Gypsophila with spray roses. Creeping gypsophila, grown from seeds

– a beautiful flower, rightfully popular among flower growers due to its beauty, undemandingness in planting and care. You can purchase both annual and perennial varieties of gypsophila.

The annual plant blooms during the summer season, then dies off, while the perennial varieties continue to bloom year after year. Perennial gypsophila is a tender and delicate plant, the beautiful flowers of which will fill your garden with amazing beauty and harmony for a long time.

Gypsophila perennial: description of the plant

–This is a herbaceous subshrub plant of the carnation family, consisting of an abundance of white or pink-violet inflorescences. The bushes look like a "flower cloud", giving the plant a light appearance. Perennial flowers can be simple or double.

There are many types and varieties of this crop, the most common are gypsophila paniculata And creeping gypsophila. The perennial blooms every summer (in the middle of the summer season). Then, after a break, repeated autumn flowering is possible. The height of this plant can vary from 15 to 120 cm.

Did you know? Gypsophila is not the only name for this beautiful plant. This crop is also known by such interesting names as “baby’s breath”, “tumbleweed”, “gypsum grass” and “kachim”. The British nicknamed gypsophila "Baby's Breath". Ask why? All thanks to her gentle and light appearance.

Planting gypsophila

Perennial gypsophila is unpretentious, the requirements for its cultivation are quite simple. Planting and caring for the plant will not take much time, but its colorful flowering will delight you throughout the summer.

How to choose soil and location

An important step in planting gypsophila is proper soil preparation. The plant prefers light soil and does not like clay. Calcareous soil or any other non-acidic neutral soil will be optimal. The soil should be loose and well-drained, sandy if possible. A rocky surface would also be ideal.

Did you know? Gypsophila is translated from Greek as “lime-loving.” This is due to the fact that this crop prefers calcareous soil and does not tolerate damp places.

Description of the process of planting gypsophila seeds

Gypsophila is grown from tiny seeds. In September, seeds ripen on faded shoots of gypsophila, which are collected and dried. These seeds can be planted in spring. Gypsophila does not like frost, so sowing begins after the soil has completely warmed up in the spring.
So, let's figure out how to grow gypsophila from seeds. Planting work is carried out in the following order:

1. Before planting, you need to prepare the beds and moisten the soil well.
2. Then the seeds are distributed over the beds and carefully covered with a thin layer of soil. The distance between seeds should be no more than 10 cm.
3. Next, the sowing site is covered with film and left for several days in a sunny place.
4. In autumn, grown plants can be transplanted to any site you choose, keeping a distance of about 20 cm between plants, and about 50 cm between tall varieties.

The soil is enriched with additional nutrients, which helps the growth process.

The sprouted sprouts are thinned out and left at a distance of 15 cm, so that in May, after the leaves appear, they can be transplanted to a permanent place.

Did you know?To ensure continuous flowering of gypsophila, another interesting method of growing from seeds is practiced among experienced gardeners. Since gypsophila seeds germinate quickly (already on the 10th day after planting you can see young shoots), for continuous flowering the seeds can be planted sequentially - every two to three weeks.

Features of caring for perennial gypsophila

The question of how to care for gypsophila does not require careful consideration. Gypsophila has good resistance to the vagaries of nature. In order for the plant to please you with abundant and colorful flowering, it is enough to water it correctly and do not forget to feed it with fertilizers.

Rules for watering the "flower cloud"

In hot weather, gypsophila needs to be watered abundantly and regularly. Do not allow it to dry out; the plant does not like too dry conditions. Young bushes especially need timely watering. However, at the same time, it is necessary to exclude possible stagnation of water in the ground.

Water retention can cause rotting of the horses, the development of fungal diseases, which ultimately leads to the death of the plant. To help excess moisture freely leave the top layer of soil, you should take care of a good soil drainer (trench, drainage, pipes).

Fertilizing and soil care

Gypsophila is fertilized only twice per season. However, if the bushes are provided with a sufficient amount of sunlight and heat, then gypsophila does well without additional fertilizers. Excess feeding for the plant is undesirable. It is customary to enrich the soil with complex mineral fertilizers and organic matter.

Important!Among organic fertilizers in caring for gypsophila, mullein infusion is very useful and effective. But the use of fresh manure is strictly contraindicated for this crop. It can completely destroy your gypsophila.

In winter, to prevent the bushes from dying from low temperatures, it is advisable to mulch the soil under the plant with peat or humus. In addition, if your gypsophila is young and fragile, it should be taken care of separately in winter.

Is replanting and pruning required?

