Sedum is green. Stonecrop or sedum: cultivation features. Reproduction by dividing the bush

Stonecrop (sedum) is a plant of the Crassulaceae family. Prefers dry areas. Originally from the African and South American continents, it grows on the slopes, meadows of Europe, Russia, and the Caucasus. Sedum is translated from the Latin "sedo", which means "to subside." Popularly called "hare cabbage", "fever grass", "rejuvenated".

Sedum is a perennial or biennial succulent. Its varieties are thermophilic, winter-hardy, ground cover. Dense shoots branch out, forming shrubs and semi-shrubs, many species are ampelous. Leaves without petioles, fleshy, oval, sometimes flat, swollen. They are located opposite each other.

In different varieties, the color of the leaves is different - green, pink, gray, with reddish stains. The bright sun, shade, wind, soil composition also affect the color of stonecrop. The root system is represented by tubers.

Umbrella-shaped inflorescences bloom in summer or autumn. Their color is scarlet, blue, pink, white, yellow. Dense and recurved petals form a narrow tube, stamens are visible from it. The flowers smell pleasant and attract bees and bumblebees. Many varieties are poisonous.

Stonecrop: varieties and species with photos, caustic, prominent and others

There are about 500 varieties and types of sedum. Only a few of them are grown as ornamentals.

Seedling selection

Seedlings must be healthy, stems, leaves are elastic, without signs of disease, traces of pests, while taking into account the variety of the flower.

Low ones will create a flowering canvas, high ones look beautiful in a group or singly.

Location

Stonecrop prefers a place for planting with access to the sun, open, with soil without stagnant water. Sunlight provides decorative flower. Do not plant under deciduous trees, otherwise young shoots will not germinate.

Planting sedum in the open field step by step

Stonecrop is grown on moisture-permeable soil, where it grows luxuriantly. Before planting, the earth is dug up, compost or humus is added. Ground covers require fertilized, light, loose soil. Some varieties grow on loamy, sandy, calcareous soils.

Plant in spring, ideally in May.

Step by step:

• For each specimen, a hole is dug 20 cm deep and 50 cm wide.
• The bottom is covered with drainage (coarse river sand, pebbles).
• Above ground, peat, humus 3:1.
• In the middle of the hole, a depression is made, such as the root of a seedling.
• Place a seedling.
• Sprinkle with soil, press down.
• Watered.
• A few pebbles are laid out around, indicating a hole.

The distance between seedlings is 10-15 cm, between rows - 20 cm.

Outdoor Sedum Care

Care in the open field is simple: periodically fertilize, water. Every week loosen the soil around the bush, weed from weeds. Dry shoots and leaves are removed. Watch for diseases and pests.

Watering

In too dry summers, sedum is watered abundantly. At the same time, waterlogging of the soil is not allowed, in order to avoid rotting of the roots, they do not do this after rain.

top dressing

Feed the stonecrop with fertilizers for succulents. In April - the first time before flowering, in August - the second, after it. In the spring, nitrogen-containing fertilizers are applied, in the fall it is not necessary, this will disrupt the plant's susceptibility to low temperatures.

Instead of organic matter, mullein infusion is used, it is diluted with water 1:10, but not fresh manure.

pruning

Formative pruning gives a beautiful shape to the bush, while removing damaged and weakened parts of the plant. Use sharp and disinfected tools.

In perennial varieties, the stems are cut low in late autumn, and the remaining stumps are covered. Young shoots appear in spring.

Fit rejuvenation

Plant rejuvenation is done every 3-4 years. In spring or autumn, they get rid of old shoots, young ones dig up, divide. Parts are transplanted, the soil is supplied with ash and sand.

Wintering

Stonecrop usually tolerates low temperatures well, but some varieties require shelter for the winter. With the arrival of the first frosts, the shoots are cut off, leaving 3-4 cm, covered, covered with earth.

Pests and diseases

Stonecrop is resistant to diseases and pests, they infect the plant very rarely, mainly due to temperature and humidity disturbances. It can be:

• Fungal infection - dark spots appear. The affected parts are removed, treated with a fungicide.
• Thrips - black dots, sticky discharge, leaf fall. Treated with Fitoverm, Aktellik.
• Aphids - the leaves dry, curl, green insects are noticeable. Apply drugs - Iskra, Confidor.
• Weevil - eaten "patterns" on the leaves. Treated with Karbofos.

reproduction

Propagated in simple ways:

• Seeds - collected from plants in the garden (the fruits are taken dried and cracked) or bought in a store. Freshly harvested seed has a higher germination rate. Sow in the spring (March-April) in a substrate of earth, compost, sand 1:1:1, pre-moistened. Lightly sprinkle. Create greenhouse conditions: cover with a film. Then put in the place where the temperature is +5 ° C. Regularly ventilate, moisturize. After 14 days, the dishes with seeds are transferred to a heat of +20 ° C. Waiting for the emergence of seedlings in 7-14 days. When two normal leaves are formed, they are seated. Seedlings are hardened by taking them out into the open air before planting in a flower garden. In regions with a warm climate, seeds are sown immediately into the ground when frosts have passed. The plant will flower in 2-3 years.
• Cuttings - cut them 15 cm long from the upper parts of the shoots. The lower leaves are removed, added dropwise to a moist mixture of soil with compost and sand. Watered after two days. After the formation of roots, after 2-3 weeks, they are transplanted.
• By dividing - for this they take an adult, 4-5 year old bush. Varieties fit stonecrop prominent, ordinary. They dig, clear the earth, cut off diseased, rotten stems, roots. Divided into several small bushes, always with buds. Slices are sprinkled with wood (activated charcoal), dried for two days and planted.

