Planting and caring for Iberis in open ground, description of the best varieties

A miniature, profusely flowering herbaceous plant of the cabbage family, Iberis, is widespread everywhere for growing in flower beds and alpine hills. Peppercorn is the second popular name for the flower. Caring for Iberis is simple, the plant is unpretentious, it is important to choose a site for the flower and plant it correctly. The flower is used in landscape design, as well as for cutting and arranging bouquets and flower arrangements.

Description and features

Under natural conditions, Iberis is found in Europe; in Russia, the plant can be found in the Crimea, the Caucasus, and the Krasnodar Territory. Main characteristics of the species:

• The root system is taproot.
• The inflorescences are formed in the form of an umbrella.
• The fruit is a pod.
• The beginning of flowering depends on the variety - early May or August.
• Honey plant with a pronounced fragrant aroma during the flowering period.
• There are perennial and annual species.

The Iberis community includes about 45 species of various herbs and shrubs. The color range is wide; flowers come in various shades of white, purple, and pink.

Growing seedlings

A popular method of plant propagation is from seedlings. Seeds are collected from mature plants after flowering or purchased in specialized stores. The seed material is pre-prepared: disinfected in a solution of brilliant green or potassium permanganate, then planted in seedling boxes.

Deadlines

Iberis seedlings are sown in late February - early March. You should not sprinkle the seeds too much; a depth of 1-2 millimeters is sufficient; you can use sand.

After 7-10 days, the first shoots appear; at the stage of three true leaves, the bushes are picked and transplanted into individual containers.Many gardeners do not pick; the root system of plants is very delicate and does not tolerate the procedure well.

Soil preparation

The main requirement for the soil is its looseness. Loamy soil with the addition of sand and a small amount of peat is ideal. Iberis can grow in poor soils, but the plant should not lack moisture. Avoid overdrying the soil.

How to plant

In seedling boxes on the prepared soil, grooves are drawn into which the seeds are carefully placed. The interval between plants should be at least 1 centimeter. After planting, the ground is watered, and the container is covered with a plastic bag and placed on a warm, well-lit windowsill.

Watering

Future seedlings should be irrigated regularly using a spray bottle with warm water. To avoid increased humidity inside the greenhouse, small holes are made in the polyethylene for ventilation.

Planting in open ground

Iberis is planted in open ground with seedlings or seeds directly into the soil. The timing of planting the herbaceous plant depends on the method of cultivation.

When to plant

Seedlings are prepared for planting in unprotected soil in early - mid-May, the threat of night frosts must have passed, and the soil temperature must be at least +10 ⁰WITH.

If plants are planted with seeds directly into open ground, then sowing can be done in mid-April, covering the beds for a while with film or polycarbonate covers.

Selecting a location

The place for Iberis should be sunny. The plant does not tolerate stagnation of moisture at the roots, and cannot withstand prolonged drought. Peppercorn can grow in the poorest soils of flower beds and rock gardens.

Soil requirements

The soil for a fragrant flower should be loose, loamy, with the addition of sand.Drainage is required. Soil acidity is neutral or slightly alkaline. Too acidic soil is limed.

Planting scheme

The interval between seedlings is maintained at 15-20 centimeters; for the purposes of landscape design, plantings are often thickened or, conversely, the distance is increased.

Note: All actions with young plants are carried out with caution; Iberis has a delicate root system that is easily damaged during transplantation.

Care

Peppercorn is an unpretentious plant that does not require specialized care. Excellent for growing by novice gardeners. The basic rule of care is to avoid excessive watering and frequent replanting.

Watering

Iberis is a drought-resistant plant. In summer, plantings are watered during periods of prolonged heat. Irrigation must be carried out in the morning or evening hours at the root.

Top dressing

A representative of the Cabbage family can grow in poor soils and does not require special fertilizers or regular fertilizing. It is enough to water the bushes twice a year (before flowering and immediately after it) with complex liquid mineral fertilizer.

