Yaskolka how to plant where it grows. Yaskolka: cultivation and care in the open field. Application, medicinal properties and harm

Yaskolka is rightly ranked among the best garden ground covers and the most luxuriantly blooming perennials for decorating rock gardens and rockeries. Dense cushions of creeping shoots conquer with a silvery, very dense edging of leaves, but the best shrub during flowering, when the bushes hide under a lush blanket of white flowers with a yellow throat. Cheerful and actively growing, chickweed of any species quickly conquers neighboring territories. In cultivation, this is one of the simplest plants, conquering with its endurance and undemandingness.

Chickweed growing from seeds

Chickweed seeds for seedlings or greenhouses are sown in March, in the soil on seed beds - only in April or October. The seedlings are grown to a height of 5 cm and spread out at a distance of 5 cm between the bushes. On the permanent place the chickens obtained from seeds are transferred in July.

Yaskolka growing conditions

Bright, perfectly protected by nature from heat and drought, the shingle with its delightfully silvery drooping leaves and an abundance of snow-white flowers belongs to the most light-loving garden plants. It should not be planted even in partial shade, choosing for this culture only sunny, brightly lit areas for most of the day, open and warm. Yaskolka will not refuse even the southern sites. She is not afraid of winds and drafts due to her modest growth.

For this plant, it is necessary to provide loose, light, super-loose soil, but at the same time sufficiently nutritious. The best soil for growing these plants is sand-based soil (sandy loam, sandy or at least loamy), which was added with compost and humus to compensate for the insufficiently high level of nutrient content. The chickweed can be planted in rocky soil, but crushed peat bog must be added to retain water.

Yaskolka is rightfully ranked among the fastest growing garden plants. This perennial, for years preserving its beauty actively and quickly captures neighboring territories and increases its power and volume. One shrub bush with a modest height of 20 cm in diameter can reach more than 70 cm.That is why planting a shrapnel should provide for either the allocation of sufficient space for the plant to grow and develop, or planting in places where there is simply no soil for capture.

It is best to place the chisel at the base of alpine hills and near large stones, in crevices, rockeries or on slopes. But it also looks good in the foreground of flower beds, in mixborders (especially in compositions with decorative mulch made of stone chips or gravel), along curbs, on ridges, in rockeries and rock gardens, in the design of small terrace passages and support walls.

Yaskolka planting in open ground

Before planting, about 5-7 kg of any organic fertilizers, for example, compost or humus (for each square meter of soil), must be added to the soil. If you plan to plant the chrysalis in places where the soil is not light enough or contains almost no sand, you must also mix coarse sand into the soil. The minimum tillage depth for shrapnel is about 20 cm. Improvement is best done about a month or at least two weeks before planting.

Before planting, the soil is once again dug to a depth of 15-20 cm, and then the plants are planted in individual small planting pits according to the size of the seedling rhizome. The distance when planting the chippings should be at least 25-30 cm between the pieces. After planting, watering is carried out to support engraftment.

Open field care

Caring for the chisel is quite simple. Its main component should be the maintenance of the nutritional value of sandy soils, without which this perennial cannot bloom profusely and delight with a dense pillow of silvery greenery. During the summer, it is advisable to spend 2, or preferably 3, feeding for shingles with full mineral fertilizers or a mixture for flowering garden plants.

The rest of the care boils down to cleaning the soil under the plant in early spring, weeding, removing shoots that are knocked out of the pillows and crawling into the "territory" of neighboring plants and the obligatory pruning of faded peduncles immediately after the start of the wilting process. Only the timely removal of faded shoots will allow the clumps of bluish drooping leaves to remain attractive until the arrival of winter. If the chive is overgrowing, formative pruning can be done.

Yaskolka belongs to completely winter-hardy plants, does not need any protection, even in the middle zone and to the north.

Chings belong to the most durable and perfectly retaining their decorative properties of garden plants. But due to the constant growth, they need rather frequent transplants and rejuvenation. The optimal strategy for growing this plant is to replant every 5 years or more, with the division of the bushes into several smaller divisions.

Chrysalis reproduction

It is very easy to propagate this baby. To do this, you can use both the classic method of dividing the bush for perennials growing in dense clumps, and cuttings. The latter is carried out in the spring, before the release of flower stalks or after flowering, rooting cut shoots in shade or under a hood on any bed in the garden. The best results in rooting are always given by cuttings in June. The division is carried out in early spring. The shrub bushes are cut low, allowed to start growing, and then the dense and compact cushions are cut apart.

Lump of disease and pests

The undoubted advantages of this plant include almost complete resistance to pests and diseases. The chickweed can undergo the spread of fungal infections or become a victim of garden pests only in case of extreme neglect and in places that are unfavorable in terms of their conditions - in excessive humidity, dampness and cold, in the absence of any pruning for many years. For the rest, the yaskolka will not cause trouble.

Yaskolka species and varieties

Alpine lamb

In nature, it grows in the Altai mountains, the Carpathians, Western Europe. It is a perennial plant 15 cm tall. Alpine chickweed has creeping, strongly branching stems. The foliage is ovoid, small, silvery-green. The flowers are white, 2 cm in diameter, collected in small inflorescences. Alpine chickweed blooms from May 20 days.

In garden culture, the plant is capricious. Cannot tolerate stagnant water and solo overheating, needs planting in places well protected from sunlight. Often it can die in winter from overheating of its shoots. It mates under the spruce branches. Spring rejuvenation is recommended by layering or cuttings.