Over time, the creeping shoots of the plant form dense bushes, as a result of which your gypsophila will look unkempt. In addition, you need to remember that this perennial crop grows very quickly.

The perennial can even destroy weak plants growing in the neighborhood. That is why it is important to promptly limit the spread of gypsophila in the flowerbed.

It is recommended to carry out the pruning procedure when the plant stems look faded (after flowering). The bushes are carefully trimmed, leaving only 3-4 shoots at the base. Thus, after pruning, the bushes will become much more luxuriant.

In addition to pruning, it is advisable to replant the plant 2 years after planting. Young gypsophila bushes tolerate the first transplant quite easily. However, this procedure is not recommended in the future. Over time, as the plant takes root, replanting becomes more and more dangerous. However, gypsophila can easily grow up to 25 years without replanting.

Plant propagation: how to take cuttings from perennial gypsophila

In addition to the seed growing method, gypsophila is also propagated by vegetation, that is, by cuttings.

This method is especially effective if you are going to grow double varieties of gypsophila.

So, how to plant gypsophila from cuttings? Work should be carried out in late spring (late April or early May). It is necessary to have time to cut cuttings from young shoots of the plant before inflorescences begin to form.

In open ground, cuttings should have time to take root before autumn. Therefore, to successfully propagate gypsophila, you need to follow these simple rules:

• the soil for planting should be loose, with a small amount of chalk added;
• planting depth – about 2 cm;
• air temperature – about 20 °C;
• cuttings need to be provided with 12 hours of daylight;
• treat plants with a solution containing heteroauxin (root formation stimulator).

Important!To achieve optimal humidity, the cuttings must be covered with film. For this purpose, special polyethylene greenhouses are built.

Gypsophila and landscape design: how to choose neighbors “for little flowers”

Delicate gypsophila can make any composition at your dacha uniquely light and airy. Gypsophila paniculata is used to decorate borders and flower beds, mixborders and flower beds. And creeping gypsophila (miniature species) will look great on alpine hills, rocky slopes and rockeries.

Plant gypsophila (lat. Gypsophila), or tumbleweed, we're rocking, plaster of Paris- a herbaceous plant of the Clove family. Translated, the name of the plant means “lime-loving”, since many species of this plant grow in nature on limestone. Gypsophila flowers include more than one hundred species of shrubs, herbaceous annuals and perennials growing in Eurasia, Northeast Africa and New Zealand. Both annual and perennial gypsophila are grown in garden culture.

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Planting and caring for gypsophila (in brief)

• Landing: annuals are sown in school beds in April or May, and in September the seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place. You can sow the seeds of annual gypsophila at school and before winter, and transplant the seedlings to a permanent place next spring. Seeds of perennials are sown for seedlings at the end of March, and seedlings are transplanted into open ground at the stage of formation of the third leaf.
• Bloom: depending on the species - from May to September.
• Lighting: bright light, partial shade.
• Soil: dry, not very fertile, containing lime (pH 6.3-6.7), in an area with deep groundwater.
• Watering: at the root and only during periods of prolonged drought.
• Feeding: 2-3 times per season with mullein solution and complex mineral fertilizers alternately. Fresh manure must not be used!
• Reproduction: seeds and cuttings. Terry varieties - by grafting and cuttings.
• Pests: cyst or root-knot nematodes.
• Diseases: gray rot, rust, smut, stem rot, viral jaundice.

Read more about growing gypsophila below.

Gypsophila flower - description

The root of gypsophila is powerful, taprooted and branched, the stem is almost leafless, prostrate or erect, reaches a height of 20 to 50 cm, but some subshrub species grow up to a meter or even higher. The leaves are small, entire, lanceolate, oval or spatulate. Loose paniculate inflorescences, simple or double, consist of small flowers of white or white with green color, although some species (creeping gypsophila or Pacific gypsophila) have pink flowers. The fruit is a unilocular polysperm, ovoid or spherical in shape. Gypsophila seeds remain viable for two or three years.

Growing gypsophila from seeds

Sowing gypsophila seeds

The gypsophila flower reproduces both by vegetative methods and by seeds. Annual gypsophila reproduces only by seeds, but there are also some perennial species that are grown from seeds. How to grow gypsophila from seeds? One-year-old gypsophila is sown before winter in open ground on a training (spreading) bed, and the following spring, the stronger seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place. Perennial gypsophila is grown in seedlings– seeds are sown in early spring spaciously in seedling boxes to a depth of half a centimeter, the crops are covered with glass and placed in a bright, warm place.

