Seedlings of gray fescue. Ornamental grass - gray fescue

Fescue is a perennial herbaceous plant from the grass family. At the present time, a lot of species of this cereal are known, the inflorescences of which look like beautiful and lush ears. That is why many breed them in flowerbeds and flower beds.

Growing from seeds of fescue gray

As mentioned above, there are many varieties of fescue, but gray fescue is one of the most popular. It is worth noting that the plant can be grown both in the shade and in the sun. As practice shows, it is absolutely unpretentious, so there is no need to constantly nourish the soil, and fescue grows well on dry soils.

Often, the plant is grown from seeds that are medium in size. They are placed directly in open ground. Landing should be done between April and May. In addition, you can also plant in late autumn.

Rules good landing fescue:

In order to plant the seeds of a plant, it is necessary to make a kind of nest, put four seeds in each of them. This method planting is quite good, as it allows you to form a decorative bump. It is worth noting that the gap between bumps should be from 15 to 20 cm.
After the seeds are planted, they must be sprinkled with soil and watered well.
After 2 weeks, the first shoots will appear. If the sun falls on the fescue, and it is in dry and warm soil, then it will delight with its beauty much earlier. If the soil is excessively wet or there is water in it, then the plant may begin to rot.

Gray fescue: growing from seeds. Reviewsgardeners

Most hostesses who grow fescue from seeds say that it is not at all difficult, the main thing is to follow the following rules when growing:

In order to get adult plants from seeds earlier, you must first plant in a box, and then transplant into the soil. But the seeds take root well in the open field, they just germinate a little later.
You should be careful about watering fescue, in no case should waterlogging of the soil be allowed. It is very important to take into account the level of humidity and weather conditions of the region.
The plant tolerates winter very well, it does not even need to be covered if the soil is of medium moisture.
As for the perennial transplant, this procedure must be done every 3 years, so they will not get used to one site and die off.
Without fail, after winter, it is necessary to destroy dried leaves.

The subtleties of growing from the seeds of fescue "Glacial Titmouse"

Glacial fescue "Titmouse", the cultivation of which is not complex process, is distinguished by its beauty and unpretentiousness. Favorable period for planting - May, it is in this month that the soil warms up completely.
Seeds need to be sprinkled a little with soil, compacted, and then watered.
After about 15-20 days, the seeds will sprout. They must be cut and planted without fail.
It is important to observe the distance between plants, it should be from 25 to 30 cm.
Fescue blooms in June silver color, thereby bringing zest to the composition of the entire site.
In order for this variety of fescue to always have a rich color, it is recommended to replant it every 2 years. If the year turned out to be cold, then the plant will not have a bright color.

Fescue: plant photo

In the first year, not too lush plants may grow. Do not despair - they should be cut and fed well to get a luxurious bush of blue-gray leaves.

It is a compact hemispherical undersized bush of the original form.

An interesting color, coupled with the plant's endurance and unpretentiousness, allows it to be a favorite. landscape designers and people who want to arrange beautiful landscape compositions in their garden.

Gray fescue: description

Fescue is usually attributed to the Cereal family. Distribution in nature - temperate and subtropical zones. As artificial plantations, the plant "dispersed" in all climatic zones northern to tropical. Of all the types of fescue, it is gray-gray that is most loved by garden designers, both professionals and amateurs. Thanks to the color of the leaves, the plant got its name, its variants: ashen fescue, blue. Depending on weather conditions, the color may change, but the plant does not lose its decorative effect.

Did you know? Fescue trees had their name "festuca" in ancient Roman times, but its true meaning did not reach contemporaries. The popular name "fescue" appeared due to the similarity ornamental bush with a plant of the same family - oats.

The plant is a lush bush with a height of 20 to 60 centimeters, the leaves are narrow, twisted into a tube. Modified in this way, they save water. leaves form round dense bushes. The roots are dense, small in size.