Stonecrop care at home

Stonecrop is grown less often in the room, it needs bright sun, in winter - additional lighting. The plant is placed on the southern windowsill, it is not necessary to shade. The pot is selected low, wide, with drainage holes.

Buy a soil mixture for cacti or do it yourself: turf, leafy soil, sand equally. The bottom of the pot is covered with a drainage layer.

Water moderately, avoiding waterlogging. In summer once a week, in winter - 1 time in two weeks. From spring to early autumn, fertilize with mixtures for succulents. In summer, the temperature is set at + 25 ... 28 ° С, in winter - + 8 ... 12 ° С. Spraying stonecrop is not required, sometimes only a warm shower.

Mr. Dachnik recommends: the use of sedum in landscape design

Sedum gives extraordinary beauty to borders, flower beds, rockeries, garden paths, alpine slides. Creeping and shrubby species create an original composition with other flowers in landscape design. In autumn, most plants lose their attractiveness, and stonecrop pleases with a decorative look for a long time.

Gardeners decorate the site by growing sedum in pots, containers. Some form a plant in a greenhouse, then take it outside or plant it in open ground.

Ground cover unpretentious perennials are often used in ornamental gardening. Great popularity for unpretentiousness and decorative appearance throughout the season, acquired different types of stonecrops. Stonecrop (Sedum) is a herbaceous plant of the Crassulaceae family. In the people, stonecrop is also called young.

Origin

In nature, it is widely distributed in the temperate zone of the American continent and Eurasia. A little more than 20 species of sedum are grown in culture.

Description

Stonecrop is a perennial creeping plant with succulent stems and fleshy leaves. Basically, these are undersized ground cover plants, although there are species of stonecrops up to 70 cm high. The color of the foliage of sedum is light green or gray-gray, but there are varieties with variegated leaves, purple or yellow. Sedum flowers are small, collected in inflorescences - shields or umbrellas. Flowers can be white, yellow, red or purple.

Varieties of stonecrops can be divided into groups according to the height of the plant, into undersized, medium and tall. The following types can be attributed to undersized stonecrops:

Types of stonecrops with medium-sized bushes.

• Sedum is false. One of the most popular types in gardening. Plant height 15 - 20 cm, foliage can be painted in different shades, depending on the variety. Sedum flowers change color from soft pink when open to crimson or purple when fully opened. Inflorescences are large, up to 7 cm in diameter. Varieties:
  
• Sedum Kamchatka. The plant is low growing in breadth. Stonecrop shoots are reddish, thin. It blooms in July with bright yellow-orange flowers. The variety Yellow Rose (Golden Carpet) is very popular.
  Tall species of stonecrops are very attractive. The beauty of stonecrop can be appreciated by looking at a photo of flowers.

  

• Sedum is alive. Lush branched bushes grow up to half a meter. Stonecrop flowers are orange.

  

• Sedum prominent. A plant with vertically growing shoots, 40 - 50 cm high. The shade of the foliage is silver-green. Inflorescences are large, up to 15 cm, pink, lilac or reddish. Varieties:
  
• Poplar sedum. Branched plant, up to 30 cm in height. The flowers are collected in small inflorescences, pinkish-cream in color.

Stonecrops with original foliage:
Oregon sedum - leaves are reddish, fleshy, similar to candy. Blooms with yellow flowers.
Spatulate sedum - a plant no higher than 10 cm, with reddish leaves covered with a whitish coating.

Sedum juice can cause skin burns!

Choosing a place for landing sedum

Stonecrop requires an open and sunny place. In the shade, even lacy, the decorativeness of the plant is sharply reduced, the color of the foliage fades, the shoots are drawn out.

Stonecrops are succulents, which means they prefer dry, rocky, well-drained soils. Low-growing groundcover stonecrops grow well on poor soils (sandy loam and sandy soils). Abundantly flowering varieties of sedum need more fertile land - humus is added to sandy loam, at a dose of 5-6 kg per 1 sq. meter. Sand and gravel are added to the loam. The general soil requirement for all types of stonecrops is good drainage, even a slight stagnation of moisture at the roots will lead to decay and death of the plant.

In one place, a perennial can grow up to 5 years. The stonecrop is then rejuvenated by transplanting the plant.

