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Herbaceous perennials have long been popular with gardeners around the world. The secret of these plants is their unpretentiousness and high decorativeness, thanks to which even the most inconspicuous area can be transformed beyond recognition. Alpine Arabis also has unexpected sides, hidden under the guise of external attractiveness. For example, there are quite dense and sharp hairs on the leaves, which can easily injure your hands. That is why arabis is often called rezuha. The plant never ceases to amaze, becoming more and more popular. To start growing it in your garden, you must first obtain strong seedlings, which will gradually turn into mature bushes that take root well in different conditions.
Arabis alpine loves a lot of sun
Description and varieties
Arabis is a compact bush, the height of which does not exceed 30 cm. Gradually growing, it covers the soil like a thick carpet.The leaves of this plant are also noteworthy. In shape they resemble small hearts, which are reliably protected by small needles. The edges of the leaf plate can be completely smooth or wavy. Inflorescences in the form of brushes appear on the stems, and the flowers themselves are simple or double. The flowering period usually falls in mid-April. Incredibly beautiful flowers exude a delicate aroma that attracts many bees to the garden. This fact makes Arabis an excellent honey plant.
There are several varieties of Arabis: Bruovid, Terry, Caucasian and Alpine. It is the latter type that can often be found both in modern gardens of private houses within the city, and in private plots outside the city.
Double Alpine Arabis has fairly large flowers.
Arabis is represented by many varieties, the best of which are most often used in landscape design.
Schneehaube
This is a beautiful arabis bush 25 cm high. A distinctive feature of Schneehaube is its large flowers of a classic white color. They make the plant universal, able to fit into any composition.
Arabis Schneehaube has dense inflorescences
Terry
This type of arabis is distinguished by its rather large inflorescences, which resemble the appearance of gillyflowers. Their number on one bush amounts to several dozen.
Arabis variety Terry has medium bush sizes
Pink
Pink Arabis is the most compact variety, the bush does not exceed 20 cm. It is decorated with small flowers with a diameter of 2 cm.
Pink Arabis is one of the shortest varieties of the alpine species.
Application in landscape design
In garden plots, arabis is planted in a variety of places, mostly rocky. Fancy bushes fill the spaces between the slabs of the paths, decorate mixboards, small flower beds and alpine slides.
Alpine Arabis goes well with tulips, crocuses and daffodils, becoming a harmonious backdrop for bright and distinctive bulbous plants. The same goes for roses and mini-trees. Arabis performs the solo part no less successfully, the main thing is to choose the right shades and types that will harmoniously complement each other. The bushes will look great on a perfectly trimmed lawn, contrasting favorably with the even tone of emerald greenery.
Alpine Arabis goes well with different types of plants
Features of reproduction
To propagate the classic Alpine Arabis, the seedling method is chosen; for hybrids and double varieties, bush division and cuttings are used.
To get healthy sections, you can dig the bush out of the ground and carefully divide the plant into parts, or you can do this without resorting to completely digging up the roots.
The tops of Arabis shoots, about 10 cm long, are suitable as cuttings, but you just need to immediately get rid of the lower shoots. Sometimes a plant leaf that has a heel is also used. It is pulled away from the stem and torn off so that a small fragment of bark with inner pulp is separated. The procedure is carried out after the Arabis has completely bloomed.
How to grow Arabis alpine from seeds
The process of planting Arabis alpine is not difficult, it does not take much time.For experienced gardeners and beginners, further growing seedlings will be a pleasant and exciting experience, because gradually small seedlings will grow stronger, turning before our eyes into beautifully formed plants that acquire bright species features.
Terms and rules of sowing
You can sow seeds twice a year: the first - at the end of autumn, and the second - in mid-spring (most often in April). The advantage of this plant is that it does not require nutritious soil to grow. It is enough to mix three parts of garden soil with sand or fine gravel (one part) in a container. Level the top layer of the resulting substrate and make small grooves ½ cm deep. Seeds are placed in them and carefully sprinkled with soil on top. The whole process is quite simple and does not take much time. Next, you need to provide the correct temperature (about + 20 °C) and additional shelter for the containers.
After sowing the seeds, the container should be covered with a transparent film, non-woven material or glass of the appropriate size.