Jaskolka Biberstein

The birthplace of the plant is Crimea. A perennial plant that forms cushions. The shoots of this shingle are creeping, and the peduncles are ascending. The variety is winter-hardy. The foliage is sessile, linear, small. The flowers are snow-white, collected in a small-flowered semi-umbrella. At the top, the petals are deeply dissected into 2 lobes. Bieberstein's louse blooms in May for about 25 days. To limit its spread, it is imperative to remove each new shoot.

Felt splinter

The homeland of the variety is Italy. It is a perennial plant with branched, gray tomentose, ascending or creeping stems that form pillows 25 cm high and 50 cm in diameter.

The foliage is small, grayish-tomentose, linear-lanceolate. Snow-white flowers 1 cm in diameter. The plant blooms in May. This type of chive does not grow much, therefore it is suitable for small rock gardens. However, with the onset of spring, it is necessary to cut the plant shorter so that it retains its compactness. Looks great with fescue, bells. Chickweed felt winter-hardy, suffers from spring waters.

Lascholka purple

Under natural conditions, purple chickweed grows in the Caucasus, Turkey, and also in Iran. It is a perennial that forms dense cushions 25 cm in height. The foliage is small, oblong; before winter, the foliage leaves green. Peduncles 25 cm. The flowers are purple white.

Where to buy chickweed seeds

The Scientific and Production Association "Sady Rossii" has been introducing the latest achievements in the selection of vegetable, fruit, berry and ornamental crops into the wide practice of amateur gardening for 30 years. In the work of the association, the most modern technologies are used, a unique laboratory for microclonal reproduction of plants has been created. The main tasks of NPO Sady Rossii is to provide gardeners with high-quality planting material for popular varieties of various garden plants and novelties of world selection. Delivery of planting material (seeds, onions, seedlings) is carried out by Russian post. We are waiting for you for shopping:

Felt chickweed is an ornamental perennial herb from the clove family. The scientific name of the flower is Cerāstium Tomentōsum.

In flower beds, yaskolka is used as a carpet culture, creating curtains and meadows from it, completely covered with fragrant snow-white flowers. Because of the abundant flowering of the shingle, the felt has received the name "summer snow" from gardeners.

Botanical description

Felt chickweed is a ground cover plant with a stem length of 15-45 cm. Growing, the stems form a low cushion. Stems and leaves are covered, like a felt, with dense pubescence, which is why the chickweed was called “felt”.

The plant has small, narrow leaves. The length of the plates is up to 3 cm.

The most remarkable thing about the chickweed is the flowers. They are very numerous, collected in corymbose inflorescences, have a snow-white color. "Summer Snow" blooms from May to June. The diameter of the flowers is up to 1 cm.

After the end of flowering, round or oblong boxes are formed on the shoots. Inside are brown seeds that can be harvested and used for planting next year.

What types of chickweed are grown in Russia (photo)

There are about 200 types of chippings. Among them are annuals and perennials.

In Russia, in addition to felt, several more species can grow:

Photos of some varieties:

Silver carpet

Snow carpet

Crystal waterfall

Growing

Planting and caring for "summer snow" is not difficult. This is one of the reasons for its popularity. To make the plant more decorative, you need to follow the simple rules of agricultural technology.

Landing place

The flower is photophilous, not afraid of drought and cold weather. Therefore, it can be planted on any heights, including alpine slides. The laskolka grows especially magnificently, bathing in the sun's rays. In the shade, she feels worse, partially loses its decorative effect, but survives. In dark places where there is a lot of moisture, the plant quickly dies.

The flower is extremely undemanding to the soil, but does not like acidic soils. It survives on any soil - sandy, poor, rocky. The main thing is that water does not stagnate in the root layer. If "summer snow" is planted on dense clay soil, you need to add a little sand - this will improve the permeability of the soil.

Sowing seeds in open ground and for seedlings

The flower is bred with seeds, which are sown in the ground in early spring or before winter. Growing from seeds is rarely used, since the seeds of the flower are small and do not germinate well into open ground.

You can use seedlings, sowing seeds in early March. Seeds are planted to a depth of 0.5 cm. Seedlings will appear in one to two weeks. When several true leaves are formed, the seedlings dive, seating several pieces in each glass.

Seedlings can be obtained directly at the dacha - in cold greenhouses under glass or foil. In such cases, the seedlings do not dive, but thin out, leaving 5 cm between them, and in July they are planted in a permanent place.

A chickweed, planted by seedlings, blooms in the year of sowing. Seedlings develop well at temperatures from 12 degrees.

Care, watering, feeding

The plant practically does not need watering. Even in arid climates, it is extremely rare to irrigate the curtains. For good development, the bushes have enough dew and other natural moisture. Excessive watering leads to rotting of the roots and leaves.

This hardy plant also does not need fertilizers. If the bushes grow slowly or do not form a cushion of the desired density, you can feed them with any complex fertilizer for ornamental flowers. The only top dressing at the beginning of summer provides the planting with all the necessary nutrients until the end of the season.

In one place, the plant feels good for up to 5 years. It is not worth replanting it more often than every 3-5 years, so as not to reduce the decorativeness of the plantings.

The yaskolka tolerates a haircut well. Over time, its stems lengthen, their lower part is exposed and darkens, which is why the plantings lose their decorative effect. The stems are trimmed with a trimmer or garden shears, at a height of 5 cm from the soil surface. New shoots will soon appear from the ground and the pleasures will rejuvenate. To keep the plants compact, in the spring they are cut shorter, removing last year's stems with scissors almost at the root.

