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Growing helichrysum from seeds is the best option for propagating annual immortelle plants. You can sow directly into the ground or pre-grow seedlings. The second method is used more often, especially in regions with long, cold winters. Perennial varieties are more efficiently propagated generatively (by division or cuttings).
Growing helichrysum seedlings
The advantage of the seedling method is that it reduces the time before flowering. Helichrysum is characterized by poor stress resistance and reacts negatively to sudden temperature changes in the spring at night and during the day. Sowing seeds in an open area may not give a positive result; seedlings damaged by return frosts are not restored, and the plant dies.
Obtaining seedlings is especially important for regions with a long winter period, for example, in Siberia, the Urals, and the Central regions. The seedling method eliminates the loss of planting material, becauseHelichrysum can be planted at any time when the threat of night frosts has passed. The plant develops well in indoor conditions. After transplantation, it takes root in the designated place.
To grow helichrysum from seeds at home, you need to purchase or collect planting material yourself. Most varieties of the crop bloom from mid-summer to October. The seeds are collected in mid-September, when the central part of the flower darkens and begins to dry. Large heads are cut off and laid out on the surface.
When the seeds are fully ripe, they will spill out on their own after a slight shaking of the flowers
When to plant helichrysum seedlings
The time for planting seeds to obtain planting material depends on the climatic characteristics of the region. Helichrysum is placed on a flowerbed at the age of 90 days, by which time the root system will have formed enough to easily tolerate replanting.
Thanks to this biological feature, the growth of planting material can be controlled. If spring is late, so that the seedlings do not stretch, they are placed in a room with a lower temperature. The seeds germinate in 3 weeks; after a fourteen-day growing season, helichrysum is ready for picking. In regions with a temperate climate, seeds are sown for seedlings in March, in the south - in April.
Preparing containers and soil
Helichrysum seeds are planted in special containers for seedlings or in wooden boxes. The container should be low (10-15 cm). If it is necessary to obtain a large number of helichrysum seedlings, take several containers or wide boxes. The container is doused with hot water.Used pots are washed with soapy water and treated with manganese or an antifungal agent.
It is recommended to take fertile soil for sowing seeds. You can mix peat, sand and compost in equal parts. The soil is calcined, allowed to cool and mixed with a complex of mineral fertilizers, then small pebbles are added.
Before sowing, the surface is moistened
Sowing algorithm
Helichrysum seeds are quite small. To facilitate sowing, they are sprayed with a solution of manganese and mixed with sand.
Sequence of work:
- Containers for seedlings are filled with prepared substrate.
- The surface is leveled and moistened.
- Cover with a thin layer of sand and seeds.
- If the planting material is not in the form of a mixture, make longitudinal furrows 0.5 cm deep, sow helichrysum and lightly cover it with soil.
- Water with a solution containing nitrogen.
Cover the containers with film and make sure that condensation does not accumulate.
Seedling care
After sowing, the containers are placed in a room with a temperature not lower than +18 0C. Make sure that the soil surface is slightly moist; large amounts of water are not allowed. When helichrysum germinates, the temperature is increased, the containers are placed in a lighted place, and the seedlings are provided with at least 16 hours of daylight. Watering is carried out every three days. Fertilize with a nitrogen agent (if it was not used during sowing).
When 2-3 leaves are formed, strong helichrysums are selected from the total mass of the shoots and dived. 14 days before placement on the site, the seedling needs adaptation. The containers are taken out into the open air, first for 30 minutes, then the stay period is increased. If there is a greenhouse, boxes with seedlings are placed in it and left until planting.
To avoid stressing the plant once again, it is better to pick the seedlings in peat cups and plant them in a flowerbed together.
Planting helichrysum in open ground
The growth of helichrysum (pictured) will depend on proper planting of the flower and proper care. If the biological requirements of the plant are taken into account, there will be no problems with cultivation.
Deadlines
Operating time depends on the planting method. If helichrysum is sown directly into a garden bed without first growing seedlings, then they are guided by the climatic characteristics of the region. In the south, the plant is sown in April, in areas with late, unstable spring - in the second ten days of May. If planting was done earlier, the bed is covered with film at night and removed for the day.