If sedum is grown in a pot culture, you need to carefully consider the choice of capacity for the plant. Preference should be given to ceramic wide and low pots. The composition of the soil for indoor sedum is as follows: humus 1 part, coarse river sand 2 parts, peat 1 part.




reproduction

Stonecrops can be propagated by seeds, dividing the bush and cuttings. Seed propagation is a complex and time-consuming process, due to the long and poor germination of seeds. This method cannot be recommended to ordinary gardeners; breeders use it to develop new varieties of stonecrop.

Cuttings are quite common in sedum propagation. Pieces of the stem and leaf cuttings of stonecrop root easily within 12 to 15 days. For successful rooting, a plot of land is prepared with a predominance of sand in the soil. At home, a layer of expanded clay or pebbles is poured into the seedling container as drainage, then an earth mixture consisting of 1 part of soddy soil and 2 parts of sand. The mixture is moistened and compacted.




The cut apical shoots of stonecrop, 7–9 cm long, with pre-dried sections, are stuck into the soil and sprinkled with sand by 1 cm. The plantings are watered, trying not to erode the soil near the cuttings. When the branches take root, grow and get stronger, the young plant is transplanted to a permanent place. Cuttings are best done from spring to the end of summer, in autumn the cuttings will take root worse.

By dividing the bush, sedum is propagated in spring and early summer. An adult bush is dug up and divided, with a knife, into several frequent ones. Delenki are dried for a short time in a place protected from the sun, and seated in new areas.

In creeping species of stonecrop, at the beginning of summer, you can dig a creeping shoot into the ground. During the summer season, the stem covered with earth will grow roots. A rooted shoot can be separated from an adult bush and transplanted.

Planting sedum in the ground

In the spring, seedlings of stonecrop, bought in nurseries, or grown at home from cuttings, are planted in open ground, not earlier than May. Severe frosts should no longer threaten the plants.

For a stonecrop seedling, they dig a hole, 15–20 cm deep, up to half a meter in diameter. A layer of crushed stone or expanded clay is poured at the bottom, 2–3 cm thick. The pit is filled with a mixture of sand and humus in a ratio of 3 to 1.

A stonecrop seedling is placed in the center of the hole, spreading the roots to the sides. Sprinkle the roots, pressing down and compacting the soil with your hands. The distance between the sedum bushes depends on the size of the variety, but cannot be less than 25 cm. The seedling is well watered, the soil is mulched with fine gravel or granite chips.


stonecrop care

The plant does not need intensive watering, it has enough natural rainfall. Only young plants need to be watered with warm soft water while they take root. Mature plants are watered only if the finger, immersed in the soil, remains completely dry.

It is necessary to remove weeds in time, especially around young sedums. Feeding sedums is not required. Only luxuriantly flowering species are given liquid top dressing with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers for flowers, before and during flowering. Faded shoots need to be cut off, this will not weaken the plant by producing seeds.

Stonecrops are rarely affected by diseases and pests. However, a weakened plant, in case of violation of agricultural technology, may be invaded by sawflies,. In this case, landings are treated with Aktelik. In the rainy and cold season, the plant can get sick with fungal diseases. Affected plants must be destroyed so that the infection does not spread throughout the flower garden.

They winter well and do not require shelter in the middle lane of stonecrop: bent, caustic, white, prominent and false. Other species require shelter. All stonecrops are cut in late autumn, leaving stumps, 3–4 cm high. Heat-loving species are covered with spruce branches, straw, shavings. The main thing is that the shelter is breathable. In the spring, you need to remove the cover in time so that the stonecrop does not rot.




Stonecrop in garden design

Ground cover varieties of stonecrops are widely used to create carpet flower beds, landscaping alpine hills, rocky retaining walls, and even roofs.

Low-growing varieties of youth are popular in indoor floriculture. Unpretentious perennials are used in the compositions of florariums, decorative panels, bonsai. Stonecrops look great against the background of any stones, be it rounded pebbles or rough splintered granite.

Paths are planted with tall stonecrops, combined in a flower garden with other plants. Sedums look great with most perennials, they are good in the company of hostas, ornamental grasses,. Sedums look good in monoplants, a variety of varieties allows you to choose plants so that the composition will look colorful.

See also video

Sedum is one of those plants that do not have a bewitching beauty, but delight with unusualness and grace. Due to its huge variety, succulents are used in landscape design to decorate alpine slides, mixborders and rockeries. Tall varieties of stonecrop look great in group plantings. What does this one look like and how to properly care for it?

Sedum description

Sedum is a plant belonging to the genus of succulents, the Crassulaceae family. Depending on the variety, the plant is one, two-year-old and perennial. To date, there are about 500 types of stonecrop.

The succulent is a low-growing and ground cover plant, semi-shrubs and shrubs are also rare. The color palette is large: the flowers are white, yellow, pink, bluish and even light green.

Popular varieties

Each of the varieties of stonecrop has a zest and is in demand among gardeners. However, there are varieties that have been popular for more than 5 years.

