Planting and caring for aubration in open ground, methods of propagation and description of the best varieties

Perennial ground cover plants are deservedly popular in landscaping areas. With their help, they not only create a beautiful green carpet, but also prevent the growth of weeds that cannot break through dense plantings. One of these ground covers is aubretia, planting and caring for which in open ground is not particularly difficult.

Description and characteristics of the aubriet flower

Aubrieta, as the plant is also called, belongs to the Cabbage family. Its natural habitat is the regions of Asia Minor and Latin America, as well as the southern regions of Europe. Despite the fact that aubretia flowers are very small, this is compensated by their countless number. During flowering periods - and this happens twice (in early summer and early autumn) - the ground is covered with a picturesque carpet, from which it is impossible to take your eyes off.

The buds of aubretia have different colors, which depend on the variety - there are white, blue, purple, blue specimens. After flowering ends, a fruit appears in place of the buds, which is a pod with elongated seeds. The leaves of aubretia are also small, covered with light pubescence. They are obovate or round in shape, characterized by jagged or solid edges. The height of the bush of the plant grows up to 25-30 cm.

Varieties and types of aubration

The flower has several species and a large number of hybrids. Among them, the most popular among gardeners are:

• Deltoid. It does not exceed 15 cm in height and has bluish-green leaf blades. Racemose inflorescences appear on the deltoid aubration at the end of May and last for about a month. The diameter of the buds is about 1 cm, and the color palette is lilac and dark blue.
• Ksenia. Aubrecia has branched creeping shoots, not exceeding 10 cm in height. The leaves are small, oval in shape, the flowers have a dark purple hue, 1 cm in size.
• Cascade. Belongs to hybrid varieties. The shoots are gray-green in color and have strong pubescence. Turquoise, blue or purple buds appear on the cascade aubrieta in May. They have a neat yellow eye.This hybrid is ideal for vertical gardening.
• Red King. Aubrecia is characterized by a spherical bush, not exceeding 15 cm in height. Quite large (up to 5 cm) bright red flowers appear on it.
• Cote d'Azur. Aubrieta with dark green dense foliage. During the flowering period, the carpet is covered with flowers of a soft blue hue.

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantages and disadvantages of ground cover crops are the point that gardeners first pay attention to when choosing a variety for their site.

The advantages of the flower include:

• The spectacular appearance of a blooming carpet.
• Low maintenance requirements.
• Richness of color palette.
• Resistance to low and high temperatures.
• Ease of reproduction.

There are practically no disadvantages to aubration:

• Requirements for lighting.
• The need to replant every two years.

Growing from seeds

To speed up the flowering process of aubretia, first, seeds are sown for seedlings at home, and only then the strengthened seedlings are transferred to a permanent place of growth.

Seeding

It is better to purchase aubretia seed material from a flower shop that has certificates of conformity of varieties. It must be remembered that aubrieta grown from seeds will bloom only next year. They begin planting seeds at the end of February, when there are 2-2.5 months left before the onset of warm weather. These dates may vary slightly in different regions.

The best options for sowing a flower are peat tablets, then you don’t have to pick seedlings from a common container and transfer them to flower beds. It is enough to plant it together with a peat pot, this will prevent injury to the delicate roots of the aubration.

First, the tablets are filled with water and waited for them to swell. After this, 2-3 flower seeds are placed on the surface of each.A layer of steamed river sand 3-4 mm thick is poured on top. Spray the top with warm water from a spray bottle with small holes and cover with plastic wrap and glass. The most suitable temperature for germination of aubretia seeds is considered to be in the range from 18 to 21 degrees.

Seedling care

After green sprouts appear, the film or glass is removed daily for several hours so that the flowers are ventilated. As soon as they get a little stronger, the coating can be removed altogether. You need to be very careful when watering seedlings; aubretia does not like stagnant liquid and can get sick. 2-3 weeks before planting seedlings in a permanent place, feed the plants with complex mineral fertilizer, but use a weak concentration. If the sprouts look strong and grow quickly, skip this stage altogether.

