The Lobularia Alyssum maritima , or simply alder maritime, is a very popular plant among gardeners, especially when it comes to filling those gaps small holes in the garden or give a touch of color with a potted. In fact, it tends to be very popular because this plant has very decorative flowers because they are very small but also very abundant.
If you want to learn how to care for the maritime alder plant, join us in this in which we offer a practical guide on how to care for maritime lobularia .
Characteristics of the lobularia maritima
The Alyssum maritimum , which is another scientific name it has, is a very common perennial plant in the Mediterranean basin, although it has now spread to many more areas with a similar climate. It is small in size, giving rise to clumps of 25 cm in height or less.
The maritime alder flower stands out , although it is very small in size, it is produced in such large quantities that it completely hides the rest of the plant. They appear in late spring, and if temperatures are cool enough they can last for a long time. Normally, these flowers are white, although there are varieties such as the purple lobularia maritima, which gives rise to flowers of that color or a pinkish tone.
You may have ever seen alyssum or lobularia flowers for sale for consumption. But is lobularia maritima edible? The truth is that it is and, in fact, its flowers have a flavor that is slightly reminiscent of honey, and can be consumed without the slightest problem. What’s more, among the properties of lobularia maritima are to help eliminate fluid retention, as well as acting as an antioxidant, analgesic and anti-inflammatory.
Location for lobularia maritima
The alyssum is a plant that needs a lot of sun , so its location should always be outdoors, in a sunny area. In fact, the ideal is to place it in full sun.
However, since it is a species that requires warm temperatures, it may be too cold or too hot in your area for the plant to develop properly. In fact, it is even possible for both to occur in the cold and warm seasons respectively. For this reason, there are those who choose to have the maritime lobularia indoors. This is a risky decision that will require paying great attention to the plant and placing it in an area as bright as possible, always being careful with the magnifying effect of the windows and glass.
Soil and compost for alyssum
One of the most important points for the lobularia soil is that it offers the best possible drainage . For this reason, it tends to appreciate calcareous or sandy soils. It is not demanding with nutrients, so it does not need a substrate or soil with a large amount of organic matter. A mixture like the one we usually recommend, with peat, worm humus and coconut fiber , in addition to perlite, will provide the necessary properties and nutrients for a long time.
That said, outdoors the plant will most likely not need fertilizer, while in a pot it is advisable to add some fertilizer once a month in the warm season , especially to enhance flowering.
Irrigation of maritime lobularia
The lobularia is very resistant to droughts while it is in a temperate climate, not requiring too much watering. However, before hot summers it will be necessary to provide much more frequent waterings, especially if we want the plant to develop its spectacular flowering.
Thus, it may become necessary to water every 24 or 48 hours depending on the temperature. Of course, as always, it is very important to be careful and not flood the soil, which would greatly harm the plant.
Pruning and other care
These plants do not need pruning other than maintenance, that is, remove the dried or withered leaves and flowers with well-disinfected scissors. It is also a pest resistant plant, and only fungi will be a problem if you water it too much. If the mushrooms appear, do not despair, because here you can discover several homemade fungicides .
Reproduction of lobularia maritima
The usual thing is to multiply this plant by seeds or by cuttings. We recommend planting the seeds of the lobularia maritima in a seedbed, at the beginning of spring, to later transplant the germinated seedlings to their final location.
- Prepare a seedbed with the substrate that we have described above, in a small container such as a plastic or yogurt cup, with drainage holes.
- Sow a maximum of two seeds per container, and then cover them with about 1 cm of substrate.
- Water in abundance with a sprayer that does not stir the substrate too much, and place the seedbed in a well-lit place, even in full sun outside.
- In about 15-20 days, if there are no problems and you keep the substrate moist, they should germinate.
In the case of lobularia maritima cuttings , it is usual to cut them after flowering, when they have already dried.
- Cut a good-sized branch and help rooting by covering the base with rooting hormone or organic homemade rooting.
- Plant your cutting in a pot with the appropriate substrate and already watered.
- In about four weeks, the cutting should have rooted successfully, giving rise to a new, healthy, independent plant.