Sedum Kamchatka

Loose bush, consisting of upright shoots 30-35 cm high. The length of dark green elongated leaves is 4-5 cm. The edges at the base of the plate are even, and on the opposite side they are serrated. Yellow flowers up to 2 cm in diameter form dense inflorescences-shields. The size of one umbrella is 11-13 cm. It enters the flowering phase in June, and leaves in 2-3 weeks.

Sedum caramel Kamchatka

Perennial plant with vertical stems 20 cm high. Ellipse-shaped leaves have a blunt edge near the petiole and serrated at the top. Small flowers are orange-yellow. Corymbose inflorescences are formed in June and adorn the plants for 25-30 days.

Sedum purple carpet

A perennial herbaceous plant, which was discovered in the 19th century by the German botanist M. Bieberstein. The succulent is a compact shrub 15-20 cm high and 40-50 cm in diameter. Densely leafy stems spread along the ground. Bright green oblong leaves arranged in two rows.

The length of the plate is 5-6 cm, the width is 3-4 cm. The flowers are red with pointed petals. Sedum purple blooms for 1.5-2 months, starting in the first half of summer. Sedum purple succulent growing from seeds is carried out according to the same principle as all succulents.

Eversa sedum

Compact perennial shrub. By the beginning of autumn, red-brown shoots become woody. Round small leaves are gray, thick. The flowers, painted in pink, are collected in inflorescences. The flowering period begins in July and lasts about two months. In autumn, the plant sheds its leaves.

Sedum is beautiful

Perennial with creeping stems. The leaf plates are thick, turgorous, gray. Prefers to grow in soil from leaf and sod land, sand (1:1:2). Grow in low pots.

Planting sedum for seedlings

Only patient growers can cultivate succulents by seed. The process requires a series of manipulations, and lasts much longer than reproduction by one of the vegetative methods.

Sedum growing from seeds when to plant? Planting sedum with seeds is carried out in March-first half of April according to the following plan:

Prepare the soil mixture. Mix leaf and sod land, sand and peat based on the proportion 1:1:1:1. It does not matter to which variety the sedum you like belongs, sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out as follows:

1. A handful of substrate is placed at the bottom of the plate and leveled. Seeds are sown on the surface of the soil and sprayed with water.
2. The container is placed in a bag or covered with glass and sent for 2 weeks in the refrigerator (vegetable section).
3. Stratified seeds are sown in containers, the soil is moistened with a spray gun. To make it easy for tender seedlings to break through to the surface, the planting material is crushed on the surface of the substrate and sprinkled with a thin layer of sand.
4. The container is covered with a film or glass.

To prevent fungi from appearing on the soil and planting material, from time to time the mini-greenhouse is ventilated. At room temperature, sedum seedlings break through to the surface 2-4 weeks after sowing. Plants that have formed 1-2 true leaves are transplanted into separate containers.

2 weeks before the expected date of the next pick, the seedlings are hardened. Young plants will experience less stress and better take root in a new place if they gradually increase their time in the fresh air. Hardening starts from 1-2 hours and is brought up to a day.

Landing on a permanent place is carried out in the third decade of May. When propagating sedum with seeds, keep in mind that the plant will not bloom in the first summer.

For a flower like sedum, growing from seed is one of the most effective ways to get an exotic plant for your garden.

How to plant sedum in open ground

From how the landing will be made, the flower will take root or not. But before proceeding to the decisive manipulation, you need to carefully prepare.

How to choose a seedling

It is best to buy sedum flowers in a nursery. For planting, you should choose only healthy seedlings without mechanical damage and traces of diseases and pests. The leaves should be alive with turgor, and the soil in the container should be clean.

When choosing a plant, it is worth considering the fact that low-growing varieties are more suitable for creating living carpets, and tall ones are more suitable for single plantings.

In our nursery in Tatarstan, you can buy high quality sedum seedlings for every taste. The company delivers orders throughout Russia, so you can buy sedum in Moscow or any other city if you are a wholesale buyer.

Location selection

Like most succulents, stonecrop grows well in sandy and rocky soils. Despite this, the plant can also live on any other soil that passes water well. You should not plant a flower on a site with swampy soils or in a lowland where water often accumulates.

As for lighting, it is better to plant sedum in a well-lit place, unless otherwise is written in the description of the purchased copy. It is undesirable for shrubs and trees to grow nearby.

Sedum, planted in the shade, quickly loses its decorative effect. The leaf plates become thinner, and the stems are drawn out.

Soil preparation

Most varieties of sedum are not demanding on the composition of the soil. At the same time, some ground cover varieties prefer to grow in garden soil rich in trace elements, while the rest feel great in loam or sandstone.

For example, sedum purple carpet belongs to the first category, sedum prominent - to the second. Therefore, before buying a stonecrop you like, you need to clarify whether it will be possible to fulfill the requirements of the plant.