Wintering

The flower is not afraid of frost and, even when planted on a hill, does not need winter shelter. Leaves are preserved on some of the shoots under the snow, and in the spring the decorativeness of the plantings is quickly restored. It makes sense to cover the "summer snow" only if the region has snowless and very frosty winters.

Reproduction methods

The chickweed has two breeding methods:

• seed;
• vegetative (by dividing the bush and cuttings).

The division of the bush is carried out in the fall or early spring. Once every few years, the plants are transplanted to a new place, dividing the curtains into small bushes. The sod can be cut with a shovel.

Each part takes root well in a new place and quickly starts growing. Before dividing the bushes, it is recommended to trim the plantings - it is more convenient to cut low dense thickets into pieces.

Plants that have finished flowering are cut. The stalks are cut off from them and planted immediately to a permanent place - in a nutritious soil, under plastic bottles cut to half. Shoots take root quickly.

After wintering, they will grow and acquire the desired decorative effect. The only condition for cuttings is that on the eve of the event, you need to water the curtain well so that the plants are saturated with water.

Care of the felt felt. Video:

Growing problems, diseases and pests

So that the plant does not hurt, you need to keep it in a practically dry state. Any excess moisture will lead to decay. Other diseases are not scary yaskolke, as well as pests.

Chimney in landscape design

The curtains remain decorative after flowering. Their silvery leaves stand out favorably against the background of other plants.

The ideal place for this flower is an alpine slide. Felt shingle grows less than other species, therefore it is suitable for small rock gardens. Over time, the flowers will naturally surround large stones, and the slide will take on a very attractive look.

The chickweed can be planted in the near-trunk circles of tall standard trees of decorative species. The plant can be planted on the lawn, decorated with paths, the edges of the flower bed.

Chrysalis begins to bloom in the month of May. At the end of flowering, fruit-boxes appear, in which the seeds are located.

Seat selection

When choosing a location for the chisel, you should take into account the fact that it loves bright lighting. Chickweed will grow well in hot climates with poor soils.

It grows well in partial shade, but absolute shading can lead to a lack of flowering.

Chickweed is a rather aggressive plant, so there are practically no weeds next to it. Also, do not plant delicate and rare plant specimens next to it.

Soil preparation

The soil requires a drained loose soil, preferably sandy loam. For normal growth and development, as well as good flowering, each chipping plant requires a place up to thirty centimeters in diameter.

The soil is loosened before planting and ordinary sand is added if it is clayey. There is no need to fertilize it.

Find out how to plant chrysanthemums.

The timing of planting chickweed and the peculiarities of planting it by seeds

Before planting on the flower bed, let the chickweed harden in the pots.

Chickweed seeds are sown in pots filled with drained soil at the end of April. They should be watered two to three times a week.

If the air temperature is maintained at 21-23 degrees Celsius, the chippings appear in about two weeks.

Weak seedlings are planted in boxes or picking cups so that they can get stronger. Then it can be safely planted in open ground.

Reproduction

Reproduction of chippings occurs by dividing the bush, planting with seeds and cuttings. The division of the bush is carried out in spring or autumn. To facilitate the dividing procedure and subsequent planting of the bushes, they should be trimmed.

This is what chickweed seeds look like.

Planting with seeds is considered to be the best way to reproduce the chickweed.

Root cuttings in partial shade in the garden bed. You can also carry out this procedure in a greenhouse.

Cuttings that are cut after the chive has flowered will root better.

As for spring cuttings, it is less effective due to the fact that after wintering the chickworm will not have sufficient strength for rooting.

Care

There is no need for special care after the jasmine has been planted. After all, simplicity is a huge advantage of this plant.

Top dressing

The mixture "Rainbow" contains all the microelements necessary for the shell

Top dressing of chickweed is not a mandatory event. However, like any plant, the chickworm needs a little help to grow and develop. Therefore, as an option, the flowers can be fertilized several times over the summer.

A ready-made mixture of the "Rainbow" type, as well as other mineral fertilizers, in which peat is present with the addition of micro- and macroelements, is quite suitable as a fertilizer.

Pruning

Dried leaves and flowers of the shingle must be pruned. If they are not cut off in time, this can affect the quality of the plant's flowering and its development.

Timely pruning of lateral shoots allows the chrysalis to form more beautifully and not drown out neighboring plants.

Winter care

Before winter, the chickweed is covered with spruce branches or dry leaves, since if there is no snow for a long time, severe frosts or it will not be enough, then the plant may freeze out.

Pest and disease control

Chickweed is rarely susceptible to various diseases and is resistant to pests. If exposed to excessive moisture, it can be attacked by fungus.

To learn how to care for a blue spruce, click.

Yaskolka varieties

Popular varieties of chickweed include:

1. Variety "Snow carpet", which grows rapidly and resembles a silvery rug up to 20-25 centimeters high. It blooms in early summer.
2. Variety "Victoria" is short, reaching a height of only 15 centimeters. It grows moderately and has small flowers.
3. Variety "Nina" it is also short, up to 12 centimeters in height. Its flowers are located at the tops of the shoots, the petals are incised. This variety blooms profusely in May.