It blooms in early or mid-summer with inconspicuous light brown small flowers. Formed after flowering are very small.

Without transplanting in one place, fescue can grow for 5-10 years. Divide and transplant curtains after five years; if the plant dried up or froze, then earlier.

As a soil cover in order to protect it from drying out and fescue - perfect option. By serving this purpose, it creates a unique decorative effect which persists throughout the season.

There are many garden forms fescue, they differ in foliage and color.

Growing conditions

Fescues are great lovers of the sun, almost all of them are cold-resistant and are not afraid of frost. It is advisable to buy specimens bred in the area and acclimatized to its conditions so that there are no unpleasant surprises after the winter season. The disadvantage is that curtains degenerate rather quickly. After two or three years, the plant has to be divided, because the center of the sod dies off. The advantage is that it grows rather quickly, diverging in width, and already in the first year it acquires a dignified appearance that can decorate any part of the landscape with its sophistication.

sunlight

The fescue will be grateful for the hottest parts of the garden where it feels great. She is not afraid high temperatures- gardeners use this property, settling it on Alpine rollercoaster from the south side.

The plant is not friendly with a shadow or even partial shade, and it also does not tolerate drafts. You should not take risks and plant light-loving "hedgehogs" in unsuitable conditions for them. Without light, they can lose their beautiful blue color.

soil for growing plants

it unusual plant does not require the presence of humus or other nutrients. The soil should be dry or fast drying, loose and breathable. Under no circumstances should there be standing water. Often additionally used.

Fescue does not need nutritious soil, regular, caring top dressing. Best of all, she will feel on stony, dry soil. Only under conditions suitable soil and plentiful sunlight this plant will thank its owner with a beautiful bluish color, abundant flowering and exquisite unusual type of bush.

Terms and rules of landing

As the fescue itself is unpretentious, so is the process of planting it. Compliance simple conditions will ensure success in cultivation.

Gray fescue reproduces mainly vegetatively; cultivation from seeds is also practiced.

seed propagation

The seed method of reproduction is used for specific varieties. In this case, the seeds:

sown in the ground;
planted on;
use plants resulting from self-sowing.

Perennial seeds are collected independently from the largest spikelets, which must first be dried.

Important! Planted in the ground and grown seedling way fescue equally well take root, but the first will germinate somewhat faster.

If you decide to purchase seeds to plant funny "hedgehogs" in your garden, you should give preference to specialized outlets.
Sowing should be chosen from those varieties that are acclimatized to the area and have a certain level of frost resistance.

Important! Only natural species can be propagated by seed. Fescue bred artificially, with this method of reproduction, lose the signs of the variety.

If this rule is neglected, there is a risk of resulting in a plant that is not adapted to local conditions, which will freeze after the first wintering.

Planting seeds produced after warm weather in spring or before cold weather in autumn.

Before planting, seeds that were collected on their own must be pickled in a solution of potassium permanganate. If you purchased your seed from a reputable retailer, especially if the packaging says pre-treatment, this is not necessary.
5-7 seeds should be planted in each hole so that they quickly form a lush bump.
The hole should not be too deep, a maximum of 5 centimeters.
Having planted the seeds in the ground, you need to fill them up soil mixture, compact and water.
The spacing between the holes can be from 10 centimeters, depending on the desired result.
After the appearance of the first shoots, which will appear in a few weeks, semicircular lush bumps will form very soon.

Planting seeds for seedlings occurs in early March, in order to plant stronger and grown bushes in the first half of May.

The substrate must be light, air and water permeable; when sowing seeds, do not sprinkle them, but moisten them with a spray bottle.
Having covered with cellophane or glass, the container should be placed in a warm, bright place. This will allow the seedlings to hatch in a few days.
So that the seedlings do not become thinner and do not die, the container will need to be rearranged to a place where it is cooler, however, it should be light.
After the formation of two true leaves, the seedlings dive in groups into separate containers to obtain a lush bush.
After the weather settles, most often this happens during the May holidays, the seedlings need to be planted in the ground.

