Stonecrops fit beautifully into the landscape gardening landscape. The cultivation of these flowers is simple, especially since there are many types of them. They are considered the most common throughout the world. Belong to the vast family of Crassulaceae. More than 500 species of sedum are used as groundcover perennial plants. The most popular types are: stonecrop prominent, stonecrop telefium, stonecrop Caucasian, sedum Purple Emperor, sedum white-pink, stonecrop Ruby shine.
Some of them are cultivated in ordinary indoor floriculture. Their height can be up to 80 cm. The stems are covered with fleshy thick leaves of a grayish, green, burgundy or reddish color with a slight bluish plaque. Some varieties of inflorescences reach 30 cm in diameter! Towards the end of summer, hats of stonecrops acquire a bright color: lilac, white, pink, carmine, brown, burgundy. In autumn, the flowers darken, but remain for a long time on the plants, gradually losing their attractiveness.
Ever since ancient times, stonecrops are known to mankind. The fact is that the juice from the leaves of these plants lubricated burns and wounds, and the stonecrop is also a biostimulant (like aloe). Note that stonecrop is a honey plant flower that attracts bumblebees, butterflies, and, of course, bees to the garden. The plant is popularly known under the names of "young" and "rabbit cabbage."
Stonecrops, the cultivation of which is not so difficult, require a good start. To do this, you need to prepare a pit 50x50 cm, a depth of 20 cm. For planting, the substrate consists of sand and humus or of humus and sandy loam. It is better to choose a sunny place. The whole essence of plant care lies in loosening and timely weeding. The dry periods of these plants are remarkably tolerated, feeding on moisture from their reserves accumulated in thick leaves. Stonecrop does not need additional fertilizers. Many sedums bloom beautifully even on poor soils.
After the stonecrop finishes blooming, its stems need to be cut to the ground, while the outlet for the winter should be mulched with garden compost. Plants of this type are affected by weevils, as well as slugs and snails.
The stonecrops are preferred cultivating caring, but not pushy. But when they reproduce, they need special care. You can propagate sedum seeds, leaf or stem cuttings, dividing the bush. Seeds need to be sown in the spring or in the fall in specially prepared boxes. They must be dug in the ground or put in a greenhouse. Soon, small shoots will appear. When there are two leaves, you need to dive into the beds. Plants will bloom a year or two after planting. It is excellent to root stonecrops by stem cuttings, producing it in warm time and preferably immediately in the open ground. The lowermost part of the stems can be cut into a couple of parts, with each of them rooted in the sand. You can also leave the stonecrop stalk in a dry and warm place, after a while new shoots and aerial roots appear, easily rooted when in contact with the ground. Dividing the bush is the simplest method of reproduction, in addition, each stonecrop (growing for a long time) must be divided every few years. It’s better to do this in the spring.
Stonecrops, the cultivation of which does not take much time, will decorate any landscape and garden. Therefore, do not doubt their choice!