Summer residents and gardeners say the following about gypsophila: it is a plant that looks like a white cloud, it is light, as if weightless. This article is dedicated to perennial gypsophila.
We will tell you what species currently exist, how it should be planted, and tell you the nuances of care, as well as determine which other plants and flowers it harmonizes best with. And it will be presented to your attention large selection photographic material.
Gypsophila is a rather attractive and original plant. It is considered not picky and does not require special care. Numerous gypsophila flowers form a white “carpet”:
- they spread perfectly along the ground and attract butterflies;
- are considered one of the most beautiful decorative elements of a garden plot;
- bring joy to summer residents and gardeners with unprecedented splendor and lightness.
For the above characteristics, this flower is simply adored by gardeners, summer residents, and breeders. Currently known a large number of species of perennial gypsophila. Here are the most common species that you can plant on your site:
Paniculate gypsophila. This species is one of the most popular in Russia, and in the wild it grows from the Volga region to China. Why is it so popular? It’s because you simply can’t take your eyes off the flowers. The flowers are white and pink, 0.8 cm in size, and the leaves are gray-green. Paniculata gypsophila blooms all summer and all September. In height it reaches a maximum of 120 centimeters and a minimum of 30 centimeters. Growth depends on the degree of care and on.
Creeping gypsophila. This species is the most undemanding and grows well in mountains and rocky places. Creeping gypsophila is considered dwarf plant. “Mountain plant” is the name the breeders gave it. The plant has hundreds of thousands of small white and light pink flowers, which are framed by leaves of emerald flowers.
Gypsophila perennial. The growth process of this species will bring you a lot of positive emotions. Gypsophila is considered the most beautiful of all species, and how creeping gypsophila is a mountain flower. It is not capricious to care, nor to frost, nor to dryness. The plant has small flowers white, and it is a maximum of twenty centimeters in height. Great for decorating lawns, perfectly complements.
In addition to the above varieties of this plant, there are also such varieties of perennial gypsophila as Pacific, Ural and arecium.
Gypsophila is unique plant which anyone can do country cottage area incredibly beautiful. But in order for it to please with beautiful flowering, it needs planting and care V open ground. In general, look at the photo and read our recommendations in order to understand the features of growing this flower.
As we have already noted, gypsophila is a perennial, picky plant. But close attention should still be paid to the soil and its quality. The soil is ideally crumbly and drained, dry and sandy. Rocky terrain is an excellent place to plant. The acidity of the soil should be at the optimal level. And also the place for planting should be under the sun's rays.
On a note! The main point in planting is that immediately before planting the plant, we loosen the soil and mix it with sand and small stones. As soon as you decide to plant a plant, water the ground, then place the seeds in it and carefully cover them with a thin layer of soil.
Leave a gap of ten centimeters between plants, but no more. After planting, cover the container with the seeds with polyethylene and place it in a bright place for three to four days.
After this time, you will notice the first shoots, and after twenty days the plant will produce leaves. At the end of April and beginning of May, feel free to plant them in their place.
You probably realized that gypsophila needs high-quality planting. In addition, proper care is important here. But it’s worth looking at photos of flowers in order to understand how beautiful this plant is and how they can decorate your summer cottage.
If you want perennial gypsophila to give you beautiful flowers All you need to do is water it properly, plow the soil and fertilize it on time.
On a note! The plant requires replanting after approximately two years. Of course, if the summer is dry, gypsophila needs to be well watered at the root. It is necessary to fertilize the plant twice a season, and when flowering ends, the bush is carefully pruned and three to four stems are left at the rhizome.
In order for gypsophila to overwinter well, it should be covered with either peat or leaves.
Gypsophila fertilization process
If the plant has enough light and heat, then it is not necessary to carry out the fertilization process.
On a note! The most effective is mullein infusion. Fresh manure can have a negative effect on the plant.
Plant propagation process
In order for graceful gypsophila to delight you with its beautiful flowering, you need to try a special cultivation of this flower from seeds.
