Perennial garden chrysanthemum: planting and care + photo

Chic, regal, luxurious, delightful... No words are enough to describe the beauty and splendor of this flower! It is when almost all plants enter the final stage of the vegetative period that the incomparable garden chrysanthemum is just gaining color and is ready to show gardeners all its beauty and grace.

In almost every garden plot you can find at least 2-3 bushes of this beautiful flower. And the reason for such enormous popularity of this plant lies in the fact that after planting, garden perennial chrysanthemum requires minimal care, but the splendor and brightness of the flowers gives real pleasure.

General description of the plant

Chrysanthemum is a perennial plant belonging to the Asteraceae, or Asteraceae, family.Based on the structure of the inflorescences, some varieties of chrysanthemums belong to the genus Tansy or Yarrow.

The root system of flowers is strong, branched, and is located in the upper 25-centimeter layer of soil. After planting a perennial garden chrysanthemum and giving it proper care, the flowers (see photo) take root and grow quite quickly. Throughout the growing season, the root system produces excellent root shoots.

The inflorescences of garden chrysanthemums are a flower basket. The minimum flower diameter of garden perennial chrysanthemums is only 5 cm. In large-flowered varieties, flowers can reach 18-20 cm in diameter. During vigorous flowering, up to 30-50 flowers can bloom on one bush at once.

Interesting! Translated from Greek, “chrysanthemum” means “golden-colored,” and it received such a bright name for the golden color of the inflorescences.

The height of plants can vary from 15-18 cm to one and a half meters. Such a strong scatter is due to the large number of species and varieties of chrysanthemums. Some varieties of flowers are grown exclusively for decorative purposes, and some are grown for cutting.

There is currently no strict classification of chrysanthemums, since it is very difficult to divide into groups the variety of flowers that differ in flowering time, bush height, size, shape and complex structure of inflorescences.

After all, even the petals of perennial chrysanthemums differ greatly depending on the variety. They can be simple, tongue-shaped, spoon-shaped, or tubular. And sometimes this magnificence amazes not only with its bright colors and riot of colors, but also with the inimitable shape of the flowers.

The popularity of perennial chrysanthemum is only increasing every year, due to the following advantages:

Flowers are highly resistant to sudden drops in temperature and winter frosts characteristic of our country.
Long, luxurious flowering is another advantage of garden chrysanthemums.
Decorative qualities. You can grow chrysanthemums in any corner of the garden, in a flower bed, to highlight the beauty of the area with the help of a landscape composition, to decorate a balcony, attic or veranda with low, brightly flowering bushes.
Easy to care for flowers.
Unpretentiousness to soil composition.
They reproduce easily and quickly.

Interesting! For the first time in the chronicle, garden chrysanthemums are mentioned in the works of the philosopher Confucius half a century BC.

Bright, beautiful and unique flowers are not afraid of piercing, cold winds or rain. In autumn, when most flowers have already faded and are preparing for winter, chrysanthemums are just gaining color and getting ready to show themselves in all their glory.

Color classification

Disputes are still ongoing about where the garden chrysanthemum was brought from. Some sources claim that the flower was brought from China. According to other sources, the birthplace of chrysanthemum is Japan. Some encyclopedias say that they began to grow it in Korea. Therefore, garden chrysanthemum is often called Korean.

Based on the size of the inflorescences, chrysanthemums are divided into small-flowered (flower diameter up to 10 cm) and large-flowered (diameter more than 10 cm). In turn, small-flowered ones are divided into:

semi-double
anemoids
pompons
terry.

According to the height of the bush, garden chrysanthemums can be divided into:

low-growing (or border), plant height no more than 30 cm. They can be planted along paths, in small flowerpots or containers.
medium-sized - the height of the bushes ranges from 30 to 50 cm
tall - chrysanthemums reach a height of 1-1.2 m.

The first group of garden perennial chrysanthemums is characterized not only by the relatively small size of the bush, but also by an early flowering period. For the most part, low-growing varieties include bush chrysanthemums or multifloras.

Interesting! The first exhibition of chrysanthemums took place in the 900s, which gave impetus to the introduction of a holiday dedicated to this flower.

