Glacial fescue Titmouse is the most unpretentious perennial for an alpine slide

Tell us how Glacial Titmouse fescue is grown. I got the seeds by accident - the lush bush in the photo “caught my eye”. From the information on the package, I realized that it was intended for a rock garden. I just have a small slide, which I have not yet fully completed. We live in the central zone, so the question of wintering is very interesting. Will the bushes freeze and how to care for them?

Do you think cereals only grow on agricultural land? But no - their decorative forms have long settled in gardens and are gaining more and more popularity. Glacial fescue Titmouse is one of the most beautiful varieties of plant, intended for cultivation on alpine slides. The almost perfect round shape of the bush makes it look like a shaggy pillow thanks to its dense long foliage. Titmouse has an unpretentious character, which minimizes caring for her, but there are still some nuances of growing.

Characteristic features of the plant

Fescue belongs to the cereal family and is a herbaceous perennial. Grows in the form of a compact bush no more than 40 cm high, consisting of many narrow long leaves. The width of a rather rigid sheet plate does not exceed 1.5 cm, and this is at the base. To the top, the leaf narrows and ends almost with a needle. There are so many such needles that from a distance the bush resembles a pillow or a furry ball. Moreover, glacial fescue has leaves of almost the same length, due to which the "pillow" has an almost perfect round shape. Linear leaves are painted green-blue with a bluish tint characteristic of all fescue.

In the middle of summer, tall thin peduncles appear in the center of the bush, on which loose panicles about 6 cm long spike. At first, they are the same color as the foliage, and as they bloom, they become brown. By autumn, the seeds ripen - small caryopsis up to 5 mm long.

Not to be confused with glacial fescue - these are two different varieties! Gray fescue can be distinguished from the first by its softer foliage. In addition, the bush itself is smaller, and the color is dominated by a bluish color, without a hint of the characteristic "bluishness" of the Titmouse.

Glacial fescue Titmouse: planting and care

Cereal propagates well by seeds, which can be sown in spring, in May, or before winter. It is convenient to plant in a nesting way, leaving at least 30 cm between the holes. 4-5 seeds are laid out in each nest - this will make fluffy pillows. If desired, you can grow seedlings by sowing seeds at the end of March. Seedlings are transplanted into open ground at the end of May.

Glacial fescue must be planted in rocky places (in a rock garden). The black soil is too dense for her and the plant will not survive in it - the bushes will simply rot. The sunny side is preferable, and in partial shade the color fades and its blue tint is lost.

Taking care of Titmouse is a pleasure, because you don't need to do anything special. Fescue grows well without feeding, tolerates heat and hibernates well without shelter. The entire treatment consists of three procedures:

• watering on especially dry days;
• removal of dried leaves and inflorescences;
• transplant every 3 years.

Ornamental cereal multiplies by dividing the bush. In the fourth year of life, its center begins to fall apart and dry out, so the plant should be rejuvenated.It is better to start dividing the bush in the spring, and then you will have the opportunity to create a whole clearing of fluffy pillows.

Growing fescue glacial titmouse - video