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Heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine is a perennial from the Astrov group. It is popular due to its decorative properties and unpretentiousness. The Lorraine Sunshine variety often serves as a decoration for flower beds, flower beds, and recreation areas. It is loved for the unusual color of the leaves and the bright positive color of the flowers, which gives joy and good mood even on gloomy cloudy days.
Heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine has variegated leaves and bright yellow flowers
Description of Heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine
Heliopsis loraine sunshine has tall, erect stems that rise above the ground up to 80 cm or more. The leaves are gray-white, decorated with green veins. During the entire growing season, heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine does not change its color. The flowers are bright, rich yellow in color. They have petals rounded at the ends. They bloom long and profusely, in July-September. Heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine looks like a large yellow daisy or sunflower, and the beautiful variegated leaves give it a unique charm. It pleases with its flowering and light aroma until frost.
Heliopsis is native to North and Central America but has gained popularity throughout the world. The Loraine Sunshine variety is named after the grower who first discovered and documented the plant's existence. Despite its southern origin, the flower has taken root well in regions with a temperate climate, including our country. It also feels good in the north - in the Urals, Siberia, and the Far East.
Heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine goes well with many plants
Application in landscape design
Heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine is a universal component of gardens, flower beds, and flower beds. Looks great in group compositions and in single plantings. Due to the rather long stem length, the plant is best placed behind the others growing in the flowerbed. Otherwise, it will obscure other representatives of the landscape decor.
Heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine looks good in plant arrangements made in a rustic style. It is best combined with herbs, ornamental shrubs (low-growing conifers, lavender, barberry) or various items. For example, an old wooden cart surrounded by heliopsis thickets will look great. The perennial Lorraine Sunshine will serve as a hedge. Its tall, dense thickets rise 1-1.5 m above the ground, creating an impenetrable curtain.
Heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine is used to create bright sunny flower beds and flower beds. Goes well with any plants in purple tones, including:
- phlox;
- daylilies;
- hydrangeas;
- miscanthus;
- derains;
- vesicular carps.
Thanks to its long stems, the decorative perennial Lorraine Sunshine participates in the creation of summer bouquets.It goes well with simple, discreet colors, which in their color and appearance “sound” a tone lower. The fading autumn garden is filled with bright colors, breathing cheerfulness into it. Heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine looks great together with other autumn flowers and plants - asters, cereals, rudbeckia.
Heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine looks beautiful in group plantings
Features of reproduction
Depending on how propagation will take place, Heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine can be planted in both autumn and spring. There are several ways to grow perennials:
- from seeds;
- in open ground (before winter, when frost is approaching, plant seeds directly into the ground, but if no thaw is expected, otherwise they may germinate, and young shoots will die with the onset of cold weather);
- through seedlings (at the end of May, plant strong seedlings in the ground at a distance of 40 cm);
- dividing the bush (in spring or autumn, dig up a 4-5-year-old bush from the ground and divide the rhizomes so that each division has at least one bud, then immediately plant it in the ground after 30-40 cm);
- cuttings (cut in mid-summer and placed in a container with substrate until the next season);
- self-seeding (involuntary reproduction often occurs, without human intervention).
Heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine is often propagated by seeds. With the onset of spring, sow them using planting containers. Do it like this:
- First put drainage in the container, then a loose substrate mixed with peat, water the soil with potassium permanganate, plant the seeds;
- cover with film or glass, leave in a warm, bright place where the temperature does not fall below +20 degrees;
- after a week, move the container to a dark, cool room with a temperature of approximately +3+4 degrees for a month;
- after this period, move again to warmth (+25), under the rays of the sun and wait for the first shoots;
- continue to grow at +10+15 degrees.
All this time, the heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine needs to be watered as it dries out. When warm weather becomes stable, plant in open ground.
Heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine for 4-5 years of life can be propagated by dividing the bush
Planting and care
Growing heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine is not difficult; no special operations are required. You just need to carry out the procedures required for any perennial. First, dig a hole measuring 30x30x30 cm, fill it a third with humus, ash, complex fertilizers, mix everything. If the soil is clayey or heavy, add peat and sand to the planting hole.