In the photo: Gypsophila blooming in the garden

Gypsophila seedlings

When the seedlings appear after a week or two, they are thinned out so that the distance between the specimens is at least 15 cm, or they are planted one at a time in peat pots, and then gypsophila is grown with additional lighting, since seedlings require thirteen to fourteen hours of daylight for normal development, and in the middle of spring the days are still too short.

Planting gypsophila

When to plant gypsophila

When the seedlings have one or two true leaves, they are transplanted to a permanent place, and since perennial species can grow in one place for many years, planting perennial gypsophila requires a balanced approach to choosing a site. The best place for gypsophila is dry and sunny, with a low humus content and the presence of lime in the soil.

If your garden soil does not contain lime or there is not enough lime, add 25-50 g of CaCo3 per m² of land so that the soil pH becomes 6.3-6.7.

Do not plant gypsophila near groundwater - it does not like excessive moisture in the roots.

In the photo: Growing gypsophila from seeds

How to plant gypsophila

If gypsophila is planted in two rows, then a gap of at least 0.7 m is maintained between the specimens, and 1.3 m between the rows. Make sure that the root collar does not end up underground when planting. The planted plants are watered. In two years, every second bush will have to be dug up so that there is only one bush per square meter. The root system of the dug up plants is cooled and transplanted to another location. This is done to increase the decorative value of gypsophila flowers, which are very good for cutting and as decoration in a composite bouquet.

WITH nematodes they fight by repeatedly spraying plants with phosphamide with an interval of 3-5 days between sessions, but if this does not help, you will have to dig up the bush and wash its roots in hot water at 50-55 ºC, since the nematode dies at a temperature of 40 ºC.

From rust And gray rot They use spraying of gypsophila with contact fungicides - Bordeaux mixture, oxychome or copper sulfate.

In the photo: White and pink gypsophila flowers

Perennial gypsophila after flowering

How and when to collect gypsophila seeds

In autumn, when the plant dries out, small boxes with gypsophila seeds, similar to brown grains of sand, appear in place of the flowers. The capsules are cut, dried in a room with good ventilation, opened and the seeds are poured onto newspaper or paper to dry and ripen, and when they are dry, they are placed in paper bags or cardboard boxes for storage.

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Gypsophila in winter

Perennial gypsophila is pruned at the end of autumn, leaving 3-4 strong stems at the root, then the remains of the bush are covered with dry leaves or spruce branches for the winter in case of a snowless winter or too severe frosts.

Types and varieties of gypsophila

Gypsophila paniculata

Perennial up to 120 cm high, quickly taking on the shape of a spherical bush. The stems are highly branched, pubescent narrow leaves are gray-green, flowers are no more than 6 mm in diameter, collected in paniculate inflorescences, simple or double, pink or white, depending on the variety. Varieties:

• Bristol Fairy– gypsophila white, double, 60-75 cm in height;
• Pink Star– also double gypsophila, but with dark pink flowers;
• Flamingo– terry pink gypsophila 60-75 cm high.

In the photo: Gypsophila paniculata

Gypsophila elegans

A spherical annual 40-50 cm high with highly branched stems, small lanceolate leaves and small flowers of white, pink or carmine color in openwork thyroid panicles. Blooms profusely, but does not last long. Varieties.

Perennial gypsophila is very popular among amateur gardeners; planting and caring for it usually does not cause much trouble. A delicate cloud formed by gypsophila flowers will help create an interesting composition together with other flowering plants or independently decorate the landscape design of a summer cottage.

Gypsophila is perfect for Moorish lawns.

What is gypsophila?

The flowering plant gypsophila (lat. gypsophila) belongs to the clove family. The Latin name of the plant translates as “lime-loving”, “friendly with lime”. In nature, many types of gypsophila grow on calcareous soil. Gypsophila is also called tumbleweed, tumbleweed, and “baby’s breath.”

The distribution area of ​​gypsophila is wide: Europe, Asia, Southern Siberia, Altai, North-East Africa, New Zealand. Gypsophila has been known in cultural gardening since the second half of the 18th century. To date, more than 100 species of annual and perennial gypsophila have been bred.

Gypsophila, depending on the species, can be a herbaceous plant or a subshrub. The average height of the main stem of an adult subshrub is 50-60 cm. Some species grow up to 1-1.5 m. The flower stem has a length of 10 to 50 cm, it can be erect, bare or branched. There is almost no foliage on it. Individual small leaves have a solid lanceolate shape.

The flowers are small - 0.4-0.7 cm, collected in lush panicle inflorescences. The flowers, double or regular, are white, whitish-green or pink.

In landscape design, perennial gypsophila is usually used. This plant looks great in mixborders, on stone slides or flower beds. Often perennial gypsophila is planted in separate bushes or in compositions of different species of this plant.