A universal soil mixture for succulents is prepared from leafy and soddy soil, sand, rotted manure mixed in a 1: 1 ratio. A handful of wood ash is added to the finished substrate.

Landing dates

Sedum is planted in the second decade of May, when the risk of return frosts is reduced to zero. In the southern regions, the favorable time comes earlier, and in the northern - later than the specified date.

A flower is planted following this scheme:

1. At the chosen place, holes are dug with a diameter of 50 cm and a depth of 20 cm. So that the plants do not interfere with each other's growth, 20 cm of free space is left between them.
2. A layer of drainage material is laid at the bottom of the landing pit: pebbles, gravel or broken bricks. This will improve the outflow of water and prevent fungus from developing.
3. The hole is 2/3 filled with soil mixture.
4. Seedlings are set in the center and sprinkle the straightened roots with earth.
5. The plant is watered abundantly.

Sedum planting and care: propagation by vegetative methods

You can get new plants with the help of cuttings. To do this, a stalk is cut out from the center of a healthy mature shoot, so that 2-3 cm remain above and below the lower bud.

The stalk is planted in a loose, moist substrate and, as necessary, sprayed with a spray bottle.

During transplantation, sedum is propagated by dividing the bush. The excavated plant is divided into 3-4 parts. Sprinkle damaged roots with activated charcoal powder and put in a dark, dry place for 2-3 hours. After that, the bushes are planted in separate holes in a sunny area.

How to care for a sedum

Although care is almost unimportant for plants such as sedum, a succulent will look more beautiful if you give it a little attention. To do this, you need to carry out the following garden manipulations.

Watering

The first thing to remember: waterlogging is one of the causes of stonecrop soreness. Therefore, watering the succulent can only be done with a moderate amount of water after the earthen lump is completely dry. Adult specimens are even less demanding on the level of humidity: even in dry summers, they need rare watering.

top dressing

Sedum is absolutely undemanding to the nutritional value of the soil. To make the plant lush and even more flowering, fertilizers are applied twice. Feeding scheme:

1. Before flowering. A solution of cow manure or a handful of ammonium nitrate is added under the plants.
2. After flowering. To renew the supply of macro and microelements, sedum is fed with complex mineral fertilizers in accordance with the instructions.

It is impossible to apply nitrogen fertilizers more often, as this will have a bad effect on the plant's resistance to low temperatures.

The main sign that the plant needs nutrients and sunlight is pale or yellowing leaves. If the condition has not improved after feeding, the flower is transplanted to a sunny place.

Weeding

Perennial sedum does not get along well in the same area with weeds, so they need to be pulled out immediately after they appear. So that the soil is not taken with a crust and is maximally saturated with oxygen, the soil around the flower is loosened. For decoration, the flower is wrapped around with bark or pebbles.

Transfer

The root system of sedum lies in the upper layers of the soil and does not have much power. Therefore, it is often not recommended to transplant the plant from place to place. In extreme cases, 1-2 picks per year are allowed. Rejuvenating sedum planting is done every 5 years.

Shelter for the winter

On the eve of cold weather, the stonecrop is cut off. Heat-loving varieties are mulched and covered with lutrasil. As soon as full heat comes, the shelter is removed.

Whatever the variety of sedum, planting and care in the open field does not require special skills and a lot of time. Even a busy person or an inexperienced summer resident can grow a succulent on his site.

Diseases and pests

Sedum is one of those plants that are practically not exposed to diseases and pests. The provocateur of the development of bacteria is often improper care.

Due to waterlogging, the succulent damages the rot. The main signs of the disease are gray or black spots on the entire superficial part. The areas affected by bacteria are cut off with a sharp knife and destroyed, and the sedum itself is sprayed with a fungicide. Watering is done only after the soil dries out.

Among insects, aphids, nematodes and weevils are dangerous for stonecrop.

• From small black pests that damage the leaves, the plants are sprayed with a weak insecticide solution. Please note that a strong concentrate cannot be used, as it burns tender leaves.
• Nematodes live in the root and quickly destroy it. It is possible to identify the appearance of unexpected guests only by the appearance of the aerial part of the plant. Flowers with withering foliage are dug up along with an earthy clod and carried away from the site.
• Weevils that eat the fleshy leaves are bagged and destroyed.

Some plants attract not with exquisite large flowers of unusual shapes, but with large inflorescences. A large number of small stonecrop buds, collected in dense brushes or umbrellas, can become a real decoration of a flower bed. The succulent has taken root in dachas and in the apartments of flower growers, delighting with lush greenery and a sea of ​​​​small flowers. Consider the features of planting and caring for stonecrop, the best types and varieties of flowers.

The Latin name for the culture is Sedum. The plant is a succulent, belongs to the Tolstyankov family.

Most species grow as perennials, some as biennial crops. A variety of forms often makes sedum unrecognizable - stonecrop grows in a lush bush or tightly braids the soil with a real carpet. Sedum has dense fleshy leaves that accumulate moisture and clean it from drying out. Leaf plates are painted green, gray, often have pink stains. The color of the foliage depends on the living conditions.

