People grow flowers in gardens and for bouquets. In autumn, the time comes for one of these plants - these are chrysanthemums. To make them happy with their flowering, you need to properly care for them.
Many beginner gardeners begin their acquaintance with this flower with confusion: is it a perennial plant or an annual? Meanwhile, the answer is simple - they exist both such and such. Below we will talk about the garden flora that can live for several years.
Chrysanthemums
Interesting. Archaeologists suggest that the first chrysanthemums people began to grow another 2.5 thousand years ago, and then the flower was eaten. Then the Japanese began to idolize him, so much so that only the emperor (and members of his family) could wear clothes with a pattern of chrysanthemums. In Europe, the flower came in the distant 18th century; gardeners won the love only a century later.
Japanese motif with chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum is a herbaceous plant from the family Asteraceae (another name is Astrovidae). In Latin is called Chrysanthemum. People sometimes call her a golden, or sunny, flower. This is because most species (of which there are a total of 29) have yellow or orange shades of inflorescences.
In plants such as chrysanthemums, perennial planting and care in the open ground do not require any special approach. This flora is quite unpretentious, while beautiful. Shrubs are able to survive in the Russian winter, they also bloom late and long.
Interesting. With proper care after cutting, these flowers can stand in a bouquet up to 30 days.
Garden Chrysanthemum is divided into varieties depending on the shape of the flowers:
- One, or two-row. Petals they respectively have one or a couple of rows. For example, like the Tricolor variety.
- Half Terry. There are only three petal layers.
- Terry. There are many petals, they all vary in shape, form a lush inflorescence.
- Anemic. Flowers of this chrysanthemum resemble anemones.
- Pompoms. Numerous small petals form a pompom. They are often called spherical.
Chrysanthemums in the garden bloom late - in August, flowering continues in the fall. This flora is able to withstand frosts of -10 degrees Celsius.
How to plant a chrysanthemum, not everyone knows. There is nothing complicated in the procedure:
- Choose a suitable day or time. There should not be an active sun.
- In a suitable place, pit about 40 cm in depth.
- The bottom of the hole is watered, then drainage is poured into it, earth mixed with fertilizer is added (in a ratio of 1 to 20).
- A chrysanthemum is put in a hole, its roots are dug up. Do not deeply deepen the flower.
Planting chrysanthemums in the open ground
The most difficult thing in planting this flora is to comply with all its maintenance requirements.
When planting chrysanthemums in open ground and subsequent care for them, the following should be considered:
- They love the sun. They won’t even like the slightest shading.
- A moisture balance is needed. These flowers do not like when the water stagnates (therefore they are planted on a small hill). But overdrying the soil will kill the flora.
- Be sure to choose the right land. It should be loose, moisture permeable, fertilized.
Important! If the land is not fertile, you can use manure, peat or compost as fertilizing during planting. It’s important not to overdo it.
- Chrysanthemums need drainage. Sand is best for him.
After the planting of chrysanthemums in the spring, only the first couple of weeks they need special attention. In the future, efforts to grow them will have to make less.
What to do:
- The first time (from two to five days after the manipulation), the seedling should be artificially darkened. A flower loves the sun, but it needs time to adapt to a new place.
- A tall variety should definitely be supported on the time of adaptation.
- Immediately after planting, the first pinch is carried out - removal of the upper growth nodule on the plant. 3-5 days after the second pinch is carried out. This time, the upper part of the stem with 2-3 knots is removed.
Note! A spherical chrysanthemum (Multiflora) is not needed to pinch.
Spherical Chrysanthemum Multiflora
From time to time, garden perennial chrysanthemum is recommended to be transplanted. The thing is that even the most fertilized soil is depleted over time. The optimal balance of minerals and organic substances in the composition of the soil is very important for this flora. Experienced gardeners carry out this manipulation every year in May - there are no more night frosts, but it is not yet time for an active summer sun. Transplantation is carried out as follows:
- A new place is being selected.
- A flower on an old flowerbed is well watered - so there is less chance of damaging the roots.
- After extraction, the uterine bushes should be divided so that each separated part has its own root.
- Separated shoots each plant in their hole, well watered. The distance between the seedlings is not less than half a meter.
- After five days, transplanted flowers are recommended to be fertilized with suitable means.
Important! It is possible to transplant only golden flowers wintering in the open ground.
Novice gardeners sometimes ask themselves: Do you need to dig up chrysanthemums for the winter. There is no single answer, as each variety has its own requirements. Some of them can easily winter on the street, others need to be transplanted into a pot and taken to the premises for wintering. In any case, the chrysanthemum needs some care points, regardless of where it will spend the winter:
- Pruning. It is necessary to give it to bloom and cut the stems, leaving only 10 cm.
Chrysanthemum pruning
- Top dressing. Back in early autumn, it is recommended to begin preparation and switch to phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. They will help the flower survive the cold.
As a rule, the Korean (or Chinese) hybrid street chrysanthemum is the species that is most often found in Russia, it is winter-hardy. This means that it does not need to be transplanted. Other species (for example, Chrysanthemum Mix - indoor autumn perennial) may need this.