Planting gypsophila by seed

Gypsophila reproduces by seeds. Cultural planting is carried out using the grafting method and cuttings. You can use rooting of mature plants.

The seed method of propagating gypsophila is considered the most practical and effective. Therefore, it is used most often by gardeners. In order to properly prepare seedlings, you need to prepare:

• container for planting;
• a spatula for mixing soil components;
• watering can or water spray;
• plastic film;
• scissors.

Gypsophila is grown from seeds. The finished seedlings are planted in the ground.

Preparing gypsophila seedlings usually begins in March. The planting container is filled with special soil or soil from the area where the plant will be planted.

Sand, crushed stone or small pebbles and chalk or lime must be added to the planting soil, since gypsophila loves calcareous soils. All ingredients must be thoroughly mixed, but not compacted, because... gypsophila takes root and grows better in loose soil. The prepared soil is laid out in a planting container and slightly moistened immediately before placing the seeds. The seeds are placed on the surface of the prepared soil at intervals of 1 to 10 cm and lightly sprinkled with soil. Then the seedlings need to be covered with film and left at room temperature.

In optimal conditions and on suitable soil, gypsophila seeds can produce their first shoots on the 4th or 5th day after planting. The first leaf appears after about 15-20 days. After 30 days, the number of leaves increases to 5 or 6 pieces. The film must be removed from mature shoots. The main thing is that the seedlings receive enough sunlight from the very beginning.

Watering is done as needed so as not to over-moisten the soil. After 1.5-2 months (in April or May), the strengthened seedlings can be planted in open ground. Since gypsophila grows strongly, no more than 3 seedlings are planted per 1 sq.m. When planting in 1 row, the distance between plants must be at least 0.5 m. In 2 rows, plants are planted with an interval of 0.7 m. The distance between rows must be at least 1 m.

If necessary, having a sufficient amount of seed material, seedlings can be grown in open ground. This is usually done in the second half of spring, so that at the time of planting the weather is already consistently warm and dry. The soil is moistened, mineralized, drainage and chalk (lime) are added to it. The seeds are distributed over the surface and covered with a thin layer of soil. Watering is in progress.

After 8-10 days, the first shoots appear. After 20 days, the seedlings are planted using small pegs. The distance between the shoots should be at least 10-15 cm. Then the young plants grow and become stronger without special care until the fall, when they can be planted in a permanent place.

Cuttings and grafting

Gypsophila for bouquets is cut with ordinary pruning shears along the branches.

Propagating gypsophila by cuttings is a rather troublesome process that requires certain experience and skills in gardening. Gypsophila cuttings are cut in the spring and treated with a heteroauxin solution for better rooting. For cuttings, the tops of young shoots of a non-flowering plant are used. The optimal length of 1 cutting is 5-6 cm.

The cuttings are planted under film in pots with a light limestone substrate. Keep in a warm but shaded place, observing the watering regime. For more effective rooting of cuttings indoors, it is necessary to maintain high air humidity.

After planting in soil prepared in the same way as for seed seedlings, the cuttings are covered with jars and shaded. Water regularly, but little by little.

It is also better to vaccinate in the spring. The prepared cuttings are carefully inserted into the split root stem of an adult healthy plant.

Read more about watering and feeding adult plants

Lime is a good fertilizer and soil disinfectant.

Gypsophila is a drought-resistant plant, but it requires regular watering. Young plants are watered every 2-3 days in the warm season. In hot weather, watering is done daily. Mature plants that are well rooted in the soil should be watered when the soil around the stem is completely dry. When watering, you need to moisten the soil around the main root, avoiding getting the above-ground part of the plant wet.

Healthy plants can be fertilized by adding to the soil:

• lime or chalk;
• mineral fertilizers;
• humus;
• organic fertilizers.

Fertilizers should not increase the acidity of the soil. It is not recommended to use manure to feed gypsophila.

Important points in caring for gypsophila

Gypsophila does not tolerate excess moisture well and can die from large amounts of groundwater.

This factor should be taken into account when choosing a place to plant a plant on the site. In addition, gypsophila requires a lot of sunlight. For its normal growth, only slight shading is allowed.

When perennial gypsophila begins to actively bloom, under the weight of the blooming flowers, the main stem of the bush usually deviates from the vertical line. A crooked bush does not look so attractive and may break off. Therefore, for such bushes, wooden supports are installed in accordance with the size of the bush, the direction and degree of deflection of the stem. Subsequently, the support will be hidden under new shoots and flowers.

