Whether to prune chrysanthemums in the fall. Chrysanthemums - care, beautiful varieties, pinching and preparation for winter

HOW IT IS CORRECT TO CARE FOR CHRYSANTHEMES

Blooming chrysanthemums are a real decoration of our garden in autumn. This bright and generous gift from nature with a tart sagebrush aroma seems to have been sent to us to prolong summer days ...

History and types of chrysanthemums.

Asia is considered the birthplace of chrysanthemums. Chrysanthemums came to Europe in the middle of the 18th century, but their active spread throughout the continent began almost a century later - at the beginning of the 19th century. In Russia, the cultivation of this ornamental plant began in the 40s – 50s of the last century.

It is believed that the whole variety of chrysanthemums, called "garden" or Chrysanthemum hortorum, occurred by crossing two species from China and Japan - chrysanthemum large-flowered or Chrys. morifoolium and small-flowered chrysanthemum or Chrys. indicum.

Chrysanthemum in the biological concept is a genus of annual and perennial herbaceous plants of the Asteraceae or Asteraceae family, numbering up to 29 species and growing not only in Asia, but also in the temperate and northern latitudes of the globe.

Perennial chrysanthemums.

Among the small-flowered chrysanthemums, a group of so-called Korean chrysanthemums or Ch. coreanum, which have not yet been established as an independent species. Also, the question of their origin remains unclear, so the definition of "Korean" should be considered conditional. In amateur floriculture, this type of chrysanthemum is the most popular; it is the Korean chrysanthemums that adorn the gardens of many summer cottages.

Korean chrysanthemum is distinguished by its relative resistance to low temperatures, this quality allows most varieties of chrysanthemums to winter outdoors in regions with cold winters. In addition, these flowers are famous for their abundant flowering and therefore are widely used in decorative floriculture.

What are they and when do they bloom?

The varieties of Korean chrysanthemums are very different in different ways: flowering time, bush height, size of inflorescences, color and structure of flowers. Conventionally, this type of chrysanthemum can be divided into several groups:

Border, whose height is not more than 30 cm, they have an early flowering period, dense bush, give insignificant root growth;

Medium-sized, their height is 30-50 cm, they are distinguished by a wide variety of colors and structure of inflorescences;

Tall chrysanthemums have a height of up to one meter, they have a large and branched bush with large inflorescences that have a late flowering period.

Mass flowering of chrysanthemums of an early flowering period begins in late August - early September, a month later, tall varieties of chrysanthemums enter the flowering time.

Site selection, soil, planting.

Good growth and abundant flowering of chrysanthemums is possible only if a place in the garden is correctly selected for them, which should be well illuminated by the sun for at least five hours a day. It is unacceptable to plant them in damp places with stagnant water or in the shade.

The soil should be loose, breathable, rich in humus with a neutral or slightly acidic degree of acidity. You should not plant chrysanthemums in too fertilized soil to exclude the "fattening" of plants to the detriment of flowering. Chrysanthemums are very responsive to mulching the "near-trunk" circle.

When to plant? ..

Planting chrysanthemums is preferable in the spring than in the fall. Plants disturbed in the fall usually do not tolerate the winter period and may die. Also, you should not plant flowers in a blooming state, therefore, if the planting material was purchased in the fall, then it is better not to leave it in the open field, but to transfer it to a room for winter storage (winter storage conditions are described below). The planting pattern is approximately 30x30 cm, for spreading bushes - 40x40 cm.

Leaving and shaping bushes.

Chrysanthemums grow very quickly. Within one season, a small stalk is able to turn into a developed bush and give abundant flowering. Therefore, special attention should be paid to feeding. The first feeding is done with nitrogen fertilizers at the initial stage of shoot growth, the next two weeks later with mullein or bird droppings. In the bud formation phase, fertilizing with phosphorus and potassium fertilizers is necessary.

In order for the chrysanthemum bush to have a beautiful shape and bloom profusely, it is necessary to shape it. To do this, from the beginning of June, they begin to do regular pinching of the tops of the shoots. A month before the beginning of flowering, make the last pinch.

