The scented stone rich does not like to play the first fiddle in the floral interplay of your ornamental plants. However, we do not want to do without its dense, wonderfully fragrant carpets of flowers. In the rock garden, as a bed edging, grave border or planting under creative pots, Alyssum gracefully rounds off the picturesque appearance. The following answers to frequently asked questions will show you how to properly cultivate this much-loved filler.

The stone herb with its cute flowers is a beautiful ornament for rock gardens and co,

Plant stonecrop correctly

Plant your Alyssum that you have grown behind glass or that you have bought ready-made in a sunny spot from mid-May. Soak the still potted root balls in water while you weed the bed and loosen it up with the rake. Then dig small pits 20-25 cm apart and enrich the excavation with compost and horn shavings (€32.93). If necessary, add some sand or fine grit. Plant a potted fragrant rock in each hole, press down the soil and water.

Planting in pots and flower boxes (€16.99) follows a similar pattern. In addition, please spread some shards of pottery or grit over the water drain so that this water-bearing layer can effectively prevent waterlogging.
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care tips

Hidden behind its densely woven carpets of flowers are modest demands on care. The scented stone is content with these horticultural allowances:

  • Water in summer drought
  • Cut off faded flowers for rebloom
  • After pruning, fertilize with compost or liquid fertilizer
  • Vitalize perennial alyssum with a start fertilization in March

After the first frost, a one-year-old scented auricle dies off completely. In contrast, perennial species such as rock alyssum or mountain alyssum receive winter protection in the form of autumn leaves, needle brushwood or garden fleece.
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Which location is suitable?

Both the annual and the perennial species agree on the ideal site conditions. The place should be sunny to shade, preferably warm and surrounded by air. In addition, every scented stone feels good in humus-rich, sandy-loamy and well-drained soil.

What soil does the plant need?

A scented stone is there with lavish carpets of flowers wherever there are still gaps to be filled in sandy-loamy and poor soil. Please make sure there is good drainage, as waterlogging will bring down any Alyssum in a short time. Experienced hobby gardeners thin out the nutrient-rich potting soil for a successful pot culture with sand or fine grit.

When is flowering time?

Since the hardy species differ from the annual varieties in terms of flowering time, clever hobby gardeners know how to use this fact for an extra long flowering period. The robust mountain alyssum (Alyssum montanum) opens the flower dance with yellow flowers from April to May. The classics, such as the annual scented stone rich 'Tiny Tim' or the pink Alyssum maritima 'Rosy O Day' ensure a seamless transition. Their flowering magic lasts from June/July to September/October if you cut off the withered flowers after the first passage to just above the basal rosettes.

Chop stonecrop properly

A pruning at the right time contributes significantly to the fact that the flowering period lasts for many weeks. Optionally, every few days, clean the withered flower clusters. Alternatively, cut off the entire carpet of flowers when they have faded. Please only cut so deeply that the basal rosettes of leaves remain, as this is where the second flowering will sprout. It is advantageous to only cut off the afterflowering once the seeds have been able to disperse. In this way, next year's flowers of stone herbs are guaranteed without your intervention.
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Water stonecrop

If a scented stone adorns the bed, it is content with the rain for the water supply. Your intervention with the watering can is only required when the summer comes along with long periods of drought. Stone herbs in pots and window boxes depend on regular watering. In a sunny location, the substrate dries out so quickly that it should be watered every 1-2 days.

Fertilize stonecrop properly

Freshly planted with the addition of compost or in pre-fertilized potting soil, the scented stone rich has a sufficient supply of nutrients. After the first pruning, we recommend applying compost or liquid fertilizer again.

hibernate

One-year-old scented toads such as the busy Tiny Tom die off completely after the first frost. Before that, the plant self-seedes to ensure numerous offspring, which will continue the blossom festival next year. Robust species such as the mountain alyssum (Alyssum montanum) have sufficient winter hardiness for perennial cultivation. Do not cut back the plants in autumn, as the dead leaves act as a natural winter protection. In addition, spread autumn leaves, needle twigs or garden fleece over the bed. If the flowers thrive in pots or balcony boxes, put the containers in a bright, frost-free winter quarters in good time. At temperatures between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius, only water so much that the root ball does not dry out.

propagate alyssum

Leave the second bloom in the fall until the pods with the seeds form. Collect these and store the seeds in a dark screw-top jar after a short drying phase. From February sow the fine seeds on lean seed soil or peat sand. Thinly sieved with sand and kept slightly moist, the seeds germinate within a few days at 18-20 degrees Celsius. The strongest seedlings are transplanted into individual pots when they have at least 2 pairs of leaves. Then take care of the young stone herbs in order to plant them out in a sunny location from mid-May.

Alyssum in a pot

In a pot, Scented Stone Rich is ideal as a decorative underplanting for your most beautiful perennials and summer flowers. Any commercially available potting soil can be used as a substrate, enriched with a handful of sand or perlite (€37.51). With regard to care, a stonecrop is sufficient, which is left over by the plant neighbors. Maintain the stonecrop as a solitaire, always water when the soil has dried well. Cut the faded flowers down to the basal leaves and fertilize with a liquid fertilizer and a nice second bloom will appear.

Beautiful varieties

  • Tiny Tim: White-flowering classic that transforms sunny, dry locations into a sea of white flowers
  • Rosy O Day: Enchanting Alyssum maritima with rich pink flowers in abundance in borders and balcony boxes
  • Berggold: Winter-hardy Alyssum montanum, which draws attention to itself with golden-yellow flowers; ideal for the rock garden
  • King's carpet: The perfect aromatic stone rich for picturesque, wine-red carpets of flowers that contrast wonderfully with white varieties
  • Sulphureum: Early flowering, light yellow alyssum; one of the few hardy varieties that also thrive in semi-shade
  • Oriental Nights: Annual scented auricle that enchants us with violet flowers; as a border for beds and graves

Category:

Vegetable garden