Whether as a decorative companion along the way, as an eye-catcher in the rock garden, or as a "gap filler" in cracks and crevices - the blue cushions know how to convince with a lush bloom and an intense color range from white to violet to deep blue. We will tell you here when this plant, also known as Aubrieta, blooms and how you can have a beneficial influence on the flowers.
The heyday of the Aubrietia
The general period of flowering can generally be given as spring. However, there are some significant differences in the actual timing of the blooming. This depends on the one hand on the location and on the other hand can vary significantly from species to species.
Bluecushion, Aubrieta
location
First we look at the dependence of the flowering phase on the location. Here it can be seen that the blue cushions bloom earlier, the warmer and sunnier the location is. Like many other plants, the Aubrieta determines the "right" time based on the amount of sunshine and the ambient temperatures. Although both are definitely more advantageous in spring than in winter, there can be a clear difference in conditions between full sun and more shady locations at the same time. So it can also happen that one and the same blue cushion species comes into flower on two different sides of the same garden in very different ways.
tip: A very sunny location affects not only the time of flowering, but also the amount of flowers produced to a not inconsiderable extent. Plants in a sunny location form lush carpets of flowers, while shady locations usually only have a few flowers.
species
On the other hand, if you look at the typical blue cushion species, it quickly becomes clear that spring is not always spring when it comes to flowering and flowering time. These well-known and popular types differ, for example, as follows:
- 'Blue Tit': March to April, rarely until May
- 'Blue Emperor': March to May
- 'x cultorum': April to June
The second bloom
With a bit of luck, it may be possible to elicit a second flowering phase from the blue cushion in the same year. With these steps, the chances of renewed flowering are good:
1. Wait for the first flowering phase, ideally until the flowers have completely dried up
2. Completely remove blooms including stalk
3. In the same operation, cut back the entire plant to stimulate growth, up to half of it is usually possible without any problems
4. Subsequent fertilizing to strengthen the plant
5. Ensure regular but moderate watering for optimal growing conditions
With a bit of luck, the Aubrietia will delight you with another bloom in late summer between August and the beginning of September. Incidentally, the chances of this are higher if the plants find the best possible location with full sun and dry, well-drained soil. So you can put all your energy into the growth of the new flowers without having to compensate for adverse environmental conditions.