In one place, chrysanthemums grow for no more than three years, that is, once every three years, in the spring, the bushes must be divided. In the first year, at the beginning of the growing season, frequent loosening is carried out, which contribute to the development of the root system and the growth of underground shoots that form a bush. In the future, loosening is stopped for fear of damaging the regrown shoots.

At the end of the growing season, after the first frost, the wintering chrysanthemums must be cut and hilled. With the onset of stable frosts, the bushes were loose, so that they would not mate in the future, they were covered with spruce branches, branches or other material that trapped snow.

In early spring, the bushes are freed from spruce branches, and as soon as the growing shoots appear, the old stems are removed and the central shoot is twisted out of the ground.

Reproduction.

Reproduction by seeds.

When engaged in seed reproduction of Korean chrysanthemums, you should know that this type of reproduction gives forms that are less resistant to low temperatures and other climate features of a particular region. In addition, it should be obvious that the hybrid variety you like cannot be grown from the harvested seeds.

In plants with an early flowering period with a short growing season, the seeds have time to ripen. To obtain seeds from late flowering chrysanthemums, it will be necessary to transplant them into a heated greenhouse with an air temperature of about 20˚, with good ventilation and sufficient lighting. In such conditions, the seeds will ripen by November-December.

The seeds are harvested as they mature. The collected seed baskets are ripened in a warm and well-ventilated room. After two to three weeks, they are packed for storage. Storage conditions - dry and cool room with an air temperature of 2–5 ˚C. The shelf life of chrysanthemum seeds is 2 years.

Seeds are sown in sowing boxes with wet soil in early spring. Crops should not be covered with earth, the seeds should remain in the light, otherwise they will not germinate. If everything is done correctly, the first shoots will appear in a week.

As soon as the weather permits, the seedlings are transferred to the garden. The first flowering begins, as a rule, in the second year of the plant's life.

Propagation by cuttings.

The most popular breeding method for chrysanthemums. This is justified, since with this method all varietal characteristics are preserved. Plants grown from cuttings tolerate cold weather, they develop well and bloom luxuriantly.

Cuttings begin to cut in the spring when the weather is stable and warm. The selected plant should have a height of at least 20 cm. Cuttings about 10 cm long are cut from the tops of young shoots, the lower leaves are removed, then they are stuck into a box with moist soil, which should be transferred outside to a place protected from rain and wind. After two weeks, when the cuttings are rooted, the plants are transplanted to a permanent place.

Partners in the flowerbed.

Chrysanthemums go well with salvias (sage). So, sage with blue flowers will be appropriate with yellow and bronze chrysanthemums, and pale pink salvia will enhance the color perception of red chrysanthemums. The combination of chrysanthemums with plants that do not bloom, as well as with ornamental grasses and cereals is effective. Variegated plants such as coleus can be planted next to chrysanthemums. They will look good with the autumn cosme. The rich palette of Korean chrysanthemums will allow you to fully enjoy the creative delights of any gardener.

Wintering.

Not all types and varieties of chrysanthemums are able to survive our winter. Heat-loving varieties, which include most of the tall chrysanthemums with large flowers, are grown using closed ground or dug up in late autumn for further winter storage. There are different ways of such storage.

Method 1.

The bushes dug out after flowering should be with a lump of earth, the young shoots of renewal should be removed. The mother bushes are tightly placed in wooden boxes and transferred for storage in a bright and cold room with an average air temperature of 2–6 ˚C and an air humidity of no more than 80%. If there are few mother liquors, then they can be planted in different containers. Watering during storage should be minimal, the earthen lump should be kept slightly damp.

Method 2.

Prepared bushes are stored in the cellar, where they are transferred before the first frost. They are stacked tightly to each other on the earthen floor. The optimum temperature in the cellar should be 0–4 ˚C.

Chrysanthemums can bloom in summer

Both storage methods allow for early (from February) germination of plants. For this, the bushes of the selected variety are brought into a room with a temperature of about 15˚, the sprouts that have sprouted under such conditions are separated from the mother bush and planted in separate containers. About a month later, you can start forming a bush, preparing it for planting in the ground. Such germination is used when they want to achieve an earlier flowering of chrysanthemums, that is, to shift the flowering time to the summer period.

Method 3.

