Description of arabis, tips for growing rezuha in a personal plot, breeding, combating emerging diseases and pests, facts for the curious, species. Arabis is also called Rezuha and belongs to the Brassicaceae or Cruciferous family. The native lands on which these representatives of flora are found in nature are in the mountainous areas of the African continent, where there is a tropical climate, and also cover the territories of the Northern Hemisphere with moderate climatic conditions. This genus has up to one hundred varieties.
| Family name | Cabbage or Cruciferous |
| Life cycle | Annual or perennial |
| Growth features | Herbaceous ground cover |
| Reproduction | Seed and vegetative (cuttings or division of the rhizome) |
| Landing period in open ground | April, May or early fall |
| Disembarkation scheme | 40x40 cm |
| Substrate | Poor, loose, dry |
| Illumination | Partial shade or sunny place with shading |
| Moisture indicators | Moisture stagnation is harmful, watering is moderate, drainage is recommended |
| Special Requirements | Unpretentious |
| Plant height | Up to 0.3 m |
| Color of flowers | White, yellowish, pinkish or purple |
| Type of flowers, inflorescences | Racemose |
| Flowering time | June July |
| Decorative time | Spring-summer |
| Place of application | Mixborders or flower beds, borders, ridges and rock gardens, can be used for cutting |
| USDA zone | 4, 5, 6 |
The true origin of the scientific name of Arabis is still not known. It is suggested that the source is the word "Arabia", indicating sandy and rocky areas of natural distribution, another version refers to the meaning of the Greek term "arabos" meaning "rattle". In our latitudes, it is called Rezukha, since on the leaves there is pubescence of hard hairs that can even injure hands.
All representatives of Arabis have a herbaceous form and can be grown as annual and perennial crops. Often they are used as a ground cover, since the shoots tend to creep along the surface of the soil. In this case, the branches easily root when in contact with the topsoil. Plant height does not exceed 30 cm. The root system is branched and located deep in the substrate.
On the shoots, leaf plates of green color, with dense pubescence, unfold. Their shape is heart-shaped, but they can take on oval or arrow-shaped contours. The sheet plate is solid, sometimes there is a serration along the edge.
During flowering, which occurs in the second half of the spring, dense inflorescences are formed, having the shape of a brush. They are made up of flowers in diameter not exceeding 1, 5–2 cm. The color of the petals can be either white or yellowish, pinkish or lilac. Often there are species with a double bud structure. There are a lot of flowers and they have a pleasant aroma, which serves to attract pollinating insects (mainly bees).
The fruit of arabis is a pod filled with flat seeds; in some species, the seed material is equipped with wings that allow it to fly off a long distance from the mother bush.
Since rezuha has been known to landscape designers for quite some time, it is recommended to decorate curbs and alpine slides, rabatki with its plantings and plant it on flower beds and in mixborders. Branches with flowers are used for cutting.
Tips for growing arabis: planting and caring for your backyard
- Location selection and lighting. Since in nature the plant prefers good lighting, it is recommended to choose a place with a southern location in the garden, but partial shade is also suitable for it. Under the rays of sunlight, both growth and flowering will be especially lush. A bigger problem is the stagnation of winter water in the substrate, which can provoke rotting of the root system. When spring comes, at first it is better to shade the Arabis bush so that the shoots do not dry out. Also, do not choose a place in the lowlands, so that melt and groundwater are not close.
- Watering. Since the rizuha has a well-developed root system, which is able to extract moisture from a great depth, the Arabis tolerates drought quite well. Usually, the soil under the bush is moistened once every 7 days, when the plant is mature, but for the "young" watering should be more frequent. It is important to remember that the flooding of the soil will lead to rotting of the root system.
- Preparing for winter. Arabis is distinguished by some winter hardiness, since it can easily survive a temperature drop of up to 5 degrees below zero. But if you live in latitudes with harsh and snowy winters, then you should take care of shelter for the cold season. When autumn days come and flowering has already ended, the shoots are trimmed so that only 2-3 cm of the length of the branches remains on the substrate. Then the bush should be covered from above with spruce branches, fallen leaves or a covering material should be applied. Some gardeners make a small frame on which they stretch agrofibre.