A short description of the flowers of this group: low, dense bushes covered with many small flowers of various shades. They grow very quickly and require compliance with certain rules of care. There are a lot of synonyms for this type of garden chrysanthemum. Globular, bush, border.

All varieties of garden chrysanthemums can be classified as medium-sized, the height of the bushes on average varies from 30 to 50 cm. The color palette is represented by a wide variety of colors and shades with double, semi-double and simple inflorescences. The bushes grow well and produce good root shoots within one season. They bloom mainly from the second half of August to mid-October.

Medium-sized varieties of perennial chrysanthemums are most often planted in group plantings, in flower beds and flower beds, in clumps. If border flowers Although they are extremely rarely grown for cutting, this type of chrysanthemum is often used for making bouquets.

Tall varieties of garden chrysanthemums are distinguished not only by their height, reaching 1-1.2 m, but also by stronger, thicker stems, capable of holding fairly large flowers, as well as later flowering.

Flowers belonging to this group are grown mainly for cutting.Inflorescences of a wide variety of colors can be pompom, double, semi-double, spherical, hemispherical. Tall varieties are grown mainly in greenhouses or in the southern regions.

Mysterious and unique

The variety of species and varieties of garden perennial chrysanthemums amazes the imagination of the most avid and sophisticated gardeners. Large-flowered and small-flowered, tall and low, bushy and solitary - it’s very difficult to make a choice.

Interesting! More than 3,000 varieties of chrysanthemums are grown in China alone.

It is also difficult to describe in a few words the color scheme of inflorescences and the structure of inflorescences. Look at the photo below at how diverse the varieties of garden, perennial chrysanthemums are.

Annecy Dark
Juliet
Vologda lace
Red anemone
Far Eastern
Santosh
Tarantella
H. Hanenburg
Mishal
Skiena

What are the methods of reproduction?

Garden chrysanthemums can be propagated using cuttings or dividing the bush. Both methods are quite easy to implement. Moreover, in both cases, all varietal characteristics will be fully preserved.

Seed method

Chrysanthemums are rarely propagated by seeds. And there are a number of good reasons for this:

Firstly, given the timing of flowering, flower seeds simply do not have time to ripen.
Secondly, during seed propagation of perennial chrysanthemums, varietal characteristics may be partially lost. This is especially true for hybrid varieties of garden chrysanthemums.
Thirdly, this propagation method is most often used by breeders when creating new, unique varieties.
And lastly, when choosing this method of propagation, it is worth considering that growing a perennial chrysanthemum from seeds is a painstaking process that requires a lot of time and effort in order to grow a full-fledged plant with a powerful root system.

Interesting! In Japan, not only decorative chrysanthemums are grown, but also cultivated ones, the foliage and petals of which are used to make salads.

The rules for planting and caring for growing perennial chrysanthemums from seeds are not much different from the agricultural techniques for growing other flowers. But there are still some differences, and it is advisable to know about them in advance:

To grow seedlings, you need to prepare containers filled with drainage and loose, fertile soil.
It is advisable to sow perennial chrysanthemum in early spring, when mass sowing of seeds begins. The optimal timing is early to mid-March.
Carefully spread the chrysanthemum seeds over the surface and moisten the soil with a spray bottle. You need to sprinkle the flower seeds with a thin layer of soil of 3-4 mm. Seeds need plenty of sunlight and warmth to germinate quickly.
Shoots should appear in approximately 7-10 days.
Flower picking, as usual, is carried out at the stage of formation of 2-3 leaves.
Before transplanting, do not forget to harden off the chrysanthemum seedlings.

Seeds of perennial chrysanthemums can be planted directly in open ground. Wait until the ground warms up to a temperature of +15˚С +18˚С. The ideal time is early to mid-May. Some varieties of garden chrysanthemums can be sown with seeds in the fall, that is, before winter.

Sowing is carried out in pre-prepared beds, the minimum distance between which is at least 20-25 cm. After sowing, moisten the soil.Shoots usually appear after 7-10 days. In the future, provide the flowers with the necessary care.

