Aubrieta, or aubretia, is a herbaceous species that belongs to the Cabbage family and is an evergreen, creeping perennial shrub. It is found both in European countries, for example, in Italy, France, and in the countries of South America. The habitats are different everywhere. Aubrieta can be seen on rocks, along river banks, in gardens or rock gardens. The plant got this name thanks to the famous illustrator Claude Aubrie, who wrote his works in the botanical genre. During flowering, the aubriet resembles a continuous green carpet. A distinctive individual feature of the plant is the ability to produce healthy and rich foliage throughout the year.
Description of the aubrieta flower
Small, elongated leaves have serrated ends and a rough surface. The flower calyx consists of four petals, which reach a diameter of about 1 cm. Their color is very diverse. All flowers are collected in racemose inflorescences. The orbieta blooms profusely throughout the whole season. If you observe regular plant maintenance, following the advice of gardeners, you can also see re-flowering in the fall. The fruit looks like a bean pod in appearance, in which small brown seeds ripen.
To start growing this amazing flower in your garden, you need to learn how to plant seedlings, and only then transfer them to open ground. Below we will look at how the plant reproduces, its diseases, methods of protection from insects and the rules for caring for a flower.
Cultivation of aubriets from seeds
Seed propagation for this type of plant gives rather high shoots. However, it is best to take advantage of growing seedlings, which can then be transplanted, as sowing seeds directly into the soil can cause the variety to split. In this case, it is possible to expect the beginning of flowering of the aubrieta only in the spring. The seeds are sold in shops selling garden products.
Sowing is best done before the onset of the spring thaw. This time falls around the end of February. They are sown in small pots, which are filled with a mixture of peat and humus. These containers will then be used to plant young seedlings in open ground. Before planting, the soil is pre-moistened, then seeds are placed on its surface, which are sprinkled with a small amount of sand. It also needs to be watered on top. The planted crops are covered with a protective film. In order for the seeds to start germinating, it is necessary to maintain a constant temperature, which should be between 18 and 21 degrees.
Seedling care rules
As a rule, sowing seedlings from seeds is time-consuming and must be looked after with great care. Do not forget to air and water every day. The first shoots begin to appear after a few weeks. As soon as the green leaves become visible, you can remove the protective film. Try not to overflow the seedlings, as the aubrieta does not tolerate excess moisture. If you feel that the seedlings are not yet fully matured for transplanting and are not developing enough, then the plant can be fed. For these purposes, a mixture of mineral fertilizers diluted in low concentration is used.
Aubrieta is difficult to take root during transplantation and most often dies. In this regard, a flower grown at home on a windowsill is not suitable for picking. If there is a desire to completely eliminate the intermediate transplanting of seedlings, it is necessary to sow seeds for seedlings in different pots.
Planting aubriets in open ground
As soon as the spring frosts recede, you can begin to transplant the aubriet from the seedling container. Choosing a territory for growing a flower should be done with all responsibility. Consider the fact that this plant loves bright sun and does not tolerate shade. In order to achieve intensive and long-lasting flowering, it is necessary to prepare a plot for planting seedlings, which will be located on the sunny side of the vegetable garden or garden. Even the most meager soil is suitable for growing aubriets. It grows well on any rocky terrain and is not picky about the choice of soil. However, the soil must absorb moisture well and contain ash or peat. A small slightly alkaline or neutral soil environment is allowed.
You can plant Aubrieta on a flower bed as you like. The plant is quite malleable and flexible. The size and length of the roots of the seedlings will affect the planting depth. The width of the hole must be made half the width of the seedling pot. When growing a flower in a plastic container, the dishes must be lowered into water so as not to damage the plant when removing it. After air bubbles rise to the surface of the pot, the seedling is carefully removed and placed in the hole. The area of soil around it is pressed a little and sprinkled with sand, then watered.
Shaving care in the garden
Aubrieta is a rather unpretentious flower and does not require any special efforts when leaving. Adult specimens may not need watering for a long time, the only exception is dry and hot summers. Typically, under normal temperature conditions, over-watering can cause overgrowing of the plant, which in turn will drown out flowering. Young shoots need to be watered a little more often until they are completely strong. Sprinkling is considered to be the most optimal watering method. The soil in the flower bed must be constantly loosened and weeds removed.
During the flowering period, the soil around the plant is sprinkled with sand to preserve the root moisture. In early spring or autumn, Aubriet needs to be fed with special mineral fertilizers, which are used by gardeners when growing perennial plant varieties.