You will see these and a few more varieties of yaskolka in the photo gallery:

The content of the article:

Chickweed (Cerastium) is a genus of herbaceous plants that are part of the Caryophyllaceae family. This family unites free-flowing plants, which are annuals and perennials, grasses and dwarf shrubs. About 200 more species of flora have also been introduced there. Usually they like to settle in those regions of the northern hemisphere of the planet where an undividedly temperate climate prevails. You can also find this delicate flower in groves and shrubs, in dry meadows and in floodplains, near roads or human habitation, it can easily grow on sands and pebbles next to rivers, damp and swampy forests are not alien to it, it can fill cereals forb meadows. Its lush thickets begin to take possession of disturbed places, clearings and burnt-out areas, and in rocky massifs it even reaches the upper mountain belt.

Yaskolka takes its Latin name from the fusion of two Greek words "cerativos", which translates "horned" as it comes from the initial "ceras" - "horn" and means "horned plant" or "hornfel". This was facilitated by the appearance of the fruit in the chickweed, but more often you can hear how it is called in the Latin interpretation "tsirastium" or in the common people "mouse-ear" or "grain of sand".

Yaskolka is either an annual or a perennial herbaceous plant. The core roots of the bush are slender, if the species is a perennial, then it has rhizomes rooted in the nodes. Its stems can grow straight, be raised or take on a creeping shape with a height of 8-30 cm, they have pubescence. Leaf plates are measured up to 3 cm in length and 3–6 mm in width. They are distinguished by oblong or oblong-lanceolate outlines, and also take on an elliptical, broad-ovate shape. There are usually 1–5 veins on the surface of the leaf blade. The leaves, which are located at the bottom of the shoots, have short petioles, but at the tops the leaves practically sit on the twigs and are pubescent with hairs.

From the flowers, inflorescences are collected in the form of forked half-umbels. The buds are located on pedicels, which elongate after the buds have faded. Bracts along the edges have films and a general herbaceous appearance. Sepals up to 5–6 mm long, pointed at the apex with membranous edges, covered with hairs on the dorsum. The petals can be either equal in length to the sepals or shorter than them. Up to a third of the length have a slit. The flowers on the plant are female and male. The color of the petals is usually white, at the base, the tone is greenish or with yellowness.

After flowering, the fruit ripens in the form of a box, which is twice as long as the calyx. Its color is orange-brownish, it contains brown seeds.

Yaskolka is very loved by landscape designers who use it as a ground cover crop in the design of alpine slides, rock gardens and rockeries, these structures are varieties of stone gardens, where various stones and plants are skillfully combined.

But in some places the chickweed is considered a weed, as it conquers territories very quickly, growing at a very high speed.

Creation of conditions for growing chickweed, planting and care

1. Lighting and location. The plant is very thermophilic and it is worth choosing a planting on garden plot in a well-lit place. Can be planted in boxes of balconies or terraces where there is enough light for it to bloom. She can easily survive a short-term drought and is completely undemanding to the soil, you can choose a place between rocky surfaces. If the plant is grown indoors, then you will need additional source lighting - special phytolamps or fluorescent lamps.
2. Temperature. Many varieties of this plant perfectly tolerate wintering without the necessary shelter, but the heat does not affect the plant too destructively.
3. Humidity and watering. The plant does not like stagnation of melt water in spring, but otherwise the chickweed can survive a short-term lack of soil moisture. If after each pruning of faded stems you slightly moisten the soil, then the "mouse-ear" will actively grow and bloom profusely. In the spring and summer period, it is still worth moistening the soil periodically once a week. It is recommended to slightly reduce the watering of the soil before flowering.
4. Fertilizers. To make the plant feel good, apply any complex mineral fertilizers. Since in natural nature the chickweed lives on depleted soils, then any top dressing will suit her. You can add organic compounds (for example, mullein solution). But do not get too carried away with the addition of dressings, as this will lead to the rapid growth of the plantings.
5. Transplant and general care. In one place, the shingle can grow successfully for no more than 5 years. It is better to transplant in June, after the cessation of flowering. It will be necessary to plant the bushes of the plant at a distance of 30 cm from each other.

The shingle is not at all demanding on the composition of the soil, because in its natural environment it can grow even on rocks. However, the plant will not tolerate highly moistened and swampy soil. The soil should be well-drained, lightweight with sufficient air and water permeability. If the planting takes place in rocky or sandy soil, then crushed peat soil, chopped sphagnum moss are added to the substrate so that moisture lingers a little at the root system of the bush, but the soil does not compact.

Avoid planting chickweed near delicate and fragile plants, as thickets of this herb can quickly swallow a less persistent neighbor. Planting next to small-flowered petunias, lobelia, ground cover phlox or lobelia is suitable.

You can get a new young bush by dividing the bush, cutting, planting seed. Seeds are not planted in open ground, as this will not guarantee germination. Seeds are harvested from flowers that are fully ripe and sown in greenhouse conditions or indoors at the very beginning of spring. When the temperature is maintained at 18-22 degrees, the seedlings will appear in a couple of weeks. Seeds are planted in a substrate that is well warmed up and slightly moistened; they try to keep the distance between plants at 5 cm. In the middle of summer, grown plants can be planted in open ground at a distance of 20–25 cm from each other. If it is decided to plant it in the garden on a flower bed, then you can plant it in September or in the middle of spring, but in this case, the shrub will bloom only in the third year.

Plant cuttings are cut in March or better immediately after flowering (June). The cut twigs are planted in the ground in a shaded place or kept under a hood. You can plant in a planting container with any loose substrate. Then they are sprayed and covered with plastic wrap (you can use plastic cups). Daily ventilation is required. After 14 days, the branches should take root, and when they grow, they need to be pinned so that the stem begins to branch.

