Mesembriantemum or crystal grass is a perennial plant- succulent , which in height reaches only 10 centimeters, that is, it is essentially a ground cover plant. But the most important thing is that it blooms incredibly beautiful, reminding at the same time the most delicate daisies of the most unusual shades. For this, it is also called a crystal chamomile.
Mezembriantemum - planting and care
The flower of the mesembryantum has just a tiny seed, and in one gram they can contain up to 3,000 pieces. They are stored very well, and even if the seeds are planted a couple of years after harvesting, it does not affect germination and flowering in any way.
The site for growing mezembriantemum should be sunny, and the soil itself - light and well drained. To plant seeds directly in a ground it is possible only to inhabitants of southern regions. In this case, it is necessary to thin the shoots, leaving a distance of 20 centimeters between the shoots.
If you have a cooler climate, you must first grow seedlings from seedlings in greenhouse conditions, and only then plant them in the open ground.
Cultivation of the seeds of mesembrianthemum begins with the fact that they are sown in special seedlings, pre-sprinkling the soil with calcined sand in small amounts. To make a mini-greenhouse, the drawer can be tightened with a film.
The first shoots will please you after a week. However, the mass shoots will "crawl" only for 20-28 days. Grow seedlings slowly, at this time, you need to put the tray on the sunny window sill and moderately water them - from a large amount of water sprouts can bend.
When the seedlings are strong, they need to be transplanted into separate pots or plastic cups. And on the site they can be planted only when on the street there is a constant warm weather without nocturnal frosts. Plant young plants at a distance of 15 cm from each other.