Along with the process of propagation through seeds, you can also resort to the cutting method. It is best to cut material for planting from young shoots, and this process is done at the end of spring. In order to planting material quickly takes root, it is necessary that the soil is loose, and a little lime should be added there.
The depth of the hole in which the plant is planted should be two meters deep, and the temperature should be from 20 degrees, and, of course, there should be a good greenhouse effect.
It is necessary to plant so that the establishment process is completed before the end of summer.
If you do not care for the plant, this will lead to rust, rot, and root-knot nematodes. To quickly relieve these symptoms, you need to treat the bush with phosphamide. If all else fails, you will have to completely dig up the plant and rinse it in a running water hot water. And rust is removed with special solutions: copper sulfate or Bordeaux mixture.
List of plants with which gypsophila can be combined
Such a beautiful plant as perennial gypsophila goes well with other equally attractive perennials, such as monads, phlox, liatris, roses. The ideal composition is considered to be a rose. Thanks to their tandem, you can decorate your site.
This plant can be used to complete the decoration of any composition. In general, this universal plant will suit any site. Just choose the ideal variety of this plant for yourself, which will help make your garden plot very beautiful.
Gypsophila is a representative of the carnation. It prefers limestone soils - hence its name. The plant is also known as rockweed and tumbleweed. These flowering bushes, reminiscent of clouds, blend seamlessly with flowers, especially roses, gerberas, and phlox. Gypsophila is widely used in landscape design- especially its ampelous types. It is used to frame certain areas: flower beds, rockeries, borders, alpine coaster. Growing baby's breath from seeds can be challenging for new gardeners. decorative flower requires the creation of certain conditions, but all these requirements are easily met.
Growing gypsophila from seeds
Types of gypsophila are divided into annual and perennial. The most common annuals are: graceful gypsophila and wall gypsophila. Several varieties of graceful gypsophila are especially distinguished:
- "monarch";
- "elegance";
- Covent Garden.
“Deep rose” or “Gypsy deep” are also classified as annual plants. This gypsophila blooms all summer. It is considered an unpretentious species. Annual gypsophila reproduces only by seeds.
TO perennial species gypsophila include:
- Paniculata (varieties: “snowflake”, “ white holiday", "flamingo", "pink holiday"). It is considered the most common species, capable of blooming until autumn. It has white or pinkish flowers and gray-green leaves.
- Terry. Some classify it as a separate species, while others consider it a subspecies of paniculata. Double gypsophila has white flowers.
- Isplicular. Beautiful bushes with small white flowers. This species is considered the most frost-resistant and easily tolerates drought.
- Creeping. It is also called dwarf. Grows on rocky soils in the mountains. Refers to unpretentious species. Its leaves are green, its flowers are small: white or pinkish.
- Creeping pink. The flowers are small, pinkish.
- Pacific. It got its name because of the area where it grows. It is distinguished by a branched stem and wide gray-green leaves.
Perennial gypsophila can be propagated not only by seeds, but also by cuttings and grafting. For some varieties, propagation using cuttings is the only option. Growing gypsophila at home includes sowing seeds and caring for the emerged seedlings, followed by planting them in the ground. There is another way to grow gypsophila: sow the collected seeds directly into open ground.
Landing dates
Sowing time for seedlings: from the beginning to the end of March. Grown seedlings are planted on permanent place in May, when warm weather sets in.
Planting seeds in open ground is carried out from mid-April to mid-May (the timing depends on weather conditions). Some gardeners sow seeds in the fall, almost before the start of winter, in order to plant young plants in their permanent places in the spring. Approximate sowing dates are shown in the table:
Preparing the soil and choosing a site for planting
The site for planting gypsophila is chosen with special care, because this flower is difficult to transplant. The chosen location should not be narrow so that the planted bushes have room to grow, and should not be located in a low area. Also choose the right lighting and soil mixture. Gypsophila does not like shade, so it is planted in open and well-lit areas. It also takes root well on rocky soils.