Storage of chrysanthemum bushes in trenches of arbitrary length and width and a depth of about 50 cm. The bushes are tightly packed into the trench, the voids between the roots are filled with earth. So they are left until the first frost, which should slightly "grab" the plants, this will prevent the occurrence of fungal diseases during storage.

At the onset of frost, the trench is covered with a material that will create the frame of the "roof" of the trench, a thick layer of dry leaves is poured on top, sprinkled with earth or some kind of covering material that must be securely fixed. It should be understood that with this storage method it is difficult to control the condition of wintering plants.

Method 4.

This storage method refers to Korean chrysanthemums of an early flowering period and having medium-sized flowers, that is, to those plants that are resistant to low temperatures. Nevertheless, in order not to risk it, they should also be prepared for the winter cold. To do this, chrysanthemums must be cut at a distance of 10 cm from the soil surface and covered with peat in a layer of about 10-15 cm.

Chrysanthemums are annual.

All annual chrysanthemums are cold-resistant, they bloom until late autumn, without fear of frost. These are drought-tolerant and light-loving plants. They prefer fertile soils without an excess of organic fertilizers, respond well to fertilizing with mineral fertilizers. Annual chrysanthemums can be sown directly into the ground in spring. If you sow seeds for seedlings in early April, then chrysanthemums will delight you with their flowering a month earlier.

The following types of chrysanthemums are most common:

Chrysanthemum keeled, it is a powerful plant up to 80 cm high and large flowers, flowering begins in early August;
sowing chrysanthemum, has a height of 40-60 cm and large inflorescences, flowering - the first half of August;
crowned chrysanthemum, bush height up to one meter, medium-sized inflorescences are simple and double, flowering - late July - early August;
marsh chrysanthemum, low plant, spherical bush shape, small flowers, abundant flowering begins in late June;
multistem chrysanthemum, height 15–25 cm, small flowers, beginning of flowering end June - beginning of July.

All annual chrysanthemums are unpretentious and undemanding to growing conditions. Cut flowers retain their freshness in water for a long time and are very effective in autumn bouquets.

From mid-summer until the very frost, many homesteads, summer cottages and front gardens are decorated with bright bushes of garden chrysanthemums. The plant blooms even when many flowers have already wilted after the first frost. Even the most experienced gardeners are amazed at the variety of flower colors, types and forms. You can learn about the varieties and characteristics of growing the "Queen of Autumn" by reading our article. And photos of chrysanthemums will help you choose the types of flowers suitable for the garden.

Varieties and varieties of garden chrysanthemums with photos

Garden chrysanthemum is a perennial plant whose height depends on the species and can be from 15 to 150 cm... Currently, a large number of varieties of chrysanthemums are known, which, according to some features and characteristics, are combined into groups.

The size of the inflorescences

Perennial chrysanthemums are divided into three groups according to the diameter of the flowers:

• small-flowered;
• mid-flowered;
• large-flowered.

Small-flowered or Korean plants can be simple and double. A large number of inflorescences grow on one bush with a flower diameter of 2-10 cm... The bushes themselves can reach a height of 25 to 120 cm. The leaves of the plant are in the form of oak leaves. Flowers are frost-resistant, undemanding to the composition of the soil and easy to care for. Their flowering begins in mid-September and lasts until the very frost.

Mid-flowered or ornamental chrysanthemums can be grown not only for garden decoration, but also for cutting. They also grow well in pots at home. They can be used to decorate balconies, loggias and terraces. Ornamental shrubs grow up to 30-70 cm, and have a flower diameter of 10-18 cm.

Large-flowered chrysanthemums are spectacular tall plants. The length of their stem can reach from 80 to 120 cm. They bloom in large flowers with a diameter of 10-25 cm. This type of chrysanthemum does not tolerate frost well. Only some of its varieties can winter outdoors. Such flowers are intended mainly for cutting into bouquets.

According to the shape and height of the bush, garden chrysanthemums are divided into three types, each of which has many varieties.

Tall. The stems of this type of garden chrysanthemum can be very tall and require supports such as frames, metal nets, or wooden pegs. Supports are installed during the planting of the bushes. Plants planted in a group can be used as a hedge. Most popular varieties tall garden chrysanthemums are:

1. "Amber Lady" - the plant is distinguished by golden inflorescences.
2. "Umka" - chrysanthemums with white flowers, the shape of which resembles a pompom.
3. "Daughter of Rosetta" is strewn with flat inflorescences with flowers of pink and white shades.

