The scented steinrich doesn't like to play first fiddle in the floral interaction of your ornamental plants. However, we don't want to miss out on its dense, wonderfully fragrant carpets of flowers. In the rock garden, as a bed border, grave border or under planting in creative pots, stone herb gracefully rounds off the picturesque appearance. The following answers to frequently asked questions show how you can professionally cultivate this beloved gap filler.
How do you care for alyssum in the garden?
Alyssum (sweet stonewort) requires a sunny location and humus-rich, sandy-loamy, well-drained soil. Water in dry conditions, cut off wilted flowers and fertilize after pruning. Start fertilizing perennial species in March and protect them in winter if necessary.
Planting stonewort correctly
Plant your Alyssum, grown behind glass or purchased ready-made, in a sunny spot from mid-May. Place the still potted root balls in water while you weed the bed and loosen it up with the rake. Then dig small pits at a distance of 20-25 cm and enrich the excavation with compost and horn shavings. If necessary, add some more sand or fine grit. Plant a potted scented stonecrop in each hole, press down the soil and water.
Planting in pots and flower boxes follows a similar pattern. Additionally, please spread a few pieces of pottery or grit over the water drain so that this water-bearing layer can effectively prevent waterlogging.read more
Care tips
Behind its densely woven carpets of flowers lie modest demands on care. The scented stone rich is content with these gardening attentions:
- Watering in summer droughts
- Cut off wilted flowers for rebloom
- After pruning, fertilize with compost or liquid fertilizer
- Vitalize perennial stonewort with starter fertilization in March
After the first frost, an annual scented stonecrop dies completely. In contrast, perennial species such as rock alyssum or mountain alyssum receive winter protection in the form of autumn leaves, coniferous twigs or garden fleece.read more
Which location is suitable?
Both the annual and perennial species agree on the ideal location conditions. The place should be sunny to shady, preferably warm and surrounded by air. In addition, every scented stone plant feels comfortable in humus, sandy-loamy and well-drained soil.
What soil does the plant need?
A scented stone plant is there with lavish carpets of flowers wherever there are still gaps to be filled in sandy, loamy and poor soil. Please make sure there is good water drainage, as waterlogging will destroy any Alyssum within a short time. The nutrient-rich potting soil for successful pot culture is ideal for experienced hobby gardeners with sand or fine grit.
When is flowering time?
Since the hardy species differ from the annual varieties in terms of flowering time, clever hobby gardeners know how to take advantage of this fact for an extra long flowering period. The robust mountain alyssum (Alyssum montanum) opens the flower parade with its splendid yellow flowers from April to May. The classics, such as the annual scented stonewort 'Tiny Tim' or the pink Alyssum maritima 'Rosy O Day', ensure a seamless transition. Their flower magic lasts from June/July to September/October if, after the first round, you cut off the withered flowers to just above the basal rosettes.
cut stoneweed correctly
Pruning at the right time makes a significant contribution to ensuring that the flowering period lasts for many weeks. Alternatively, clean out the wilted flower clusters every few days. Alternatively, cut off the entire flower carpet when it has faded. Please only cut so deeply that the basal leaf rosettes remain, as this is where the next flowers will sprout. It is an advantage to only cut off the secondary flowers once their seeds have had a chance to disperse. In this way, next year's flowering of stone herbs is guaranteed without your intervention.read more
Watering stoneweed
If a scented rock ash adorns the bed, it is content with the rainfall for the water supply. You only need to intervene with the watering can when the summer comes with long periods of drought. In pots and balcony boxes, stone herbs rely on regular watering. In a sunny location, the substrate dries out so quickly that it should be watered every 1-2 days.
Fertilize alyssum properly
Freshly planted with the addition of compost or in pre-fertilized potting soil, the scented stonecrop has a sufficient supply of nutrients available. After the first pruning, we recommend applying compost or liquid fertilizer again.
Wintering
Annual scented rockwort, like the busy Tiny Tom, dies completely after the first frost. Beforehand, the plant uses self-sowing to ensure numerous offspring, which will continue the flower festival next year. Robust species such as mountain alyssum (Alyssum montanum) have sufficient winter hardiness for cultivation over several years. Do not cut the plants back in autumn because the dead leaves act as natural winter protection. Additionally, spread autumn leaves, needle twigs or garden fleece over the bed. If the flowers thrive in pots or balcony boxes, move the containers away in good time to a bright, frost-free winter quarters. At temperatures between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius, only water enough to prevent the root ball from drying out.
Propagate stonewort
Let the secondary blossoms stand in autumn until the pods with the seeds form. Collect these and, after a short drying phase, store the seeds in a dark screw-top jar. From February onwards, sow the fine seeds on lean seed soil (€6.00 on Amazon) or peat sand. Thinly sifted with sand and kept slightly moist, the seeds germinate within a few days at 18-20 degrees Celsius. The strongest seedlings are transplanted into individual pots if they have at least 2 pairs of leaves. Then care for the young stone herbs and plant them in a sunny location from mid-May.
Alyssum in a pot
In the pot, scented stone rich is ideal as a decorative underplant for your most beautiful perennials and summer flowers. Any commercially available potting soil can be used as a substrate, enriched with a handful of sand or perlite. In terms of care, what the plant neighbors leave is enough for a stone herb. If you care for the alyssum as a solitary plant, water it whenever the soil is completely dry. If you cut off the withered flowers down to the basal leaves and fertilize them with a liquid fertilizer, a pretty rebloom will appear.
Beautiful varieties
- Tiny Tim: White-flowering classic that transforms sunny, dry locations into a sea of white flowers
- Rosy O Day: Enchanting Alyssum maritima with rich pink flowers in lavish abundance in the bed and balcony box
- Mountain Gold: Hardy Alyssum montanum, which stands out with golden yellow flowers; ideal for the rock garden
- King's Carpet: The perfect scented steinrich for picturesque, wine-red flower carpets that contrast wonderfully with white varieties
- Sulphureum: Early flowering, light yellow stone herb; one of the few hardy varieties that also thrive in partial shade
- Oriental Nights: Annual scented stonewort that enchants us with violet flowers; as a border for bed and grave