- Fertilizers. Like any garden plant, to maintain its active growth and flowering, the Rizuha will need additional feeding. They are usually carried out before flowering in the spring months. If the plant is adult, then one fertilizer per season is enough for it. It is recommended to use complete mineral complexes, and humus is used as organic matter.
- General care. Since the growth rate of Arabis is high, it is necessary to regularly prune branches that are too elongated. Thus, they form a more compact outline of the bush so that it does not drown out other representatives of the flora planted nearby. Circumcision also stimulates subsequent flowering. Arabis will have to go through the most common maintenance procedures, which include weeding the young seedlings, and loosen the soil after each wetting so that moisture does not stagnate. Since there are many flowers and they do not bloom at the same time, it is recommended to remove faded buds - this will help prolong flowering.
- Rizuha transplant. The plant needs to change its place every 4 years. This procedure can be combined with the operation of splitting a bush. If the bush is a ground cover, then it is simply rejuvenated. When the areas of such a "carpet" are bare, then a composition of river sand, humus and other loosening components is poured there. The soil is a mixture of garden soil and the above ingredients. A plant is planted at the rate of 40x40 cm, while 3-4 seedlings can be placed in one hole.
How to propagate Arabis from seed and vegetatively?
To get a new plant of Rizuha, both seed and vegetative propagation are recommended (by dividing an overgrown bush, jigging or cutting).
With seed reproduction, you can place the material directly into the ground or grow seedlings. If the first option is chosen, then the seeds are sown in the chosen place in the autumn days (before winter) or with the arrival of March. The planting depth should not exceed 5 mm. Then it is recommended to cover the sowing site with a transparent plastic wrap or a special coating (agrospan). Such matter will not allow moisture to pass through, and the soil will not erode during watering.
When the Arabis seedlings appear (after about 20–25 days), the shelter can be removed. If the young Rizuchs get stronger, then you can transplant to a permanent place in the garden. In this case, it is necessary not to destroy the earthy clod surrounding the root system. A not too hot, fine day is chosen for planting. Seedlings are pre-watered. Such plants will delight with flowers after two years.
If the decision is made to grow Arabis seedlings, then the seeds are sown in April. The seedling boxes are filled with a substrate mixed of peat and sand with small stones in a ratio of 3: 1. The sown seeds should also be covered with polyethylene or agrofibre to create high humidity conditions. Germination is carried out at a temperature of about 20 degrees. When the seedlings hatch (after almost a month), the shelter is removed. The box is transferred to a well-lit place, devoid of direct sunlight.
Further care consists in watering the plants and loosening the soil. After the Arabis seedlings grow up, they are transplanted in separate pots (preferably they are made of peat). If in the future the seedlings of Rizuha will be used as a pochpopokrovnik, then they can not be dived. When the frosts pass (around May), they are planted in open ground, but in order to avoid frostbite at night and in the morning, they are covered with agrofibre in the evening.
Rizuchis are engaged in dividing an overgrown bush after the flowers wither. The bush must be carefully dug up and the root system must be cut. To prevent rotting, sprinkle the sections of the cut with activated charcoal or charcoal pounded into powder. Then the delenki need to be planted on a prepared flower bed and moistened abundantly.
When jigging arabis cuttings, an elongated shoot is selected, which is attached to the soil surface in the area of the leaf nodule. Then it is sprinkled with a substrate, and the top should be pinned. When there are signs that root processes have appeared (buds have swollen, leaves have unfolded), then the layer is carefully separated from the mother bush, and then transplanted to a permanent place.
For Arabis cuttings, blanks are cut in June from green shoots. They are planted in a loose substrate at an angle, where they will root for 20–21 days. When leaving, they should be abundantly moisturized and shaded from direct sunlight. Instead of watering, it is possible to spray the seedlings of the rizuha from the spray bottle. For better rooting, you can build a greenhouse from cut plastic bottles, using a part with a neck, then airing is easier. Such plants are transplanted to a permanent place only in late summer or early autumn.