Medium-sized. Bushes growing up to 30-50 cm look very impressive both on a flower bed and along paths, fences, arbors. With their help, you can realize various design fantasies. The best varieties of medium-sized garden chrysanthemums are considered:

1. "Dawn" - the plant has a yellow-brown color, which is just right for the autumn mood.
2. "Dune" is a truly magical variety, the flowers of which can change their color during flowering. They bloom yellow-brown, and after a few days they turn yellow-gold.
3. "Lily" will help to add brightness to any composition with its dark crimson flowers.

Curb. Small plants grow up to only 30 cm. This type of chrysanthemum is considered one of the most beautiful garden flowers. Bushes of curb chrysanthemums have the shape of a ball covered with small flowers. In this group, the most popular varieties:

1. "Barbara" is a plant with delicate lilac-purple flowers.
2. "Evening Lights" - the variety is distinguished by scarlet inflorescences that resemble a festive fireworks.
3. "Talisman" is strewn with bright beetroot-crimson flowers.

Flower shape

Garden chrysanthemums have five different kinds of flower shapes:

Garden chrysanthemums - planting and care

Landing features

Chrysanthemums love sunny areas. The plant requires a lot of light to set flower buds. Even in partial shade, chrysanthemums will not bloom.

The soil must be rich in organic matter. Therefore, during digging, one bucket of manure, compost or peat must be added to one square meter of soil. You don't need to add more organic matter, otherwise only leaves will grow rapidly on the bush, and the plant will bloom with very small flowers.

Care rules

When caring for a garden chrysanthemum, special attention should be paid to watering it, since the plant depends on soil moisture level... You need to water the bushes in a timely manner, otherwise the flower will throw off all the buds.

The amount of water for watering one bush depends on its characteristics. Plants with small, stiff leaves can be watered less frequently than plants with soft, large leaves that evaporate a lot of moisture.

Chrysanthemums respond well to feeding. For this, complex mineral fertilizers containing magnesium and potassium, and organic in the form of humates are used. During the active growth of green mass, the plant is fed with nitrogen.

Caring for garden chrysanthemums involves forming a bush. It is necessary regularly pinch and trim... For the first time, the top of the plant is removed when the central shoot grows to 10 cm. After a while, when the lateral shoots grow up to 10 cm, they also pinch the crown. After that, the bush grows to bloom.

During the period when the chrysanthemum blooms, faded and wilted buds should be regularly removed from its bush. This way the flowering period can be extended.

If you want to get large beautiful flowers, you can make a total pruning of side shoots. As a result, only one stalk and one peduncle will remain on the bush. All the forces of the plant will go to the formation and growth of the flower.

Winter garden chrysanthemum care

In order for a plant planted in the garden to bloom as beautifully and profusely next year, you need to make sure that it overwinters well.

In frosty winters even cold-resistant varieties require shelter... Therefore, after the end of flowering, the stems of the bushes are cut to the ground. The plant is huddled up and covered with fallen leaves.

Chrysanthemums with large flowers are afraid of freezing temperatures. Therefore, they need to be dug out together with an earthen clod and planted in a suitable container. Plants are stored before planting in the spring in a room with a temperature of 0-5 degrees. Caring for them consists in rarely watering an earthen coma, which should not dry out.

Diseases and pests of perennial chrysanthemums

With proper care, the plant is rarely affected by pests and practically does not get sick. However, the bushes need to be examined regularly in order to identify the problem that has arisen as early as possible and begin to treat the plant. The threat to garden chrysanthemums is:

1. A spider mite is a pest that sucks juice from a plant. It can be found by the cobweb formations on the back of the sheet. If the leaves of a chrysanthemum turn gray-brown, begin to darken and fall off, then, most likely, a tick has settled on it. The plant must be treated with special chemicals.
2. Leaf nematodes - the disease is manifested by deformation of the leaves, and their darkening between the veins. In this case, you need to change the soil and cut off the damaged areas.
3. Verticillosis is an infectious disease that spreads through the roots. Therefore, the leaves begin to turn yellow and wither from the bottom of the bush. In the initial stages, spraying with biological products will help.
4. Powdery mildew first affects the leaves and buds, on which a white bloom appears. The affected parts of the plant are removed, and the bush itself is treated with Bordeaux liquid.

