Manchurian Saxifrage

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Manchurian saxifrage (Latin Saxifraga manchuriensis) - decorative culture; a representative of the genus Saxifrage of the Saxifrag family. The native land of the plant is the Primorsky Territory. Natural habitats are the banks of forest streams.

Characteristics of culture

Manchurian saxifrage is represented by dwarf plants, which form numerous roots during growth, which are located closer to the soil surface, as well as a powerful rosette, consisting of dense, solid, dark green, shiny rounded leaves. Foliage retains its decorative effect during the growing season. The flowers are small, white-pink, collected in loose capitate inflorescences, rising on peduncles up to 45 cm long. Manchurian saxifrage blooms in the third decade of July - the first decade of August for 1-1.5 months.

The species is distinguished by abundant fruiting. Seeds ripen in the third decade of September - the first decade of October. Form massive self-seeding. The Manchurian saxifrage boasts high winter-hardy properties and resistance to fungal diseases and pests. The species is an adherent of loose, fertile, moist soils. Plants are shade-tolerant, feel great in semi-shaded areas with diffused light. Suitable for decorating rockeries, alpine slides, the banks of water bodies. It is rarely used in culture.

The subtleties of cultivation

Care for the Manchu saxifrage is quite simple. The culture is undemanding to growing conditions, although it develops faster and better in shady areas with moist, loose, drained, loamy soil. Plants need division only once every 4-5 years. This procedure is necessary due to the thinning of the saxifrage leaf rosettes. Divide the plants into 2-4 parts. The procedure is performed at the end of summer. Landing is carried out at a distance of 10-15 cm from each other. At first, delenki need abundant watering and shading at midday.

Also, Manchurian saxifrage can be propagated by seeds. It is preferable to sow seeds in seedling boxes filled with a moist and nutritious substrate. Covering the seeds is not recommended as they are very small. Before sowing, they should be mixed with washed medium-grained sand. Sowing is carried out in a substrate composed of humus and leafy soil, sand and peat, taken in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 2. Landing in open ground is carried out not earlier than June. For the winter, young and immature plants are covered with a thick layer of fallen dry foliage. Saxifrage propagated in this way bloom in the second or third year.

Diseases and pests

As already mentioned, saxifrage is rarely affected by pests and diseases. Among the pests, mealybugs, thrips and spider mites can be noted. The latter most often appears during prolonged drought and untimely watering. The first signs are a whitish cobweb at the base of the petiole, then yellow spots on the leaves. Later, the leaves dry up and fall off. Among the fungi affecting saxifrage, fungi of the genus Cercosporella and Septoria should be noted. When the first signs are found, the plants are treated with preparations containing copper.

Also, at high air humidity, saxifrage is affected by powdery mildew. The fight against them is possible with the help of preparations with copper. When growing plants in a damp and cold area, rotting of the root system is possible. If the rosette is still alive, but the roots have begun to rot, it is recommended to transplant the plants to a new place, while removing the blackened roots and leaf stalks.