In the future habitat of the plant, accumulation of groundwater close to the surface, otherwise the tap root system will begin to rot. The plant does not tolerate acidic soils. Loose soil is optimal. For example, sandy soil with good drainage. Small pebbles are usually used for drainage. The site for planting is prepared the day before. If there is no lime in the soil, then it must be added (from 30 to 40 g per 1 sq. m). The selected place is first loosened, humus and sand are added.
Growing gypsophila seedlings
Seeds can be sown in peat pots, in a box or container with a light substrate, which is first watered. If biostimulants are not used when sowing, then for better seed germination, preliminary watering of the soil is carried out hot water. The seeds are lowered 0.5-1 cm deep into the soil. After planting, the containers are covered with film or glass and greenhouse conditions are created. Don't forget about lighting. Once a day, the glass or film is removed briefly to allow the contents of the container to ventilate. It will take approximately 2 weeks for the seeds to germinate.
From a common container, seedlings are transplanted into separate containers. It is also allowed to use individual containers immediately for sowing. For example, plastic cups, in each of which a seed is planted. In such cases, there will be no difficulties with thinning the resulting thickets.
“Daylight for sprouts should last at least 13 hours - phytolamps will help illuminate young plants if there is not enough natural light.”
The appearance of leaves on the sprouts indicates that it is time to plant the seedlings in open ground, that is, in a permanent place. When planting, keep a distance - plants should not be placed close to each other. If planting is carried out in rows, then the distance between them should be 100-140 cm. The gaps between young bushes range from 50 to 70 cm.
Planting seeds in open ground
It is more convenient to plant gypsophila seeds in a growing bed. The first shoots should appear in 10 days. After another 2 weeks, the young plants are planted in such a way that the sprouts are not crowded. In the fall, the grown flowers are finally transplanted to the chosen location.
Seeds can be sown before winter - from late October to early November. In April-May, when shoots appear and the seedlings get a little stronger, they are transplanted to a permanent place. Sowing is also carried out in the spring - from mid-April to mid-May.
How and when to collect gypsophila seeds
Gypsophila seeds are collected in the fall. In place of the flowers, seed pods with dark small grains inside appear. They are given time to dry properly on the bush, after which the boxes are collected and dried additionally. Then the seeds are removed and laid out on paper. After some time, the finally dried seed material is packaged in paper bags and stored until sowing. Seed germination at proper storage lasts for 3 years.
Gypsophila care
Gypsophila is considered more likely unpretentious plant rather than demanding. But it can also be ruined if you don’t create it the necessary conditions. Caring for a flower that is grown in open ground consists of: proper watering, regular fertilization and some seasonal procedures.
Rules for watering and fertilizing
In hot and dry weather, the flower requires daily watering. Water is poured strictly at the root - it is undesirable to get on parts of the plant. Care must be taken to ensure that moisture does not stagnate in the soil. Periodically loosen and remove weeds.
In summer and autumn, gypsophila needs feeding. For this purpose, mineral and organic fertilizers(up to 4 times per season), with the exception of manure. Fresh manure is too concentrated, it is dangerous for the roots and can burn the plant. It is used to prepare mullein infusion, which is rich in nitrogen and other useful substances, which is why it has a beneficial effect on the development of gypsophila bushes. The infusion is prepared in a large container. It is filled 1/3 with manure. The remaining 2/3 of the space is filled with water. The contents of the container are mixed and tightly closed with a lid. The infusion will be completely ready in 10-14 days. Some gardeners begin using it within a week. Before feeding, the mullein infusion is diluted with water in a standard ratio of 1:10. Make small holes near the gypsophila bush and pour fertilizer into them. When the liquid is absorbed, the holes are covered with earth.
Supports for an adult plant
Before the flowering period begins, special supports are built for gypsophila bushes. This is done to prevent the plants from falling over from the wind or their own weight.
Pruning a bush in autumn
After collecting the seed pods, late autumn, carry out pruning of bushes. Leave 3-4 strong shoots, cut off the rest. This will allow the bush to actively grow next spring.
