Aubrieta (aubretia) is a perennial creeping or pillow-shaped plant from the cruciferous (cabbage) family.
There are 12 species in the genus.
This is an excellent evergreen perennial with a height of not more than 20 cm, growing with a curtain of 1 m in diameter.
Among the ground cover blooming in spring, this is the most popular plant.
Leaves lanceolate or scapular, densely pubescent.
The flowers are four-petalled, from 1 to 2 cm in diameter, purple, blue, purple, pink-red (depending on shape and grade).
It blooms profusely and continuously from May to the end of June. The second flowering begins in the fall and continues until frost. If flower stalks with faded flowers are regularly pruned, then in the fall the sheath will bloom as magnificent as in the spring.
Aubrieta is very beautiful during flowering, but it does not lose its decorative effect even after it, because the fluffy green "pillows" of these plants also look very original.
Aubration is planted on the flower beds. Good shade for stony hills, in group landings. Perfectly combined with yellow alissum, white Iberis, awl-shaped phlox. Forms spectacular cascades on stone walls.
Growing Aubrieta
Breeding and planting
Shaving is propagated by seeds, cuttings and division of rhizomes.
Seed breeding
It is easily propagated by seeds that are sown in the early spring to a permanent place. In the southern regions, sowing is possible in the winter. Such plants bloom in the second year.
The seeds are small, so they are simply sown in the prepared soil, without sprinkling anything or mulching with a thin layer of sand. You can cover with a film for a couple of weeks.
Sowing is carried out in the fall or in the spring.
To get a blooming shade in the year of sowing, it is grown through seedlings.
Planting shaved seeds, seedlings.
• Sow seeds in early February in shallow containers on the surface of the substrate.
• Top mulch sand.
• Crop plates are covered with film or transparent covers.
• Emerging seedlings are periodically ventilated and make sure that the sand is constantly wet, avoiding overmoistening.
• Small plants are kept on a sunny window.
• When drawing seedlings, sand is gently poured into the bowl.
• After the growth of two true leaves, the seedlings dive.
• If in the future they become cramped, you can plant them again at the age of eight leaves. The next transplant will be already in the open ground.
Grown seedlings
Planting shaved shears
Cut branches after flowering are used for cuttings. First they are planted in a shaded greenhouse or box with light earth, moderately moistening the substrate. On top of the box is covered with glass or film. Ventilate periodically to remove condensation.
Options of substrate for rooting:
• sandy ground mixed with peat;
• a mixture of sand and peat in equal amounts.
At a constant place, rooted cuttings are determined at the end of August. Between plants maintain a distance of about fifteen centimeters. Before the onset of cold weather, they manage to take root and prepare for winter. Rare and especially valuable specimens are best left in the greenhouse until spring.
To guarantee the safety of plants, it is recommended to cut them every year. This is due to the fact that with age, the hairstyles become moody and less resistant to frost. Younger specimens are more stable and winter well.
Bushes division
This method is used in exceptional cases, since the division procedure is very painful for shaving.
Aubrita landing site
Aubrieta is an unpretentious plant. However, in well-lit areas and with regular watering, flowering is much more abundant. In the shade, it blooms weakly, the shoots are stretched and thinned.
Therefore, a sunny place is chosen for auspices. Excess moisture harms the plant (it is possible to provoke excessive growth of foliage and poor flowering), therefore, watered only in drought.
The soil
Desirable light, sandy, lime-containing land. The plant is undemanding to the quality of the substrate, grows well in a small amount of soil.
Landing the shaved in the crevice between the stones
It prefers loose, breathable soils, but not very fertile, does not grow on acidic clay soils.
Likes sand mulching by about 2-3 cm.
Shaved Care
• Peduncles with wilted flowers are regularly removed. This technique preserves the decorativeness of plants and promotes abundant autumn flowering.
• After flowering, the plants are pruned. This stimulates the growth of new shoots and creates a beautiful compact form of bushes.
Top dressing, watering, weeding
Young shaving plants need to be weeded regularly and watered. Over time, the need for weeding disappears. Aubration grows with a dense carpet, suppressing weeds trying to break through its thickets.
Watering is carried out if necessary in dry weather.
They are fed in the spring before flowering and after pruning with complex mineral fertilizer.
Shaved winter care
An interesting feature of the shave is that during the dormant period it does not drop leaves. Their color, bluish in summer, becomes cold green in cold weather. If winter is too harsh and snowless, it is better to cover them with dry leaves to preserve the bushes. Young plants are more winter-hardy than adult specimens, which are recommended for shelter for the winter.
Auritas curtains look great after a spring snowfall. Its leaves are not damaged by frost or autumn and spring frosts.
Aubrieta under the snow
Types and varieties of obriet
Aubrieta deltoidea was named after the shape of the leaves. Grows in Asia Minor and the Balkan Peninsula. The leaves are gray-green, deltoid. Purple or lilac flowers form loose clusters of inflorescences. The deltoid auret has been cultivated since 1710. He is the founder of all cultivars.
Forms beautiful curtains, completely strewn with purple-blue flowers. Low, about 15 cm high, rugs, grayish-green due to the dense pubescence on the leaves, are covered with numerous flowers. Flowering is plentiful and long, 30-35 days. Beginning of flowering in May.
Aubrieta cultural (Aubrieta x cultorum). It comes from the delta shape and includes many varieties and hybrid forms that differ in the color of the flowers, their size, shape and terry, and the color of the leaves. Cuttings of this species root very poorly, therefore seed propagation is recommended.
Aubrieta graceful (Aubrieta gracilis). Low - up to ten centimeters - an open plant with thin weak branches. Flowers with a diameter of up to one and a half centimeters, leaves up to one centimeter long, lanceolate.
Aubrieta columne (Aubrieta columnea). The height of the plant is 10-12 cm. The shape of the leaves is elongate-scapular. The flowers are large, with a diameter of up to 4.5 cm.
There are also:
• Croatian Aubrieta;
• intermediate sheath;
• Olympic sheath;
• Thessalonite Thessaly;
• Pinard’s shave;
• various hybrid forms.
Aubriet has been cultivated in culture for a long time. Its varieties created back in the late 19th century have survived. They are distinguished by powerful development and many small flowers.
The modern assortment of auria is very diverse. There are large-flowered forms, varieties with double and semi-double flowers, with variegated leaves. There are high varieties suitable for cultivation in pots and cuttings.
Variegated form of shaving
Aubriet has many varieties:
• Blu King with dark blue flowers;
• Gloriosa with pink;
• Doctor Mules with magenta;
• Red Carpet with reds;
• Dream with pale blue.
Seeds can be bought at the store. They usually sell a mixture of varieties, but you can also get pure seeds.