It is necessary to divide the shrub bush in early spring or autumn. Before dividing, heavily overgrown thickets are trimmed to make it easier to work. The plant is allowed to start growing and then divided into compact parts. Division must be carried out every 3-4 years, otherwise the plant will lose its decorative effect.

Since the plant grows strongly and its cover becomes very dense, the stems begin to turn yellow, in order to avoid this it is recommended to thin out the plantings and often weed. If the shoots have faded, then in order to maintain the aesthetics of the bush, they will need to be removed, they weaken the chrysalis. If this condition is violated, the stems will begin to stretch, and the lower leaf blades wither, dry up and fly around. The green "rug" will look loose and not pretty.

Diseases and pests that affect cerastium

The plant is quite resistant to disease and harmful insects. However, the flower can undergo fungal infections or suffer from garden pests. An example would be a moth, a moth whose caterpillars spoil leaves and stems. To combat it, the drug "Proteus" is used. For fungi, fungicide treatment is applied. If you do not care for the plantings of the chickweed, do not prune, or plant the plant in a very humid place, damp and cold, without sufficient lighting, then it will eventually die.

Since the shingle is a resident of rocky areas, its numbers at one time even flocked under threat, and the plant settled in rocky breaks or crevices and more inaccessible places. This was due to the increase in the areas of summer mountain pastures - yayla.

Chickweed is often used in folk medicine. On the basis of its roots, stems, leaves and flowers, which are harvested during the flowering of the herb, numerous decoctions and tinctures are produced. The parts of the plant contain carbohydrates, saponins, a large number of phenolcarboxylic acids, coumarins and flavonoids.

These remedies are used against scurvy, as well as tinctures used internally for hemorrhoids, against skin rashes, with vitamin deficiency and conjunctivitis.

Among the local peoples of North America, it was customary to give a decoction of the roots to patients who had malignant tumors.

Types of chippings

1. Felt chickweed (Cerastium tomentosum). In height, this plant can reach 15–20 cm with a diameter of more than half a meter. Compact herbaceous thickets are formed from it. It is a perennial. The stems are erect, creeping with strong branching. The leaf plates are colored in a silvery-green shade with small sizes and a linear-lanceolate shape. They are covered with small hairs. Throughout May-June, it is covered with a “cap” of multiple small flowers, which reach 1–2 cm in diameter. They are painted white and racemose inflorescences are collected from them. It is often used to decorate rock gardens in the form of a fluffy rug. It does not require shelter for the winter, but it can be significantly affected by the stagnation of spring thawed waters.
2. Bieberstein jasper (Cerastium biebersteinii). Perennial herbaceous growth, quite winter-hardy, does not require shelter for the winter. When it grows, it forms beautiful dense pillow-like thickets with a diameter of almost 60–70 cm and a height of 20–25 cm. It has creeping stems, with dense pubescence. The leaves of the plant are small with a linear-lanceolate or elongated-linear shape, which grow on shoots opposite each other (opposite), practically sessile on the stem. They are covered with a white felt-like fluff. On flowering stems whitish flowers grow, which reach 15–25 mm in diameter. The petal on the upper part has a cut, and two blades are obtained. Loose semi-umbellate inflorescences are collected from the buds. The flowering process occurs between May and June.
3. Alpine lizard (Cerastium alpinum). Homeland of growing mountainous areas of Europe or North America. It can reach 10–15 cm in height. It forms compact thickets from its stems. Strongly branching and creeping shoots. The leaf blades have a strong pubescence of gray-green felt. The outlines of the leaf are ovoid, the size is small. Flowering begins in May and may end in early June (only 20-30 days in time). Whitish flowers, reaching 2 cm in diameter, are collected in 4-5 units in inflorescences in the form of a shield. Does not tolerate overheating of the substrate and stagnant melt water. If the winter is snowless, then this threatens the plant with freezing.
4. Purple chrysalis (Cerastium purpuracens). In its natural environment, it grows in the mountains of the Caucasus, northwestern Iran or on the rocks of Turkey. In height, the stems are close to 25 cm. The shape of the leaf plate is lanceolate or elongated-oblong, the size is small. From white buds, inflorescences are collected in the form of an umbrella. Flowering occurs in June.
5. Large-flowered chickweed (Cerastium grandiflorum). The plant is a perennial. With a height of up to 20 cm. Flowers reach 3 cm in diameter. The flowering process occurs in the months of July-August.
6. Field shingle (Cerastium arvensis). It is an annual herbaceous growth. The rhizome is thin and densely branched. Constantly flowering sterile flowering stems originate from it. They take a creeping form, can be ascending or erect. The entire surface of the stems is covered with whitish pubescence, the closer to the flower it becomes glandular (glandular trichomes). Leaves are sessile on the stem, have a linear-lanceolate shape. Sterile stems originate from the axils of the leaves and are collected there in bunches. The inflorescences are forked. In flowers, the pedicels have different sizes, they are slightly drooping and straighten only before the fruit ripens. A cup with a spear shape completely covers the fluffy hairs, they can even be in the form of hairs, with visible glands, there is a filminess along the edge. The petals, growing together at the base, form a funnel-like corolla, which reaches 2 cm in diameter.
7. Dahurian lamb (Cerastium davuricum). The plant has a winding rhizome, knotty. At the roots, the outlines are thickened fusiform. The stems are extended to a height of 50 cm to one meter. From the lower part, the shoot is covered with sparse long hairs, and the upper part is painted in a gray tint, smooth or with weak pubescence. The leaf plates measure 3–9 cm in length with a width of 1.5–4 cm, differing in an oblong or ovoid shape. Their surface is bare, but young leaves sometimes cover simple hairs with a bluish color, semi-embracing. The apex has a short sharpening or is blunt. The inflorescence is a multi-flowered semi-umbel (dichasium). Pedicels are 2–7 cm long; they bend down when the buds fade. The bracts are large, leaf-shaped, the length of the sepals reaches 0.8–1 cm with a width of 3.5–5 mm, they are distinguished by their bare surface, glossy, oblong. The flower petals are 12-14 mm long and one and a half to two times longer than the calyx. At the top there is an incision for a third or a quarter of the entire surface, the base is covered with cilia. The fruit is a cylindrical capsule one and a half centimeter long, with teeth curling outward.
8. Yascolka is white. A perennial from which ground cover beams or rugs are formed. Stems are upright, strong, their length ranges from 10-50 cm, usually have dense pubescence. The leaf blade is usually lanceolate, sessile, measuring 0.7–5 cm in length and 3–15 mm in width. The top of the leaf is usually sharp, densely covered with cilia. Inflorescences are loose, consisting of 2-10 buds, with compact outlines. Sepals have a rounded base and a narrow lanceolate shape, reach a centimeter in length, with a pointed apex. The petals of the flower are white, yellow at the base; the top of the petal is divided into two lobes. The fruit is slightly conical or in the form of a cylinder, reaching 10–22 mm in length.

