Delosperma is a succulent plant from the Aizov family. This genus lives in South and East African countries. Its main representatives are flowering shrubs, and a number of herbaceous varieties can be grown as ground covers.
Due to its beautiful flowering and variety of colors, this plant is often used in the design of the front edge of flower beds. Quite often, it is also found on alpine slides - the compact size of the bushes allows them to fit into a variety of compositions.
By choosing the right place and observing all the conditions for caring for Delosperm, you can enjoy its appearance for many years. The main thing is to provide it with proper protection from frost and spring moisture. Due to its small size, this plant is also well suited for home or container growing.
The name of the flower comes from the words "conspicuous, conspicuous" and "seed" and refers to the large size of its seed pods. Despite the low growth of delosperm bushes (up to 15 cm), they are able to grow quickly and widely. The foliage of the plant has an interesting feature: crystals of mineral salts can appear on its surface, which is why it is sometimes called "ice". Delosperm flowers are shaped like multi-colored daisies, have many narrow petals and are represented by a wide range of different colors. The flowering period for many species is very long and lasts from the last days of May until autumn frosts.
Delosperm care rules
Growing place
Due to the moisture reserve in the leaves, delosperm tolerates both heat and drought well. In the northern regions, a succulent will need the warmest and sunniest place possible. In the southern ones, you can plant the plant in light partial shade or shade it in the afternoon. Places where the soil heats up and dries out for a long time are considered unsuitable for a plant. Stagnant moisture together with coolness can destroy the flower.
For home growing, you need to pick up a wide, but not very deep pot. Higher tanks are filled with drainage by 2/3.
Watering mode
It is recommended to water the delosperma exclusively in the morning. This is done after the top of the soil has begun to dry out. So that water does not accumulate at the roots, the soil should be moistened only when necessary, and not according to the schedule. So in cold weather it is necessary to wait until the soil is almost completely dry.During watering, it is worth trying so that moisture does not accumulate in the leaf sinuses, and there are no puddles on the ground.
If a houseplant is taken out into the garden for the summer, it must be protected from heavy precipitation: even the presence of drainage holes does not guarantee protection against overflow. At home, the plant should be watered sparingly. During the rest of the bush, this is done only after the soil in the pot is about half dry.
Lighting
Delosperma grows well in open sunny areas, direct rays contribute to its active growth. It can be in the light all day, with the exception of the too hot southern regions. There, for a flower, you should choose a place where it can be under the sun only until lunch or in the evening. But excessive shading will lead to stretching of the shoots and weaker flowering.
For domestic plants, windows of the south, southeast or southwest directions are usually chosen.
Temperature
In summer, delosperma is able to withstand short periods of heat up to +40 degrees, but temperatures slightly above +25 degrees are considered optimal for it. In winter, it is recommended to keep the flower cool (about +8 degrees). Short, but not too frequent, fluctuations are acceptable.
Humidity level
Delosperma is not sensitive to changes in humidity, but during periods of heat and drought, the area around the bush can be sprayed occasionally.
The soil
The optimal soil for delosperma should be light and breathable. In loose soil, roots can develop better. Water in the soil should not linger - this can lead to the development of putrefactive processes. You should not choose overly fertile soils, only slightly nutritious will be enough.
For self-preparation of the soil mixture, you will need turf, humus and perlite. You can also add some charcoal and brick debris there to loosen the earth. The resulting substrate should have a slightly acidic reaction (no more than 6.5). The area around the home bush can be additionally covered with sphagnum or sprinkled with small stones. This will allow the soil to dry out more slowly, and the plant will need to be watered much less frequently. Can be mulched with humus or small stones and areas near garden bushes.
The land next to the delosperm needs to be periodically loosened, as well as cleaned of weeds.
Fertilizers
Usually, homemade delosperma is almost never fed. This should be done only with adult plants that have not been replaced with soil for more than 2 years. Top dressing is carried out no more than once every 3 weeks from mid-spring to mid-summer. For this, you can use soluble fertilizers at half the dosage indicated.
This feature of caring for delosperm is due to the fact that from an excess of nutrients, it begins to develop worse, bloom and stretch less.
Transfer
Only overgrown or diseased specimens should be transplanted. The ideal time for this is the end of the dormant period, before the start of the growing season.
Pruning
Pinching and pruning of shoots is carried out only if necessary. Slow growth or the presence of a large number of dry or withered stems can usually be the cause. They also do this for better survival of transplanted plants or cuttings. All the lower leaves are removed from them. To stimulate growth, you can cut the tops of the longest stems. This will allow lateral shoots to develop.