Reproduction of bush chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum can propagate in three ways:

• dividing the bush;
• seeds;
• by cuttings.

Dividing the bush

The bushes can be divided in the spring, but only after the threat of frost has passed. In order for chrysanthemums to bloom better, it is recommended to divide their bushes every three years. To do this, the plant is carefully dug up and divided into several small bushes. The roots of the plant will need to be cut. Delenki are planted in the ground and watered.

Seed reproduction

In open ground sowing is done in May... For each future plant, a separate hole is dug, the distance between which should be 25 cm. 3-4 seeds are buried in one hole. For the first time, chrysanthemums should bloom at the end of summer.

Cuttings

Propagation by cuttings is the easiest way, since chrysanthemums take root quickly and well.

1. A stalk with 3-4 leaves is cut under a leaf pattern. Its length should be 6-8 cm.
2. The container is filled first with peat, and then with sand, in which the stalk sits.
3. The soil is sprayed and the box is covered with glass.

The rooting temperature should be between 13-15 degrees. When the roots appear, the cuttings will need transplant into separate pots... Young bushes are planted in open ground only when frost has passed.

Observing the rules of planting and caring for garden chrysanthemums, you can achieve a beautiful and spectacular flowering during half of summer and almost all of autumn. Any part of the garden where the "Queen of Autumn" will grow will become a luxurious decoration of the garden.

Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemum is a genus of perennial garden flowers of the Asteraceae family. They come from Asia and North-Eastern Europe. Most of the species come from East Asia, the greatest variety in China, where chrysanthemums were grown from the 5th century BC, to Japan in the 8th century AD, and to England at the end of the 18th century.

Chrysanthemums are herbaceous plants with a stiff stem or shrubs, with erect stems, usually covered with fine pubescence (in some species, glabrous). Leaves are alternate, whole or notched, with a serrated edge. The foliage is green or light green. If you rub the leaves or break a branch, a peculiar smell is felt, sometimes quite tart, a characteristic difference between chrysanthemums and asters.

Inflorescences are baskets of small flowers of two types: central tubular, yellow, marginal flowers are ligulate of the most varied colors. The fruit of the chrysanthemum is achene.

Chrysanthemum classification

In the process of breeding, simple inflorescences almost completely replaced the semi-double and double inflorescences, in which the inflorescence is a cap of multi-row reed flowers. But in addition to double and simple inflorescences, there are other forms: anemone, tubular, Chinese, peony, pompom, decorative, arachnid, etc. Often the difference lies in the form of reed flowers - in some varieties they are straight, in others they are slightly bent by a boat, in others slightly spiral.

Most often, perennial frost-resistant chrysanthemums of Korean selection are used for gardening the garden, as the most unpretentious and frost-resistant, they are often called ‘oak’ - in the form of leaves resembling oak leaves.

All varieties of chrysanthemums can be divided by flowering time into:

• Early flowering - bloom in late August. These varieties are usually undersized and dense bushes about 25-35 cm tall, used in curbs.
• Mid-flowering - bloom in early September, mainly with an average height of 50-60 cm bushes.
• Late flowering - bloom in late September, early October, mostly tall, up to 100 cm or more, require a garter.

Duration of flowering in chrysanthemums is more than a month. Low-growing varieties, as a rule, have very decorative foliage, which makes it possible to form multi-tiered flower beds that bloom from late summer to late autumn.

Place for planting garden chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemums grow best and produce the most flowers when planted in a sunny area. They need at least three hours of full sun a day.

They also require a well-fertilized soil, enough moisture, but no frills. Chrysanthemums do not tolerate dry peaty or sandy soil - poor in mineral composition and does not retain moisture. But they also do not tolerate stagnant water and dampness!

Ideally, they need light sandy loam soil, well filled with humus and organic matter. Like most garden flowers, chrysanthemums are loved on well-drained soils with a lot of organic matter, such as compost.

