Aubrieta (aubrecia) perennial: planting and care in open ground, cultivation

Aubrieta is a herbaceous perennial from the Brassica family, order Brassicas. The name was given in honor of the French artist Aubrier, who created amazingly beautiful illustrations for botanical publications. The flowering plant is native to the southern regions of Europe - part of France, Italy, the Balkan Peninsula, as well as Iran and the countries of Asia Minor. The flower is very popular, it is cultivated throughout Europe, and is also loved in Russia. Planting and caring for perennial shrubs has its own subtleties that should be followed in order to get a luxurious carpet of flowers on your site.

Description of aubration

Aubrieta perennial is an evergreen flower whose shoots spread along the ground. Small buds with a diameter of 0.8-1.5 cm have many shades: pink, violet, amethyst, purple, light lavender, blue, crimson.The core is usually surrounded by either a light or darker narrow border. The stamens are a rich golden-light green color. Radial thread veins are clearly visible on the petals.

The stem is flexible, round in cross-section, with short velvety fluff, rich green in color. The leaves are lanceolate and, depending on the variety, can be serrated or smooth. They are arranged alternately and have a bright green, rich light green or grayish-green color, often with a light border along the edge.

Perennial aubrieta is capable of forming a continuous carpet 5-23 cm thick over a fairly large area. The four-petalled buds are located at the tips of the stems, so the flowers almost completely cover the greenery. The fruit is a pod with flat chocolate-colored bean seeds.

Perennial aubrieta has a poorly developed root system, so its cultivation requires light, well-drained soil and mandatory regular watering. The plant tolerates partial shade and thrives on the south side in midsummer.

Comment! Aubrieta perennial blooms in April-May and delights with bright colors until June. The plant thanks for proper care with repeated autumn flowering.

Winter hardiness of aubrieta

The perennial Aubrieta tolerates the Russian temperate and northern climate well, provided there is sufficient snow. She does not require additional shelter.

Important! If the winter is frosty and with little snow, the roots may be damaged and the plant will die.

Types and varieties of aubrieta

Aubrieta perennial has seventeen main species. There are also many hybrids introduced by breeders.

Deltoid

Aubrieta perennial "Deltoid" grows up to 15 cm in height, the stem and leaves have a bluish, gray-green color. The inflorescences are racemose, appear in late May-early June and fade in 25-35 days. Flowers with a diameter of 1 cm are painted in rich purple, lilac and dark blue.

The flower is perfect for alpine slides or borders along paths

Cascade

Aubrieta perennial "Kaskadnaya" belongs to the selection hybrid varieties. The heavily pubescent stems and leaves have a light, gray-greenish color. In May, the aubrieta produces the first buds of a rich blue, blue or purple hue. The core of the flowers is golden yellow, bordered by darker narrow rims.

The variety is great in vertical compositions

Hybrid

Aubrieta perennial cultivated is one of the tallest varieties, reaching 20-25 cm in length. The leaves are light green, lanceolate, with lighter jagged edges. The flowers are small, reddish-lilac.

The perennial hybrid aubriet tolerates wintering well in temperate climate zones.

Graceful

Aubrieta perennial “Graceful” is a medium-sized variety with a height of 5 to 15 cm. The stems are thin and branched. The leaves are pubescent, with a smooth and jagged edge of an emerald hue. The shape is ovoid or lanceolate. It begins to bloom in May, ends in June, and may please with a second, autumn wave. The flowers have light and dark pink, purple and blue colors with golden “eyes”.

The ground cover perennial grows quickly, forming a continuous green-floral carpet

Perennial aubrieta in landscape design

Aubrecia is usually used to create a flower carpet on alpine slides, borders, and flower beds.Perennial aubrieta looks great on vertical walls, ledges, and terraces. It can be planted in crevices between stones or bricks, where it forms spectacular cascades of greenery and flowers. After flowering, aubrieta retains the magnificent appearance of a solid emerald or grayish-green cover.

Aubrieta perennial goes well with other garden plants, the flowering time of which comes later. It can be planted next to phlox, milkweed, and irises. The aubration in the flowerbed is beautiful and this can be seen in the photo of the flowers.

Aubrieta perennial looks great in flower arrangements

Peculiarities of reproduction of aubrieta

Flowering perennials can be propagated in several ways, each of which has its own advantages:

Aubrieta perennial sprouts remarkably well from seeds, including those collected independently, if it is not a hybrid variety. They are planted directly into the ground in the spring. They should be placed on the surface of the prepared area, sprinkled with a layer of clean sand 2-3 cm thick, maintaining a distance. After this, water periodically.
Cuttings can be made in mid-summer during routine pruning, when the flower has already faded. Only shoots that have no flower buds should be used. They are buried in a soil mixture of equal parts of sand and light turf soil, covered with glass or film. With sufficient watering, the cuttings take root by the end of summer and can be transplanted to a permanent location.
In the spring before the buds appear and in the autumn after fruiting, perennial aubrieta can be propagated by dividing the bushes. To do this, the earthen ball with roots is carefully lifted and carefully divided into several parts with its rhizome and shoots.But in this case, extreme caution must be taken, since weak roots do not tolerate any traumatic procedures well.