It is necessary to carry out a complex pruning of all green shoots after the aubrieta ends the growing season. Thanks to such measures, young green stems and leaves will soon begin to appear. They will be a wonderful addition to the flowers growing next door in the flowerbed. This floral carpet will retain its beauty until the next autumn bloom.
Aubriet flowers after flowering
Recommendations for collecting seeds
As mentioned earlier, the seed propagation method does not make it possible to preserve the varietal properties of the seedlings. Nevertheless, if the task is to collect seeds, then for this, during the pruning, it is necessary to leave several shoots with ovaries on the bush. After the pods have matured and darkened, they need to be cut.The husked seeds are dried and well ventilated. They are then used for seeding in the manner described above.
Preparing for winter
After spring blooming, experienced gardeners usually prune. In the event of another bloom that occurs in the fall, it is recommended to leave all leaves and shoots intact for the winter. Re-pruning is best done next season. An adult perennial plant can easily survive the winter if there is sufficient snow cover. Under more severe conditions, it is necessary to cover the bush with dry foliage and spruce branches to protect it from death and freezing.
Breeding methods
Aubriet flower can be propagated in any convenient way, since the plant is unpretentious in this regard. The method of propagation by seeds or cuttings is mainly used. Growing aubriets from seedlings was described in detail by us a little earlier. Gardeners who have extensive experience in breeding various flower crops choose the seed method of propagation. Before planting, the flowerbed area is cleared of weeds, small stones and dug up. A mixture of fertilizers is applied to the prepared soil, then it is sprinkled with wood ash and chalk and moistened. The seeds are planted at some distance from each other, after which they are sprinkled with sand and watered. If the planting was carried out in the spring, then you can expect the first shoots after 10-20 days. In the case of autumn planting of seeds, young shoots will appear only the next year.
Propagation by cuttings
The method of propagation by cuttings is widespread. When pruning in summer, as a rule, a large number of green shoots remain, on which there are no flowers. A greenhouse is used for planting cuttings. Prepared soil is poured into it in advance, consisting of peat and sand. Cuttings that have taken root are transplanted into a flower bed. In areas where low winter temperatures prevail, seedlings are left in a greenhouse until spring arrives, so that they can properly grow and take root.
Reproduction by dividing the bush
The division of the bush is carried out both in spring and in autumn, but the plant is quite difficult to tolerate such an event. It is often carried out in a specific sequence. Initially, it is required to dig out the Aubriet bush and divide it into equivalent parts, in which strong shoots and roots will be present. Then they are planted in different holes. It is worth noting that this breeding method is far from always successful. The separated parts of the plant are difficult to take root, so gardeners prefer growing aubriets from seeds or cuttings.
Diseases and pests
Aubrieta is a resistant ornamental plant to the effects of any diseases and pests. Occasionally, there are cases of infection with powdery mildew. This fungal disease causes a white coating that appears on the leaves and flowers, which turns brown over time. Due to illness, the flower loses its attractiveness. The plant gradually begins to wilt and turn black. To stop the further spread of the disease, the bushes are treated with a solution of colloidal sulfur.
The greatest danger to the aphids is aphid, which takes away the strength of the plant and feeds on its cell sap. Aphids are a carrier of various viral diseases. To destroy it, drugs such as Fufanon or Karbofos are used. If the number of pests is too large, then the treatment is repeated several times to completely get rid of the insects.
Aubriet flower growing in rocky terrain is practically unaffected by pests and diseases.
Types and varieties of obriety
Today there are about 12 species of this flower, including cultivated varieties. In our area, such types as white aubriet, graceful aubriet, and Kolumka aubriet are rare.Here, for example, the deltoid aubriet, which looks like a short perennial green plant, is more widespread. The leaves are jagged at the edges and gray-green in color. Small purple flowers gather in racemose inflorescences that resemble a lilac bush. The flowering period begins in late spring and lasts about a month. This variety is considered to be the first cultivated cultivated flower species.
Aubrieta hybrid or cultivated is a plant that reaches a height of about 20 cm, which can winter well. Leaves with serrated ends are elongated, purple flowers of small diameter. Aubrieta cultivated is propagated by seeds. The most popular varieties are:
- Aubrieta is cascading, with flowers of various colors and gray-green leaves. A bush of this kind retains greenery even for the winter.
- Fascinating Morocco is a graceful flower with large cups of blue, red or pink color.
- Cote d'Azur is an Abrite variety characterized by abundant and frequent flowering throughout the year.
- The giant waterfall is a perennial hybrid of lilac, pink or red, grows up to 15 cm and has small flowers.
There are other equally well-known varieties of obriety: Carnival, Gloriosa, Wanda, Blue King, Queen, Royal Keskade, Triumfant and others.