Seedling care
The first small shoots of the plant will hatch in about 21 days. Once they appear, the top covering can be removed and watering can be reduced. Containers with seedlings are kept in a warm and bright room, moistening the soil as the top layer dries. Overmoistening should not be allowed, otherwise mold will appear on the ground above, which will quickly destroy the plantings. It is also important to loosen the soil after each watering using a match or toothpick.
As a result of loosening, moisture and oxygen will better flow to the roots
As soon as the first fully formed and strong leaf appears, it’s time to plant the plants.They can be planted in wide boxes at intervals of 30 cm or transferred to separate small pots. Alpine Arabis, which in the future will play the role of a ground cover plant in the garden, does not need diving: it is enough to harden it and protect it from drafts.
Planting and caring for Alpine Arabis
Strong and viable Arabis alpine seedlings must be transferred to a permanent place in the garden. The transplant process is quite simple, but you need to choose the optimal time and follow some instructions. Proper planting and care of alpine arabis is the key to beautiful and long-lasting flowering. Arabis seedlings need to be planted when there are night frosts outside.
Recommended timing
You need to wait until stable heat is established so that not only the air, but also the soil warms up properly. You should also make sure that night frosts will not be an unpleasant surprise. Alpine Arabis usually begins to be replanted no earlier than the end of May, and in some regions it will have to wait until June.
Site selection and soil preparation
The area should be well lit and ventilated (free flow of wind without draft). Poor soils, the main part of which is sand, are perfect. Before planting alpine arabis, organic matter (humus) or mineral compounds are added to them and thoroughly loosened.
Add turf or gravel to make the soil more airy.
Landing algorithm
The planting process includes several stages:
- It is necessary to make holes in the ground, following the 40-40 cm pattern.
- Next, bushes are placed in the recess (it is permissible to plant several plants at once).
- The seedlings are sprinkled with earth, compacted a little and watered abundantly.
- If the application of fertilizers was ignored during soil preparation, after 7-14 days the Arabis will need to be fed using complex mineral preparations.
Watering and fertilizing schedule
Alpine rhizomes usually tolerate moderate drought without loss, but excessive amounts of moisture destroy the plants. If there is sufficient rainfall over the summer, additional watering may not be needed at all.
In very hot and dry weather, they resort to artificial soil moisture
Fertilizers are applied only to poor soils. Usually those that are embedded in the ground before planting are sufficient. You just need to observe the plant, determining the need for fertilizing by its appearance.
Trimming and pinching
Alpine Arabis is a fast-growing plant, which can interfere with flowers and shrubs planted nearby. That is why it is recommended to regularly trim the shoots, forming a neat, beautiful bush. It is also worth getting rid of dried Arabis alpine inflorescences (tiny insects that spread various diseases can hide in them). Sometimes the upper parts of the shoots are also pinched.
Care after flowering, collecting seeds
The seeds are fully ripened as soon as the first frost has passed. It is necessary to select the largest inflorescences and cut them off along with part of the shoot. They are collected in small “bouquets”, tied with thread and hung in well-ventilated areas. Once they are completely dry, the seeds are carefully removed from the boxes and placed in homemade envelopes made from newspapers or notebook sheets.
Arabis seeds should only be collected in dry, windless weather.
Wintering
Alpine Arabis Vstrecha and its other varieties are not adapted to too low air temperatures. If the indicator drops below 5-7 °C, the plant needs to be covered. First, all shoots are cut off, leaving only small parts of them from 2 to 4 cm long. Dry fallen leaves, spruce branches or any other covering material will serve as reliable protection for the roots.
Diseases and pests
Alpine Arabis is very rarely affected by serious diseases, and pests do not bother it too much. If all care rules are followed, no problems arise. However, in rare cases, cruciferous flea beetles may appear, which can be controlled with wood ash and insecticides (Aktara, Actellik), and viral mosaic. There are no effective remedies against this disease. The plant must be destroyed by fire so that the infection does not spread throughout the area, and the soil is watered with potassium permanganate for disinfection.
Cruciferous flea beetles most often infect Arabis
Conclusion
Arabis alpine always attracts attention with its bright flowers. Its compact bushes are endowed with a bright personality and never get lost among other garden plants. Even with minimal care, it will delight you with abundant flowering, bringing bright colors to the area. Seemingly gentle and defenseless, he lives beautifully among the stones, softening their severity and generously giving his beauty.