Those types of sunny flowers that remain on the street for the winter, you need not only to trim, but also to cover. This should also be done correctly:
- The formation of dimples at the bush should not be allowed. Otherwise, water will stagnate there.
- If the winters are not very cold, then serious shelter is not necessary. Simply cover the trimmed bush with peat and dry leaves. When the first snow appears, throw it on top.
- If the winter is fierce, then you should take care to create a more serious shelter.
You should not wrap the trimmed bush from the first cold snap. Light frosts will only benefit him by tempering. It is recommended to cover the plant with special materials: lutrasil or spandbond. If there are none, then an ordinary thick polyethylene film is suitable. Be sure to clamp it around the edges with stones to exclude the possibility of blowing away by the wind.
Winter Chrysanthemum Shelter
Under the shelter, never use shavings or peat - so they get wet, will keep moisture. Stagnant fluid will provoke the death of flora.
The first sprouts chrysanthemum starts with the first heat. Even spring frosts usually cannot prevent this.
The bush chrysanthemum wintering under shelter is the most vulnerable in this respect - it can mutilate (if ventilation is not considered when creating the shelter). Or a severe frost will damage the new shoots, then they will bloom poorly. Flora wintering in the house have no such problem.
So, the chrysanthemum was transplanted into a pot and wintered safely at home. Now it's time to move it to the open ground. You need to know how to plant a chrysanthemum that survived the winter in the house in the garden:
- Before transplanting, be sure to put flowers in pots outside for a week and a half on average. So they will be tempered, they will calmly endure all the manipulations.
- You can transplant to the old place, after fertilizing the earth there with ash. Over the winter, the soil has already had time to rest.
- Two weeks after transplanting, the bushes can be fertilized.
Pot Chrysanthemum Transplant
You can buy a ready-made, trimmed shrub. But self-grown flowers are especially appreciated. You can breed them in one of several ways.
Cuttings
Cutting chrysanthemums is one of the most popular ways to grow them, because it is suitable for breeding flowers even from a bouquet.
A small stalk is placed in the water. He will take thin roots. When they appear, you need to transplant the germ into a substrate. It should contain peat and sand in equal proportions. The box with the substrate should be covered with glass or polyethylene, creating a greenhouse.
Unlike other plants, chrysanthemum does not need heat. It can be cut at a temperature of no higher than 15 degrees Celsius. When the plant is strong, it can be transplanted into a separate pot, then in open ground.
Note! After the cuttings, young flora can be transplanted only in spring, when frost has passed. If the sprout is received in the fall, it is better to give it the first winter in the apartment.
Seed cultivation
Another common question is how to grow chrysanthemum from seeds. Again, there is nothing complicated - they are sown directly in open ground in May. When the sprouts reach 10 centimeters in height, they are pinched for the first time. If this procedure is not carried out, you can forget about the beautiful shape of the bush. Stopping to drive tall stems, in the fall, the chrysanthemum will bloom for the first time.
You can buy seeds of a golden flower in the store. You can assemble it yourself, observing the following conditions:
Chrysanthemum seeds
- Protect inflorescences from getting wet.
- If the plant is taken to winter in the house, then before collecting seeds it should be kept on the windowsill, where there is a lot of sun.
- The seed is ready to be harvested as soon as the inflorescences begin to darken. If a moment is missed, then they will begin to crumble.
Immediately plant fresh seeds can not be, otherwise only 10% will begin to emerge. After ripening for a couple of months, this percentage increases.
Chrysanthemum Seedlings
Reproduction of this flora is also possible with the help of seedlings. It is either grown from seeds at home, or bought in a specialized store. This method is only suitable for spring planting.
Bush planting
This method is recommended to be applied on average once every two years. Not only to propagate the flower, but also for the rejuvenation of the bush. It consists in the following: the plant is dug up, several shoots with roots are separated from the mother bush with the help of a secateurs. All separated parts are seated separately.
This is the only recommended method for autumn planting of new chrysanthemums.
Like all living things in this world, flowers can hurt. Chrysanthemum is no exception, despite the fact that it has a fairly strong immunity. Diseases that threaten this flora:
- Fungus. It appears from poor ventilation, stagnant water, high acidity of the soil and excess nitrogen in the fertilizer.
- Septoria Chrysanthemum leaves become spotty, then completely dry. The plant is treated like this: damaged leaves are removed, the surviving fungicide is treated.
Septoria of chrysanthemum leaves
- Rust. With it, the leaves also deteriorate, only now they become whitish. May appear as powdery spots of orange. Damaged greens should be removed, thin out plants, and moisture should not get on the leaves. Apply fungicide as needed.
Not only diseases or parasites are the culprits of the fact that the chrysanthemum does not bloom. If for some reason there are still no colors, the reason may be as follows:
- Bad light;
- Lack or excess of fertilizer;
- No transplant;
- Unsecured fully dormant.
Chrysanthemum is popular everywhere: at dachas in the suburbs, and in Siberia with the Urals. This flower is not whimsical, but requires a certain amount of attention. With due care, this flora will surely delight its owners with stunningly beautiful flowering, will be strong and healthy.