Important! Humidification should be treated with great caution: excess moisture will lead to rotting and death of the roots.

Vegetative

Most often used vegetatively reproduction during transplantation and separation of overgrown bushes.
This should be done either in the spring before the start of the juice circulation, or in the fall, when the plants are preparing for winter.

Bushes that have grown a lot, and it's time to plant them, should be divided into parts.
The resulting divisions must be planted as independent plants.
The core, which fell into disrepair and thanks to which the decorative look the entire bush, removed without using.

Important! Share adults, not less than two years of age, bushes.

To give the plant additional winter hardiness mother bush should be dug up with a clod of earth, planted in a container and placed in a lighted but cold place, for example, a greenhouse. In this case, any dampness should be excluded in order to avoid the death of the bush.

At the beginning of spring, when the time comes to plant fescue, the curtain is supposed to be divided, the divisions should be planted in containers in a mixture of earth and sand. They should be planted in the ground in early summer. Having undergone such hardening, they will be much stronger and gain green mass faster.

How to properly care for a plant in the garden

Gray fescue has many advantages: not only is it completely undemanding to soils, it tolerates both high and low temperatures, it almost does not need watering and top dressing, and it is not difficult to maintain the decorative appearance of the bush.

Important! The immunity of fescue is very strong, separately growing specimens practically do not get sick. It is not uncommon, however, that the "neighbors" lawn mixture or decorative composition infect the silver bush.

Undoubtedly, gray fescue is one of the leaders among unpretentious and at the same time ornamental plants, planting and caring for which are minimal and do not require special knowledge.

Watering

Excess moisture is something that absolutely cannot be allowed in the care of fescue. The roots begin to suffer: they rot and die, as a result of which the whole plant dies.

Blue fescue, which is also found under the names gray fescue, as well as ash, is one of the most decorative perennial cereals with blue-grey foliage.

Decorative blue fescue is perfect for those gardeners who prefer plants unusual species. She interested them with her magnificent spherical shape and narrow needle-shaped leaves of a bluish hue, which even in winter period do not lose their attractiveness.

in adulthood, it is a spherical hummock up to 35-40 cm high. Fescue is grown mainly to decorate ridges, mixborders and rock gardens. The spherical blue fescue looks very impressive on even lawns with low shrubs, near small artificial reservoirs and around large single plantings. Thanks to its beautifully colored foliage, fescue is used in city parks to create spectacular flower beds and mosaic panels.

What care does blue fescue require?

Fescue is not spoiled by the conditions of detention, but grows well in warm areas with abundant sunlight. If the plant does not have enough sun, the leaves will turn into a normal green color, and blue fescue will lose its natural decorative appearance. Fescue begins to bloom in June and blooms until the end of the season, releasing long gray-green peduncles-ears with a lilac tint.

Gardeners try to get rid of them in time, as the plant spends a lot of energy on their growth.

The fescue prefers light, breathable, low-nutrient and well-drained soil. Well suited areas with sandy soils. Most likely, this is due to its mountain-alpine origin.

Fescues do not tolerate drying out or waterlogging of the soil, but prefer moderate watering. In damp areas, part of the fescue bushes rots and dies, and after 2-3 years the plant dies completely.

Fescue at the age of 3 years begins to be divided and seated. This must be done every 2 years. So the plant will have leaves larger and with a more saturated color.

Blue fescue tolerates winter satisfactorily and can winter without special shelter. During severe frosts, some leaves of the plant may freeze out, but in the spring and summer they quickly recover. In early spring the plant is cleared with a special rare-toothed rake and rid of frozen and dry leaves.

Blue fescue is resistant to diseases and pests. During the entire period of active growth, she may never get sick. This quality also attracts gardeners.

Methods for breeding blue fescue

Fescue can be propagated different ways: seed, seedling and bush division.