Picking

Aubrecia tolerates the process of seating in separate containers extremely negatively. If, nevertheless, the seeds were sown not in separate peat pots, but in a common container, picking is carried out with extreme caution. First, they spill the soil, and then carefully take out the seedlings with a teaspoon and place them in separate cups.

When and how to plant in open ground

The time for transferring seedlings in each region varies depending on climatic conditions. On average, this occurs at the beginning - mid-May, when consistently warm weather has established itself and the threat of return frosts has passed. In the northern regions it is better to do this at the end of May.

The place planned for planting aubretia seedlings should be well lit by the sun. In the shade, the gardener will not see the abundant flowering of aubrieta that the plant is capable of.But in terms of soil, the flower does not make any increased demands. Rather, on the contrary, the poorer the soil, the more aubretia likes it. The main thing is that the soil allows moisture to pass through well and is loose. A small amount of wood ash or peat will not hurt. Soil acidity is preferably neutral or weak.

When digging holes for seedlings, take into account that their width should be twice as wide as that of the peat tablet in which the flower is located. The depth of the hole is determined by the length of the roots. Plants are placed at a distance of 5 cm from one another. After planting, crush the soil with your hands and mulch the surface with a 5-centimeter layer of sand, after which it is moistened abundantly.

Further care of ornamental crops

How lush the aubretia carpet will turn out depends on further care of the plant.

Watering

Care must be taken when moistening aubrations. The flower does not like too wet soil and will react with rotting of the roots or lack of flowering. If there is sufficient natural precipitation, this procedure is abandoned, and watering is carried out only during particularly dry periods. Moreover, the best option for the plant is the sprinkling method.

Fertilizer

Fertilizing is the key to abundant and long-lasting flowering of aubretia. It is carried out twice a season, using mineral compounds. Flowers are fertilized for the first time in the spring, at the stage of bud formation. A second feeding is necessary for the shave in the summer, after the pruning procedure, in order to stimulate a second wave of flowering.

Trimming

This procedure is necessary for the plant to bloom again. It is carried out after the first wave, which lasts up to 7 weeks. All stems are cut at the root and mineral supplements are applied.After this, the flower actively begins to grow and by autumn it pleases the owners of the site with a new wave of abundant flowering. In the fall, before preparing for winter, pruning is no longer carried out, otherwise the plant may die in the cold season.

Preparing for winter

Aubrecia is famous for its increased frost resistance and winters in open ground without problems. Only in the northern regions are dry leaves thrown on top of the bushes and covered with spruce branches.

Diseases and pests

Powdery mildew is considered the most dangerous disease for aubration. A characteristic sign is the appearance of a brown coating on the flower. Treatment begins when the first symptoms appear, otherwise it will not be possible to save the plant.

For spraying, use a solution of colloidal sulfur.

Among the pests, aphid colonies cause great damage to flowers. If there are few pests, a concentrated infusion of nettle is used for control. In case of severe infection of plants, insecticidal preparations such as Aktara cannot be avoided.

Reproduction methods

The following methods are used to propagate aubretia in a garden plot:

• Seminal. Sow in pre-prepared soil, water and wait for the flower to sprout.
• Cuttings. After pruning, cuttings without flowers remain, which are used for propagation of aubretia. Mix peat and sand in equal proportions and plant cuttings in this mixture. By the end of summer they will take root and strengthen, then the flowers are transferred to a permanent place of growth.
• Root division. This procedure is carried out in autumn or spring. The method is quite risky for plants, so it is rarely used by gardeners.
• By layering. The lodging shoots of the flower are sprinkled with soil and waited for them to take root. Then the plants are planted in a permanent place.

Aubrieta in landscape design

The aubretia flower is widely used in landscaping. The flower is indispensable in decorating fences and vertical surfaces. The best companions for plants in a flower garden are considered to be alyssum, irises, milkweed and soapwort. Aubrecia has also found its place in the design of rockeries and mixborders.