Content
Alyssum Snow Princess is a small shrub of regular spherical shape. It blooms profusely throughout the summer. Its white flowers resemble a beautiful snow cloud. Alyssum care is very simple. It is grown for seedlings from seeds that can be harvested on their own in early October.
Description of vegetative alissum Snow Princesses
Alyssum Snow Princess is an ampelous flower shrub that is part of the Cabbage family. Alissums are considered to come from the Mediterranean region, but thanks to selection, they can be grown even in the climatic conditions of Russia. They decorate the garden with flowers of various colors - white, pink, purple, yellow.
The name of Lobularia Snow Princess comes from lat. lobularia Snow Princess. As it grows, aliussum acquires the correct spherical shape, therefore, it practically does not need pruning. The leaves are lanceolate, small, green. The root system is fibrous, so the plant does not need a strong deepening: it receives all the nutrients and moisture from the upper soil layer.
Snow Princesses produces numerous white flowers that densely cover the plant. The bush turns out to be quite tall (50-60 cm), but at the same time compact and very attractive. Another advantage is lush, long-lasting flowering. From a distance, this form of alyssum resembles a beautiful green hill, as if powdered with snow.
How the Snow Princess lobularia blooms
Alyssum Snow Princesses forms small white flowers, collected in numerous inflorescences (brushes). They cover the bush evenly and appear at about the same time. The flowers are four-petal, regular in shape. A pleasant aroma is felt at a short distance.
Alyssum Snow Princesses bloom begins in June and continues until the first frost.
Application in landscape design
Alyssum Snow Princess is widely used in landscape design. This is one of the best ways to decorate an inconspicuous or unattractive corner of your garden. The culture can be placed in the center of the flower bed, then the alissum looks especially beautiful.
Snow Princesses are often used in single landings. This beautiful plant is also suitable for flower arrangements - for example, in rock gardens and rockeries, in multi-tiered flower beds. It can also be combined with other forms of alyssum.
Snow Princesses are often planted along the park path.
White balls of Snow Princesses can be placed in front of the entrance to the house or office
The crop is suitable for growing in outdoor pots
Alyssum Princess Snow can also be used in combination with other, brighter flowers and ornamental plants.
The plant pot can be placed on a stand and moved to any place
Breeding features
Lobularia Snow Princesses are easy to grow from seeds. They can be purchased in the store or assembled yourself at the end of September. Planting instructions:
- a dense canvas is laid out under the bush - for example, a bedspread, an awning;
- take inflorescences in their hands and carefully rub them;
- Separate the seeds and store them at home in breathable bags.
Planting and caring for alyssum Snow Princess
To grow alissum, seeds are purchased and planted in early March. Ready-made seedlings can be transferred to open ground in mid-May or in the last decade of April (in the southern regions).
Sowing dates
Alyssum Snow Princesses can be planted for seedlings in late February or early March. Seedlings will be ready for transplanting in about 60 days.
If this deadline does not work out, it is allowed to sow seeds directly into open ground in mid-May. In this case, flowering will begin not in June, but in mid-July, and it will hardly be possible to collect the seeds.
Sowing preparation
Alyssum is undemanding to the composition of the soil. Under natural conditions, the bush grows on depleted soils, on the slopes of rocks and in other not very favorable conditions.
Therefore, any soil is suitable for seedlings. You can buy it in the store or make it yourself by mixing equal amounts of garden soil with peat. The mixture is recommended to be held in advance for 12 hours in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, then drained and dried.
As containers, boxes, plastic cassettes for seedlings or individual pots are suitable. They must first be disinfected, and then rinsed thoroughly under running water.
Alyssum seedlings can be obtained in ordinary plastic cups
Growing seedlings of Alyssum Snow Princesses
Growing instructions consist of the following points:
- It is not necessary to moisten small seeds, but they can be pre-etched in a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
- The soil is poured into the pots, the seeds are placed and crushed a little, it is not necessary to deepen. Moisten with a spray bottle.
- Leave in a cool place (about 12 ° C), constantly illuminate with a phytolamp. The required length of the day is at least 12 hours.
- After the first shoots appear (after about 5-10 days), a complex mineral fertilizer is applied.
- Then the Alyssum Princesses Snow dive. This can be done after the appearance of two or three leaves. If the seedlings are growing quickly, this procedure is not necessary.
Alyssum seedlings can be obtained in ordinary plastic cups
Transfer to the ground
Seedlings are transferred to the ground in the first half of May. Planted at a distance of at least 20-25 cm from each other. Sequencing:
- first, the site is cleaned and dug up;
- several shallow holes are outlined;
- drainage is laid (expanded clay, broken brick and other small stones);
- transfer seedlings and watered moderately.
Care features
Princess Snow, like many other varieties of alyssum, is unpretentious. However, for a lush bloom, minimum conditions should be provided:
- Watering should not be too abundant. It is carried out as needed.
- Seedlings need feeding. Nitrogen or complex mineral fertilizer is applied a week before transplanting into open ground. During flowering, potassium salt and superphosphates are added at intervals of 2-3 weeks (the last time - at the end of August).
- Pruning is required to form a bush. It is carried out in the spring and partly in the summer (if necessary). It is undesirable to do a mow in the fall.
- It is recommended to mulch the horses with straw, peat or spruce branches so that the soil retains moisture for as long as possible.
- You should also periodically loosen the topsoil, especially after fertilizing. This will allow nutrients to penetrate the roots faster and spread throughout the plant.
Alyssum will bloom luxuriantly if planted in an open, well-appointed place
Wintering
Alyssum Snow Princess bushes do not differ in winter hardiness - they do not tolerate frosts below -20 ° C. Therefore, it is recommended to grow such plants only in the middle lane, in the Volga region, Chernozem region and in the South of Russia. Before the onset of frost, the bushes are well watered, and then the branches are bent down and covered with dry foliage. Be sure to cover the top with burlap or spunbond.
As for Siberia and the Urals, here the Alyssum Snow Princess bushes will have to be constantly dug up and sent for storage to the cellar or to the insulated balcony, loggia. However, you can do otherwise - grow seedlings annually.
Diseases and pests
Alyssum Snow Princess is resistant to adverse influences. However, the plant is vulnerable to such a dangerous pest as the cruciferous flea (it affects all members of the Cabbage family). It is difficult to cope with it, therefore, if detected, alissum should be sprayed with a solution of vinegar (30 ml per 1 liter of water) as soon as possible.
If you use insecticides (for example, Confidor, Decis, Aktara, Bankol and others), alissum can shed flowers. Therefore, sometimes you have to say goodbye to the bush so that the pests do not spread to neighboring plants.
Caterpillars often settle on the leaves of the Snow Princesses. They can be collected by hand, as well as spray the plant with a solution of dry tobacco leaves (1-2 tablespoons per 1 liter of water) with a small amount of liquid soap (0.5 tsp for the same volume).
It is important to understand that individual diseases can also develop from improper care. For example, due to excessive watering, the bush is affected by brown rot - microscopic fungi that parasitize the roots. Usually the first signs appear during the flowering stage:
- wilting of the plant;
- yellowing of green mass;
- wrinkling of foliage.
In this case, watering must be stopped, and the Alyssum Snow Princess bushes must be sprayed with any fungicide. You can use Bordeaux liquid, Topaz, Tattu and other preparations.
Cruciferous flea leaves small holes in the leaves of Allisum Snow Princesses
Conclusion
Alyssum Snow Princess is a compact bush densely covered with flowers. Alyssum is not capricious, and any gardener can cope with its cultivation. The main thing is only to have time with the seedlings, then you will be able to collect your own seeds in the same season.
