Ammobium starfall cultivation. Ammobium winged elf

Ammobium: cultivation and care

Ammobium is a thermophilic perennial. In the Russian climate, it is grown exclusively as an annual plant.

Description of ammobium

Ornamental grass includes several subspecies. Distribution and fame gained only winged ammobium. It owes its name to the leaves located at the stem of the plant. They are shaped like wings. The photo of the ammobium shows that the flower itself consists of a yellow basket and a white wrapper. The wrapper may have a yellowish tint, its leaves are arranged in several rows.

Source: Depositphotos

Ammobium: a delicate wrapper flower

The height of the plant does not exceed 0.6 m. The stem is covered with a small pile, resembling felt in appearance. The dried flower acquires a special charm at the end of flowering, when small inflorescences darken. The contrast with the silvery stems creates an unusual effect.

The flower has found application in the following industries:

• floristics;
• garden decoration.

For landscape design it is not suitable due to the lack of a presentable appearance. In floristry, bouquets of dried flowers are made with it. With its appearance, the plant perfectly sets off other types of herbs.

Growing ammobium

Ammobium is grown from seeds that are purchased at a specialized store. Sowing decorative flower occurs closer to the second month of spring, if weather conditions allow it. After 7 days, the first shoots appear. After 2 weeks, the seedlings are seated, maintaining a distance between them of about 7 cm.

IN open ground the plant is planted at the end of May or at the very beginning of summer. The soil needs to be abundantly irrigated with water before planting. In order for the flower to grow and bloom well, you need to follow the rules of cultivation. They are as follows:

• Choice of landing site. This should be an open place where the flower can enjoy the sun's rays;
• Top dressing. To have flowers large size and did not turn black at the end of flowering, you need to feed the plant with mineral and complex fertilizers;
• Minimum watering. Ammobium is a drought-resistant plant that does not require artificial soil moisture. It should be watered only during a period of prolonged absence of precipitation and during transplantation.

After placing the flower on the garden bed and adapting it, it should take about 2 months before it blooms. Flowering occurs for a long time. Inflorescences adorn the garden right up to the first frost.

The original dried flower fell in love with florists due to the length of the rod and the ability to tint the wrapper. Plant connoisseurs appreciated it for its unpretentiousness, and the minimum attention required.

Ammobium is a perennial herbaceous plant native to Australia (New South Wales). In our climatic conditions grown as an annual plant.

There are several types of plants. The most common Ammobium Winged - Ammobium alatum R. Br. It got its name because of the unusual leaves that are located at the base of the stem and have the shape of wings.

Belongs to the Compositae family. Inflorescence - basket has a diameter of about 2 cm.

The decorativeness of the inflorescences is achieved due to the wrapper located around the basket, consisting of oblong leaves of white or yellowish color.

The leaflets of the wrapper are arranged in several rows.

The stem of the plant is about 60 cm long and is covered with felt-like hairs. At the end of flowering, small flowers turn black. Against the background of silvery stems, this looks very unusual, and the plant takes on a rather spectacular appearance.

The seed-fruit has an elongated shape and a crest. There are approximately 2500 seeds in one gram.

Cultivation and care

Ammobium reproduces by seeds. The time for sowing seeds is the end of March - the beginning of April.

The first shoots appear in about a week. Two weeks after germination, the seedlings are transplanted, leaving a distance of about 7 cm. Planting time is the end of May - the beginning of April. Seedlings are planted in abundantly watered soil.

For achievement best results the plant should be planted in open areas. This is a thermophilic plant that loves sunlight.

A week after planting, it is advisable to feed the seedlings mineral fertilizers, and after 2 weeks, fertilize with complex fertilizers.

2-2.5 months after planting, the plant begins to bloom and blooms profusely from mid-summer until the first frost.

It's pretty unpretentious plant- it is required to be watered only during transplantation and during prolonged drought.

The climate of the southern regions allows you to plant seeds directly into the ground. But for the northern regions, this method is not suitable - the seeds may not ripen there, so they are planted there only as seedlings.

Application

Most often, this plant is grown for decorative purposes.

When dried, it is an excellent material for making dry bouquets. This dried flower is cut into initial stage, until it finally blossomed and covered with a white wrapper.

If you skip the cutting time, the plant will lose decorative look. Then it is dried in shady, well-ventilated areas. Ammobium Winged is not very suitable for decorating flower beds, as it does not have a very attractive appearance. But for florists, this is a great find. It is used in the preparation of dry bouquets and in compositions it wonderfully sets off brighter dried flowers.

Sometimes, to achieve a greater effect, Ammobium is artificially tinted. Most often, florists use the Bikini variety in their work. This variety has a very tall stem, and its inflorescences are almost uniform in shape and size. This greatly simplifies the work of florists, and bouquets look more harmonious.

It is also used in the design of an ornamental garden.

Ammobium is native to Australia. To date, biologists know only 2-3 species of this plant. Ammobium winged is a perennial, herbaceous, sprawling plant with multiple branches. Its flowers have the form of baskets, wrapped in large scales of yellowish and silvery-white color, consisting of yellow small tubular flowers. The fruit has the appearance of an elongated achene with a tuft. Its seeds are very small size- 2500 in 1 gram.

All forms of ammobium are quite warm and light-loving plants, therefore they grow in places with a lot of sunlight. When choosing soil for growing ammobium, they prefer loose, sandy and quite nutritious, but easily tolerate loamy and not very nutritious.