More information on growing chickweed in this video:

Abundant flowering, unpretentiousness, fast growth, beautiful foliage with an unusual silvery tint - the chickweed has a lot of advantages. And yet, words are not enough to captivate florists. They light up only when they see with their own eyes how beautiful the spills of snow-white flowers are, covering a flower bed, a support wall or a slope with a solid carpet. Yaskolok clamps are like snow that does not melt. Let's see what you need to know to grow a real snowy river in your garden.

Yaskolka: description, botanical information

Yaskolka belongs to the carnation family. It did not give gardeners the same variety of ornamental crops as the Compositae family, but all of its representatives are interesting. Relatives of yaskolka:

• carnations,
• adonis,
• gypsophila,
• lichnis.

Not all chrysalis are cultivated as garden plants, but those that have entered the gardener's arsenal are adorable. They are herbaceous, actively growing, creepers, ideal for carpeting. Stems are straight, often pubescent, the color of small leaves is special - it seems almost silvery. The flowers are white, five-petal, with small incisions at the tips. During the flowering period, the curtains (flower beds) of the Yaskolok resemble snowdrifts.

Felt flowers have five petals, each of which is incised at the tip

In the wild, chippings are found in different parts of the world:

• areas with a temperate climate of the Northern Hemisphere (Eurasia, North Africa, North America);
• hotter regions of Africa or South America, but only in higher elevations, where it is cooler;
• Australia (the plant was introduced to this continent and ran wild).

Interesting fact: Alpine chickweed is the northernmost of the flowering plants that live on land. It was found on Lockwood Island (Canadian Arctic Archipelago). To the north, only mosses, algae, and lichens are found.

Chickweed blooms in May, fades in a month, but retains its decorative effect until autumn due to the beautiful abundant foliage of menthol color.

Even a non-flowering chrysalis looks decorative - a solid silvery-green carpet

Variety of names

The scientific name for jascolka is Cerástium (cerastium), which comes from the Latin word meaning "horned." The flower received this name because of the small horns that have the fruits of certain species. Of course, such an abstract name could not satisfy amateur gardeners who prefer more apt names. Abroad, yaskolka is called snow in summer, which translates as "snow in summer", or silver carpet - a silver carpet. Florists from Russia call continuous plantings of plants "white rivers", "white streams".

Types of chippings

The genus of Jaskolok includes about 200 species, of which only a few are actively cultivated as garden ones. Different kinds are very similar to each other in appearance, although the requirements for growing they may still differ slightly.

If you see a chimney in someone's garden within Russia, then most likely it is the Cerāstium Bieberstēinii, since it is the most widespread. In the wild, this species is found only in the Crimea; it chooses rocky slopes for habitation. Plant height 15–20 cm, leaves are pubescent, narrow, up to 3.5 cm long. Snow-white flowers can reach 3 cm in diameter. The Bieberstein jasmine blooms at the end of April and pleases with snow-white flowers until the end of May. The plant is listed in the Red Data Books of several countries (Ukraine, Russia (Crimea), European states), and is also found in reserves. This flower has been successfully introduced into horticulture due to its many unique qualities:

• high decorativeness,
• winter hardiness,
• unpretentiousness,
• ease of reproduction,
• excellent survival rate.

The Bieberstein jasmine looks very decorative during flowering.

Felt chickweed (Cerāstium tomentōsum) is another popular plant species. It is found in Canada, it is found in almost all European countries. Leaves - with strong pubescence, seem almost silver, especially if conifers or plants with bright green foliage are planted nearby. Felted splinter reaches 30 cm in height and grows strongly in breadth, up to 60–70 cm. Flowers are small - up to 1 cm, but very abundant. It blooms in May and blooms for a little more than a month - an average of 30–35 days.