Landing

The soil in the flower beds for chrysanthemums must be prepared in advance: if it is heavy, clayey, add sand, humus, peat, you can measure it with buckets, take everything in equal parts. If the soil is light sandy, add loam, sod land and humus. Peat soils require serious improvement - they are poor and acidic, loam or sod soil and humus must be introduced.

All components introduced to improve the soil must be mixed well. The fertile soil layer should be less than 40 cm.

If you have a site in a lowland or on a slope, before filling the beds at the bottom of the trench, pour a layer of gravel drainage.

Another important indicator of soil quality that you should pay attention to when planting chrysanthemums is acidity. Changes in acidity or alkalinity can severely limit plant growth, weaken the root system, and even lead to death. Chrysanthemums prefer an acidity of about 6.5, categorically not less than 6.2. To increase the pH of the soil, you need to lime the soil, and to lower (on saline soil) add ferrous sulfate or aluminum sulfate.

Measures for caring for chrysanthemums are reduced to the mandatory implementation of regular irrigation, fertilizing, loosening the soil and proper pruning, which allows you to get bushes with a lush and beautiful shape.

Code to start preparing chrysanthemums for winter

As a rule, only small-flowered and, as well as chrysanthemums of local selection, which are adapted to unfavorable external factors and easily tolerate the winter period, are left to winter in open ground on a personal plot. Nevertheless, even for such unpretentious and fairly stable ornamental plants it is necessary to look after and properly prepare them for the upcoming cold weather.

Preparation of garden chrysanthemums for winter should be started in most regions of our country around mid or late August. In more southern and northern regions, these dates are shifted to September and early August, respectively. It is at this time that the plant begins to intensively prepare for the dormant period, and untimely measures can harm the culture and make it very vulnerable to frost.

About the need and features of sheltering chrysanthemums for the winter

Important to remember, that tall and large-flowered varieties, characterized by thermophilicity, are unable to winter in open ground conditions, therefore they are removed together with an earthen clod from the flower garden and placed in wooden boxes, which must be stored in bright and cool rooms in winter at a temperature of 2-6 ºC and air humidity at the level of 80%. It is also quite possible to preserve uterine bushes with an earthen lump, densely laid in rows on the floor in the cellar at a temperature of 0-4ºC.

The most winter-hardy varieties and some varieties that winter in open ground, it is enough just to provide a shelter after fertilizing, as well as performing preventive treatment and pruning. In this case, as a reliable shelter for the winter, it is recommended to give preference to mulch made from brushwood or ordinary spruce branches. Such the shelter must be breathable, since otherwise the ornamental culture may vanish.

Small-flowered and Korean varieties and hybrids, as well as hybrid forms of domestic selection, can winter in earthen trenches covered with boards or slate, on top of which dry foliage is poured or covering material is laid.

How to prepare chrysanthemums for winter (video)

With the onset of autumn, you need to carefully consider fertilizing, as well as the correct regime of irrigation measures, which will improve the cold resistance of the decorative culture.

Watering regime and rules

Irrigation measures in autumn are very important only if dry and hot weather is observed for a long time. After the bushes have been watered, traditional preventive spraying should be performed.

It is imperative to carry out such events no later than the first decade of September or immediately after flowering. Previously, it is required to make a careful examination of the aerial part of the garden flower, and, if necessary, remove all diseased shoots and use chemicals designed to combat diseases and pests. Important to remember, that spraying is carried out in dry and warm, almost windless weather.

Autumn pruning of chrysanthemums

Feeding chrysanthemums in autumn

Immediately after flowering, chrysanthemums are depleted, and therefore, they especially need to restore the nutritional balance, so the plants must be properly fertilized. It is best during this period to use standard potassium-phosphorus fertilizers for feeding the most frost-resistant and wintering garden chrysanthemums in open ground, which will significantly increase the resistance of the ornamental garden culture to the upcoming winter frosts. The formulations are diluted in strict accordance with the instructions supplied by the manufacturer.

Planting chrysanthemums in the fall

The autumn planting of bush chrysanthemums has certain advantages, therefore it is more preferable when growing such a garden ornamental crop. The undoubted advantage of such a planting is the ability to independently determine the color and size of the buds, as well as the shape of the bush, which is almost impossible to accomplish when purchasing planting material in the spring.

