How to plant alissum: features of seed growing

Tell me how to plant alissum? A neighbor gave her seeds, but I forgot to ask if they could be sown directly to the flower bed. Or is it better to grow seedlings first?

Charming dense inflorescences of bright small flowers delight with their abundant and fragrant flowering throughout the spring-autumn period. This is alissum, an unpretentious ground cover plant, ideal for growing in rock gardens and not only. If you also decide to replenish your flower collection with a new inhabitant, it does not hurt to learn how to plant alissum. Most often, its first planting is carried out by the seed method, but there are some nuances.In general, all plant varieties can be sown both for seedlings and immediately into open ground. The seeds germinate well and give strong healthy bushes in both cases. But there are still some nuances.

Features of growing alyssum seedlings and sowing dates

Alyssum grows quite quickly: from the moment of sowing to the beginning of flowering, it takes about 6 weeks on average. Considering that it will not be possible to plant seedlings on a flowerbed until May, it is not worth rushing to sowing. To prevent the seedlings from overgrowing, it is better to sow the seeds in April. In this case, the soil must be loose, and the seeds themselves must not be buried. It is enough just to scatter them over the surface of the soil, and cover the container with a film. In greenhouse conditions, seedlings will appear quickly. The grown seedlings must be carefully dived into separate pots. Cassette seeding will help to avoid transplanting.

Annual alissums and some perennials with low frost resistance, for example, sea alyssum, are planted by seedlings. It winters only in warm climates; in the central and middle lane it is grown as an annual by annual sowing. Thus, by the time of planting in the garden, you can get full-fledged young plants that will bloom a month earlier.

When planting seedlings, it is necessary to leave at least 40 cm between the bushes. Most types of alyssum grow strongly to the sides. With a thickened planting, the plants will be cramped, which will affect the abundance of flowering.

How to plant alissum in open ground

Planting seeds in open ground frees you from seedling troubles and is suitable for those flower growers who do not have free space in the house. Mainly perennial varieties are sown on the flowerbed, for example, rock or mountain alissum.

Sowing seeds is started at above-zero temperatures and warm soil. You can do this in two ways to choose from:

• in spring, early May;
• before winter, at the end of October.

In the latter case, the seeds will overwinter in the soil. After going through the natural stratification, next spring they will give amicable shoots. When sowing in a flower bed, it is important not to overfill the seeds too much, otherwise they will not sprout well. It is better to cover podzimny crops with mulch.

Video about growing alissum