Trimming

Preventative pruning of leaves and dried stems is carried out in order to preserve the decorative appearance of the herbaceous bush. For the winter, perennial Iberis are cut off and the roots are covered with a layer of dry leaves.

Transfer

Iberis perennials can grow in one place for decades. The bush is growing more and more every year. Frequent replanting of plants is highly undesirable. The pepper plant takes a long time to take root in a new place and gets sick. Never replant during the flowering period.

After flowering

After the end of the flowering period, it is necessary to remove flower stalks and dried inflorescences from the plant.Apply a second mineral fertilizer and hill up the bush. Even without flowers, the plant looks attractive in a flowerbed or alpine hill.

Preparing for winter

The root system of perennials is superficial; it needs protection from frost and winters with little snow. After autumn pruning, the bush is sprinkled with a layer of dry leaves or covered for the winter. Although Iberis are declared as cold-resistant plants, care must be taken to cover them for the winter.

Diseases and pests

The immunity of pepper plants is stable; perennials do not suffer from fungal diseases. The main scourge is various insect pests.

Earth fleas

The favorite prey of earthen fleas is young tender shoots of Iberis. The pest attacks the plant immediately after germination. Spots form on the inside of the leaf blades, and on the outside you can see peculiar light green paths.

Mealyworms

Insects of the order Coccidae, popularly called hairy lice. They attack leaves and stems of Iberis and feed on plant juices. A related species to scale insects. It actively reproduces and lives in extremely dry conditions and is afraid of moisture.

It is necessary to periodically inspect plants for the presence of larvae. You can remove them from the leaves manually by cleaning them with a cotton swab. “Aktara”, “Fitoverm”, “Iskra” are insecticides used against mealyworms and fleas.

Aphid

A voracious pest that can completely destroy plants. The first sign of infection is curling of the leaves. If you look closely, you can see colonies of small insects. Often aphids move to Iberis from diseased weeds. Insecticides are used to kill the pest.

Fungus

Peppercorns are not susceptible to infection by fungal diseases, even if affected plants grow nearby.

Reproduction

A popular method of propagating Iberis is by dividing the bush. Some gardeners grow seedlings from seeds they collect themselves. It is recommended to plant the plant with seeds in the spring; dividing the bush is done in the fall.

Collection and storage of seeds

To harvest seeds after flowering, the flowering stems are not cut off, but are left to ripen. The peppercorn fruit is a pod with small peas. When the fruit is ripe, it is cut and dried. After a while, the pods crack and the seeds become easy to get.

Note: Store the collected seed in a dry, dark place in a fabric or paper bag.

Dividing the bush

After the end of the flowering period or before it, perennial bushes are dug up and divided into 2-3 independent bushes. The best time for this method of reproduction is April or August-September.

The root system of the plant should be treated with special care; it is very fragile; if damaged, Iberis takes a long time to take root.

Cuttings

For cuttings, Iberis shoots released after flowering and pruning of the main flowering stems are best suited. Cuttings are cut 10-15 centimeters long, placed in a jar of water, as soon as roots and leaves appear, the cuttings are transplanted into a greenhouse or into a pot with soil. After about a month, the flower can be transplanted to a permanent place or left to overwinter in a greenhouse.

Kinds

In landscape design, various types of Iberis are used, on the basis of which various hybrid varieties have been bred.

Bitter

Often mistaken for a weed. Annual. Distributed in the Caucasus and Krasnodar region. Iberis bitter is popularly called village mustard.The height of the bush is 15 centimeters, it forms white umbrella inflorescences.

Umbrella

A beautiful ornamental herbaceous plant. Used to create carpets, decorate flower beds and alpine slides. Available in various color variations: white, pink, lilac.

Gibraltar

Iberis chameleon - Gibraltarica, changes color from white to purple during the flowering period. Forms flower-bearing decorative pillows with a diameter of more than 30 centimeters. Used in individual plantings and rock gardens.

Crimean

A miniature bush no more than 10 centimeters high, used for decorating rocky gardens. Grows on poor rocky soils. The color scheme is white and purple shades.

