Content
Saxifrage - several hundred species of one-, two-year, and perennial plants, popularly called tear-grass. It can be sown in open ground with seeds or seedlings first. Planting and caring for saxifrage should be carried out according to the rules after some preparation.
Breeding methods for saxifrage
Saxifrage can be propagated in several ways. Collecting and sowing seeds is just one of them. The material can be prepared independently after flowering.
The combination of saxifrage of different colors is effective - you can buy a seed mix or make it yourself
When planting and caring for perennial saxifrage, it can be propagated by rosettes, that is, by dividing the bush. This method is suitable for mature plants. The process is carried out when the flowering is complete. Algorithm:
- Map out healthy shrubs. They must have three outlets.
- It is good to shed the selected plants.
- Carefully separate the additional outlets from the main knife or a sharp garden trowel.
- Sprinkle the sections of the mother plant with earth.
- Dig in the separated rosettes in fertile soil. Choose a shaded location.
- Drizzle.
- In spring, plant in open ground.
Before transplanting, rooting outlets must be protected from the scorching sun. Regular watering and loosening is required.
After flowering, saxifrage can be propagated by cuttings. Algorithm:
- Choose long lateral tendrils.
- Press them to the ground with staples.
- Sprinkle soil over the retainers.
- Water abundantly.
- Moisten the soil regularly so that the cuttings take root better.
- In autumn, mulch the ground, sprinkle the cuttings with leaves, sawdust or cover with spruce branches.
- In the spring, separate the rooted shoots and transplant to a permanent place.
You can cut the cuttings and root them in the box. For wintering, it is better to place them in a cool room in the house. Transplant saxifrage in the spring.
Propagation by cuttings or dividing the bush should be done not only for the sake of obtaining new plants. This also allows you to renew perennials, which eventually lose their decorative effect. The reason is overgrowth of stems and loss of leaves close to the ground.
Features of growing saxifrage from seeds
There are several factors to consider when growing saxifrage from seeds:
- The plant needs good drainage. This is important both when planting in open ground and when growing seedlings.
- The seeds are very small, therefore, before sowing, it is better to mix them with five parts of calcined river sand. This measure avoids excessive thickening of the seedlings.
- The saxifrage needs to be replanted every 5-6 years. This process is well combined with the renewal of the bushes.
Saxifrage is popular in landscape design, as it blooms all summer and forms a beautiful continuous coating.
When can saxifrage be sown
Sowing saxifrage in open ground or seedlings can be in spring or autumn. When buying seeds in a store, you should focus on recommendations for a specific species and variety.
Planting saxifrage in the fall
In open ground, saxifrage with seeds can be planted in late autumn. This option is attractive because the material will undergo natural stratification. As a result, seedlings will appear together in spring, and the likelihood of flowering in the first year will increase.
Sowing saxifrage in spring
If you first grow seedlings, then sowing is best done in early February. Move the plants to open ground until July. In this case, until the fall, they will have time to gain strength in order to successfully winter.
Planting saxifrage seeds for seedlings
It is not difficult to grow a saxifrage from seeds. It is necessary to properly prepare the soil, containers and planting material, sow it correctly.
Preparation of containers and soil
You can buy ready-made soil for seedlings or make a mixture yourself. In a ratio of 1: 5: 10: 20, the following components are taken:
- lime (can be replaced with chalk);
- vermiculite;
- sand;
- peat land.
For growing seedlings, you can choose different containers - plastic containers, small boxes, cups. It is important to organize drainage holes, since plants do not like stagnant moisture. The size of the containers should be oriented to a specific variety.
At first, seedlings can be grown in one box or a large container, then a pick will be required. Individual containers are filled with a mixture of peat and sand.
There is another option - to plant saxifrage seedlings in peat tablets.
Seed preparation
Saxifrage seeds require stratification before sowing for seedlings. After such treatment, seedlings appear faster, the plants become stronger and more resilient. Algorithm:
- Place the seeds in a shallow container.
- Apply a thin layer of wet sand.
- Cover the container hermetically with a transparent lid.
- Remove the container for three weeks in the refrigerator.
