Content
Growing umbrella iberis from seeds does not take much time and effort. The plant is unpretentious, so its care is minimal. It can be planted directly with seeds or seedlings in open ground.
Detailed description of the species
Umbrella is one of the most popular types of Iberis grown as a garden crop. This herbaceous plant belongs to the Brassicaceae (Cruciferous) family. Its natural habitat areas include the south of Russia, the Caucasus, and Europe.
Iberis gets its name from Iberia. This is how the Iberian Peninsula was called in ancient times. Popularly, the plant is also called Iberian, wallflower, peppercorn, and variegated. Its main characteristics:
- height 0.15-0.4 m;
- stems are smooth and bare, but with light fluff;
- pronounced branching;
- tap root;
- diameter of inflorescences-umbrellas up to 5-6 cm;
- color depending on the variety: white, pink, lilac, violet, purple, lilac;
- the flowers are small, consist of 4 petals, open simultaneously, and are densely spaced;
- the aroma is pleasant and subtle;
- leaf blades are small and rounded, the number is small;
- flowering lasts from 2 months.
Types and varieties
There are many varieties of umbrella Iberis. They differ mainly in the color and height of the bushes. All representatives of the species are good honey growers.
Umbrella Iberis Blackberry meringues
The variety of umbrella Iberis Blackberry meringues is represented by a mixture of colors - milky white, lilac, purple-violet flowers with a strong aroma. The average height of the bushes is 0.25-0.3 m. Flowering begins in June and lasts 2 months.
Blackberry meringue inflorescences reach 5 cm in diameter
Umbrella Iberis Pomegranate Ice
In the photo of the umbrella Iberis Pomegranate Ice in a flowerbed, you can clearly see why this variety is so named. The reason is the contrasting color - a mixture of snow-white and dark garnet inflorescences. They reach 5 cm in diameter. Plant height is 0.25-0.4 m.
Iberis umbellata Ice garnet seedlings are rarely planted. Gardeners prefer to grow it from seeds, which can be sown even before winter.
Ice pomegranate blooms in June-July and has a strong but pleasant aroma.
Umbrella Iberis Liliciana
The Lilitsiana variety has soft lilac colored inflorescences with a pronounced honey aroma. The plants are spreading but small.
Liliciana grows up to 0.2-0.3 m
Umbrella Iberis Violet Cardinal
The variety Violet Cardinal received its name for the soft purple color of the flowers.Their diameter is only 1.5-2 cm. They are collected in dense corymbose inflorescences.
The Purple Cardinal's delicate scent attracts bees and butterflies
Berry jelly
The Berry Jelly variety is characterized by a contrasting color - a mixture of snow-white and pink flowers. Plant height is 0.25-0.4 m. Inflorescences reach 5 cm in diameter.
Berry jelly blooms begin in July and continue until September
Pink dream
The variety Pink Dream has a pink or pink-violet color. The diameter of the flowers is no more than 2.5 mm. This annual grows up to 0.3-0.35 m. The plant can withstand short frosts down to -4 °C. It blooms profusely and has a pleasant smell.
Flowering of Pink Dream occurs in June-September
Iceberg
The name of the Iceberg variety comes from the snow-white color of the inflorescences. They reach 10 cm in diameter. Plant height is 0.35-0.4 m. Flowering lasts more than 2 months and begins at the end of May.
The shape and size of Iceberg inflorescences resemble hyacinths
Fairy Mixtche
The Fairy Mixture variety is represented by a mixture of flowers of different colors. The plants are compact and suitable for a small area.
The variety grows in height no more than 0.2-0.25 m
Red Rash
Iberis Red Rash has a carmine-red color. The height of plants of this variety is 0.3 m.
The Red Rush variety is not as common as others
Amethyst
Amethyst is one of the varieties of Iberis umbellata with a purple color. It has small and fragrant buds, flowering begins in June and lasts 2 months. The plants are spreading, but their height is small - 0.3-0.35 m.
They practice growing Amethyst from seeds of Iberis umbellata in open ground. Sowing is done in spring or before winter.
The diameter of the inflorescences of the Amethyst variety is 5-6 cm
Application in landscape design
Iberis umbrella is widely used in landscape design. Its popularity is due to the variety of colors, splendor and duration of flowering.
This species is often used as a border plant. It is planted along paths in a line or in small islands.
Islands of umbrella Iberis brighten up the grayness of the asphalt well
The plant is planted in flower beds, borders, and mixborders. These can be flowers of the same shade or contrasting colors. The bushes are low-growing, so they are placed in the foreground.
Umbrella Iberis of any color looks good against the background of bushes and trees
The plant is often used in rock gardens and rock gardens. The flower looks good on natural slopes and artificial elevations.
Umbrella Iberis looks good even among stones and gravel
In the photo in the garden you can see Iberis umbrella in combination with various plants. Conifers and flowering shrubs will be a good background. In the neighborhood you can plant:
- alyssum;
- marigolds (low-growing varieties);
- gazania;
- herbal cloves;
- creeping tenacious;
- Campanula grandiflora;
- sedum;
- creeping phlox;
- Cineraria.
The combination of flowers of different colors looks impressive
Iberis umbellata is often planted lengthwise on its own or against the backdrop of tall plants, shrubs, and trees.
Features of reproduction
Umbrella Iberis can be propagated by seeds or cuttings. The first option is more difficult. The material is immediately sown in open ground or seedlings are first grown. Seeds can be purchased at the store or prepared yourself. To do this, you need to collect the pods and dry them so that they open. The resulting seeds are stored in a dry and dark place. They are planted the next year; the material remains viable for up to 3 years.
