Ammobium

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Ammobium: photo of a flower

Ammobium is a plant with unusual inflorescences that can be easily cultivated right on your site.

Ammobium: flower description

Ammobium: flower video

Ammobium is a herbaceous perennial flower from the Asteraceae family. In our weather conditions, ammobium is grown as an annual plant.

The plant is more often used for cutting for cultivation as a good dried flower. It is almost never used to decorate plots.

The height of ammobium usually does not exceed a meter, the whole plant is covered with white fluff, has small yellow tubular flowers (diameter is not more than two centimeters). The flowers are collected in inflorescences-baskets, have scales similar to petals. Gardeners rejoice at the fertile and beautiful flowering from June to cold weather.

Ammobium varieties used in cultivation

Of the three varieties on the territory of Russia, one is successfully grown - winged.

Usually, the ammodium flower is planted as an annual and has straight, branch-like shoots, about sixty centimeters in length. Winged ammobium has oval, elongated leaves. Petal-like scales surround yellow flowers, collected in baskets.

Winged ammodium takes root well in the Russian climate, does not require special attention and blooms magnificently. From the dried plant, beautiful wreaths and bouquets are created.

There are two popular forms of ammobium used for decoration:

Bikini - a small form of ammobium, no more than forty centimeters in size. Often wins prizes in international gardening competitions. This type of ammobium is known for its flowers, which are identical in size and shape.
Large-flowered... Such a plant has a stronger stem and inflorescences usually grow ~ up to two centimeters wide.

Planting ammobium

Any ammobium loves light and warmth. When choosing a territory for planting, more open flower beds should be chosen. The plant will also be better in loose sandy soil. In the absence of this, the plant will take root well in the loam and bloom beautifully.

The flower is propagated by seeds. It can be planted either by seedling method, or by sowing directly into the ground.

In warm weather conditions, ammobium can be planted directly on its permanent flower bed. It is recommended to plant flowers in May. After the seeds have sprout, they must be thinned out and there must be at least twenty centimeters between the flowers. Flowering should be expected within two months.

In the central zone, where a temperate climate prevails, it is recommended to plant seedlings, this stimulates faster flowering. Ammobius will germinate in eight to ten days. The plant needs to be dived after two or three blossoming flowers appear on it. The plant dives, keeping a distance of about seven centimeters between plants. You can dive into the greenhouse or individual containers. The grown sprouts in May can be transplanted to a permanent territory, before that, watering the soil with high quality. It is better to plant flowers every thirty to thirty-five centimeters.

With any method of planting, the plant will take root remarkably.

Necessary care

Dried Ammobium flowers will require special care only at the very beginning. The plant is not afraid of minor droughts, does not get sick and is not attacked by pests, therefore, in a strengthened state, a special approach is not required.

Usually the plant is watered one to two weeks after planting in the ground, after which many gardeners stop doing this.

It is recommended to feed the dried ammodium flower with nitrogen-containing fertilizer one week after planting. After two to three weeks, it is best to fertilize with a mullein or mixed fertilizer.

Drying and cutting

Most often, ammobium is grown specifically for further drying, it is important to know how to carry out this procedure correctly.

There are no specific deadlines for cutting, you can do it as you wish. If you want to get white flowers, the stems should be cut off during the formation of a yellow core on the inflorescences. If your target is the flowers are larger, you should cut it later, when the yellowness on the inflorescences will be strongly visible.

Important! You cannot delay cutting, the flowers may become less beautiful and decorative.

For drying, you need to cut off fruits about twenty-five centimeters in length. In a darkened place, they are hung upside down, having previously been tied into bouquets (five to seven pieces in each).