Alissum

Alyssum, also known as beetroot or sea lobularia, is a flowering plant from the Cabbage family. The genus includes about a hundred different species. Natural habitats - Asia, European countries, as well as the northern regions of the African continent.

The sonorous Latin name for the alyssum flower comes from an unusual phrase - "from dog rabies." It is these properties that have been attributed to the miniature plant since ancient times. The popularity of alissum bushes in floriculture is associated with its unpretentiousness, as well as the strong and pleasant honey smell of its flowers.

Alyssum is often called Lobularia, but this is not a synonym, but only a related species of the same family. The fact is that the flowers of these plants are so similar in shape and aroma that they are practically indistinguishable in floriculture. The main difference between these plants is the color of their flowers. Lobularia has white, pink or purple inflorescences, and alyssum is light yellow.

To this day, burachok is considered not only beautiful and aromatic, but also a medicinal plant. Its types are widely used by traditional healers as a cosmetic remedy for freckles or age spots, as well as a diuretic, laxative, helping to treat hernia or kidney stones.

Description of alissum

Burachok is one of the ground cover plants and is often used to frame paths or decorate the lower tier of flower beds. The height of its bushes varies from 15 to 40 cm. The stems form a large number of branches, and slightly wood at the base. Small oblong foliage has a slightly pubescent surface. Small cluster inflorescences include small flowers of yellow, white, red, pink, lilac or purple color. Despite the relatively small size of the inflorescences, due to their number, the bushes can be completely covered with flowers. They exude a honey scent and attract bees. The flowering period lasts from late spring to late autumn. After flowering, pods with seeds are tied on the brushes. Their germination capacity lasts for about 3 years.

Alyssum in the garden can be either an annual species or a perennial. The flowering of annuals is considered to be longer, and perennial varieties are more unpretentious and cold-resistant.

Alyssum looks great both in group plantings and in combination with other colors. Due to the rapid growth and compactness of the bushes, this plant can be used as a flowerpot flower or fill in the voids formed due to the wilting of the foliage of early-flowering bulbous species. In summer, alissums often serve as borders for larger plantings - against the background of the monochromatic caps of their inflorescences, almost any garden flower will look advantageous.A gardener of any level will appreciate the groundcover and unpretentious Alyssum plant in care.

Brief rules for growing alissum

The table shows brief rules for growing alissum in the open field.

Growing alissum from seeds

Sowing seeds in the ground

Alyssum can be sown directly to the garden bed or seedlings. In open ground, seeds are sown at the very beginning of May, deepening them only 1.5 cm.If the sprouts have sprouted too densely, they should be thinned out. The distance between the bushes should be at least 20 cm - plantings tend to grow.

The spring method of sowing in the ground eliminates the need to grow seedlings, but shifts the flowering time of alyssum to a later side. To avoid this, the seeds can be sown before winter, after the soil in the garden freezes a little. Such plantings will germinate faster and be more robust, as well as bloom at the usual time. But at the same time, winter sowing is considered more risky.

Alyssum seedlings

In order not to risk and accurately get flowering plants at an earlier date, in most cases alyssum is grown through seedlings. For this, the seeds should be sown in containers in the first half of spring.

Light, slightly acidic or neutral soil is suitable for growing. The seeds are spread over the surface of the moist soil by gently pressing them into the ground. You should not sprinkle them with soil - best of all, the seed germinates in the light. For disinfection, you can lightly sprinkle the ground with a solution of potassium permanganate. The container with crops is placed in the light, covered with foil or glass. Periodically, the shelter is removed for ventilation, and the moisture of the soil is monitored. Seeds germinate even at low (about +12) temperatures. This usually happens within a week.

After the formation of the first full-fledged leaf, the seedlings should be fed with a complex composition. After the formation of 2-3 true leaves, the seedlings can be dived into separate cups. If the growth rate of young plants is high enough, you can transfer them into the ground without picking, planting them in the holes immediately from the original container.

The entire period of development, seedlings are recommended to be kept in a moderately warm, not hot room. Otherwise, the seedlings may stretch out. From germination to flowering, it usually takes only about 1.5-2 months.

Planting alyssum in open ground

The best time to plant

It is possible to transfer alissum seedlings to the beds only after the final establishment of warm weather - in late spring or early summer. It is advisable to pre-harden the grown seedlings a little.

For flowers, a sunny place with drained soil is suitable, containing a sufficient amount of humus, but not oversaturated with nutrients. The reaction of the soil can vary from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline. With the help of alissum, you can decorate not only flower beds, but also gaps between plates or corners in rockeries. The stones heated by the sun will promote the growth of the bushes.

In shady places, alyssum can also grow, but the brushes of its inflorescences will be looser and sparse. The plant also tolerates drought well, but prefers ventilated corners.

