The unusual spherical flowers of the armeria, so similar to the pom-poms of a winter hat, are actually whole inflorescences of small buds. And this is not all that the spectacular garden flower surprises with. We have already found out why Armeria is so good and why gardeners fell in love with it!
general information
The overgrown armeria forms a solid green carpet, and in fact - a grassy sod. Rounded inflorescences on narrow peduncles rise above it. Most of the species live in mountainous areas, so they are well suited for alpine slides and rocky areas.
The height of the carpet made of armeria generally reaches 20 cm, but sometimes taller varieties are found. Peduncles are higher - up to 50-60 cm. The sod is formed from small, but very dense rosettes, under which the earth is not visible at all.
Types of armeria
About 50 types of armeria are widespread in Europe and Siberia. We decided to go through the main ones - the most interesting for gardeners!
Beautiful armeria
Ideal for container growing and rocky gardens. Beautiful Armeria prefers sandy soil and is not afraid of frost.
Alpine army
A compact perennial grows only up to 15 cm in height, but up to 30 cm in width. It has very dense rosette-pillows of thin leaves and small pink flowers up to 3 cm in diameter.
Soddy armeria
Red and pink inflorescences cover the green rosette so tightly that it is almost invisible. Peduncles of sod armeria are very small - up to 6 cm in height.
Arctic armeria
The frost-resistant species is ideal for the conditions of Siberia and the Far East. Arctic armeria prefers stony soil and pleases with round inflorescences on straight peduncles up to 20 cm tall.
Onion armeria
Hardy species with very delicate white or pink flowers. But she definitely needs a lot of sun and high-quality soil drainage.
Armeria Velvich
A heat-loving Spanish species, and at the same time - one of the highest, with peduncles up to 35 cm.This armeria needs an increased amount of calcium, but it blooms all summer and until the snow itself.
Thorny armeria
Another tall southern variety up to 30 cm. It is interesting that one plant has more than ten rosettes of thin gray leaves. Therefore, it is one of the best species for reproduction by division.
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Armeria care
If you can find a site and organize a rocky soil, then there will be no problems with further cultivation. Let's tell you more!
Temperature and lighting
For armeria, you definitely need a very bright sunny area, without shade from the crowns of trees and other shrubs. It is desirable that there is no strong wind and draft.
Watering
In the normal mode, Armeria has enough precipitation. But on hot sunny days without rain, we advise you to water the bushes. It is better to do this not from a bucket, but by the so-called sprinkling method to evenly distribute moisture. And only as the soil dries up.
The soil
The best for armeria is stony and sandy loam soil. Moreover, as needed, you can do it yourself - just fill the area with a mixture of sand, garden and sod land about 25 cm.You can acidify the soil a little, but there should be no lime.
Fertilizers and feeding
Dig up the soil with organic matter even before planting the armeria. In the future, Armeria is fertilized once every 1-1.5 months with ordinary liquid preparations for flowering. On loams and peat soils, you can do without it.
Pruning
Cut off the inflorescences immediately as they wilt. So the green carpet from Armeria looks much neater, and if you're lucky, you can cause a new wave of flowering.
Wintering
Armeria winters in Russia without any additional difficulties and tricks. Only certain species, such as turf, are advised to cover with spruce branches.And if possible, avoid waterlogging.
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Planting and reproduction of armeria
In the southern regions of Russia, Armeria is planted immediately in the ground before winter for natural stratification. In other cases, we recommend germinating the seedlings. To do this, first put the seeds in the refrigerator for a week, then soak them in water for a day and plant them in a mixture of peat and sand to a depth of 0.5 cm.
At +20 degrees under the film, seedlings appear in about 2.5 weeks. They are transplanted into the garden only when all the frosts have already passed. For planting, very shallow pits are needed so that the neck is on the surface.
Adult Armeria bushes are easy to propagate by dividing, and at the same time rejuvenate in this way. Each is divided into small parts with separate rosettes, which can then be planted in 15-20 cm increments. They quickly take root and grow. And very small sockets can be cut, but this is less convenient.
Pest and disease control
Due to the fact that armeria grows in dense, solid carpets, it often suffers from diseases and pests. Moreover, you need to act almost instantly, because the infection spreads quickly.
During snow melting, after prolonged rains or too intensive watering, fungus, spotting and root rot develop. If you manage to notice the problem in time, fungicides will help. If not, it is better to remove diseased plants by the root.
The most dangerous pest is aphids, which destroy leaves and bring diseases with them. Many growers treat Armeria with insecticides not only for treatment, but also in advance for prevention.
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Armeria - photo
Armeria looks best in whole groups. So her already interesting inflorescences look even more attractive!
