorskaya Armeria is the most common plant species in cultivation.
Louisiana
The Louisiana Armeria variety is an ornamental plant about 20 cm tall. Blooms in early June, producing numerous pink-purple buds. Growing Louisiana Armeria from seeds allows you to create a lush and vibrant flower bed in the garden.
Flowers of Armeria Louisianan are double type
Soddy
Armeria juniper, or soddy (Armeria Juniperifolia) is a compact perennial no more than 15 cm tall with linear narrow leaves. Bears capitate inflorescences consisting of pink or bright red buds. The photo of perennial armeria flowers shows that it blooms very profusely.
Soddy armeria in early summer is capable of forming bright, dense turf in the garden
Beachwood
The Beechwood variety is represented by dwarf densely branched plants about 15 cm in height with a basal foliage rosette. Brings very numerous flowering stems only 5 cm long. The buds of the turf armeria of this variety are pink, collected in flattened inflorescences.
The diameter of Beechwood Armeria flowers is 1.5 cm
Ordinary
Common Armeria (Armeria vulgaris) is a tall perennial up to 60 cm. The leaves of the plant can stretch up to 12.5 cm in length; during the flowering period, numerous carmine-pink buds appear on the stems. In the garden, the perennial is grown unchanged; it is not subject to active selection.
Common armeria has a pleasant light aroma
Beautiful
Beautiful Armeria (Armeria formosa) is a small plant with evergreen rosettes of leaves. It blooms very vigorously from the beginning of June, bearing purple, red or pink buds depending on the variety. The diameter of the inflorescences is about 5 cm.
The flowering of the beautiful armeria can continue until October
Anna Maria
Armeria Anna Maria is a beautiful perennial up to 30 cm tall. Brings large, up to 5 cm, spherical buds of carmine, white or pink shade. It is practiced to grow Armeria Anna Maria from seeds - planting material is supplied in the form of a mixture. The plant remains decorative for 70 days.
The Anna Maria variety blooms in May and again in September
Velvich
Armeria Welwitschii (Armeria welwitschii) is a tall garden perennial up to 40 cm tall with large basal leaf plates. The diameter of the inflorescences reaches 5 cm, the buds are pink in color. It is not popular in breeding; in the garden the variety is grown in its unchanged form. The decorative period of pink armeria lasts from early summer to late autumn.
Armeria Velvicha prefers potassium-rich soils
Armeria latifolia
Broad-leaved armeria (Armeria latifolia) is a low-growing perennial up to 30 cm in height, up to 50 cm in the decorative period. It bears numerous bright pink or white buds in dense inflorescences up to 4 cm in diameter.Blooms in June and July.
Broadleaf armeria is a plant with low frost resistance down to - 15 ° C
Ariadne
Armeria Ariadna is a plant for decorating rocky gardens and alpine hills. Produces vibrant red, pink and white buds and is often used to fill gaps between tall perennials. Planting and caring for Armeria Ariadne is rarely difficult. The plant has good frost resistance and is suitable for cultivation in the middle zone.
The Ariadne variety blooms from June to August.
Armeria bulbosa
Armeria alliacea is an evergreen herbaceous plant up to 50 cm tall with long peduncles. Blooms from May to July, producing numerous and bright white or pink buds. Tolerates frosts down to -30°C. Not represented by decorative varieties.
Bulbous armeria prefers sunny areas and lightly drained soils
Reproduction of Armeria
Garden perennials are propagated by seeds and vegetative methods. The latter are more popular because they allow you to preserve the varietal qualities of the plant and get the desired result faster.
Cuttings
The perennial can be propagated by cuttings throughout the growing season. The basal rosette of an adult plant is carefully separated from the stem, and then simply transferred to the right place and buried in the ground, lightly sprinkled.
After this, the perennial is regularly watered and waiting for rooting. Additionally, the cutting can be covered with a glass jar to create a greenhouse effect and promote rapid germination.
There is no need to pre-germinate Armeria cuttings in water
Dividing the bush
The method is used for overgrown plant specimens older than three years.In the spring before the growing season begins or in the fall shortly before the cold weather, the bush is removed from the ground and the rhizome is divided into several equal parts. The stems must be removed. The seedlings are buried in new holes at a distance of 30 cm from each other and the soil is moistened.
When dividing, it is advisable not to clear the roots of the armeria from the soil, so as not to injure it again
Seeds
Perennial seeds can be purchased at a specialty store or collected independently from adult plants on the site. Before planting, the material is stratified in the refrigerator for at least a week, and then sown in containers with nutritious but light soil and germinated until several true leaves appear. When using the method, it must be taken into account that seeds collected from ornamental varieties on the site may not retain their unique characteristics.
Seeds are usually used to germinate new varieties or low-value types of Armeria.
Planting and caring for armeria
The plant is propagated by seed both at home and directly in the garden. In both cases, you need to adhere to several rules.
When to sow seeds for seedlings and in open ground
If seeds are planted directly in open ground, this should be done in the fall before the onset of cold weather or in early spring, at the beginning of March. In this case, the material will undergo natural stratification in cold soil.
When growing home seedlings, the seeds are first placed in the refrigerator for at least a week, and preferably for several months. Planting in boxes is carried out at the end of February or at the beginning of March.
