Armeria is one of the most beautiful and delicate flowers that can please the gardener's eye for more than one year. Its name can be translated from Celtic as "close to the sea". And this is not surprising, because the most common type of army is seaside. Another version of the origin of the name of this plant says that translated from French "armories" is one of the varieties of cloves that has an external resemblance to armeria.
So, if armeria settled in your garden, growing, caring for, propagating this flower and its features should be well known to you.
Appearance
Perennial plant, reaches a height of up to 50 centimeters. Has a small root. The stem is straight, may be smooth or pubescent. The flowers are small, collected in rosettes, their shades vary from white to purple, collected in inflorescences. Form round spherical "pillows". Due to its short stature and brightness, it can act as a "carpet" area if the planting is tight enough. Looks good next tocreeping plants.
Armeria blooms in May - August. There are more than 60 species of this plant, the most common are soddy, alpine, prickly and seaside.
Growing from seeds
A well-groomed armeria can become a decoration of any garden. Planting and care, cultivation features should be studied by the gardener before he decides to acquire a flowering beauty. For those who do not want to buy ready-made seedlings, there is an opportunity to grow armeria from seeds on their own.
Seed propagation can be carried out by seedling and non-seedling methods. Seeds are planted in open ground before winter or early March. If it is planned to grow seedlings in greenhouses, then the sowing of seeds takes place at the end of February.
Flower seeds are planted in wooden or plastic containers. Keep in a dry warm place. After the seeds have sprouted a little, they are covered with a film or gauze, creating a greenhouse effect. And only after that, the sprouts can be transplanted into open ground.
Reproduction of armeria is carried out by seeds or by dividing the bush. Bushes are divided in spring or early autumn, put in water and wait for sprouts to appear, and then planted in the ground. Each bush is best divided into small parts that can easily and quickly take root.
Fit features
What kind of soil does armeria like? Planting and caring for itflower should be produced in areas with moist, light, not strongly alkaline soil. The place should be chosen open and sunny, only a slight dimming is possible. The soil should be kept loose and moist at all times, it is better if it is sandy and rocky areas.
Some plant species require calcium rich soil. During the preparation of a place for planting armeria, great attention is paid to drainage, as the flower does not tolerate accumulation of moisture at the roots.
Armeria plant is considered unpretentious. Cultivation and care for it can be carried out both during periods of drought and in frost. However, despite this, in hot, dry weather, the flower must be watered regularly.
What else can the army demand? Planting and caring for a flower also includes fertilization. Top dressing is carried out before flowering. During the season, organic and mineral fertilizers are applied about 2-3 times. Much attention must be paid to top dressing if the armeria grows on peat, clay and loamy soils.
Plant care
If there is an armeria on your site, planting and caring for it will not take much effort and time, since this flower is quite unpretentious. In order for the plant to distribute all its forces to the formation of new buds and please with long flowering, it is necessary to remove wilted flowers in time, as well as flower stalks on which new buds will no longer form.
When the armeria reaches the age of five, it must be dug up,divided into several small parts and seated. In the future, this procedure must be carried out every 2-3 years, otherwise the plant will grow.
Since armeria is frost-resistant, no special shelter is required for the winter. But the plant does not tolerate winters with little snow, ice crusts, long wet periods. Therefore, it would be right to plant a flower on the hills, and in snowless winters cover it with leaves or spruce paws.
In the heat, it is recommended to moisten the leaves of the flower.
There is an opinion that armeria should not be grown in one place for more than 7-8 years. So after this period, it is better to transplant the plant.
Armeria: planting and care in the open field
In open ground, plant seeds are planted in late autumn or early spring. Top lightly sprinkled with earth. It is very important to keep the beds constantly moist, but you need to water very carefully so as not to wash the seeds and bury them far into the soil. Before sowing, the seeds are kept in the refrigerator for about a week. After that, soak in water for 6-7 hours, and then planted.
If planting in open ground is carried out not with seeds, but with seedlings, then armeria are placed at a distance of 20 centimeters from each other to create a dense flower carpet. Landing is done in rows, in shallow trenches.
In the first weeks after planting, regular abundant watering is necessary. However, waterlogging of the soil should be avoided.
Armeria are used for planting in borders, rockeries, in wall crevices and between slabs of paths.
Diseases and pests
Absolutely not afraid of disease or pests Armeria. Planting and caring for it only on acidic soils with stagnant moisture in winter can cause the flower to become weak and vulnerable to aphids. Fighting this pest is a complete pruning of the plant. Preventive treatment of the flower in early spring also helps well.
Armeria seaside
A surprisingly beautiful view is the seaside army. Planting and caring for it do not require knowledge of special agrotechnical rules. This plant is quite unpretentious and frost-resistant. Under natural conditions, it grows in Europe and North America on sea dunes and coasts. The height does not exceed 20 centimeters, the flowers are pinkish-purple. Flowering continues almost all summer.
So, there are many varieties of armeria. All of them are distinguished by their unpretentious disposition, resistance to various weather conditions. The plant has perfectly taken root in our climate and is able to bloom throughout the summer, it perfectly coexists with other flowers. With minimal care, these delicate flowers will serve as a real decoration of any garden and delight you for years.