When the temperature is set at +200C, helichrysum seedlings can be placed on the site, then the plants will quickly begin to gain green mass and bloom in time. For warm climates this is the beginning or middle of May, in moderate climates it is the end of spring, the beginning of summer.
Site and soil preparation
Helichrysum is a warm and light-loving plant; it does not tolerate shading or waterlogged soil at all. The area for cultivation is allocated open, without large trees nearby. The composition of the soil for helichrysum is not important; a prerequisite is that the soil must have good air circulation and be drained.Lowlands, ravines, and close proximity to groundwater are not suitable for planting helichrysum. The crop will not be able to bloom on poor soils; it will die on waterlogged soils.
2 weeks before planting, the designated area is dug up along with compost, fine pebbles and mineral fertilizers are added: phosphorus, potassium, phosphate and urea.
Direct sowing into the ground
Small furrows are made in the prepared area and helichrysum seeds are distributed according to the same pattern as for seedlings. Install low arcs and cover with film at night. When sprouts appear, the shelter is removed. Plants are watered with a small volume of water every other day. The top layer of soil should have time to dry before the next sprinkling.
When helichrysum enters the third leaf stage, it is planted in a certain area. Can be sown by linear planting, thin out after germination and left to grow without transfer. The latter method is only suitable for annual helichrysum varieties.
Transplanting seedlings
Seedlings are placed at intervals of 20 cm. The planting hole is made in accordance with the size of the root system. If the seedlings are in peat cups, they are completely covered with soil. When placing perennials, the bottom of the pit is covered with a drainage cushion; for annuals, this measure is not necessary. After planting, the soil is slightly compacted and watered well.
Helichrysum is often used in vertical gardening designs.
There are several varieties of crops for hanging cultivation. For example, helichrysum petiolate is planted in a flower pot; its care will be standard. In summer, the plant is taken out to the balcony or terrace, and in winter the plant is left in an unheated room at a temperature of +4-50WITH.
How to grow helichrysum
The crop's agricultural technology is simple; if the seedling is placed in a sunny, dry area, then its care is minimal. Growing annual and perennial varieties differs in terms of feeding and preparatory measures for the winter.
Watering and fertilizing schedule
A drought-resistant crop tolerates a lack of moisture better than its stagnation. Basically, helichrysum has enough seasonal rainfall. If the summer is abnormally dry, water the plant no more than twice a week at the root.
Annual varieties are not fertilized. The immortelle has enough nutrition provided during planting. If the plant looks weak, you can fertilize it with superphosphate. Perennial varieties are fed with urea in the spring, with phosphate during budding, and with potassium during the flowering period. In the fall, phosphorus and compost are added.
Trimming
The culture retains its decorative effect for a long time. The color of the flowers fades, but they do not lose their shape until frost. When the green mass dries out, the annual plant is completely removed from the site along with the root system. Perennial varieties are not evergreen; their above-ground parts die off at the end of the season. Helichrysum is completely cut off when it loses its decorative appearance.
Wintering
Only perennial immortelle plants overwinter. The culture is characterized by low frost resistance, and therefore requires insulation in regions with cold climates. The root system is the weakest point of helichrysum. If it is damaged, the culture is not restored.
The hanging varieties are brought indoors, while the perennials are left in the open area. After pruning and fertilizing, the plants are hilled up, mulched and covered with spruce branches. You can install arches, cover the immortelle with film and only then use coniferous branches.
Diseases and pests
The culture is characterized by high immunity. With sufficient lighting and low air humidity, it does not get sick. If helichrysum is in the shade and on waterlogged soil, white rust may occur. The plant is transferred to another place and treated with an antifungal agent. Among the pests, aphids are parasitic; they get rid of them with Aktara. If burdock caterpillars are found, spray with Kolibris.
Conclusion
Growing helichrysum from seeds is the most common method of propagating the crop. You can plant directly in the ground or sow the seeds in containers to produce seedlings. Immortelle is unpretentious in care, is characterized by high immunity, and easily tolerates moisture deficiency. One of the disadvantages of the culture is low frost resistance, so insulation is required for the winter.