You should also regularly remove wilted flowers - this will last longer. An exception is made only if seeds need to be collected from the plant.
Bloom
The bright multi-colored flowers of delosperm open only in the sun, on rainy and cloudy days they are closed. But you can enjoy their view for a very long time - flowering continues from late spring to late autumn. On one stalk, a lot of single flowers-baskets are formed from 2 to 7 cm in diameter. Due to their number and size large enough for a small bush, the plant forms real flower rugs.
In the middle of each flower is a small ball of miniature petals. Longer and thinner petals extend from it. Their color includes the whole range of tones of purple, red, yellow and white, there are also two-tone specimens. The flower shape can be either simple or semi-double.
The seed capsule of the plants is large enough and contains many small seeds. Having matured, it opens up from moisture penetration, widely scattering seeds, therefore, to obtain seed material, you need to seize the right moment. After collecting, the pods are dried, and after removing the seeds, they are stored in paper bags.
Methods for reproduction of delosperm
For reproduction of delosperm, two main methods are usually used - seed (seedling) and vegetative.
Growing from seeds
So that by the time of moving to the garden, young plants can grow strong enough and bloom earlier, seeds should be sown for seedlings already in the second half of January or in February. Delosperms begin to bloom about 4 months after sowing.
The planting container is filled with peat-containing soil. The seeds are spread superficially, and on top they are covered with a small layer of snow. By thawing, the water will be absorbed and transfer the seeds a little deeper. After sowing, the container should be covered with a bag or glass and placed in a cool corner for about a couple of weeks. At the end of this period, it is transferred to a lighter and warmer place. If the seeds were not harvested from their own plants, but purchased in the store, they can be enclosed in a coated casing. Such granules should be spread over the soil surface and moistened generously with a spray bottle. If the shell does not begin to dissolve, but simply softens, you can lightly grind it with a thin stick. Further, the container is also closed with a bag.
After the sprouts appear, the bag should be removed. The soil in the container is moistened only as needed, trying to prevent moisture stagnation. After the seedlings grow up and they have several pairs of real leaves, they are dived into separate pots or glasses. It is much more difficult to transplant older plants - after the start of branching, it will be difficult to untangle the nearby shoots and you will have to plant the plants in the ground as a single group.
Before moving the seedlings outside, it must be hardened. Young plants do not tolerate frost. You can sow seeds in a greenhouse. This is done in early spring, until the end of April. The seeds are scattered over the surface of the wet soil, pressed a little and covered with a film. If the temperature remains at + 20, shoots appear in 2-3 weeks. Starting in May, young plants can be transferred to a permanent place.
Cuttings
The delosperm shoot in contact with the soil can form its own roots. This property is also used for reproduction: it allows you to immediately get a ready-made stalk with roots. Garden plants can be cut both in spring and throughout the summer season, and domestic plants - all year round.
Having cut off a part of the stem with its own roots, it is immediately planted in a flower bed or in a pot. Such a cutting will be accepted very quickly. You can also cut the cuttings using regular shoots that have not formed roots. For this, stems no longer than 8 cm are suitable. To dry the cut site, they are kept in the air for a couple of hours, and then planted in sandy soil. Cactus substrates can also be used. The container with the seedling is placed in the sun and watered only as needed, so that moisture does not get on the foliage. Such cuttings take root from several days to a couple of weeks. It is also possible to pre-germinate the roots of the cuttings in a glass of water. After their formation, a new plant is immediately planted in a permanent place.
Delosperma can also be propagated by dividing the bush.
Planting delosperm in open ground
Before planting delosperm in open ground, you need to make sure the quality of the soil.It must necessarily have a drainage layer and be sufficiently loose. You can additionally add the necessary elements to it: for example, sand or peat. Seedlings are distributed over the flower bed, maintaining a half-meter distance. Such a long distance is due to the fact that delosperms grow very quickly, increasing both the aerial part and the root system. Such an indent will allow the plants not to interfere with each other, and they can quickly form a single rug.
Diseases and pests
Delosperma is highly resistant to pests and major flower diseases. All problems with its cultivation, as a rule, are associated with mistakes in choosing a place or caring for a flower. Extremely cool and rainy weather can also be the culprit of decay.
If the weakened plant is nevertheless attacked by garden pests, you can deal with them as follows:
- Soap solution will save from the attack of small colonies of aphids. One bar of laundry soap is dissolved in 5 liters of hot water. After cooling, the mixture is applied to the bushes.