Preparing for winter

After the gypsophila has finished blooming, they begin to prepare it for winter. Since this plant is herbaceous, it is necessary to trim the dried stems so that their length does not exceed 7 cm.

Although gypsophila is considered a frost-resistant crop, protection from the cold will still be useful. Especially in those regions where there is no high snow cover during the winter months. Therefore, before the onset of cold weather, plants, especially young ones, with a still weak root system, are covered with tree bark, rags or burlap.

What causes gypsophila and how to treat it?

Hispophila is often used to make a bridal bouquet.

Caring for plants also includes treating them for various diseases. Most often, gypsophila suffers from fungal diseases that develop due to excessive soil moisture. For example, with improper watering, frequent rains, and an abundance of groundwater. Fungi can cause:

• firebrand;
• jaundice;
• rust;
• gray rot.

To get rid of the fungus, the diseased plant is treated with fungicides. For example, a 0.2% solution of foundationazole. Another antifungal agent is a solution of copper sulfate (0.2%) and laundry soap (2%). Repeated antifungal treatment must be carried out after 30 days.

Another common problem when growing baby's breath is roundworms or nematodes. When infected with a cyst or root-knot nematode, plants are treated with thiazone.

Using gypsophila to decorate bouquets

Gypsophila sprigs are constantly used by florists to create elegant bouquets. In combination with larger and brighter flowers, these airy shoots can achieve an original design effect. But even simple bouquets of gypsophila will add warmth and comfort to the interior. For this you can use not only fresh, but also dried twigs. It is enough to simply place a flowering branch of gypsophila in a vase without pouring water. Over time, the branch will dry out, but will remain elegant and attractive throughout the long winter months, reminiscent of summer.

Gypsophila is an annual or perennial crop from the Clove family. The thinnest branched stems form a thick cloud, which, like small snowflakes, is covered with flowers. Due to the tenderness of its growth, gypsophila is called “baby’s breath”, “tumbleweed” or “rocking”. The plant in the garden is used as an addition or frame to a flower bed. It is also good for cutting to decorate a bouquet with larger and brighter flowers. The plant is native to the Mediterranean, Asia and Australia, but some species are frost-resistant and live as perennials in temperate gardens.

Description of the plant

Gypsophila is an ornamental flowering plant that takes the form of herbaceous shoots or subshrubs. It has a powerful taproot that goes deep into the soil. Thin, erect stems are covered with many lateral shoots, so very quickly the gypsophila bush takes on a spherical shape. The height of the vegetation is 10-120 cm. There are creeping ground cover forms. Their stems are located close to the ground.

The shoots, covered with smooth green bark, have practically no leaves. Most of the small leaves are concentrated in basal rosettes. They are lanceolate in shape with solid edges and a pointed end. The foliage is dark green or grayish. It has a smooth shiny surface.

In June, loose paniculate inflorescences bloom at the ends of the shoots. They consist of snow-white or pink flowers with a diameter of 4-7 mm. The bell calyx consists of five wide serrated petals, on which there is a green vertical stripe. There are 10 thin stamens in the center.

After pollination, the seeds ripen - multi-seeded capsules of spherical or ovoid shape. When dry, they independently open into 4 doors, and the smallest round seeds scatter on the ground.

Types and varieties of gypsophila

The genus of gypsophila has about 150 species and several dozen ornamental varieties. Among the varieties popular among gardeners are annuals and perennials. Annual gypsophila is represented by the following plants.

Strongly branched shoots form a spherical subshrub 40-50 cm high. It is covered with small gray-green leaves. White small flowers are located in loose panicles. Varieties:

• Rose – blooms profusely with pink inflorescences;
• Carmine – distinguished by beautiful carmine-red flowers.

A branched plant with stems spread along the ground, the height does not exceed 30 cm. The shoots are covered with linear dark green foliage. The smallest flowers are located at the ends of the shoots and form an openwork blanket. Varieties:

• Fretensis - with pink double flowers;
• Pink haze - densely covered with bright pink inflorescences, which almost completely cover the green shoots;
• Monstrosa - blooms profusely in white.

Perennial gypsophila is popular among gardeners due to the lack of need to renew plantings annually.

Gypsophila paniculata. The plant forms large spherical bushes up to 120 cm high. The highly branched stems are covered with gray-green pubescent bark and the same narrow-lanceolate leaves. Many tiny flowers with a diameter of up to 6 mm are concentrated in paniculate inflorescences at the ends of the shoots. Varieties:

• Pink Star - blooms dark pink double flowers;
• Flamingo - a bush 60-75 cm high blooms with pink double flowers;
• Bristol Fairy - spherical vegetation up to 75 cm high is decorated with white double inflorescences.
• Snowflake - a dense dark green bush with a diameter of up to 50 cm in June is covered with dense snow-white flowers.