It is easy to propagate the plant from cuttings. The algorithm is like this:
- After flowering, cut cuttings, each no more than 5 cm long.
- Treat the material with phytohormones.
- Root the cuttings at a minimum interval of 15 cm. This can be done in open ground or a greenhouse.
Growing seedlings
Umbrella Iberis can be planted as seedlings. In this case, flowering begins earlier.
Sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out in March. Due to sensitivity to transplantation, it is necessary to immediately take separate containers to eliminate the need for picking. Algorithm for growing seedlings:
- Prepare the soil mixture. To prevent diseases, it should be treated in one of the following ways: a solution of potassium permanganate, calcination, freezing, or steaming.
- Fill the prepared containers with soil and moisten it.
- Sow the seeds, deepening by 0.1-0.2 mm. You can simply spread them over the surface and sprinkle with river sand.
- Cover the plantings with film or glass and place them in a warm place. The optimal temperature is 15-18 °C.
Caring for seedlings is easy. It is important to provide diffused light and regular ventilation. After emergence of seedlings, the shelter must be removed. 2 weeks before planting in open ground, hardening begins.
Planting and care in open ground
Umbrella Iberis is grown in open ground. The timing of planting, the correct location and properly organized care are important.
Recommended timing
When growing Iberis umbellata from seeds, it should be planted no earlier than mid-April. The exact timing depends on climatic conditions. It is optimal when the daytime temperature is 16-18 °C. You can prolong flowering if you plant the seeds at different times. An interval of 2-3 weeks is recommended.
The plant can be planted from seeds before winter. They do this in September. Germination is less, but flowering begins earlier.
If you grow Iberis umbrella seedlings, then the first planting in the ground is carried out in May
Site selection and preparation
The umbrella iberis does not like transplants, so it is important to immediately choose the right place for it. It must meet the following requirements:
- intense lighting;
- the soil is sandy or loamy;
- permeable soil;
- the earth's reaction is neutral or slightly acidic;
- heavy soil and stagnant moisture are excluded.
Landing algorithm
Planting umbrella iberis is easy using the following algorithm:
- Prepare the selected area - dig up, remove all weeds, loosen.
- Make grooves or holes.
- Sow the seeds, deepening them to 0.5-0.7 cm. Leave 15-20 cm between adjacent plants.
- Moisten the soil.
Shoots appear in about 1.5-2 weeks. The plantings will need to be thinned out immediately.
If you plant Iberis seedlings in open ground, then this should be done when its height is approximately 7 cm. The plants must be carefully removed from the containers along with the earthen lump.
Watering and fertilizing schedule
Iberis umbrella is unpretentious. It needs special watering only on hot days and prolonged drought.The rest of the time, the plant gets enough moisture from the lower layers of the earth. For greater decorativeness, you can water it regularly as the soil dries.
The flower feels great without fertilizing if the soil is initially fertile. Fertilizers can be added for more luxuriant and longer flowering. Complex mineral compositions are effective. The plant is fed twice - when the first leaves appear and at the beginning of flowering.
Loosening
For umbrella iberis, the permeability of the soil is important, so it must be systematically loosened. This should be done after watering or heavy rainfall, while removing weeds.
Trimming
To maintain the decorative effect of the umbrella iberis, it is recommended to regularly remove dead inflorescences. When the plant fades, it should be cut back by at least a third. If self-seeding is not planned, the pods must be removed in a timely manner.
Wintering
Umbrella Iberis is cultivated as an annual, so it does not need to be prepared for winter. Pruning of inflorescences and the plant itself is carried out for aesthetics.
Before winter, Iberis must be dug up and burned. This measure serves to prevent diseases and pests. The cleared area must be dug up, removing weeds, roots and debris.
Diseases and pests
Umbrella Iberis belongs to the Cruciferous family, therefore it is susceptible to diseases and pests characteristic of its representatives. One of the problems is downy mildew (downy mildew), which is expressed as a whitish coating on the leaves. It must be combated with fungicides such as Gamaira, Fitosporin-M, Alirin-B. Autumn digging of the soil and burning of plant residues is important for prevention.
A risk factor for the development of peronosporosis is high humidity
The fungal disease of Iberis is clubroot.It manifests itself as growths and swellings on the roots. Affected plants must be removed and the rest treated with Fundazol or colloidal sulfur. To prevent the disease, ash or fluffed lime should be added to the ground during autumn digging.
Roots affected by clubroot do not absorb moisture and elements necessary for the plant.
One of the enemies of the umbrella Iberis is the cabbage (cruciferous) flea beetle. Its larvae and adults feed on leaves. You can get rid of the pest by dusting plants with wood ash with tobacco dust or fluff lime. Infusions and decoctions of dandelion, green wormwood, ash with laundry soap are also effective.
The cabbage flea beetle can destroy young plantings in 1-2 days
Another enemy of the umbrella iberis is the mealybug. These insects are also called felt beetles or false beetles. You can fight the pest with chemicals: Kemifos, Fufanon, Tagore, Novaktion.
Mealybugs can also be dealt with using traditional methods. A solution of laundry soap and a decoction of horsetail are effective.
Mealybug feeds on plant sap and inhibits their development and immunity.
Conclusion
Growing umbrella iberis from seeds is also possible for inexperienced gardeners. The plant does not require special care and enjoys long flowering even without additional fertilizing. All varieties of this species can be planted in open ground directly from seeds.