The optimal timing for autumn planting is considered to be the last decade of September, which will allow the seedling to take root and adapt well before the onset of winter. It is important to remember that high-quality planting material must necessarily have several well-formed basal shoots at once. An underdeveloped plant freezes in winter.

How to plant chrysanthemums in the fall (video)

Choosing and preparing a place in the garden

Garden chrysanthemums give preference to flower beds located in areas well-lit by the sun with some elevation. In shaded areas, the flower culture will be oppressed and incapable of long, abundant flowering. Among other things, the culture is sensitive to the location of groundwater, therefore, if its location is too high, it is imperative to perform good drainage based on river sand.

The soil in the area allocated for planting and growing garden chrysanthemums should be loose, with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction. On too heavy soils, peat crumbs, humus and rotted manure are necessarily introduced into flower beds. After the soil is dug up and freed from weeds, it is required to dig out planting holes, to which complex fertilizers are added.

Most often, chrysanthemums are grown in rows in open ground. With this method of planting, it is very important to strictly adhere to the optimal distance between the planted plants. As a rule, all low-growing and medium-sized bush varieties are planted at a distance of 30-35 cm from each other, and for planting tall varieties and hybrids, the distance between the planting pits must be increased to half a meter. The standard depth of the planting hole should not exceed 35-40 cm. Each hole must be well drained, and after filling with fertilizers, it is watered abundantly with warm water.

Planting technology and timing

Planting garden chrysanthemums should be done in the evening, after sunset, or on cloudy days. It is best to plant the acquired planting material under light, drizzling rain. Chrysanthemum bushes should be lowered into the hole with minimal deepening. Tall saplings will require the mandatory installation of a wooden or metal support.

After planting and fixing on a support, it is recommended to carefully pinch the seedlings, and on too hot days, shade the aboveground part. Rooting of garden chrysanthemums is rather slow, so you need to water if necessary.

If in the autumn it is not possible to plant a garden chrysanthemum on a flower garden in open ground, then it is quite possible to plant the purchased seedling in an ordinary plastic container. It is best to use a not too deep, but rather spacious plastic box for this purpose.

How to keep chrysanthemums in winter (video)

A feature of the root system of an ornamental plant is its close location to the surface of the soil, so you do not need to purchase a deep container or flower pot. After planting, the aerial portion is trimmed to about two-thirds of the total height. Until spring, the seedlings are kept in the basement, at a temperature of + 5-6 o C. During storage, periodic irrigation measures must be carried out, and with the onset of spring, an ornamental culture with an earthen clod is planted in a permanent place, in open ground.

Chrysanthemums were first grown in China, and it was almost two thousand years ago. This miracle came to Europe much later, and began to spread rapidly to decorate gardens relatively recently - somewhere in the eighteenth century. Later, the plant will receive the popular name "Autumn Asters", all just because chrysanthemums of the genus "Dendranthema grandiflorum" bloom in autumn and are very resistant to frost.

Chrysanthemums really amaze with their color schemes. This is a unique plant, which is distinguished by the richness of flowers, which, with belated flowering, decorate the garden almost until the first snow falls.

The peculiarities of our Siberian climate, of course, incline gardeners to grow exactly the autumn varieties of chrysanthemums, because such flowers are less capricious and more resistant to changes in the external environment, but they also need to be looked after. Moreover, it is safe to say that improper or non-periodic care for chrysanthemums will imperceptibly lead to the death of such a beautiful plant.

Planting and breeding chrysanthemums

To get large bushes with abundant inflorescences, you need to choose an elevated and sunny place for planting. From experience I know that if a plant does not have enough light, then it stretches, weakens, and buds do not appear for a long time. The soil should be loose, well-drained so that water can penetrate well. But golden flowers do not like the arrival of groundwater. I noticed that the richer in nutrients the soil, the larger the flowers.

Therefore, before planting cuttings in the soil, we add peat, compost, rotted manure to it. Then we make trenches, it is advisable to put drainage on the bottom, expanded clay will do. We place the cuttings there, depending on the variety, the distance between them is from 35 to 50 cm. To better form the root system, we spill the plantings with Kornevin solution.