Flowers are collected in inflorescences in the form of a brush, umbrella or corymbose. Almost all types of sedum have a pleasant smell and are honey plants. The color of stonecrop flowers is diverse - pink, white, blue, yellow. Blooms in summer and autumn. Sedum is ubiquitous in nature. There are more than 500 species, of which about a hundred are cultivated. Many varieties and hybrids have been created for landscape decoration of plots. Houses grow tropical species.

Features of application in landscape design

Large sedum inflorescences and bright juicy greenery can decorate any area. In landscape design, many varieties are used in flower beds to create "velvet" paintings with alternating colors. Sedum bushes look great near ponds. Stonecrops are planted along the edges of flower beds, to create a border, and along garden paths. Dense planting of low varieties creates dense lawns that look good even in the absence of flowers - because of the decorative foliage. Creeping forms will hide the gaps of alpine slides and rockeries.

Benefits of growing at home

Flower growers have long grown stonecrop at home. To ensure flowering, special conditions are required:

• moderate watering;
• decrease in temperature in winter (10-12 °);
• warmth and sun (south side) in summer;
• timely feeding.

Stonecrop blooms only with experienced flower growers who can provide the necessary conditions. Even in the absence of flowers, sedum pleases with decorative greenery, the beauty of the bush. Many appreciate the plant for its medicinal properties. It is used as a biostimulant, similar in action to aloe leaves. Juicy leaves are used for wounds and injuries of the skin, make healing infusions for pain in the heart and hypotension.

Reference: close relatives of sedum - fat woman, Kalanchoe, Echeveria.

Types and description of stonecrop varieties

Sedum grows everywhere, the variety of natural forms is great. Plants are so different in appearance that it is sometimes hard to believe that they belong to the same family. Consider the most popular and favorite types and varieties of stonecrop.

ground covers

When creating a harmonious flower garden, ground cover plants with creeping stems come to the rescue. They cover the ground and serve as a backdrop for other crops. Stonecrops plant trees on the territory with a beautiful juicy carpet, which is colored with bright spots of buds.

Cornflower

Stonecrop stems grow by 8-10 centimeters. The tops of the stems with leaves of a gray-green hue themselves look like flowers. The buds are pink-purple, when opened, they reach 0.5-0.6 centimeters. Bloom in August.

Siebold's stonecrop

It has thin recumbent stems and fleshy leaves, collected in whorls of 3 pieces. The leaves are rounded, with a red tint along the edge. The flowers are pink, collected in thick umbrellas or corymbs.

Forstera sedum

Tightens the entire area with a dense low (10 centimeters) carpet. The foliage is gray-green in color, interspersed with pink. Yellow flowers rise 20-30 centimeters. They look good in a flower pot, hanging down.

Divergent

A low creeping plant hides all the gaps in flower beds with a thick carpet 5 centimeters high. The leaves turn pink in the sun. Flowers slightly rise above the green mass, may be pink and yellow.

False

A wonderful plant native to the Caucasus. False stonecrop is grown on alpine hills, sloping roofs are planted with greenery. It has a long creeping rhizome, spreads rapidly over a large area. The leaves are wedge-shaped, the flowers are pink-lilac, the inflorescences are without upper leaves. It blooms for a long time - from June to October.

stonecrop

The natural appearance of sedum is successfully grown as a cultivated plant. A low stonecrop (8-10 centimeters) covers the entire area with a thick green carpet. In the middle of summer it is covered with abundant yellow flowers, which attract bees with a pleasant smell.

Lydian

Stonecrop Lydian covers the ground with real thickets, the stems are showered with a large number of medium-sized elongated fleshy leaves. Grow well in the shade. The flowers are white, rising low above the foliage.

Eversa sedum

Stonecrop Evers is used for landscaping pebble slopes, screes. The plant is planted on alpine hills, they hide bare areas near the house. Blooms in July, flowers last up to 2 months. The foliage is decorative, densely growing on smooth stems. The buds are densely arranged on corymbose inflorescences. Petals - light pink or crimson.

Subulate

In nature, the styloid stonecrop grows on the mountain slopes of the Caucasus. Shoots with a large number of subulate-linear brittle leaves of a yellow-green hue. Inflorescence corymbose, dense, with white flowers.

Six-row

Sedum grows up to 8-18 centimeters, the stems strongly branch directly from the base. The foliage is cylindrical in shape, grows very densely on the side shoots. Leaf color is green.

The inflorescences are loose, bright yellow flowers are sparsely located, shaped like small stars. Planted in a large group or alternating with other species.

Ampelny

Ampel varieties and types of stonecrop are popular for cascading decoration of garden plots and apartments. They look good in pots and flowerpots.