Landing features

Alyssum is a wide spreading groundcover. Because of this, despite the small size of the seedlings, the bushes should be distributed at a distance of about 40 cm from each other. More accurate measurements may vary by flower variety. When transplanting, the plants should not be too deep - the size of the holes should correspond to the volume of the root system of the seedling along with a lump of earth.

After planting, the seedlings are properly watered. The specimens that have grown over the spring during planting can be divided by immediately seating the resulting divisions in separate holes.

Caring for alyssum in the garden

Alyssum belongs to unpretentious garden flowers. Caring for alyssum consists in carrying out the usual procedures in a timely manner: watering, weeding and loosening the soil, periodic feeding, as well as pruning.

Watering

Bushes will need regular watering. They should be watered especially abundantly during periods of drought, as well as at the very beginning of flowering. If there is a lack of moisture during this period, plants can shed flowers and formed buds. But the soil for planting must necessarily pass water well - if moisture stagnates in it, the bushes may die. You can understand whether the plantings require watering by slightly digging the ground to the depth of the shovel bayonet. If the bottom of the resulting hole is dry, it is necessary to properly water the alissums.

After watering, they pull out all the weeds from the flower bed, and also slightly loosen the soil next to the bushes. This procedure can be carried out much less often if in the spring, after planting flowers, the surface of the garden is mulched, but you should not completely abandon loosening. It has a positive effect on the growth of flowers by improving the flow of air to their roots.

Top dressing

Perennial alissum species are fertilized during the growth of their shoots. In this case, you can use nitrogen formulations. For example, you can use the following solution: 1 tbsp. a spoonful of urea and the same amount of Agricola-7 for 1 bucket of water. Before flowering, it is necessary to add a complex composition to the soil. Sometimes wintering species are additionally fed in the fall.

Annual species will need more frequent feeding. Usually during the summer they are fertilized about 4 times, this will contribute to a more decorative type of planting. The first dressing is carried out before flowering. But it is worth remembering that an excess of organic fertilizers in the ground can have a bad effect on the abundance of bud formation.

Pruning

Only perennial alissum species are usually pruned. This procedure promotes its development and flowering. In the spring, old leaves, peduncles and damaged stems are removed from the bushes. After the summer wave of flowering, pruning is carried out again, shortening all the stems of the bush by about 5-7 cm. This will contribute to the formation of new inflorescences, as well as improve the general appearance of the plantings.

Bushes older than 3 years are especially in need of rejuvenation. As they develop, such plants begin to lose their visual appeal and become more susceptible to the development of diseases.

Alyssum after flowering

Seed collection

Alyssum seeds are usually harvested in mid-autumn. A dry and calm day is best for this. A cloth or film is spread on the ground under the bushes, and then the faded brushes of inflorescences begin to peel over it. This method of collection will significantly save time for picking small flower seeds by hand. After collection, large motes are thrown away, small ones should not be chosen. The seeds are dried in a dry, ventilated, but not ventilated room, and then poured into a cloth bag.

If the seeds did not have time to be collected before they are poured onto the ground, they should simply be swept out from under the bushes, cleaned of debris and stored according to the general principle.

Wintering of perennial alissum

The critical temperature for alissum is -15 degrees.Such a plant can survive the winter only in regions with a mild climate. But for this, the bushes must be prepared in advance. In the fall, the garden bed is covered with dry leaves. After the establishment of snow cover, a snowdrift should be formed in the place of the bed. Under such a shelter, the bushes will be able to winter even with green foliage. But pruning of bushes before wintering is not carried out - it will significantly weaken the plants. All unnecessary items can be removed from the alissums next spring.

Pests and diseases

The main pest of alyssum is considered to be the cruciferous flea, which devours the leaves of the flower. Breeding this insect can be challenging. Because the flower is considered a honey plant, treatment with strong insecticides during the flowering period can harm bees arriving to it, therefore, plants should be treated only with folk or agents that are harmless to these insects. Against flea beetles, the bushes are treated with a vinegar solution (1 tbsp. A spoonful of essence per 1 bucket of water), but after such a procedure only the strongest bushes stand out - the agent should not be used on young plants. Alternatively, you can try dusting the bushes with a mixture of tobacco dust and ash.

If caterpillars appear on the alissum bushes, they can be sprayed with tobacco infusion with the addition of soap or pharmacy chamomile infusion. Against cabbage moths or whites, entobacterin or lepidocide should be used.

Improperly selected and insufficiently drained soil contributes to the development of a number of diseases - including late blight, which affects the roots of alyssum. Such plants are sprayed with fungicides or copper oxychloride. Among other possible diseases of the bushes are powdery mildew (it is necessary to apply Bordeaux mixture or Topaz preparation) and downy mildew (Bordeaux mixture will help, as well as fungicides - Oxyhom or Ordan). If alissum is affected by a viral mosaic, it will not be possible to cure such a plant.