Advice! Perennial aubrieta can be planted with seeds before winter, in late autumn. In this case, it germinates in early spring.

Planting aubrieta with seeds directly in open ground

The most popular method of planting aubretia in open ground is by seed; care and labor costs in this case are kept to a minimum. Perennial aubrieta is distinguished by excellent seed germination, subject to pre-treatment.

Deadlines

Seeds are introduced into open ground in the spring, when the soil has warmed up sufficiently. Depending on the climate characteristic of the area, this may be early April to mid-May. Also, a common method among flower growers is to plant aubrieta seeds before winter, in late autumn. It is more preferable, since the seedlings have time to grow stronger faster and bloom in the first year.

Site selection and soil preparation

Aubrieta is a perennial plant that is undemanding in terms of soil composition and lighting. It can grow in partial shade, under tree canopies or in sunny areas. It prefers slightly alkaline and neutral acidity soils, so it is better not to add peat to the soil mixture, and neutralize acidic soil with slaked lime or wood ash. It is also sown on rocky areas, in crevices between boulders, near stone fences, between concrete slabs. Framed by stone ledges and steps.

Perennial aubrieta is very sensitive to excess moisture in the area. If the groundwater is close and the rains regularly stagnate, then its roots begin to rot and the plant dies.

In clayey and flooded areas, care must be taken to ensure good drainage and raise the level of plantings

Before planting seeds, it is necessary to dig up the chosen place, add well-rotted compost or humus in small quantities, and remove weeds and roots.

Important! Perennial aubrieta does not like soils oversaturated with fertilizers. The poorer the soil, the better it feels.

How to plant aubrieta seeds

Before sowing seeds in the ground, they must be dipped in a weak pink solution of manganese for 15-20 minutes, and then transferred to a growth stimulator. Before planting, moisten the soil well and make shallow marks at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other. Spread the prepared seeds, sprinkle with a layer of coarse sand, the thickness of which should be 3-4 cm. If perennial aubriet is planted between stones, on alpine hills, the seeds should be placed directly into accessible cracks.

When planting perennial aubrieta seeds before winter, the area must be covered with dry leaves, cut straw, spruce branches, and covering material. In spring it should be protected with film until shoots emerge.

Planting aubrieta seedlings in open ground

Aubrieta can also be planted as seedlings; planting and care in open ground in this case has its own characteristics:

To sow seeds of perennial aubrieta, it is advisable to use peat cups in order to disturb the tender shoots as little as possible.
Planting in the ground is carried out only when the threat of frost has passed, usually mid-to-late May.
The holes should be made in such a way that the pot fits completely and the width is 2 times larger.
It is necessary to maintain a distance of 8-10 cm between plants.
Mulch the top of the planting with a 5 cm layer of sand and water.
Gently water in small quantities daily until the seedlings are established.

Attention! When planting seeds for seedlings, do not pick up the perennial plant, as there is a risk of damaging the roots.

Features of growing aubretia

Perennial aubrieta is demanding only for sufficient, but not excessive moisture. Otherwise, it requires virtually no attention from the grower.

With proper care, perennial shaving is magnificent

Watering and fertilizing schedule

Rooted adult perennial shrub is watered as the soil dries out. Excessive watering leads to an increase in green mass to the detriment of flower buds, and then to the death of plants. After watering, it is advisable to slightly loosen the soil, removing any weeds that have appeared. Mulching with straw, dry grass, pieces of bark or sand gives a good effect.

Perennial aubrieta requires minimal fertilizing twice a season - before flowering and in the fall after fruiting ends. You can use any complex flower fertilizer containing potassium.

Trimming

Pruning is done in mid-summer after the end of the first wave of flowering. This measure renews the plants and stimulates the growth of autumn buds. In autumn, flowers are not pruned, so they can withstand wintering better. In order for the perennial aubrieta to bloom more profusely, the wilted buds must be torn off.

Wintering

Aubrieta is a perennial plant that easily tolerates harsh winters if the snow cover is sufficiently deep. If a winter with little snow is expected, the plantings can be additionally covered with spruce branches, straw, dry leaves and grass.

Diseases and pests

Perennial aubrieta is characterized by increased resistance to viral infections and pests.Only weakened bushes can be susceptible to powdery mildew, which appears as a white coating on the leaves. To combat this fungal disease, a solution of colloidal sulfur is perfect.

The most dangerous plant for perennial aphids is the common green aphid. It is spread throughout the area by ants, and it multiplies at a tremendous speed. Special insecticidal preparations such as Karbofos will help get rid of it. Prevention measures include proper agricultural technology and the destruction of anthills.

Conclusion

Planting and caring for a perennial tree is not difficult. Even novice flower growers successfully cope with this task. The main enemies of a magnificent flower are stagnant water in the soil and excessive watering. Otherwise, the perennial obrieta is extremely unpretentious. It can grow in depleted soils, in crevices between stones, in partial shade and in the sun. The plant is widely used in landscape design to create picturesque cascades, borders and flowering carpets.