Soil and site preparation
In the garden, a well-lit, warm area with moist, slightly acidic soil, sandy or rocky, is chosen for the plant. The selected location is dug up and, if necessary, the quality of the soil is improved by spilling it with a solution of malic or acetic acid. The soil is carefully loosened and fertilized with complex minerals.
When growing home seedlings, it is necessary to prepare wide but shallow containers or separate small pots. They are filled with loose and light soil; a mixture of garden soil and peat with sand works well.
Sowing Armeria seeds for seedlings or in open ground
When planting in the ground, the seeds are planted in holes several centimeters deep and sprinkled with soil, and then left until spring. It is better to plant a perennial in this way in a temporary area in order to subsequently transfer the strongest seedlings to a permanent place. The top of the bed can be covered with fallen leaves for the winter to protect the soil from excessive freezing.
When planting at home, seeds removed from the refrigerator are soaked in warm water for several hours so that they swell slightly. After this, the material is immersed in the prepared soil mixture no more than 5 mm, sprayed with a spray bottle and covered with film or glass. You need to place the seedlings in a warm place with diffused lighting.
Caring for seedlings and planting in open ground
Home seedlings should produce their first shoots in about two weeks. After this, the cover is removed from the box and moved to a well-lit windowsill.
When two or three true leaves appear on each of the seedlings, the Armeria can be dived
When warm weather finally sets in, you can plant Armeria in open ground.Before this, it is recommended to harden the seedlings - for two weeks the box with seedlings is taken outside, first for a couple of hours, and then for the whole day. When planting, the sprouts are embedded in the soil, leaving the root collar above the surface, and a distance of at least 30 cm is maintained between individual specimens. Immediately after transferring to the ground, the perennial is well watered.
Aftercare
Caring for armeria when planting in open ground comes down to simple steps. First of all, the plant needs to be watered from time to time during the period of active growth and in the summer heat. With heavy natural precipitation, the perennial does not require additional moisture. After watering, it is recommended to loosen the soil at the roots and clear it of weeds.
Plants are fertilized several times a season, during the active growing season and in the fall. Before flowering, fertilizers containing nitrogen are required, and at the end of the decorative period - with potassium and phosphorus. The perennial itself survives well even in poor soils, but if there is a lack of nutrients, buds may not set well.
With the onset of autumn and at the end of the decorative period for the armeria, pruning is performed in the flower beds. Peduncles and dried leaves are removed so that the plant can direct all its strength to strengthening the underground part before the onset of winter. About once every five years, as the perennial grows, it is recommended to divide it and move it to a new place.
Diseases and pests
The plant has good immunity to fungal diseases. The perennial rarely suffers from illnesses, and the greatest danger to it is represented by:
- late blight — the disease provokes the development of root rot and the appearance of spots on the leaves;
Late blight occurs most often when the soil is waterlogged
- fusarium - the leaves of the plant turn yellow and fade, and the stems become weak and lethargic.
Fusarium leads to rotting of the root collar of the plant and its death
When the first symptoms of the disease appear, treatment should be started immediately. The affected leaves and peduncles are removed, and the perennial is treated with copper sulfate, Bordeaux mixture or Fundazol. Spraying should be carried out according to the instructions, several times a season with an interval of 2-3 weeks, in order to reliably eliminate the fungal pathogen. If the plant is too severely affected, it is better to dig it up and destroy it before the disease spreads to neighboring plantings.
Of the pests, only aphids are dangerous to the flower. It is necessary to regularly inspect the perennial and, if insects appear, immediately treat the plantings with a soap solution. If the infestation is too strong, you should use insecticidal agents, for example, Kinmiks or Inta-Vir.
A large colony of aphids can completely destroy Armeria
When and how to collect seeds
The seeds of the plant are small, so you need to prepare in advance for collecting them on the site. Even before the end of flowering, during the wilting period, the bud must be tied with gauze. In this case, the ripened seeds will not fall to the ground, but into a makeshift bag.
After the inflorescence has completely dried out, it will need to be cut off. The gauze is untied over a sheet of paper and the seeds are shaken out, then dried in the fresh air and poured into a paper bag.
Preparing for winter
Most plant species and varieties tolerate cold well and do not require winter shelter.However, there are exceptions to this rule, for example, turfy armeria reacts sensitively to frost. Therefore, just in case, in late autumn the area with perennials can be covered with fallen leaves, dry peat or spruce branches to insulate the roots. It is especially recommended to do this if the winter is expected to have little snow.
Armeria in landscape design
The photo of Armeria in the garden shows that the decorative perennial is widely used in decorating areas. Most often it is used:
- for planting in flower beds and alpine hills in group compositions;
Low armeria goes well with monochromatic and variegated plants
- for designing rocky gardens;
Armeria feels comfortable on sandy and rocky soils
- for decorating garden paths;
Armeria forms a beautiful border along the paths
- for forming a flower blanket on lawns and vacant lots.
Low-growing armeria enlivens empty space when planted densely
Good neighbors for perennials are bells, phlox, and thyme. Armeria is not prone to aggressive growth and does not displace other plants.
Conclusion
Growing beautiful Armeria from seeds allows you to get a hardy, bright and spectacular perennial on your site. The culture is represented by dozens of species and varieties, is easy to propagate and decorates the garden from the beginning to the end of summer.
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