Preparing for winter
Many types and varieties of gypsophila have sufficient frost resistance, but it is still recommended to cover it for the winter if the weather conditions are harsh. Young specimens are covered more thoroughly than adults. In the southern regions, where winters are not very cold, adult plants are not covered.
Bushes are mulched spruce branches or dry bark. Cover the top wooden boxes. You should prepare for winter in the fall, before the first frosts. In March, the shelter is removed. If the spring is too cold, young gypsophila should be saved until April.
Control of diseases and pests of gypsophila
Improper watering leads to fungal infections. The most common fungal diseases gypsophila:
- Smut - the entire flower is covered with black spores.
- Rust - small light brown growths appear on the leaves.
- Gray rot affects the leaves and appears in the form of gray spots.
The plant must be inspected regularly in order to stop the disease in time. early stage and immediately treat with a fungicide when the first signs of fungal infection appear.
In spring, as a preventive measure, it is recommended to treat the flower copper sulfate- this procedure will help protect the plant from fungal infections in the future. Of the pests, gypsophila is most often attacked by cyst or root-knot nematodes. They feed on the sap of the flower, which affects the condition of the plant, its appearance. Leaves wither and curl and change color. The fight against nematodes involves treating the soil with special toxic preparations (Rogor, Tiazon). Growing gypsophila from seeds only at first seems like a difficult task. If you follow all the recommendations, white and pink flower clouds will serve as decoration for your garden plot until autumn.
Gypsophila is herbaceous plant, which belongs to the Carnation family. The name is translated from Latin as “loving lime.” The flower grows on limestone. The most popular are perennial Gypsophila. The homeland of the plant is considered to be the lands of Southern Europe and Asia. The flower is famous for its unusual flowering. Thanks to the thin stems, a thick “cloud” is formed, which is strewn with small flowers. Planting and caring for perennial Gypsophila, which is shown in the photo, is not difficult. So that the plant is healthy and happy with its abundant flowering, you need to know some rules.
Features of the Gypsophilia plant
Gypsophila belongs to the group ornamental plants. The flower grows in the form of a bush or herbaceous shoot. The root system is well developed. The stems are thin. They have many lateral processes, thanks to which the bush acquires a spherical shape in a short time. The Gypsophila flower grows up to 120 centimeters tall. There are ground cover forms of the plant, the stems of which are located close to the ground.
The shoots of the flower have green color. There are practically no leaves on the branches. The main part of the leaf plates is located in the root part. They are lanceolate in shape with a pointed tip. The leaves can have either a dark green or gray tint. The surface is glossy, smooth.
The first flowers can be seen at the end of June. The buds are collected in paniculate inflorescences, which are located at the ends of the shoots. The diameter of the flowers ranges from 4 mm to 7 mm. The most popular types of Gypsophila are presented in the photo: 
Variety of Gypsophila
There are about 150 species of gypsophila in nature, but only a few are intended for growing in gardens and at home. All plants differ from each other in flowering, petal shade and shape.
Main types of gypsophila:
- graceful;
- creeping;
- paniculata;
- Iliform.
Gypsophila graceful
This is an annual type of plant. An adult flower has a small height. At proper care it can grow from 40 to 50 cm. It grows in the form of a bush. This species is highly branching. The leaves are very small, lanceolate.
The buds are small. When opened, they reach 1 centimeter in diameter. The flowers can be white or light pink. The buds are collected in wide, spreading panicles. The flowers are placed on thin stalks. Thanks to the small buds, the plant takes on an openwork appearance. You can observe the flowering of Gypsophila graceful for a month or a month and a half.
Main varieties:
- Rose - pink buds;
- Elegance - delicate, white buds.
This species differs from others in its heat and light-loving nature. Therefore, in order for the plant to develop well and bloom profusely, it is necessary to create optimal conditions. Gypsophila graceful is a good addition to plants such as godetia and eschscholzia. Gypsophila also looks great with marigolds and other bright flowers. Some florists use this type of plant to create bouquets.
All types of plants differ in their flowering and bush shape.