Planted cuttings are best protected with a covering material first. We propagate our favorite chrysanthemums by the usual division of the bush in the spring, when all the frosts have passed. We immediately plant the divided young shoots in a new place and water them. Some carry out propagation by cuttings. Then in the spring it is necessary to cut off the green shoots (about 10 cm or a little more), treat the bottom with "Kornevin" and place it in the ground, covered with newspapers (they retain moisture well). From time to time it is necessary to water the "kids".

Autumn pruning of chrysanthemums

Not all growers believe that chrysanthemums need to be cut before wintering. Many consider it superfluous, but some still practice. The point of pruning is that shortened stems require fewer resources for their life. It turns out that, thus, the roots of the plant, as it were, retain their strength, therefore they successfully winter. But this is not always the case. Pruning is not a guarantee that chrysanthemums will survive until spring.

Another advantage of pruning is that shortened branches are easier to cover for the winter. They do not need to be bent down and somehow arranged.

Shelter for chrysanthemums for the winter

For wintering in the open field, you can leave chrysanthemums with small flowers, Korean chrysanthemums, as well as chrysanthemums of domestic selection. They should be covered with earth as high as possible. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that there are no pits around the plant where water can accumulate. This leads to the soaking of plants and their subsequent death.
Further steps depend on the climatic characteristics of the region. In the presence of a large amount of snow, the chrysanthemum will be quite comfortable without a specially created shelter. But if in winter frequent thaws are likely with subsequent frosts, it is necessary to protect the plant. How to shelter chrysanthemums for the winter at minimal cost? To do this, you can use straw, fallen leaves, spruce branches, and for the construction of a homemade "house" - bricks, pieces of slate or cardboard.

Watering chrysanthemums in autumn

For irrigation, only settled in a barrel is used, preferably rainwater. Chrysanthemums love moisture, so watering should be plentiful. It is better to use a garden watering can without a sieve, since water droplets on the foliage will negatively affect the decorative effect of the bush. If the soil is not mulched, then once a week it is recommended to weed and gently loosen the topsoil.

Top dressing and spraying of chrysanthemums in autumn

When the chrysanthemums have bloomed, you can fertilize the plants with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. This will restore the strength of the flower and strengthen it before the onset of cold weather. In the process of preparing chrysanthemums for winter, it is important not to skip the stage when you can still fertilize the plant. The last time it needs to be done is mid or late September. By that time, the plant should be trimmed, and in October it will be time to cover it, then top dressing will not be relevant.

As for spraying, it also needs to be done no later than the beginning of September, or it can be done immediately after flowering. In this case, you need to carefully examine all the branches of the flower, remove the sick, and then use pest drugs and spray chrysanthemums. This should be done in dry warm weather, in a couple of days the preparations will be completely absorbed into the leaves and stems of the plant. After that, you can continue to further prepare the chrysanthemum for winter.

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Diseases and pests of chrysanthemums

Of the insects, nematodes most often harm chrysanthemums, whose presence can be detected by the appearance of mosaic spots on the leaves, which darken over time. Fighting with the given is already useless, but as a preventive measure, before the autumn digging or planting (transplanting) chrysanthemums, spray the plants with a phosphamide solution, and treat the soil with formalin. The specimens affected by the nematode must be destroyed.

Another pest of chrysanthemums is aphids, which settle on the lower part of a leaf or bud. The insects themselves, like their larvae, suck the sap from the plant, which slows down the growth and flowering of the chrysanthemum. If you are dealing with a single colony of aphids, then it is destroyed along with the leaves on which it settled, but if the plant is covered with aphids, spray it with Aktellik or Aktara with the addition of laundry soap.

Danger to chrysanthemums are garden slugs and snails, which can devour leaves, flowers and plant stems. But when dealing with them, you need to use an organic approach, that is, apply gentle methods of control, so as not to disrupt the ecosystem of the garden, in which snails and slugs perform an important sanitary function. Therefore, in horticulture, preventive measures to combat them are welcomed: the correct selection and combination of plants, the natural control of the number of pests by attracting birds, and so on. If trouble happened and slugs began to devour your chrysanthemums, collect them by hand, dig plastic rims around the bushes that prevent the slugs from getting close to the bushes, sprinkle the ground around the bushes with crushed eggshells, which will prevent the snails from approaching the plants ... Finally, place them in the flower garden bowls of beer and after a while collect around them your "harvest" of slugs.