For convenience, seed stratification can be done directly in the seedling container. It needs to be filled with soil, and the planting material should be spread out on top with a thin layer. At the end of the stratification, move the container to a bright place at a temperature of 18-20 ° C.
How to sow saxifrage
After stratification, seeds can be sown:
- Fill seedling containers with moist soil mixture.
- Spread the seeds on the surface.
- It is not necessary to sprinkle the crops with soil.
Cover the container with the planted saxifrage seeds with foil, glass or a transparent lid and place on a light windowsill. The optimum temperature for germination is 18-20 ° C.
Seed germination takes 1-3 weeks - the period depends on the variety, the quality of the seed
Watering is not needed before seedlings emerge. Daily ventilation and condensation removal are required.
Saxifrage seedlings care
When growing saxifrage from seeds at home, seedlings need some care. When shoots appear, the shelter must be removed. This is done gradually so that the flower gets used to the fresh air. The rest of the activities are as follows:
- Water the seedlings with warm water. Focus on the condition of the soil, moisturize it moderately.
- At the stage of two leaves, dive the seedlings into individual containers.
- Shade plants from direct sunlight.
How to plant saxifrage in the ground
Saxifrage can be planted in the ground directly by seeds or seedlings. Each case has its own characteristics.
Timing
You can plant mature and grown seedlings in the ground in May or early June. Timing is focused on the growth rate of bushes and weather conditions.
Direct sowing of seeds into the ground can be carried out in April-May. The soil should warm up to 8-9 ° C. This option is recommended in the southern regions.In cooler climates, it is best to grow the seedlings first.
Site selection and preparation
The saxifrage is quite unpretentious, but nevertheless, some factors are important to it for good development and decorativeness. The plant site must meet the following requirements:
- the place is bright, but protected from direct sunlight at noon;
- lack of moisture stagnation;
- the soil is fertile, moderately moist and light.
The saxifrage is capable of growing in direct sunlight. With an excess of light, the leaves can lighten significantly, there is a risk of burns, expressed by dark spots. Insufficient lighting is fraught with growth retardation, cessation of flowering.
The saxifrage feels good in a soil mixture of equal parts of sand, turf and humus. Add lime, peat, gravel effectively. The selected area must be thoroughly loosened and rid of large roots.
The saxifrage feels good among stones, on sloping areas
Planting saxifrage seeds in open ground
Stratification is not necessary for direct seeding in open ground. The seeds will pass naturally. Further work algorithm is as follows:
- Prepare the site.
- Spread the seeds over the loosened soil.
- Press the material firmly against the soil or sprinkle thinly with moistened sand.
After sowing the seeds, the bed can be covered with foil. It will not allow moisture to evaporate quickly and will maintain the optimal temperature.
When the sprouts have three true leaves, it is necessary to thin out the plantings, leaving the strongest specimens. Before this, abundant watering is recommended.
Many types of saxifrage grow well, forming a flower carpet - you can leave free space for this in advance
Landing algorithm
Transplanting saxifrage seedlings into open ground is not difficult. The algorithm is as follows:
- Prepare the site.
- Water the seedlings abundantly a few days before transplanting.
- Carefully remove the bushes from the containers, keeping the earthen lump.
- Plant the plants at intervals of 10-20 cm.
Care features
After moving the seedlings into the ground or planting saxifrage with seeds, care should be comprehensive. In general, the plant is unpretentious.
Watering and feeding schedule
Water the saxifrage regularly, but in moderation. Moistening is required when the top layer of the earth dries up. Watering is done early in the morning or after sunset. The water should be warm and settled.
On cooler days, the plants are less hydrated. In the heat, the frequency of watering is increased.
Watering saxifrage during the day is fraught with burns to leaves and flowers
It is recommended to feed the saxifrage every month. Fertilizers are not needed by the plant only in October-February. They should be applied for the first time three weeks after planting.
The flower responds well to mineral compositions. Dosages per 1 m²:
- 15-20 g potassium
- 30-40 g of phosphorus;
- 30-40 g of ammonium sulfate, no need to add in the summer;
- 25-30 g of ammonium nitrate, use only in spring and autumn.
