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

An unusual representative of the plant world is saxifrage. Its delicate small flowers look impressive among stones and crevices. High viability, unpretentiousness, and durability make the crop popular among gardeners. Knowing all the nuances and subtleties of planting and caring for saxifrage, you can easily decorate any area with these amazing flowers.

General description of saxifrage

Saxifraga is presented in the form of a herbaceous perennial, the height of which ranges from 5 to 70 cm. The bushes are decorated with leaves of various shapes. Valued by gardeners for its dark green foliage with blue, silver, and bluish tints.

The flowers are medium-sized, five-petaled, regular star-shaped. There are single ones, but often collected in small panicle-shaped inflorescences. Pleases with long-lasting flowering of white, yellow, pink flowers.

The growing season begins in April, and in the second ten days of May the plant begins to bloom, taking on the appearance of a bright carpet. He stays in this outfit for about a month.

Popular varieties and varieties

The Saxifraga family has 200 species. Of these, the most popular are the following varieties.

• Soddy saxifrage. The flower is a dense turf of rosettes with dissected leaves. Flowering is short-lived, only 3-4 weeks, which is observed in June.

Gardeners prefer the following varieties:

1. Rosa-koenigen;
2. Flamingo;
3. Triumph;
4. Purplemantelle.

• Arends saxifrage. The flower provides a vibrant green color throughout the season. Its foliage forms a continuous carpet, the height of which is up to 15 cm. It fascinates with its flowering in late spring. Among the common Anders varieties:

1. Sleeping Beauty;
2. Red Cap;
3. Peter Pan;
4. Saxifraga;
5. Snow carpet;
6. Floral Carpet;
7. Highlander.

• Saxifraga paniculata. The flower is valued for its bluish leaves, covered along the edge with white teeth of limescale, as well as beautiful rosettes 5-6 cm in diameter. Pleases with flowering in June and July. Varieties that this species boasts:

1. Macocha;
2. Balcana minima.

• Saxifraga. It has round, hairy green leaves with light stripes.It forms a rosette, from which many branches extend, forming new rosettes at the ends.
• Saxifraga rotundifolia. The bushes have petiolate leaves in the shape of a circle. In early summer, white flowers are visible on shoots up to 40 cm long, the petals of which are decorated with purple dots.
• Mossy saxifrage. The bush is distinguished by creeping shoots covered with elongated green leaves. The edges of the leaf blade are cut into thin strips, which is why the dense cushion looks like a thicket of moss. The plant is decorated with yellow-white flowers up to 6 cm in length.
• Saxifraga shady. A bush up to 20 cm in height has solid green leaves in the shape of an oval, which are covered with purple streaks. In July, paniculate inflorescences begin to bloom, which are decorated with small white flowers. Their core is purple in color. The most common forms of shady saxifrage are:

1. Variegata;
2. Aurapunktata;
3. Elliot's Variety;
4. Purple robe.

These varieties and varieties of saxifrage can improve the appearance of any area.

Specifics of growing flowers

In order for saxifrage to attract attention with its high decorative effect, you need to plant it correctly. This procedure will not cause difficulties even for novice gardeners. The secret to successfully growing saxifrage is to create conditions as close as possible to its natural habitat.

Time and place

Saxifraga is not a capricious crop, but when determining the planting site, it is important to take into account its natural preferences. When arranging a flower garden, you need to know that the flower loves shady places where it is protected from the scorching sun. Ideally, trees and shrubs will grow nearby.

An important factor when cultivating saxifrage is high-quality drainage.Stagnant water can be detrimental to flowers, so you need to think in advance where the perennial will grow. A good solution would be to plant the flower in crevices between stones or on a slope, with additional watering during the dry season.

It is recommended to plant saxifrage seedlings in June, when the air and soil have a temperature of 18-20 degrees.

Soil preparation

Saxifraga takes root without problems in soils of average fertility. But since it needs limestone, it is better to enrich the soil with crushed limestone. The ideal soil for the culture should be equipped with substances such as gravel, clay, sand, peat, and humus. Soil preparation also includes adding superphosphates along with organic matter. It is recommended to lay out a rock garden near the bushes using stones; this will protect the roots from the sun and retain moisture.

Before planting, dig up the soil, loosen it, and remove large stones. The day before planting the seedlings, moderately water the future flower bed.

Landing instructions

To plant a plant, you need to follow the following procedure:

1. Make holes at a distance of 10 cm.
2. Place the seedlings in the center of the hole.
3. Fill the soil around the stem and tamp it down a little.
4. Water along the edge of the hole.

Saxifraga will delight you with flowering after a year. A ground cover plant can grow in one place for 5-6 years, then it needs to be replanted.

Saxifraga care

In order for flowers to attract attention with their decorative effect, you need to surround them with care.

Soil and fertilizers

Feed plants only using formulations containing minerals. Fertilize for the first time after 7 days, then 2 times a month. Nutrients should be added to the water when watering. At the time of flowering and in winter, stop feeding.

Watering and humidity

Saxifraga requires moderately moist soil. If the soil dries out, the flower will die, so in dry weather it is recommended to spray the leaves. This will give the saxifrage a spectacular look.

Wintering

Saxifraga is characterized by resistance to frost, but young fragile specimens of rare varieties are best covered for the winter. To do this in the fall, before the first frost, the plantings need to be covered using dry leaves or spruce branches.

Disease and pest control

Saxifraga demonstrates resistance to diseases and pests. But with poor care, errors in watering and fertilizing, the crop can become vulnerable to infections and parasites.

Breeding culture

The crop can be propagated by seeds, dividing the bush and cuttings:

1. Growing from seeds. Sow in spring using special seedling boxes. The seed material should not be buried, but lightly sprinkled with sand. Cover using glass, building a miniature greenhouse. Shoots form in 2-3 weeks. After a month, the first true leaf will form. Sprouts can be planted in open soil when a rosette appears, which usually happens next spring.
2. Dividing the bush. To do this, select a powerful bush and disconnect additional rosettes and shoots with roots and foliage, plant them in the shade and irrigate and loosen the soil around them throughout the summer season. In the spring after wintering, plant the plants in a permanent place.
3. Reproduction by cuttings. There are types of crops that form long side shoots in June. They need to be cut and planted in loose, moist soil, with shade on top. Over the summer, the cuttings will take root and form medium-sized rosettes, which are covered for the winter using foliage.

With any propagation method, saxifrage flowering is observed in the 2nd year after planting in a permanent place.

Possible difficulties during cultivation

The only difficulty that gardeners have when growing saxifrage is the loss of decorative value due to overgrowth. Since the regrown shoots lose their leaves, which are located closer to the ground and the soil is visible through them. Therefore, when caring for the crop, it is necessary to pay attention to renewing the bushes and dividing them using cuttings. Also, so that the plant does not lose Decorative, faded flowers need to be broken off along with the peduncle at the base of the turf.

Saxifraga in landscape design

The plant occupies a place of honor in landscape design because of its spectacular appearance, adaptability to any climatic conditions, ability to be located next to various flowering crops, and short growth of trees.

At the moment of flowering, saxifrage will revive the rock garden and add zest to the rock garden. The attractiveness of the crop increases due to its good compatibility with many garden plants. You can get a picturesque flower garden by planting irises, muscari, and phlox next to the saxifrage. Tall species are best used as borders.

By following simple rules for planting and care, you can find an approach to this amazing flower. And he, feeling cared for, will begin to actively grow and develop, delighting with magnificent flowering.