Types and varieties of alissum with photos and names

Alyssum rocky (Alyssum saxatile)

Branched perennial. Alyssum saxatile reaches 30 cm in height. Its bushes are in the shape of a hemisphere and reach 40 cm in width. Over time, the bases of the shoots begin to grow stiff. The oblong foliage is gray-green in color and has a felt surface. In winter, the bush does not shed leaf blades. Inflorescences are in the form of short brushes. They are formed by small yellow flowers with noticeable indentations on the petals. Flowering begins in spring and lasts a little over a month. Closer to autumn, a second wave of flowering is possible. Famous varieties:

• Golden wave - bushes up to 20 cm high. Flowering begins only from the second year of plant life. The color of the inflorescences is yellow.
• Compactum - bushes up to 18 cm high. The variety has a particularly strong aroma.
• The plenum - bushes up to 30 cm in size. Flowers - double, golden yellow. The flowering period is considered particularly long.
• Citrinum - medium-sized bushes with lemon flowers.

Alyssum sea (Alyssum maritimum), or sea lobularia

In warm regions, this species is also considered perennial. The bushes of Alyssum maritimum can reach 40 cm in height, but there are also very miniature varieties with a height of 8 cm. This plant forms many creeping shoots, forming a dense "carpet". Small and fleshy foliage is silvery-green in color. This effect is achieved due to the small felt pubescence of the leaf plates. Tassel inflorescences are formed from small flowers with a pronounced honey smell. Their natural colors include white and lilac, but culture has expanded the color palette. Thanks to selection, the flowers of such alyssum can also be painted in shades of pink, purple or red. Often, flowers of different tones can be on one colored brush - from light to darker, which makes the plantings even more attractive. Flowering lasts all summer, until the frost. Famous varieties:

• Violet Koenigin - highly branching bushes up to 15 cm high. Flowers are purple in color.
• Easter Bonnet Deep Rose - blooms profusely with double pink flowers.
• Princess in Purple - ampelous variety, suitable for growing in hanging containers or tall flowerpots. The length of the stems reaches 35 cm. The flowers have a delicate lilac color and a pleasant aroma.
• Salmon - with salmon-colored flowers. The height of the bushes is about 10 cm.
• Tiny Tim - a dwarf variety about 8 cm high. It blooms luxuriantly with snow-white flowers, behind which the shoots of the plant are completely hidden. Usually used as a ground cover.

Mountain Alyssum (Alyssum montanum)

Or alissum Gmelin (Alyssum gmelinii). Frost-resistant perennial. Differs in small height - its bushes can reach only 20 cm in size. Shoots can creep or rise slightly above the surface of the ground. The foliage has dense pubescence, giving it a silvery-gray tint. Inflorescences form yellow flowers that appear in the second half of spring.

Along with the listed species, the following alissums are also found:

• Winding - is considered a weed plant, lives in dry fields and meadows. Blooms yellow.
• Lensky (or Fischer) - bush height up to 20 cm, yellow flowers with long stamens. The species is considered to be in the Red Book.
• Pyrenean - grows in the Pyrenees. The height of the bush reaches 20 cm. The foliage is fleshy, with soft pubescence and silvery tint. The flowers are white. Flowering occurs in the summer. The species reacts sharply to overflow. It will thrive especially well on soils rich in calcium.
• Creeping - lives in the steppes or mountains. The height of the bush reaches 60 cm, flowering occurs in May. The color of the flowers is yellow. The plant can propagate by seeds and cuttings. The species is considered winter hardy.
• Savransky - has dark green foliage with a silvery sheen and a rough surface. The flowers are yellow.
• Silver - a large perennial species, bushes can reach 80 cm in height. The flowers are lemon-colored. Flowering occurs in the first half of summer.
• Cup - Forms very small yellow flowers with a notch on the petals. The species is considered an annual.
• Rough - lemon-colored flowers, pubescence of stems and leaves is especially pronounced.

Thanks to the work of breeders, the number of alissum varieties is constantly replenished. The most decorative and common ones often include the following:

• White carpet - a ground cover with white flowers that appear abundantly throughout the summer.
• Big Jam - a variety with especially large flowers. Their size is about 1.5 times larger than usual. The color of the inflorescences includes white, light lilac, pink-purple and lavender colors. The size of the bushes reaches 35 cm. Due to its high frost resistance, the variety is able to continue flowering even at low temperatures below zero. Such a plant is not afraid of drought.
• Gold placer - forms spherical bushes. The foliage is narrow, creeping shoots. The inflorescences are small, but the flowers in them are very dense. Their color is bright yellow. Usually the variety is used to decorate rock gardens or rockeries.
• Palette - a variety mixture of plants that form low bushes up to 10 cm high. The color palette includes many different shades of pink, white, lilac, crimson and red, including unusual brown tones. When sowing such a mixture, the flowering mat will be multi-colored.
• Pink rug - forms branched bushes up to 12 cm tall. The foliage is small, bluish-green due to the presence of pubescence. Tassels are formed by small pink-lilac flowers. The variety can be used as ampelous, in addition, they are often complemented by rabatki or flower arrangements.