When you have to plant heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine in light soil, act differently. Add some clay to keep nutrients near the roots. Next, place the plant in the hole, deepening the growing point no more than 2 cm. Straighten everything out, cover it with soil, and compact it. Heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine likes to grow in nutritious, fertile soils, but this is not necessary. It will take root well in any soil. You can choose both sunny places and light partial shade.
Heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine can be planted in open ground in May
Recommended timing
To grow heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine seedlings, seeds need to be sown in February-March. In this case, planting seedlings in open ground will take place on time, in early May. If the seeds are fresh, they can be planted immediately.Those that have been stored for more than a year should be wrapped in a damp cloth, placed in a plastic bag and kept in the refrigerator for a month. In the twentieth of April, seedlings can be hardened off. Take outside starting from one hour and gradually increase the time spent in the environment.
Heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine will take root well anywhere
Site and soil preparation
For planting, open sunny places with fertile soil are better. On heavy soil, choose raised or well-drained sites. Since the plant is of southern origin, it is not afraid of heat and drought. Therefore, you can plant heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine in any corner of the garden - it will adapt to different conditions.
The ancestors of this flower in their homeland always grew on dry, poor soils that had few nutrients. Therefore, the plant does not need intensive feeding. Excessive amounts of mineral fertilizers, on the contrary, can damage the flower. The green part of the plant will begin to develop rapidly, and the number of buds may sharply decrease.
Heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine can be propagated by seeds
Landing algorithm
Before removing the seedlings from the container, it is necessary to moisten the soil. It is better not to remove the earthen lump. This way you can preserve the root system intact. In May, plant in the ground, taking into account the following points:
- distance between holes 30-40 cm;
- the gap between the rows is 60-70 cm;
- the first 10 days – abundant watering.
Planting seeds should be carried out in the fall, in October-early November, or in the spring in March-April, but can be postponed until May-June. The landing features are as follows:
- furrow depth – 2-3 cm;
- the distance between them is 65-70 cm;
- the gap between seeds is 20-30 cm.
After the seedlings appear, thin them out, removing every second one, or replant them.
On hot days the plant needs regular watering
Watering and fertilizing schedule
Heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine is easy to care for, comes from southern countries, and is therefore drought-resistant. But to achieve decorativeness it needs regular watering. In the absence of this condition, the flowers become smaller, become less lush, and the duration of budding is reduced. On dry, hot days, it is recommended to water several times a week. The time for this should be evening or morning, and the water should be warm.
Heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine is fed in the spring with complex fertilizers
Weeding, loosening, mulching
With proper selection and preparation of the soil, fertilizer is applied only in the second year of flower growth. Feeding is done approximately once a month. In this case, you should use a universal fertilizer (with organic matter) for garden crops.
If you regularly mulch the heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine, you can do without spring feeding
Preparing for winter
In the middle of the autumn period, heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine can begin to prepare for winter. Trim the bushes, leaving stumps 5 cm high. This is necessary to prevent chaotic propagation of the plant. In this form, the heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine survives the winter.
It is enough to prune a perennial for the winter correctly
Diseases and pests
Heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine often suffers from black aphids. If the infection by pathogenic insects has not spread very much and there are few pests on the bush, you can try to get rid of them with folk remedies in the form of infusions of the following herbs:
- wormwood;
- tomato;
- celandine;
- nightshade.
At the same time, do not forget to add a little liquid soap. If aphids have infected the entire plant or there are a lot of them, the most affected bushes should be removed and the rest should be treated with insecticidal preparations.
Heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine can be susceptible to fungal diseases such as rust (brown spots on the leaves) or powdery mildew (a gray-white coating). To cure a plant, you need to spray it with the solution:
- Bordeaux mixture (2%);
- copper sulfate;
- fungicidal drugs, for example, Fundazol.
Excessive watering and increased moisture concentration in the soil also contribute to the appearance of fungal infections on the plant. Heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine has strong immunity to all other pests and diseases.
Conclusion
Heliopsis Lorraine Sunshine has bright decorative properties, a light aroma and ease of cultivation. It can be distinguished from other varieties by its whitish leaf blades with green veins.