Seeds are sown directly into the ground in May days, when warm weather sets in or in late autumn before winter. Sow them in nests, placing them at a distance of 18-20 cm from each other. The seeds are lightly sprinkled and moistened. Growing together in the nest, they eventually form a spherical fluffy tussock.

You can grow fescue seedlings by planting seeds in small boxes. For this better fit light substrate. Seeds are sown on the surface of the soil and do not sprinkle. They themselves grow into the ground with sharp tips. Crops are watered with settled water, covered with transparent glass and placed in a warm sunny place.

After the seeds have sprouted, the seedling box is moved to a bright but cooler place to avoid stretching and exhaustion of the sprouts. When the seedlings grow up, and the plant has two leaves, you can transplant into separate pots for indoor plants, and already in May planted on permanent place in the garden.

If you sow seeds for seedlings in mid-March, then with sufficient watering in May there will already be strong and friendly seedlings, which can be safely planted in the ground in a permanent place.

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Fescue - decorative herbaceous plant from the cereal family. It forms dense spherical sods, similar to tussocks with a shock of thin, like hair, leaves of various shades. The plant prefers cool regions, therefore it is widespread in temperate and colder climates, as well as on mountain heights. Fescue is drought tolerant, grows in poor and salty soils and requires minimal attention. Some varieties are actively used in landscape design. The plant also serves fodder crop, which is sown to entire pastures.

plant description

Fescue - herbaceous perennial with compact or creeping roots. Majority Height ornamental varieties is 10-20 cm, but in nature you can find varieties with upright thin stems 1.2-2 m long. The plant grows vegetative side shoots, leafy and bare peduncles.

In the nodes of the shoot, as well as at its base, linear vaginal leaves with a rough or hairy surface grow. The width of the sheet does not exceed 1.5 cm. sheet plate folded in half along the vertical axis, which makes it even narrower. Such a bend helps the plant retain precious moisture during the dry season. Parallel veins are visible on the surface of the leaf. The end of the leaf resembles an awl-shaped outgrowth.

In June, the fescue begins to bloom, throwing out spreading paniculate inflorescences, consisting of several shorter spikelets on a thin pedicel. The length of an individual spike is 0.5-1.5 cm. The bare peduncles themselves grow twice longer than leaves and rise above the turf. Loose panicles give the plant airiness. They are painted in light yellowish-green tones and sway easily from the slightest breath of wind. Keeled scales of unequal size grow on the spikelets. Under them, 3 stamens and an obovate ovary are hidden, on which 2 stigmas are visible.

As a result of pollination, small (2-5 mm in length) oblong grains ripen. From the back there is a tubercle on them, and in front there is a deep groove.

Decorative varieties

In total, more than 660 plant species are registered in the fescue genus, but no more than twenty are used in landscape design.

Herbaceous perennial grows both straight and decumbent stems. The height of the sod is 50-100 cm. Numerous linear foliage grows up to 30 cm long. It is painted bright green or light green color. Panicles 15-17 cm long bloom in June. They consist of elongated spikelets on flexible peduncles. The variety is frost tolerant but drought sensitive.

The sod consists of bare stems 6-8 cm long and dense lateral processes of a reddish hue. The shoots are densely covered with narrow foliage 30-40 cm long. The leaflets are folded along the central vein. They have a ribbed surface and are painted in a red-green hue. During the flowering period, loose panicles about 12 cm long appear. The variety is frost-resistant and prefers flooded or well-moistened soils.

The lush spherical sod most of all resembles a tussock 50-60 cm high. A lot of narrow-linear silver-green or bluish-blue foliage grows on it. Dense gray-green panicles become straw-colored after withering. The plant loves heat and does not tolerate frost. Varieties:

blue tussock - lush turf with many narrow greenish-blue leaves;
lapis lazuli - distinguished by beautiful blue-silver leaves;
glacial titmouse - turf 30-40 cm high is covered with narrow blue-gray leaves.