Among the most beloved:

1. Morgan. Sedum has stems that grow up to a meter and are strewn with thick cylindrical leaves with pointed tips. Blooms with pink-red buds. It's called "monkey tail".
2. Siebold. The stem hangs down by 20-25 centimeters, the leaves are rounded, of different shades.
3. Burrito. Similar to Morgana, the edges of the leaves are round.
4. Small-leaved Makinoy. Stonecrop with small leaves of different colors.
5. Mexican. Ampel bush with shoots up to 20 centimeters and thin leaves. The leaves turn yellow in the sun, they bloom yellow.

All ampelous species are unpretentious, they develop well with a lack of sun. When grown in pots, regular watering is required.

shrubby

Stonecrops with tall bushes and flower stalks are more popular with flower growers. They are clearly visible in the flower beds, they are planted in separate curtains or form large groups of different shades. Their stems do not cover the ground, so crops need regular watering.

red dotted

The peduncle of the sedum rises to 60 centimeters, the color of the buds is white and different shades of pink. The foliage is not particularly bright, gray-green in color. The main difference between red-dotted stonecrop is late flowering, which occurs in September. Do not plant in cold regions.

tenacious

Herbaceous perennial in nature is found in the Far East and Siberia. Grows on edges, meadows, rocky slopes of rivers. Refers to poisonous plants.

Ordinary

The tall type of stonecrop is among the most popular. Based on it, popular garden varieties have been created. Bright, petiolate leaves have teeth on the edges. The peduncle rises 40-60 centimeters. Flowers bloom at the end of July. The corymbose inflorescence is densely packed with buds, the opening flowers look like stars. The best varieties are Matrona, Linda Windsor.

Prominent

Natural species, came from Asia, has long been cultivated in Japan. The bush is erect, grows up to 60 centimeters. The leaves are sessile, dense, green. Inflorescences stand on a dense stem, diameter - up to 15 centimeters. Flowers of pink or carmine-red shade, the size of each is no more than 10 millimeters.

Stonecrop prominent became the ancestor of many varieties - Neon, Xenox, Brilliant.

Adolf

Evergreen shrub with many stems. Foliage is green and fleshy when young, becoming yellow and pink with age. The inflorescences are hemispherical, the color of the petals is white. When grown indoors, it blooms with difficulty.

red-leaved

Red-leaved or red-colored sedum is a shrub with falling shoots that rise with age. The leaves are pronounced green with a red ending. The flowers are yellow.

Rural

Stonecrop Rural has woody stems up to 40 centimeters high. A flower of yellow tones on a short pedicel, the inflorescence is an umbrella. This type of stonecrop is not very common. The bush grows slowly, requires sunny areas and regular watering.

Purple

The dense foliage of stonecrop will become a real decoration of the garden. Sheets with carved edges, covered with a wax coating. Pink flowers stand out beautifully against her background. The peduncle rises up to 70 centimeters. The stems are dense, the tall bush does not fall apart, keeps its shape. Blooms in July.

The foliage has a slightly sour taste, it is consumed fresh, fermented.

Yellow

Yellow or pale yellow stonecrop has green, brown foliage, sometimes with a bluish bloom. The flowers are yellow. Winter-hardy, unpretentious look. A popular variety is Red Wiggle.

Sedum hybrid Abbeydor

Low bushes (35-40 centimeters) are covered with abundant green foliage. The color of the flowers is purple-pink. The bush is falling apart. The inflorescence is corymbose and very dense, with an abundance of buds. Used in mixborders.

Growing stonecrop in open ground

When growing stonecrop, it is important to imagine what kind of plant will turn out. Many varieties tighten large areas of soil with their stems, braid their neighbors.

Location selection

Stonecrop is planted in a well-lit area. Partial shading is only allowed for some part of the day. Without enough sunlight, the bushes stretch out, the color of flowers and leaves suffers. Succulents do not like excess moisture; they do not use low-lying areas with stagnant water. If necessary, make drainage to drain the soil. For the same reason, you should not plant a bush under trees that drop their leaves in autumn.

Preparing the ground

Sedum does not impose special requirements on the composition of soils; it grows well on any soil. It is important to provide drainage, to avoid accumulation of puddles. With a high occurrence of groundwater, the beds are raised. The soil is dug up, weeds are carefully removed. Heavy clay soils are lightened with sand or fine gravel. Humus is added to increase fertility.

How to sow seeds: timing and technology

In warm regions, sedum can be sown in the spring with seeds, directly into the ground, when consistently warm weather is established. Most flower growers prepare seedlings in advance.

Basic rules for planting stonecrop:

1. Sedum planting for seedlings is carried out in March-April.
2. The composition of the soil is sand, humus, fertile soil in equal parts.
3. Container - depth - 10-15 centimeters, with a laid drainage layer.
4. Spill the soil well, leave for impregnation.
5. Spread the seeds in shallow grooves, sprinkle with soil.
6. Close with foil.
7. Water with a sprayer when dry.