Gypsophila paniculata

Although the stems of this species are highly branched, they are spread out on the ground, so the height of the plant is 8-10 cm. In June-May, an openwork green carpet is covered with snow-white or purple flowers.

Growing from seeds

Gypsophila reproduces well by seeds. Annuals are sown immediately in open ground in the fall and additionally sown in early spring. To do this, make holes 1-1.5 cm deep and distribute the seeds evenly. At the end of spring, the grown seedlings are very carefully transplanted to a permanent place with a large lump of earth.

Seedlings are pre-grown from perennial seeds. They use spacious deep boxes filled with a sand-peat mixture with the addition of chalk. The seeds are buried 5 mm, the container is covered with film and kept in a well-lit place at room temperature. After 10-15 days, the first shoots appear. When the height of the plants reaches 3-4 cm, they are carefully picked into separate pots. It is important to keep the seedlings in a well-lit place. If necessary, use phytolamps so that the daylight hours last for 13-14 hours.

Vegetative propagation

Terry, highly decorative varieties are propagated vegetatively, since the seeds do not convey the qualities of the mother plant. In early spring, before the buds appear, or already in August, the tops of the shoots are cut into cuttings. Rooting is carried out in a loose substrate with the addition of chalk. The cuttings are buried vertically by 2 cm and kept in good light and a temperature of +20°C.

It is very important to maintain high humidity during the rooting period, so the plants are regularly sprayed and covered with a cap. Rooted gypsophila are transplanted into open ground in the fall to a permanent place.

Planting and caring for gypsophila

Gypsophila is a very light-loving plant. It can hardly tolerate even partial shade, so well-lit, open areas are chosen for planting. The soil should be fertile, light and well drained. Sandy loam or loam is suitable. As the name suggests, gypsophila loves calcareous soils, so before planting the soil is dug up with slaked lime. It is necessary to avoid places where groundwater lies close.

Seedlings are planted together with peat pots to the depth of the root system. The root collar should not be buried. The distance between plants should be 70-130 cm. From the third year of life, each large perennial bush needs about 1 m² of area.

Gypsophila is very drought-resistant, so it requires virtually no watering. Only in intense heat and in the absence of natural precipitation for a long time, 3-5 liters of water per week are poured under the root.

In the spring and during the flowering period, gypsophila is fed with organic complexes 2-3 times per season. You need to use rotted manure or compost. Fresh organic matter will kill the plant.

Even in perennial plants, most of the ground growth is dried for the winter. The vegetation is cut off, leaving only small stumps above the ground. The soil is covered with fallen leaves or spruce branches, and in winter a high snowdrift is formed. In this form, gypsophila can withstand even severe frosts. In spring, it is important to spread the shelter in a timely manner to avoid flooding and root rotting.

Gypsophila is resistant to plant diseases. In too dense thickets or when the soil is flooded, it suffers from root or gray rot and rust. The affected bushes are thinned out, transplanted to a new location and treated with a fungicide.

Use in the garden

Tall or short aerial thickets of gypsophila in open ground look very decorative. But the plant rarely receives solo positions. It is more often used as a complement or background for brighter colors. Gypsophila is good on an alpine hill or in a mixborder. It also complements the stone garden well. Plants are combined with eschscholzia, tulips, marigolds and ornamental grasses. Very often, gypsophila is grown as a cut flower to decorate bouquets.

Gypsophila or Gypsophila (lat.) is a ground cover plant with straight thin stems, almost devoid of leaves, and small bead-shaped flowers. For its lightness and airiness, English gardeners beautifully called it “baby’s breath”, the Germans - “bride’s veil”, which fully corresponds to the visual perception of the plant. In the southern steppes of Russia, a light snow globe, driven by the winds across the open spaces, received the name “tumbleweed.”

Description

Gypsophila belongs to the carnation family. The crop can be herbaceous or semi-shrub, annual or perennial. The root is powerful, taproot. The stem is thin, branched, erect or prostrate, almost leafless. The leaves are entire, small, lanceolate, oval or spatulate in shape. The inflorescences are loose panicles, simple or double. Single-locular multi-seeded fruits are sometimes ovoid, and more often spherical in shape.