Felt shingle with small flowers is well suited for framing retaining walls

The alpine chrysalis (Cerāstium alpinum) is the shortest, reaches no more than 15 cm in height, but the flowers are relatively large - up to 2 cm. The stems are highly branched, the foliage is light, abundant, small, green in color with a slight silvery tinge. Blooms in May, 20-30 days. This is a species more sensitive to growing conditions than others: in the conditions of the Middle Lane in winters with little snow, it can freeze out. And in general, alpine chickweed is more capricious: it does not like direct sunlight, does not tolerate overheating of roots or stagnant water. In the wild, it is found in the mountains of Altai, North America, Western Europe. Choose this type if you live in a mountainous area with a temperate climate or are looking for a plant for an alpine slide or rockery.

Alpine chickweed grows naturally in the mountains

These three species: Bieberstein's shingle, felt and Alpine, are most often found in Russian gardens.

Purple chickweed (Cerāstium purpurascens) is found naturally in Turkey, the Middle East, and the Caucasus. Blossoms in June with white graceful flowers. Plant height 25 cm, leaves are small, oblong, often remain green in winter.

Chickweed purple is common in the mountains of Iran, in the Caucasus, in Turkey

Large-flowered laskolka

Large-flowered chickweed (Cerāstium grandiflorum) has the largest flowers - 3 cm, while the height of the plant is minimal - 20 cm. Unlike other species, it blooms late - in July or even August.

Large-flowered chickweed grows in mountainous areas, blooms later than other species of this plant

Snow-white shrimp (Cerastium candidissimum) grows in Greece. Loves the highlands. It blooms late - in May - July. In the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London, you can observe entire glades of the snow-white lizard. The plant, even without flowers, is beautiful, in terms of decorativeness it is not inferior to the lawn - a real silver carpet.

The snow-white shrimp is found in the wild in Greece

Choosing a place and planting a splinter

When planting any plant, always consider where it lives in the wild and what conditions it likes. Yaskolka has not undergone active selection, like roses or chrysanthemums, therefore its garden forms do not differ much from wild ones in their tastes. In nature, the flower loves high mountains open to the sun and winds, respectively, the plant is not afraid of meager stony soil, but at the same time it does not tolerate stagnant moisture. Yaskolka is a typical "seasonal", that is, it perfectly tolerates the annual climate change in the Middle Lane:

• you do not need to take care of the shelter of the plant for the winter, it survives frosts perfectly;
• narrow pubescent leaves help the chickweed to save moisture, therefore, it can easily withstand a slight drought.

Lighting

Choose a sunny, warm place. The southern slopes of the support walls and alpine slides are very good. The plant is not southern, but it is a real "lover of the sun". In the shade, the shingle will not please with such lush "snowdrifts", although it is permissible to grow it in partial shade or light shade. An excellent option is an openwork shadow from deciduous trees. But even if you plant the plant in a dimly lit place (for example, next to a fern), it is unlikely that it will die. Yaskolka is a "lady with character". She herself will try to find a suitable site for herself, the whips of her shoots will rush to the sunniest places that are nearby.

Chickweed will grow very well on the southern slopes of the support walls, alpine slides

The soil

Chings, being typical alpine plants, prefer loose, moisture and air permeable soil. Sandy loam, sand are well suited, with a stretch - loam. If the soil on your site is not the same, you can make it suitable for growing chives by choosing an individual composition:

• add compost or humus to poor, insufficiently nutritious soil at the rate of 5–7 kg per 1 sq. m;
• add sand to clay soil so that the clay content from 80% becomes no more than 30% - you will get a loam suitable for growing chickweed;
• on rocky soils, the shrapnel will also grow well, but it may periodically lack moisture and nutrition - add a little peat.

Will the chrysalis grow in ordinary garden soil? Yes, the author of the article has had occasion to grow it without any soil preparation. The plant is unpretentious, quickly assimilated, grows well and blooms, no worse than on nutritious sandy loam. However, in winter and spring with difficult Siberian weather (frequent temperature changes, thaws, frosts), the chickweed can easily get wet or wet, the flower bed will become rather sloppy. Therefore, if you do not want to take risks, it is better to immediately prepare the soil correctly.

Landing order

Planting the hodgepodge is not particularly difficult. It is necessary to act in this way:

1. Pre-planting processing of the site is carried out 2-4 weeks before planting the plant. The site is dug up at least on a shovel bayonet. All necessary supplements are added.

   When preparing the site for planting the chippers, the earth is dug onto the bayonet of the shovel

2. They allow the soil to rest and structure.
3. Immediately before planting, they dig up again, make landing holes.
4. Seedlings are separated from one another or planted in groups with a minimum distance of 30 cm between them.

   It is convenient to make holes for chicks with a conventional planter for bulbous plants.

5. Seedlings can be buried, plants will easily give additional roots.

   The chimney takes root very easily, so you can bury the seedlings during transplanting without fear of damaging the roots.

6. Immediately after planting the flowers, the flower bed is watered.

Keep in mind that chippings are capable of "hammering" many othersplants: these are aggressors that take up space very quickly. The height of the bush is 20 cm, but the diameter can reach 70 cm. By flowering, it becomes three times larger than it was when it was planted. The root system is strong and active.

If you are creating a creek bed, it is enough to plant several seedlings in one hole at a distance of 30 cm from each other - it will grow by itself. If the flowerbed is narrow (for example, its width is only 40–50 cm), it is enough to plant one line of yaskolok in the center every 15–30 cm (depending on the quality of the seedlings).