A week after planting the seedlings, it makes sense to feed the plants with nitrogen fertilizers, and three weeks after planting, you can apply complex fertilizer or an infusion of manure. Ammobium is quite drought-resistant, so it should be watered only in initial period after planting in the ground, as well as in the case of a long absence of precipitation.

Growing ammobium

Ammobium winged propagates by seed. In central Russia, ammobium is grown in seedlings. Seeds are planted in late March - early April. They come up in about a week. Picking is done 14-15 days after seed germination (when the first true leaves appear). They are planted in boxes or in a greenhouse directly into the ground in increments of 6-7 cm, but preferably in pots. Moving to open ground should be carried out in the second half of May in increments of 30-35 cm. Before this, seedlings should be watered abundantly, especially when growing ammobium in boxes or greenhouses. In the south, it is possible to grow ammobium without resorting to the procedure for growing ammobium seedlings. Seeds in this case are planted in the ground in mid-April. After germination, the sprouts must be thinned so that the gaps between them are 25-30cm. Flowering begins 60-65 days after germination and continues until the first frost.

For landscaping, winged ammobium is practically not used, occasionally when compiling mixborders. Ammobium is grown mainly for drying and inclusion in dry bouquets and wreaths.

The time for collection and drying is determined purely individually, depending on personal preferences. To obtain pure white flowers, the collection must be carried out when a yellow center appears on the first inflorescence. If you need to get larger flowers with a yellow center, they are collected later, when a disk of yellow tubular flowers appears on 4-5 inflorescences. Later boron is undesirable, because the leaves of the wrapper near the central inflorescences will be unnecessarily bent to the bottom, which will lead to the loss of their beauty by the flowers.

The collection of flowers for use in the manufacture of bouquets and other compositions is also possible from mixborders and other flower beds, since the removal of the central peduncles contributes to the good development of new ones. Flowers at the same time become very beautiful view. Drying is carried out in bunches of 5-7 shoots, hanging flowers down in a low-moisture dark place.

Ammobium winged is harvested from plants 25-30 cm long, with well-defined flowers. After drying, the center of the baskets of light yellow color becomes brown. To eliminate this unpleasant effect, the flowers must be bleached with sulfur vapor. This is done as follows: Smoldering coals are poured into a small container (metal bowl, plate), they are gray in color. After it ignites, it is covered from above with a dense box, to the bottom of which flowers are hung, tied in bunches for about a day. As a result of bleaching, the flowers acquire a bright white color around the edges and a light yellow center.

Ammobiums - perennial herbaceous plants with leaves collected in a voluminous basal rosette. Dark green leaf blades are oblong-oval, long, with wavy edges and a sharp tip.

From the center of the rosette in mid-summer, many stems extend. The shoots are tetrahedral, covered with white fluff along their entire length, reaching a height of more than 50 cm. Adhering stem leaves are rare and small, often with a silvery tint.

In the upper part of the peduncle forks. Ammobium blooms for a long time and plentifully. Inflorescences-baskets appear one after another. The tubular flowers are bright yellow. But the numerous scales of the wrapper provide a special decorative effect of the plant. They are petal-shaped, white or slightly yellowish in color.

After flowering, Ammobiums actively bear fruit, forming elongated black or dark brown achenes.

cultivation

In culture, Ammobiums are grown as annuals. During one vegetative period, plants form tall and strong bushes.

This representative of the flora looks beautiful as a tapeworm on an alpine slide. When landing in mixborders, it gets along well with Calendula, Marigolds, Felicia.

Ammobium is not susceptible to diseases and pest attacks. With minimal care, it pleases with flowering until the onset of cold weather. Timely removal of faded flower stalks, you can stimulate the growth of new ones.

The plant is suitable for creating live and winter bouquets. For drying, Ammobium is cut at various stages of flowering. To obtain white dried flowers, half-opened buds are cut off. After waiting for full disclosure, you can prepare yellow-white flowers. Dry the plants tied in bunches in a dry and shady place.

Diseases and pests

Not subject.

reproduction

Seeds.

First steps after purchase

Ammobium is grown from seed. In warm regions, sowing in open ground in April-May is acceptable. Shoots appear together. In order for the seedlings to have the space necessary for growth and development, it is necessary to thin out the sprouts. The optimal distance is 25–30 cm.

The seedling method allows you to accelerate the onset of flowering. In March, the seeds are placed in a nutrient substrate, covered with glass or plastic wrap. Shoots appear in a week. After half a month, the seedlings acquire real leaves, and they must be dived. The substrate should be moistened regularly. Landing in open ground is carried out in May. Watering is necessary only before the start of active growth.

Success Secrets

Ammobium is able to grow on loam, but prefers light nutrient soils.

This plant needs bright light. When choosing a landing site, it is advisable to choose an area open to the sun, protected from the winds.

Ammobium is drought tolerant. After engraftment of seedlings, watering is canceled. The plant is quite content with rainfall. In the complete absence of rain, rare watering is acceptable.

Ammobium is fed with nitrogen-containing fertilizers a week after planting seedlings. After another half a month, a second top dressing is carried out using complex mineral or organic fertilizers.

Possible difficulties

Ammobium does not tolerate accumulation of water in the soil at all. The arrangement of a reliable drainage layer is the responsibility of the owner.

Foliage growth at the expense of flowering is a consequence of excessive fertilization. Poor flowering is also caused by short daylight hours or insufficient light intensity.

When cutting Ammobium for dry bouquets, it is important not to miss the "deadline" deadline. If the scales of a plant are bent back, one should not expect decorativeness from a dried flower.

Bright yellow tubular flowers often turn brown after drying. The whitening method will help to preserve the festive coloring - exposure to sulfur vapor.