Key Features:

• The flowering period begins in June and lasts until mid-summer; by pruning, re-blooming can be achieved in the fall.
• The color of the flowers is predominantly white, sometimes with green, pink shades are much less common.
• The height of the plant is from 10 cm to half a meter, low-growing species include creeping gypsophila, medium-height gypsophila graceful, semi-shrub species can reach a meter or higher (gypsophila paniculata).
• Gypsophila is a sun-loving plant and grows in open areas with good lighting.
• Frost-resistant, with shelter it tolerates even cold winters.
• Drought-resistant, prefers moderate watering.
• It can be grown as an annual (Gypsophila creeping, graceful) and perennial (Gypsophila paniculata, Pacific) crop, depending on the type of plant and method of propagation.

Gypsophila paniculata

Varieties and varieties

The genus Gypsophila includes more than 100 species that are found on all continents. The main species that have gained popularity in cultural breeding in many countries:

Gypsophila paniculata- a tall perennial that quickly takes on the shape of a ball, up to a meter in diameter. The stems are highly branched with narrow pubescent leaves in the lower part of the stem, small gypsophila flowers form paniculate fluffy inflorescences, they can be simple, double, pink or white, it depends on the variety. The flowers are so small and numerous that they create the effect of the finest lace. The plant blooms in early summer, in June - July.

Terry varietal forms predominate, the height of the bushes is up to 60-75 cm: Bristol Fairy - white, Pink Star, Flamingo - dark pink and pink.

Gypsophila graceful

Gypsophila graceful- an annual plant up to half a meter high, spherical in shape, with highly branched stems, small lanceolate leaves and lacy thyroid panicles. Most often used in floral decoration. It blooms profusely and briefly, in mid-summer, with small white, pink, carmine flowers. The plant is light-loving, cold-resistant, drought-resistant. Grows well on light but fertile sandy loam soils with the addition of lime. Pink varieties - "Rose", "Double Star" or red - "Carmine".

Gypsophila wall distinguished by sophistication and elegance, although it is a typical representative of the middle zone. Thin branched shoots are quite strong, often bending under the weight of numerous small flowers. The plant forms a low-growing compact bush. The most decorative garden forms: Gipsy1 with double corollas of flowers, Garden Bride, Tweenie with compact bushes in the form of dense pads.

Gypsophila wall

Gypsophila repens- a branched annual plant with low bushes up to 30 cm. Linear dark green leaves set off small white or pink flowers, collected in compact panicles. Varieties of white gypsophila: Fretensis, Monstrosa.

Gypsophila pacific- a spreading perennial bush about a meter high, with highly branched stems, wide expressive lanceolate leaves and small pale pink flowers. Of particular interest are rarer species: Patrena's gypsophila, gypsophila, tender and others.

Photo gallery of species

Growing and care

You can love gypsophila only for its amazing unpretentiousness. Care involves controlled watering and infrequent but regular feeding. The plant takes root well in dry, well-lit areas. It prefers calcareous soils; it is not for nothing that its name is translated from Greek as “friendly with lime.” You can use any non-acidic soil for planting gypsophila. A pH between 6.3-6.7 is considered ideal for plant development. The soil should be nutritious, with a limited humus content (up to 1-2%). Good organization of drainage should ensure complete removal of excess moisture from the top layer of soil. Before planting, it is recommended to add humus; you should not use manure as a fertilizer.

The optimal temperature for good shoot growth is -16-18 C, during flowering - 12-13 C. To bloom, gypsophila requires a long daylight hours - at least 14 hours. Young plants need abundant watering; long and lush flowering depends on this.

Perennial gypsophila grows extremely quickly, thereby being able to destroy weak plants in the neighborhood. It is advisable to promptly limit its spread in the flower garden. Young bushes tolerate replanting more easily; it is dangerous to replant plants with developed tap roots, given the possibility of their death.

Gypsophila in an open area

Since gypsophila flowers are extremely delicate, it is better to water from the side, periodically adding mineral fertilizers containing potassium - up to 50 mg/m2. During the flowering period, this procedure must be repeated regularly. Watering is adjusted taking into account the time of year. Until the plant blooms, watering is quite generous. In summer, water once every three days in an amount of about 5 l/m2. In autumn, watering is reduced.

Wintering

Frost resistance is another important advantage of gypsophila. After flowering in open areas has finished, the stems are carefully cut off. The cut is made, leaving a few centimeters of the vegetative part on the roots. Before the procedure, the plant does not need to be watered so that the stem remains dry. If the plant has already bloomed in the spring, pruning is carried out in order to bloom again in the fall. In order for the growth of new stems to be sustainable, the presence of water and minerals at the roots must be gradually increased.

Perennial plants are always pruned at the end of autumn, leaving several strong stems at the root. For the winter, the remains of the bush are covered with leaves and spruce branches in case of severe frosts or snowless winters.