If you do not want the chippings to grow too much, take care of root barriers. Plant plants:

• in the crevices between stones in rockeries;
• next to the support walls sheathed with stone or brick;
• in the flowerbed areas fenced with pieces of slate.

The author of the article uses a convenient, albeit rare, method of planting jaskolok in rather wide pots or containers, which can then be placed on the terrace or even buried in any flower bed. I really like the idea of ​​an ever-changing garden. The next year, plants in such containers can be dug in in a different way, combined with other crops, and a completely new composition can be created. At the same time, the naturalness of the garden will not suffer at all - after digging, the containers are mulched with ordinary earth or decorative crumbs. The only caveat is that you should take care of the enhanced nutrition of such plants.

Choosing neighbors

You should not plant this flower next to small-bulbous plants blooming in May:

• crocuses,
• muscari,
• bulbous irises.

The jascolka will "strangle" them.

Feel free to combine it with large bulbs that bloom a little earlier or later:

• lilies,
• tulips,
• some varieties of daffodils,
• rhizome irises.

Chippings do an excellent job of being a groundcover around large bulbous crops such as tulips.

Growing and caring

Jaskolki are famous for their unpretentiousness. This is really a "poke and forget" plant. But still, nuances are possible. The most important points leaving:

• in early spring, chickweed often look unpresentable - withered, lifeless, which frightens beginner growers. Simply cut off the discolored stems and clean the soil around the flowers;
• if the soil for the plant is prepared correctly, that is, it is sufficiently nutritious initially, no additional feeding will be required per season. If there is even a slight doubt about the nutritional value of the soil, it makes sense to carry out 3 additional fertilizing with complex mineral fertilizer, otherwise it will not work out lush flowering;
• watering is often not required, once a week is enough;
• fading shoots should be removed in time, otherwise the plantings will look sloppy;
• the stems can be pruned at any time if the chrysalis has grown too much;
• shorten the shoots after flowering so that the plant does not become bare and looks neater;
• the plant winters well in the middle zone and more northern regions of the Russian Federation, no shelter is required.

Rejuvenation

Chippings are referred to as "long-playing" garden plants. You can plant seedlings and enjoy the lush snow carpet every year for the next five years without worrying about replanting. However, then the plant will need to be rejuvenated. It is most correct to rejuvenate more often than once every five years, for example, every 3-4 years. Plant the plants in fresh soil, dividing the overgrown bushes into smaller ones. The shkolka tolerates transplants perfectly, it takes root very quickly.

Reproduction of chickens

You can propagate the yaskolka:

• seeds,
• dividing the bush.

Planting seeds for seedlings

The procedure for planting with seeds is as follows:

The seeds can also be sown directly into the ground on the seed beds in April or in the fall - in October. The seedlings are grown up to 5 cm, after which they dive, keeping the distance between the plants about 7 cm. During wintering, the seedlings do not need shelter. In July, the grown "babies" are transplanted to a permanent place.

Plants grown from seeds do not bloom in the first year.

Reproduction by layering or dividing rhizomes

Jaskolka Bieberstein and other species take root well during reproduction by dividing rhizomes, which is carried out in early spring. As soon as the bushes have released small fresh shoots, you can divide the curtains, leaving several points of growth on each division.

You can grow "summer snow" and cuttings. Cuttings are carried out either before flowering or after it. Just cut the shoots to a suitable length and dig in any suitable place, covered with a cap. Cuttings taken in June take root best.

Pests, diseases, problems

The plant has almost complete immunity to diseases and pests. However, there are four complications possible when growing chickweed:

• the plant does not bloom well because it was planted in insufficiently nutritious soil or has not been pruned for many years;
• the splinter has grown greatly and "strangles" neighboring cultures;
• the plant was struck by fungal diseases (this is possible only when planting in an extremely unfortunate place, too damp, with stagnant moisture);
• the flower gets wet. If winters and springs in your region are unstable: either heavy snowfall, then thaw, and drainage at the site is impossible, the chippings will quickly get wet or dry out. Unfortunately, this is possible in many regions of the Russian Federation, from the Leningrad Region to the Moscow Region and Siberia. Focus on the local climate. If the site is on a hill, even a difficult winter does not prevent the shrub from actively growing and blooming profusely - it is not frost in itself that scares it, but an excess of moisture.

All these problems are very rare. Judging by the reviews, the most common problems are not with the shrub itself, but with the flowers growing nearby, the delicate root system of which is not able to withstand its active expansion.

Use in landscape design

Jascolka is good:

• in alpine slides, rockeries (small rocky gardens);

  Devon Skies lascolka, echium and sisyurinhiy look good together

• in the foregrounds of mixborders, mixed flower beds;
• as a soloist for a "flower bed". Thanks to the plastic branches and active growth, the chicks assimilate surfaces of any shape, filling vacant spaces, like water in a riverbed. This effect can be used to create flowery rivers, flowing trees, benches, stones, walkway slabs;

  "Clouds" of yaskolok emphasize the relief of the terraced garden

What to combine with

The silver foliage of the chive looks beautiful with different plants:

Yaskolka analogs

There are not so few plants capable of creating a bright carpet:

• Saxifrage Arends;
• sedum false;
• arabis;
• Delosperm Cooper.

But Jaskolka Biberstein occupies a special niche. It's hard to find so decorative culture that retains its properties in dry, sunny areas. Most of the crops in such conditions lose their attractiveness in whole or in part, and chickweed pleases with a lush foam of white flowers.