Armeria is a beautiful flowering plant, which is very popular among gardeners. This grass forms surprisingly dense turfs over which balls of thick colorful inflorescences are raised on graceful peduncles. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the rules of planting and caring for the army in the open field, as well as to study photos of many years of beauty.
Botanical description
Thrift - genus of perennial grasses of the family Gillet The height of the turf is about 15-20 cm, and during the flowering phase it can grow up to 60 cm. The bush has a shortened stem rhizome. A thick sheet rosette of scanty linear leaves accumulates above the ground surface. The leaves have a bright green or bluish color and form a thick pillow, under which it is difficult to see the soil.
Fragrant bright flowers begin to bloom in May and bloom until the end of the summer season. A long, upright stem grows from the very center of a leaf outlet. Smooth, bare stem slightly pubescent, color dark green. Flowers - on short pedicels. Inflorescences are located close to each other and thus have the shape of a ball.
The color of bisexual buds can be white, pink, purple or lilac. Corolla bracts gather in a small tube, in the center of which there are 5 stamens. The fruits of the plant are single-seeded dry boxes that ripen after pollination.
In the wild, the flower is found in North America, the Mediterranean, Eastern Europe, Mongolia. There are about 50 plant species in total. The most frequently cultivated is the thorny, seaside, turfy, beautiful, alpine armies.
Did you know? In the name "Armeria" there are associations with the sea. Some translators claim that this name speaks of the property of the plant to settle along the banks of ponds and sea coasts. Others suggest that the name comes from the ancient Celtic language, where "ar mor" means "arrived by sea" or "living by the sea". It is also believed that the name comes from the word "armoires" - so in old french language the carnation was bearded, with which some species of a flower resemble.
Where is the best to grow an army
Under natural conditions, the army is found on mountain slopes near the sea. Even in a temperate climate, this meadow plant perfectly feels and safely maintains wintering in open ground. Therefore, the cultivation of this culture does not require much effort from you.
Lighting and location
Armeria is a light-loving plant, and the place for its landing should be sunny and well lit. Pick up open lighted areas of the garden. It is also recommended to take care in advance about protection from drafts and powerful gusts of wind.
The flower looks great on rocky areas, terraces and borders, in combination with other perennial herbs or groups of creeping plants.
Important! When planting a flower in a sunny place, avoid direct sunlight. The best option is the penumbra.
The soil
Soil for the Armeria choose sandy or rocky. If there are none on the site, then from a mixture of river sand, greenhouse and sod land create a layer of earth approximately 20 cm thick.
The soil should have a neutral or weak acidity. This culture does not like limestone compounds, lime can kill a young plant. To neutralize the effect of lime, add ammonium nitrate to the soil or pour it with a solution of acetic acid.
The beautiful company of armeria will be made of stoneframes, splinters, ground cover phlox and thyme, periwinkle, Carpathian bells.
Planting flower
Armeria is grown in two ways: seedlings (seedling method) or by sowing directly into the ground (seedless method).
Seedling method
For growing seedlings from seedlings in a seedling way, professional gardeners recommend using seeds of seaside species.
For seedlings, place the seeds in separate containers (for example, peat cups). 12-15 days before sowing, the land must be loosened twice and fed with organic nutrients. Keep sown seeds in warm, illuminated rooms.
Important! Since the seeds of Armeria are characterized by good germination, do not spread them out too often.
With the appearance on the shoots of two true leaves, dive them into a greenhouse and grow there until they are completely strong. Plant the seedlings in open ground at the end of May. The place should be sunny, and the earth - without excess moisture. 
Seedless
As for the seedless way of growing a plant from seed, it showed itself the best Army is beautiful.
For cultivation using this method, seeds are sown in autumn or early spring. Sowing in open ground is best done in November. The seeds will undergo a natural stratification, and in March the first shoots will appear.
A reckless landing of an armeria is possible only in southern climatic zones. This is due to the fact that the seeds begin to emerge with the first arrival of heat, and return frosts can destroy the seedlings.
A few days before sowing, loosen the soil well and apply organic fertilizer (sawdust, humus, hay). Make shallow holes and distribute seeds. Condense the soil and moderately pour. You can also scatter pebbles on the surface or make masonry.
Important! Do not allow water to stagnate in the soil, otherwise the root system will rot and the flower will die.
Care of the army
After proper planting, you need to provide good care for this flower. Despite the unpretentiousness, frost resistance and drought tolerance of the crop, the plant requires compliance with some agricultural practices.
Watering
The flower needs moderate watering. In rainy weather there will be enough natural precipitation. On the contrary, in the summer heat and drought, you will need to irrigate the bushes by sprinkling. Land between watering should have time to dry.
Did you know? In dry times, plants have been found to secrete oils that are absorbed by the earth, thus protecting the seeds from germination under inappropriate conditions. During rain, these oils are released, which produces a specific aroma. The characteristic smell that we smell after the rain is called "petricor". Some scientists suggest that a person could inherit the love of the smell of rain from ancient ancestors, for whom rainy weather was an important condition for survival.
Top dressing
Every 1.5-2 months feed the culture with mineral supplements intended for flowering plants. Instead of watering, irrigate the soil with a solution of fertilizer. Due to this, budding will be abundant, and the leaves will become particularly bright. On peaty and loamy soils, the need for feedings is not so great, because the plant gets everything you need from nutritious soil.
Pruning
Pruning is recommended, without waiting for yellowing. After completion of the flowering phase and wilting of the inflorescence, immediately cut off the withered parts of the bush. This event increases the attractiveness of the plant. In addition, pruning will help stimulate the growth of new buds and achieve re-flowering of the army in August or early autumn.
How to multiply the army
In addition to the seedling and seedless methods, the army is also propagated by dividing the bush and grafting.
The division of the bush. Three-year specimens are suitable for dividing an adult plant. Just dig a bush in early spring or early fall. Then divide the bush into 3-5 parts. Choose parts with intact rhizomes. Dig up the separated parts. The flower survives well, so do not exceed a distance of more than 20 cm between prikatannymi and new plants. 
Since the Army is a perennial plant, do not expect flowering in the first year. It will begin to bloom only in the second year.
Cuttings. Another common method of breeding Armeria is grafting. For cuttings use small basal rosettes of the plant.
Select and cut small rosettes from the plant. Further, these cuttings must be planted in the ground. To do this, dig a shallow hole, put a cutting there and sprinkle with soil. Then compact a little and pour the ground. Try not to plant new bushes too deep, otherwise they may not germinate. The distance between the cuttings should be approximately 25-30 cm.
This breeding method can be used throughout the warm season. Under the condition of warm weather, the cuttings sprout well. In the cool season, the cuttings sprinkled with the substrate should be covered with a simple glass jar or covered with a greenhouse.
Disease and Pest Resistance
Diseases and pests usually bypass the army. But if your flower grows in insufficiently acidic soil, it can be attacked by aphid or hit spotting. It is better to deal with these misfortunes by radical pruning of the shoots. 
Leaf spot is dangerous by slowing or even stopping the development of a flower. It may occur due to regular flooding of the soil. If damage is detected, immediately treat the bushes with fungicides.
Aphid attacks help prevent preventive treatment of the bushes with solutions of the following drugs: Karbofos, Kinmiks, Intavir and others.
With proper care, a small army will not lose its decorative appearance during the whole warm season. The rosette outlets of the Armeria will remain invariably lush and bright green.