Combating emerging diseases and pests of Arabis
The plant in care is not only not problematic and quite persistently tolerates the attacks of harmful insects, infections and viruses. But occasionally there is a problem associated with a viral mosaic, as well as with such a pest as a cruciferous flea, which affects many members of the Caput family. Symptoms of this disease are small specks of brown color that cover the surface of the foliage, if you do not take any action, then their size gradually increases, and they cover the entire leaf. There is no cure, so you need to dig up the diseased bush and burn it. The substrate on which the affected Arabis grew must be watered with a strong solution based on potassium permanganate (its color should be dark crimson). No other plants should then be planted in this place during the year.
If you deal with a cruciferous flea, then of course you can try to remove the pest with folk remedies, but they do not always give a positive result and therefore you can immediately perform treatment after flowering with insecticidal preparations, such as Aktara, Karbofos or Iskra.
Facts for the curious and photo rezuha
Some of the varieties of arabis are distinguished by the ability to form a large amount of nectar and are used as honey plants. Allisum and horseradish, as well as cabbage, mustard and rape are considered to be representatives of the flora, which are considered "relatives" of the Rizuha. This list includes radish and iberis, as well as numerous cruciferous species. In addition to its pleasant aroma, Arabis attracts with its complete non-whimsical care.
It is important to note that the seeds of the plant are recommended to be collected as soon as the first frost occurs, while the weather should be dry and sunny. If you harvest seed material in a cloudy or rainy day, then due to humidity, their germination will drop. When collecting, a piece of the stem is cut off along with the inflorescence, so that afterwards it can be dried indoors. The place must have good ventilation. The inflorescences are hung down by flowers, and as soon as they are completely dry, the seeds are husked and stored in a cardboard box, in complete darkness and dryness.
Types of arabis
Alpine Arabis (Arabis alpina) can be found under the synonymous name Arabis flaviflora. The native area of growth falls on the lands of the Far East, covers the northern Scandinavian regions, the Polar Urals and the highlands located on the North American continent and in Western Europe. It is a perennial, not exceeding 35 cm in height. Shoots are ascending, with both leaves and buds with flowers. For the winter, they do not die off and can form curtains that resemble pillows. The leaves in the root zone of the branches have oval outlines, stem foliage with a sagittal-heart-shaped shape. The flowers are fragrant, gathering in racemose inflorescences. The color of the petals is pinkish or whitish, the diameter at full disclosure is only 1 cm, while the length of the inflorescence itself can reach 5 cm. The flowering process begins in mid-spring and can last about 30 days.
There are garden forms of arabis:
- schneeshaube in height does not exceed 25 cm, flowers gathering in an inflorescence-brush, which reach 15 cm in length, open to a diameter of no more than 2 cm, their petals are snow-white;
- terry it differs from the basic variety in larger inflorescences, which resemble the outlines of levkoi;
- pink - such plants can only reach 20 cm with branches, the resulting inflorescences will not become more than 12 cm in length, they are harvested by 2 cm flowers with pinkish color of the petals.
Arabis bryoides. The native lands of this species fall on the territory of the regions of Albania, Bulgaria and even Greece, where the alpine and subalpine mountain belt passes. Perennial, capable of forming pillow-like curtains with its shoots. Their height does not exceed 10 cm. The leaves growing on the shoots are small, oval, ciliate, with a pubescence similar to felt. The foliage is usually collected in sockets. Inflorescences are loose, taking the shape of a scutellum. They collect from three to six flowers with snow-white petals.
Caucasian Arabis (Arabis caucasica), is often considered a subspecies of Alpine Rezuha. It is clear that the lands of natural distribution fall on the territory of the Caucasus, but the plant is found in the Mediterranean, regions of Central and Asia Minor. When the time of flowering comes, then this perennial can reach up to 30 cm in shoots. The leaf plates are small in size, the color is light green due to the fact that the surface is covered with whitish pubescence. The shape of the leaf is oblong, there are large denticles along the edge.
The size of the flower diameter is 1.5 cm, of which racemose inflorescences are collected. The length of the latter is about 8 cm. Flowering stretches from June for almost a month. But it happens that individual buds will open even before autumn. The fruit is an elongated narrowed cone. In culture, the species has been grown since the beginning of the 19th century.
Garden forms are distinguished:
- flora-pleno, in which a large number of flowers are formed, with a double structure, crowning with elongated flowering stems;
- variegata has sheet plates on which there is a yellow edge along the edge;
- Rosabella can "show off" with inflorescences made up of rose buds.