The plant forms dense spherical cushions 20-30 cm high, consisting of narrow foliage and thin long stems. The undergrowth is bright green. At the beginning of summer, oblong loose panicles with drooping spikelets bloom on it. The species is drought tolerant and grows well in poor soils.

Herbaceous vegetation is resistant to saline soils. It has a short rhizome and dense stems up to 1.5 m in height. Rigid narrow leaves grow near the ground. In June-July, bare peduncles appear with long (up to 20 cm) drooping panicles.

compact evergreen forms bushes up to 10 cm high and up to 60 cm in diameter. It consists of filiform dark green leaves. At the end of June, gray-green panicles 5-7 cm long bloom over the thickets.

Reproduction methods

Fescue is propagated by seeds and division of the bush. Seed propagation often occurs by self-seeding. If the grass is not cut in a timely manner, then the mature seeds fall out of the ears to the ground on their own. Young sprouts appear in spring. After a month, they can be transplanted to a permanent place. If this cereal is not yet found on the site, then the purchased seeds are sown at the end of February in containers for growing seedlings. Before planting, the seed material is soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Crops are produced thickly to get a dense pillow. To do this, in holes with a distance of 10-20 cm, to a depth of up to 5 cm, 5-7 seeds are placed at once. After 1.5-2 weeks, the first shoots will appear. They develop very quickly and soon a dense turf is formed, ready for transplanting into open ground. To keep the stems from stretching too much, it is important to keep the seedlings in a cool and well-lit area.

You can divide into parts a well-grown bush aged 2-3 years. The procedure is carried out in April or September. The sod is completely dug out and divided into several small parts, trying not to damage the roots. Plants are immediately planted in renewed soil with the addition of compost or humus. Such divisions need time to grow again. You can speed up the process if you transplant a large bush into a flowerpot for the winter and bring it into a cool and well-lit room. Make sure that there is no dampness in the wintering place. In March, the mother plant is divided into parts and planted in containers with prepared soil.

Landing and care

Planting fescue in open ground is planned for mid-May, when the danger of frost has passed and consistently warm weather is established. Although mature plants are cold hardy, young seedlings may be affected. To do this, plants need to choose well-lit areas with light, well-drained soil. Too fertile land is undesirable, as well as close occurrence ground water. Soil acidity should be neutral or slightly alkaline.

Before planting, the earth is well dug up and taken out. slaked lime and sand. The bushes develop well and quickly increase in size, so each fescue tussock should be divided and replanted every 2-3 years. Without this, the condition of the leaves and bushes as a whole deteriorates significantly.

The plant is drought-resistant, so it should be watered only during prolonged drought and extreme heat. It is better not to add water than to waterlog the soil. Even a slight stagnation of water leads to rotting of the roots and the death of part of the vegetation.

Rarely feed fescue. Even on very poor soils, 1-2 fertilizers per season are sufficient. Use half the dose mineral composition for deciduous plants.

In order for the bush to retain its attractiveness, it must be cut. The first pruning is carried out in early spring, after the snow melts. It is necessary to remove dry shoots and leaves, and also clean the sod with a rake. After the inflorescences have dried, if there is no need to harvest seeds, they are cut off.

Majority garden species fescue is resistant to frost and retains green foliage even under snow. In anticipation of a harsh and snowless winter, the bumps are covered with fallen leaves and dry straw. Young individuals tolerate cold better than old ones.

Use in landscape design

A lush shock of narrow leaves of blue, green, gray or light green hue looks good on the lawn, among the rocky masonry, near the border or along the perimeter of the flower garden. Fescue roots effectively strengthen the soil and prevent landslides. On the slopes you can create unusual panel from bushes of various shades.

The fescue company can be made up of bells, cuff, hosts, tradescantia, veronica, miscanthus, lungwort. Also, plants can be used like a regular lawn, planting not in groups, but more evenly.