If you use liquid concentrates, then you need to dilute them twice as much as according to the instructions. Top dressing should be combined with watering.
Loosening, mulching
The saxifrage area should be weeded regularly. Loosening is recommended after each watering or heavy rainfall. You can reduce the need for this procedure and moisturizing by mulching. It is good to use straw for this. The material must be spread out in a 5 cm layer and renewed regularly.
Flowering care
During flowering, it is important not to forget about the standard care measures - watering, weeding, loosening.To maintain decorativeness, you should regularly get rid of dried leaves and peduncles.
Wintering
Preparing a saxifrage for winter is easy. Main activities:
- Stop watering and feeding.
- Trim the aboveground parts.
Saxifrage refers to frost-resistant plants, therefore, requires shelter only in cold regions. It is effective to use spruce branches or leaves for this (10 cm layer).
Diseases and pests
The saxifrage has good immunity, but this does not give an absolute guarantee of the absence of diseases and pests. Often, their defeat is provoked by improper plant care or unfavorable climatic conditions.
One of the problems is powdery mildew. This is a fungal disease provoked by high humidity, excess nitrogen, and strong plant thickening. It is expressed by a white bloom of mycelium on the leaves. As the spores mature, drops of liquid appear. The affected parts of the plant turn brown and fall off.
There are several methods of dealing with saxifrage powdery mildew:
- fungicide preparations - Topaz, Fundazol, Fitosporin, Alirin-B, colloidal sulfur, copper sulfate;
- folk remedies - serum, iodine, potassium permanganate, infusion of onion peel.
To prevent powdery mildew, it is necessary to destroy the affected residues, use potash-phosphorus fertilizers
Another fungal disease is rust. It manifests itself as pads on the leaves, from which, after cracking, an orange powder spills out. These are fungal spores.
Rust-affected leaves dry and fall off, the plant's immunity decreases. You need to fight the disease with fungicides: Topaz, Fitosporin-M, Bactofit, colloidal sulfur, Bordeaux liquid.
To prevent rust, it is necessary to burn plant residues, water the saxifrage moderately, do not overfeed with nitrogen.
Rust affects all aerial parts of the plant, it can destroy it
With excessive watering and poor drainage, saxifrage can suffer from root rot. At the same time, the aerial parts of the plant wither, the flowers fall off, the whole bush gradually dies. For treatment, fungicides are used - Alirin-B, Discor, Glyocladin.
Root rot is transmitted through the soil, various implements - sterilization is needed for prevention
Among the pests, the mealybug can affect the saxifrage. The size of the insect is only 5-10 mm.
The mealybug affects the aerial parts of the plant. The symptom is a white, cotton-like waxy coating. You can remove it with a cotton swab dipped in soapy water. Then you need spraying:
- preparations - Aktara, Fitoverm, Biotlin, Tanrek;
- folk remedies - infusion of garlic or tobacco, a decoction of cyclamen.
For the prevention of mealybug, it is necessary to remove dried leaves in a timely manner.
The saxifrage can be affected by aphids that feed on plant juices. At the same time, the flower begins to dry and wither, slowly dying. There are many ways to combat the pest:
- drugs - Tornado, Tanrek, Biotlin, Aktara, Apache;
- sticky traps;
- folk remedies - solutions of garlic, onions, tobacco, chamomile, potato tops
- plants that repel aphids with a strong odor - garlic, fennel, mint, coriander, basil, marigolds.
The color of aphids depends on its type and is black, red, green, brown, yellow
Another enemy of the saxifrage is the spider mite. It is difficult to see it, but it can be identified by a thin cobweb on the undersides of the leaves, white dots, and unreasonable drying out. To combat the tick, the drugs Fufanon, Kleschevit, Fitoverm, Bitoxibacillin, Iskra Bio are used.
The size of a spider mite is less than 1 mm, the pest is not dangerous for people, animals and birds
Conclusion
Planting and caring for saxifrage is within the power of even inexperienced gardeners. It can be sown as seeds outdoors or grown through seedlings. The flower is unpretentious, has good immunity. The variety of species and varieties provides it with wide application in landscape design.
