Truly enthusiastic flower growers must have soil protectors in their garden. Not a single alpine hill can do without unpretentious herbaceous plants that delight the eye with flowering during the early summer, when the riot of colors is still not felt in the garden. One of the most popular groundcover is stalker. Planting and caring for the plant is so simple that many flower growers fill the resulting voids in the soil between tall ornamental crops with a stubble. Thus, you can kill two birds with one stone: a grassy flower displaces weeds and forms a kind of decorative carpet, above which lilies and roses rise.
Expanding horizons
Many gardeners grow soil protectors, naming them in their own way. So, a stalk (Cerastium), the description of which indicates that it belongs to the clove family, is called clove in common people. And few people know about the real name of this popular culture. There are several species of this herbaceous perennial, of which on the territory of Russia the warbler of felt, Biberstein, as well as alpine, have well taken root.
Why should a stalker settle in your garden?
Everyone loves flowers, but not everyone has time to look after them. Many come to their country house on short visits or prefer to grow vegetable crops there. Therefore, if there weren’t such an ornamental plant in nature as a warbler, the planting and care of which do not require certain skills and knowledge, then it would have to be invented. The plant is able to break through stones, literally growing in them, is not demanding on top dressing, and is also able to withstand open sun and wind. Yes, and pests do not particularly favor the dolphin, preferring to feast on onion and large-flowered crops.
What is a plant valued for?
In addition to small white inflorescences resembling a carnation in structure, and continuous flowering in early summer, the stalk is revered by gardeners for beautiful silver foliage. Even when the groundcover ceases to bloom actively, it practically does not lose in its presentability. Elastic silver foliage begins the active formation of processes and is able to delight the eye until autumn frosts.
Reproduction by dividing the bush
It was at this time that the cultivation of stalks and caring for it reduced to the formation of grassy bushes for future flower beds. The plant loves watering, so you don’t need to feel sorry for the roots during the water transplant. Faded bushes divide well, and their shallow root system does not experience much stress during division. Nevertheless, dividing the bush is better in moderate temperatures.
Growing stalks from seeds: we observe soil conditions
Faded bushes in their small boxes accumulate and store seeds. After checking and making sure that the seed has already become thoroughly dark, you can begin to sow a stalk in the winter. To do this, select a site for planting and remember that we will receive seedlings in the spring, and we will have to wait for flowering for another year. Given the fact that the plant is able to grow even on stones, there is no special requirement for the soil, with a few exceptions. We should not put too nutritious soil under planting, and we also need to make sure that moisture is well absorbed and retained in the selected area - these are the conditions for seedlings to ripen ripened seeds. Therefore, peat and sandy soils and soil with good drainage are especially welcome.
Climatic conditions of growth
Have you noticed, walking along the neighboring flower beds and rock gardens, that the plant varieties seem to be the same, but the density and bushiness are noticeably different? Of course, an unpretentious groundcover will grow under any conditions, but only where there is more sun and heat, plants will have more power. That is why in the garden plots located on a natural slope, the best is the hawthorn. Planting and caring for plants on alpine hills, in view of this feature, are more favorable from the south or south-west. Poor soil, open areas - all these are excellent conditions for the growth of stalks. No need to be afraid to plant seeds, for example, under an apple tree, on a semi-shaded area. But in the shadow of the stalk, though it will grow, you will not have to wait for flowering from it.
Features during the flowering period
The pleasure of contemplating a continuous flowering carpet is provided for at least a month and a half. Sometimes the plant blooms repeatedly in the second half of summer, but during this period only rare inflorescences peep through the carpet. If our task is to extend the flowering of the soil cover, as soon as flowers appear on the grass, we can somewhat improve the conditions for the decorative culture. To do this, we will remove weeds that actively break through the soil. In the second half of the summer we will not have to do this. The stalk is so strong and growing that, perhaps, not a single weed can break through its carpet.
When weeding a flowering carpet, we will loosen the soil properly. The roots of the plant are very fond of fresh air. No wonder in the wild, culture grows in rocky, mountainous areas. During flowering, you can make mineral fertilizers.
Stubble: landing and care. Division by cuttings
We know that a plant can propagate by seeds that it throws into the soil; we know how to propagate a stalk with the help of dividing a bush. The flowering period of the culture is the most favorable time for trying to attempt propagation by cuttings. The grafting procedure is simple. To do this, cut a single flowering stalk and place it in the soil, water it, ram the earth around the stem and cover it with a glass jar to create a favorable greenhouse atmosphere. You can remove the jar when new processes gain strength. Up to this point it is undesirable to touch the plant.
Haircut and bush formation
After flowering, it will be good to rid the plant of dried peduncles. If we need seeds for seedlings, we collect exactly as much as we need. The remaining faded sinuses can be easily cut with scissors or secateurs. We can also regularly cut the crawling carpet and cut the most powerful upper processes. This will allow next season to achieve incredibly proportional bushiness and splendor. The effect of renewed flowering is also possible with regular haircuts.
How often do you split and transplant the dolphin?
All ornamental and cultivated plants, sooner or later, require a new habitat, including a dolphin. Planting and caring for the newly formed bushes require a certain cycle - at least 3 years. If you divide the bushes every year, you can easily violate the overall aesthetic perception. Also, if we do not pay attention to an old bush, then the plant is gradually able to degenerate or lose its pristine power. Therefore, a complete change of habitat is necessary for the bush, at least after 5 years.
We can assume that a theoretical educational program regarding this unpretentious perennial has been carried out. We learned a lot about the hawk groundcover. Planting, growing and caring for the crop does not require excessive efforts from gardeners. Now is the time for action.