- The same recipe will help to cope with spider mites. Noticeable pests are removed from the bush with a cotton pad dipped in a solution. The purified plants are treated with acaricides.
- For mealybugs, specialized preparations containing cypermethrin will help.
Delosperm wintering period
Home plants
In winter, homemade delosperma has a rest. It is advisable to keep the pot with it cool (about +10 degrees). Such plants are watered about once a month, trying not to allow the soil to completely dry out. Top dressing in winter is not carried out - stimulation of growth at this time will only lead to the appearance of frail and thin stems.
If a cool wintering is not possible for Delosperm, the flower should be kept in the sun so that it does not lose its decorative effect.
Garden plants
It is recommended to grow only frost-resistant delosperm species in the garden. In the open field, such plants can withstand temperatures as low as -20 degrees. Spring thaw poses a much greater danger to them. To protect the bushes from excess moisture, you can build special shelters. The bushes are covered with spruce branches or fallen leaves, and on top are covered with empty wooden boxes, set upside down. On top of the box, you can stretch a film or a layer of insulation.
To preserve the plants in the fall, you can also dig up some bushes and transplant them into containers that will stand at home. For such plants, a very light and dry, but slightly cool place is selected. In the spring, cuttings can be cut from them for faster reproduction.
If the Delosperm is grown as an annual, it is not necessary to cover it.
Types and varieties of delosperm with photos
There are over 150 different types and decorative forms of delosperm. The overwhelming majority of them are thermophilic varieties that can grow only at home, but some are considered frost-hardy enough to be placed in the garden. Gardeners became interested in this plant at the end of the 18th century. They are great for rockeries - delosperm bushes do well next to easily heated stones. Due to the rare need for watering, it is best to plant such plants next to similar light-loving succulents: purslane, stonecrop, rejuvenated.
Delosperma floribundum
The flowers are small in size and showy two-tone color with a white center and pink or purple edges of the petals. The foliage has a pale green tone. The bushes begin to bloom in the first year, so they can also be grown as annuals. It has both thermophilic, not tolerating small frosts, and quite winter-hardy varieties.
Delosperma Stardust
One of the varieties of abundant flowering delosperm. It is used as a garden plant and is able to withstand a fairly severe frost, but needs a good shelter from moisture. It has flowers with a white center and light lilac-pink edges.In some varieties, the petals are colored in shades of lilac.
Delosperma Cooperi
A frost-resistant variety that can withstand temperatures down to -17 degrees. The diameter of the branchy bushes can reach half a meter in diameter with a small height of 15 cm. It differs in larger (up to 5 cm) flowers with monochromatic silky petals of bright purple shades and a pale yellow center. Thick but flexible foliage is gray-green in color.
Twisted Delosperma (Delosperma Congestum)
The species is unpretentious and can withstand frosts down to -20 degrees. Forms a low bush with squat shoots covering the ground with a dense carpet. The flowers are bright yellow. Flowering begins in May. During flowering, the leaves are almost completely hidden under the flowers. At the same time, in the fall, the green color of the foliage is replaced by burgundy.
Delosperma Tradescantioides
It has long creeping stems and larger foliage. In elevated areas, it can perform the functions of an ampelous plant. It has small delicate flowers with white, slightly transparent petals.
Delosperma Dyeri
A hybrid variety that can withstand severe frosts down to almost -30 degrees, but it is successfully grown as a houseplant. It has a large number of varieties, but the main color of the petals is a bright red-orange or carmine color with a white center.
Delosperma Jewel
The species includes several varieties "Pearl of the Desert", differing in color of flowers. Among them are "Pomegranate" with a white-pink center and pomegranate petals, "Opal" with lilac petals and "Ruby" - with reddish-purple flowers.
Delosperma Cloudy (Delosperma Nubigenum)
The bush forms many creeping stems that quickly form a carpet-like covering. Its height usually does not exceed 10 cm. It is considered one of the most frost-resistant, it can survive frosts down to -23 degrees. It has small flowers with shiny petals of yellow, amber or bright orange color. Small oval foliage acquires a bronze color by autumn.
Delosperma Sutherlandii
Low-growing bushes can survive frosts down to -23 degrees. Dark green foliage and stems are slightly pubescent. It has large flowers with bright lilac-pink petals with a pale halo at the base and a pale yellow center.
Delosperma Lehmannii
The foliage of this species is thicker and fleshy and has a light gray-green color. Forms unusual pyramid-shaped shoots, on the tops of which light yellow flowers bloom. This species is most often used as a houseplant rather than a garden plant.