Shelter with spruce branches of Gypsophila for the winter

How to plant

It is better to plant in open ground in two rows with row spacing of 0.7 m and an interval of 1.3 m with the adjacent row. For single-row planting, the row spacing should be 1.7 m, two plants are planted per square meter. After two years, every second bush is replanted, leaving one plant in this area. This ensures the best quality flower. When planting in closed ground, for example, in a greenhouse, you can increase the number of plants per m2 to five.

To obtain more expressive and decorative plantings, you can use the nesting method, planting 3-4 plants nearby. This way the plant will look more noticeable and luxurious, and will decorate the garden much faster.

Before flowering, you need to provide supports to support tall bushes.

Pruning during the summer after flowering stimulates the formation of additional shoots.

Gypsophila seedlings in spring

Reproduction

The main methods of propagation of gypsophila.

Seeds

Gypsophila self-sows. At the end of September, seeds ripen in yellowish boxes on faded shoots, which are dried after collection. In the spring, to grow gypsophila from seeds, they can be sown in the garden in pre-prepared separate beds. It is also practiced to sow in winter, at the end of October.

Shoots appear quickly on the 10th day after sowing. They are thinned out, leaving a distance of 10 cm between the plants. After a week, the seedlings are fed with complex fertilizer. Gypsophila blooms 1.5 months after sowing.

To prolong flowering, seeds can be repeated throughout the summer with an interval of 2-3 weeks.

Gypsophila shoots from seeds

Seedling method

In March, the seeds are germinated in containers under glass, thinned out to a distance of 15 cm, in order to be transferred to open ground in May. Mandatory use of picking allows you to obtain strong and healthy plants. Reliable survival of seedlings is ensured by a reasonable balance between the development of the root system and leaves. The seedlings can be transferred to a permanent place when the cassette cell is completely absorbed by the roots.

Grown seedlings are transplanted to a permanent plot, 2-3 sprouts per m2. When planting, the substrate in which the root system develops must be moist. When planting, the root collar should not be buried in the soil; watering during this period should be done with extreme caution. You can water from above until full bushes have formed.

Growing seedlings in containers

By cuttings or grafting

When propagating gypsophila, young shoots serve as cuttings; they are selected at the end of spring, before inflorescences form. The cutting procedure can be carried out in the summer, until August. Rooted cuttings are planted in open ground with the expectation that they will have time to take root before autumn. The substrate should be loose, with the addition of a small amount of chalk.

Planting depth is 2 cm, the optimal temperature for rooting (about 20 C) and high humidity are achieved, if necessary, by constructing a greenhouse. In addition, rooting requires 12 hours of daylight. When rooting, cuttings need additional protection and care. Good results are obtained by treatment with heteroauxin-containing preparations, additional covering with film, and light shading.

These methods are good for terry shapes. In the case of seed propagation, no more than half of the quality material can be obtained. Cuttings of double forms are grafted onto non-double split plants in the spring.

Gypsophila looks great cut

Diseases and pests

Improper care of gypsophila can lead to rust or gray rot. To combat them, contact fungicides are successfully used - spraying with oxychome, Bordeaux mixture, copper sulfate.

Of the pests, certain types of nematodes are dangerous - root-knot and cyst-forming. They are combated by repeated spraying of plants with phosphamide; if the roots are damaged, the bush is dug up and the roots are washed with hot water, since nematodes die at temperatures above 40 C.

Use in landscape design

Low-growing perennials with creeping shoots can be grown as stable and trouble-free ground cover crops. Gypsophila is rarely used as a main plant, but as an effective addition this plant is simply irreplaceable. With its help you can create spectacular borders, ribbons, and flower groups.

Gypsophila in the garden

Gypsophila fits well into the landscape of an alpine hill, emphasizing the style of rock gardens and rock gardens, or simply rocky slopes. Complements sun-exposed flower beds as an elegant backdrop. Combinations with large-flowered plants look impressive; combinations with marigolds, eschscholzia, godetia, and tulips are good. Can be used on mixborders, ridges, borders. It looks amazingly harmonious in original mixborders made in “steppe”, “English”, “lace”, “luxurious” style.

Gypsophila paniculata is equally good in group and single plantings. Used in Moorish flowering lawns and mixed ridges. It successfully emphasizes the beauty of exquisite flowers. In landscaping, it fills empty spaces in mixborders after bulbous plants.

The plant is very popular in floristry; mass cultivation of gypsophila is carried out for cutting; it is an excellent material for flower arrangements and fresh, dry bouquets. When dried, it remains decorative. Pairs best with pastel colored flowers.