Rocky

The height of the bush is 15 centimeters. Forms umbrella inflorescences of white color. Perfect for rock gardens. The surface root system is quite fragile; plants must be replanted with care.

Evergreen

A classic variety of Iberis. Height - 50 centimeters. During the flowering period, umbrella inflorescences completely cover the bush. The shoots are erect and spreading. Requires decorative pruning after flowering.

Popular varieties

The range of Iberis varieties is quite extensive. To decorate flower beds and rock gardens, planting different varieties at the same time is used. This technique creates a color variety of similar shapes.

Red Flash

Representative of the umbrella species. Fragrant plant - honey plant. Annual. Forms umbrella inflorescences of bright red color. A spectacular variety used to decorate rock gardens and used as a potted plant.

Fairy Mixture

Forms a small herbaceous bush no more than 20 centimeters high.Dense inflorescences are collected in umbrellas. The color range is extensive and is represented by various pastel shades of pink and lilac.

Tom Thumb

A variety of rocky iberis, a low-growing herbaceous shrub. Inflorescences are snow-white, completely covering the plant. Grown for decorative purposes in rock gardens.

Hyacintheblutige Risen

Rocky species up to 40 centimeters high. Blooms in bright purple color. Flowering duration is 1.5 months. In landscape design it is used as a border plant, looks great in bouquets, and can be grown in pots indoors.

Weiss Risen

A variety of bitter Iberis up to 30 centimeters high. The inflorescences are white, columnar-shaped, umbrella-shaped, 1.5 centimeters in diameter. Leaves are alternate, toothed. Flowering duration is 2 months.

Dana

A profusely flowering variety of evergreen peppercorn. The height of an adult plant is 15 centimeters. The inflorescences are umbellate, purple in color. Fragrant plant - honey plant.

Findall

A low-growing spreading bush of evergreen peppercorn up to 30 centimeters high. Flowering duration is 1 month. May bloom again in the last phase of summer.

Zwergschneeflock

A popular dwarf variety of evergreen Iberis. Forms a small neat bush up to 15 centimeters high. Suitable for growing in rocky gardens. The inflorescences are painted white.

Blackberry meringue

Variety of umbrella Iberis. Suitable for cutting, the height of an adult plant is 40 centimeters. The inflorescences are formed quite large, more than 5 centimeters in diameter. Color range: from milky white to rich purple.

Iceberg

A fragrant variety of umbrella pepper. Honey plant.The height of an adult plant is 40 centimeters, suitable for decorating bouquets and flower arrangements. The inflorescences are painted white.

Candytaft

Gibraltar Iberis, a chameleon flower, changes color during the flowering period from delicate lilac to rich purple. Looks impressive in rock gardens and city flower beds.

Snowfall

A perennial variety of evergreen peppercorn. It grows to a height of no more than 20 centimeters. The flowers resemble snow-white snowflakes. Used in individual plantings and rock gardens.

Medicinal properties and use in medicine

Peppercorn is a medicinal plant in demand in folk medicine. Decoctions and tinctures from the roots, leaves and inflorescences of the plant are used:

• As a choleretic agent.
• In the treatment of gastritis and ulcers.
• As an antitumor agent.
• For rapid healing and disinfection of wounds.
• Against gout.
• To relieve swelling and stimulate appetite.

When using folk remedies from Iberis, it is important to remember that the plant is poisonous. An allergic reaction or poisoning may occur if dosages are not followed.

Use in landscape design

An evergreen herbaceous shrub is a favorite flower among gardeners for decorating rock gardens and edging flower beds and rocky gardens. The best combinations with Iberis:

• Various conifers.
• Hyacinths and daffodils.
• Creeping green plants.
• Bluebells and marigolds.

When decorating flower beds, various color variations and plant varieties are used. Peppercorns in combination with conifers emphasize the elegance of rocky gardens. Ground cover plants and Iberis look perfect in rock gardens.

The pepper plant is unpretentious and is able to quickly adapt to the vagaries of nature and changes in environmental conditions.The fragrant plant practically does not get sick and is suitable for growing by novice gardeners.