Planting seedlings

Ready stonecrop seedlings are transferred to open ground when the danger of freezing has passed. For different regions, this is the beginning-end of May. Seedling holes are made at a distance of 15-20 centimeters, they use the recommendations for planting this plant variety. The root system of the sedum is small, it is impossible to bury the seedling. Enough holes with a depth of 20 centimeters. After planting, the plants are watered abundantly.

Reference: flowering of sedums begins 2-3 years after planting.

plant care

Stonecrop is classified as unpretentious crops; most varieties do not need special care. It is important to remove weeds in time, carefully removing them from the beds. Weed grass clogs stonecrop, slows down growth.

Watering

Sedum does not need frequent regular watering. Stonecrop is watered only during dry summers, 2-3 times per season. Excess water culture tolerates worse than lack. After watering, the soil is loosened, creating oxygen access to the soil. Do this carefully because of the shallow roots.

Fertilization

Sedum does not need a large number of dressings. Ground cover species can not be fertilized. Fertilizing with nitrogen is especially carefully applied, which violates the decorative effect of foliage and reduces frost resistance.

It is permissible to feed tall sedums 1-2 times per season with complex fertilizers with phosphorus and potassium.

Transfer

In one place, stonecrop can grow up to 5 years. In the future, the bush ages, it needs rejuvenation. When updating a bush, it can be transplanted to another location. The bush is dug up in the spring, when the vegetation process has not yet begun rapidly, the soil is shaken off. Cut into pieces with a clean tool so that each has roots and buds. Leave for several hours in a shaded place. Sections are smeared with fungicides. Planted in a new area.

pruning

Dried parts of the stem, damaged leaves are cut off regularly. On bushes with colored foliage, green shoots are cut to maintain the decorativeness of the plant. In September or October, the bush is pruned in winter, so the plant is easier to cover from frost.

Pests and Diseases: Control and Prevention

In rainy summers and with excess watering, stonecrop suffers from fungal infections. Rot spots appear on stems and leaves. Damaged parts of the bushes are cut out, the plants are treated with fungicides.

Of the pests, caterpillars, weevil, aphids, and thrips attack sedum more often than others. Suitable insecticides are used for cleaning.

Stonecrop is little susceptible to disease. When choosing a dry, ventilated area without strong shading and little watering, summer residents do not cause trouble.

How is the wintering of a flower

Plants lose their leaves in autumn. In tall bushes of stonecrop, in preparation for winter, the stems are cut, leaving 3-4 centimeters. Dried flower stalks remain decorative, so bushes are often left near houses until spring. You can cut off the overwintered stems when the snow melts, before the start of the growing season. In cold regions, plantings can be insulated with loose soil, river sand or fine gravel. If necessary, sprinkle with snow on top.

Ways to breed stonecrop

Reproduction of stonecrop is not particularly difficult. New plants are obtained by vegetative division and from seeds. Let's consider each method in more detail.

seeds

Many flower growers get seeds from their own plants. To obtain seed, you need to withstand the flower stalks until completely dry and carefully cut. This is not easy to do, the stonecrop blooms for a long time, often until the snow itself, the seeds do not have time to ripen.

Important: stonecrop hybrids do not give full-fledged seeds, parental properties are not transferred.

You can plant seeds on seedlings at home or immediately in open ground. The second method is only suitable for warm regions.

cuttings

Most species of sedum are easy to propagate from cuttings. This method is considered faster and more reliable. In the spring, a cutting with 1-2 buds is cut from the bush and deepened into the ground by 2-3 centimeters. The bottom sheets must be cut off to prevent rotting. The prepared cutting can be rooted in a pot, and then transferred to the ground. When cutting cuttings in the autumn, young seedlings will have to be grown at home. Sedum cuttings are placed in water, waiting for the growth of roots. After that, they are planted in separate pots.

The transfer of stonecrop to the soil is carried out in the spring, when the weather is warm.

Stonecrop reproduces easily, the stalk that has fallen to the ground quickly gives roots, forms a young plant. This property is used if sedum is already growing on the site. The soil around an adult bush is cleaned, loosened, fertilized. Press the stem to the ground with a hairpin, water. Rooting is fast. When cutting, the young bush completely retains the properties of the old plant.

The division of the bush

Dividing one bush into several is another way to propagate stonecrop. It is good if the sedum has already sat in one place, it is time to rejuvenate the plant. When dividing, it is important to remove the old part of the roots and the bush, to create viable layers with roots, buds.

The division is carried out when the main vegetation processes have not yet started, the plant is not in the stage of active growth.

Growing and propagating sedum is within the power of any grower. The plant does not have a capricious character, grows well in drought conditions, does not need frequent feeding, pruning, and bush formation. Stonecrop attracts bees with a pleasant smell, promotes pollination of neighbors. The healing properties of sedum are another undoubted advantage of the plant.

With the help of different types of stonecrop, you can arrange alpine slides, flower beds, create borders. Sedum favorably differs from other flowering plants in its high decorativeness of foliage and bush. A wide variety of species and varieties allows you to decorate the site in accordance with the characteristics of the territory and personal tastes.