With dense carpets of flowers, saxifrage adorns dry stone walls, gravel beds, grave sites and tufa stones in spring or autumn. In winter, the pretty, green leaf rosettes tirelessly adorn the garden. If you have discovered your favorites among the 450 species, they pull together in terms of their cultivation. Unanswered questions are given a practice-oriented answer here.

Barren places come to life with saxifrage

Table of Contents

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  1. Plant saxifrage correctly
  2. care tips
  3. Which location is suitable?
  4. What soil does the plant need?
  5. When is flowering time?
  6. Cutting saxifrage correctly
  7. cast saxifrage
  8. Fertilize saxifrage properly
  9. hibernate
  10. increase saxifrage
  11. Saxifrage in the pot
  12. trivia
  13. Beautiful varieties

    14. Plant saxifrage correctly

    Autumn is the planting season for Saxifraga spring heralds, while an autumn-blooming plant is best planted in April/May. Regardless of the season, the planting of saxifrage follows the following pattern:

    • Dig small pits 30 to 40 cm apart with 1.5 times the volume of the root ball
    • If necessary, improve the excavation with sand, fine-grain chippings (€46.95) or compost
    • Insert the potted plant in the middle to fill the cavities with substrate up to the lower pair of leaves

    Finally, pour in the Saxifraga and spread a layer of mulch. Depending on the type and variety, both organic materials such as leaves or grass clippings and inorganic grit or gravel are suitable.
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    care tips

    If a saxifrage plant finds optimal site conditions, the care program demands little from the gardener. A start fertilization with compost and horn shavings (32.93€) in March paves the way for a flowering season. It is poured when it is dry without standing puddles of water forming. For a neat appearance, cut off the withered flower stalks with electric lawn shears. On evergreen or semi-evergreen Saxifraga leave the foliage until spring. Explicit winter protection is not necessary. Only in the year of planting does a layer of foliage protect the young flower from seasonal stress.
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    Which location is suitable?

    Saxifraga are at their best in partially shaded locations, warm and sheltered, but without the blazing midday sun. This can be under a canopy of mighty trees, on the east or north side of the rock garden or in the shady area of a dry stone wall. If the soil is also sandy-humic and calcareous, the plant is completely satisfied.
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    What soil does the plant need?

    In order for saxifrage to meet expectations as a lushly flowering groundcover, the soil should primarily be loose and permeable. A fresh, moist and humus-rich structure perfectly meets the needs of this busy flower to unfold an abundant carpet of flowers. As a substrate in the planter, compost-based potting soil meets the requirements, optimized with a handful of sand or lava granules.(13.99€)

    When is flowering time?

    The species-rich Saxifraga genus gives us magnificent specimens with different flowering times. To give you an insight into the large selection, we have listed a selection of common varieties here:

    • Moss Saxifrage (Saxifraga arendsii ssp.): Flowering period from April to May/June
    • Cup Saxifrage (Saxifraga cotyledon): Flowering period from June to August
    • Autumn saxifrage (Saxifraga cortusifolia var. fortunei): flowering period from September to November

    At the end of the flowering period, the floral fireworks of a saxifrage are far from over. The succulent or fine leaves in divergent shades adorn the plant incessantly the rest of the year.

    Cutting saxifrage correctly

    Cut off the withered carpets of flowers so that they do not spoil the decorative effect of the evergreen or evergreen foliage. This is very easy to do with an electric lawn shears, as this work with garden shears is quite tedious and time-consuming. The leaves do not necessarily have to be cut off, especially since they adorn the otherwise dreary garden throughout the winter. On the few species that draw in their leaves in autumn, we recommend cutting them back close to the ground before the first frost.

    cast saxifrage

    Within the Saxifraga genus there are species and varieties with different water requirements. Therefore, when purchasing, find out exactly to what extent your new favorite flower needs to be watered. As a rule of thumb for any plant, waterlogging will inevitably spell the end of a saxifrage.

    Fertilize saxifrage properly

    A start fertilization in March with compost and horn shavings covers the nutrient requirements for the entire season. Saxifrage species and varieties that thrive on rocks or dry stone walls are not fertilized. Cultivate Saxifraga in a tub or balcony box, administer a liquid fertilizer every 30 days from April to August.

    hibernate

    The majority of saxifrages are hardy, so no precautions need to be taken before winter. Only in the year of planting do we recommend a light winter protection in the form of a layer of leaves. To ensure that the roots in the pot or window box do not freeze, wrap the containers in bubble wrap and slide a block of wood underneath. A parking space in front of the south wall of the house is particularly advantageous during the winter.

    increase saxifrage

    To grow more specimens of your Saxifraga favorites, you can choose from the following propagation methods:

    • Division of the root ball in spring
    • Cutting off runners or daughter rosettes to plant in the new location
    • Cut off the cuttings in summer and root them in the pot with lean substrate
    • Sow the seeds behind glass in February after they have been in the fridge in moist sand for 4-6 weeks

    At the same time, the division of the root ball ensures a rejuvenation of the plant, as over the years it tends to become bare in the middle. Therefore, take the opportunity to cut out the aging pieces before planting the segments out in the new location.

    Saxifrage in the pot

    Hanging saxifrage (Saxifraga stolonifera) has made a name for itself as a potted houseplant. In order for the plant to thrive in the traffic light, a well-drained, nutrient-rich and slightly acidic substrate should be used. The following maintenance measures are easy to manage:

    • Water the plant moderately once the substrate has dried
    • From a room temperature of 20 degrees, spray every 1-2 days with lime-free water
    • Fertilize liquid every 30 days from March to September
    • From October to February place cooler at 8 to 13 degrees Celsius
    • Water less and do not fertilize during the dormant period

    Every 2 to 3 years, repotting in early spring helps the indoor plant to grow and grow.

    trivia

    Which robust plant with a Saxifraga finds its way into your garden conveys a hitherto unsurpassed record. Opposite Saxifrage (Saxifraga oppositifolia) thrives up to 4507 meters. No other flower has ever been documented at a higher or colder location in Europe. The lavishly blooming specimen was spotted in a mountain range in the Valais Alps, almost 40 meters below the snow-capped peak.

    Beautiful varieties

    • Carpet of flowers: Abundant blooms in bright crimson cover stone gardens and beds; Growth height 15 cm
    • Sleeping Beauty: Hardy moss saxifrage with bright red flowers above evergreen leaf rosettes; Growth height 15 cm
    • Black Ruby: Pretty fall flower that sets the scene with pink flowers over dark red foliage in fall; Growth height 15 cm
    • Pyramidalis: White-flowering premium variety that is also excellent as a flower in a vase; Growth height 5-40 cm
    • Rubrifolia: The plant captivates with white flowers in autumn over red-brown, shiny leaves; Growth height 10-30 cm

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Herbs