I would like to mention that some varieties of perennial chrysanthemums, when grown from seeds, will bloom only the next year.

Interesting! “Festival of Happiness” is the name of the flower festival held annually in Japan and dedicated to chrysanthemums.

How to root cuttings

To propagate chrysanthemums by cuttings, you need to select a healthy, original bush. You can take cuttings from plants in your garden, or you can take several shoots from neighbors or friends to expand the range of flowers on your site.

You need to cut material suitable for cuttings in the spring, as soon as the air warms up to a temperature of +20˚С +26˚С. Carefully inspect the bushes and select healthy, powerful shoots at least 15-20 cm high.

The tops and bottom leaves of the cuttings are cut off. The prepared material is placed in previously prepared containers with loose, fertile soil for rooting.

The soil in boxes and containers should always be kept moist. You should not over-moisten the soil, so as not to provoke the process of rotting of the cuttings. The container with cuttings should be in a relatively warm, well-ventilated area.

Cuttings of perennial garden chrysanthemums take root quite quickly, within 2-3 weeks. As soon as the first signs appear that the shoots have taken root and started to grow, you can transplant the flowers into open ground.

How to divide a bush

Without transplantation, chrysanthemum bushes can grow in one place for a relatively long time. But to renew the root system and ensure lush flowering, they need to be replanted at least once every 3-4 years.

They usually start dividing the bush in the spring.In this case, the flowers tolerate the transplantation process without complications, take root and take root relatively quickly. Within a couple of weeks you will notice the appearance of new, basal shoots.

Interesting! Tea made from chrysanthemum petals and leaves is a favorite drink in Asia.

The bushes are carefully dug up with a pitchfork to injure the root system as little as possible. Shake off excess soil. Using a clean, sharp knife, divide the garden chrysanthemum bush into several small ones. The main thing is that each division has at least 4-5 full-fledged shoots and part of a healthy root system.

Flower cuttings are disinfected in a light solution of potassium permanganate for 2-3 hours and planted in beds prepared in advance in compliance with the norms and rules of planting.

Perennial chrysanthemums planted in this way bloom in late August - early September.

Features of cultivation

If someone tells you that planting and caring for perennial chrysanthemums is an easy job that any gardener can handle, don’t believe it. Chrysanthemum is not a flower for the lazy or busy. And if planting as a whole does not cause any difficulties, then caring for a chrysanthemum is a troublesome task.

In order for a flower bush to bloom magnificently and brightly, without losing varietal characteristics, you will need to make a lot of effort.

How to choose the right variety

The key to lush and lush flowering will be the correctly selected varieties. In this case, inimitable and luxurious perennial chrysanthemums will bloom on your site, as in the photo when purchasing seedlings or seeds.

However, it is worth considering that large-flowered varieties of flowers are very demanding in care and capricious. Most often they are grown in greenhouses or in regions with a warm, mild climate.Small-flowered varieties of perennial garden chrysanthemums are excellent for mid-latitudes and areas with harsh climatic conditions. They are more hardy and can withstand sudden temperature changes and severe winter frosts relatively calmly.

Interesting! In Japanese, the name of the flower sounds unusual - “Kiku”, which means “sun”.

When choosing flowers, be sure to take into account the individual characteristics of each variety and recommendations for planting and caring for garden chrysanthemums.

What place to determine for the future flower bed

To ensure luxurious flowering for growing perennial chrysanthemums, it is important to choose a sufficiently lit area. The main thing is that the flowers bathe in sunlight for at least five to six hours a day.

The lack of sunlight affects not only the abundance of flowering. The appearance of the plant in poor lighting becomes unpresentable. The shoots become elongated, the foliage of the stems decreases, the flowering period shifts by several weeks, and the flowers become pale and small.

Therefore, a well-lit and elevated area is the best place for planting perennial garden chrysanthemums.

What soil is suitable for growing

Considering that shaded areas are completely unsuitable for growing perennial chrysanthemums, they also react very painfully to excessive soil moisture. For good growth, you need to provide the roots with loose, well-ventilated soil.

Too wet soil, which does not allow moisture to pass through well, is the first reason for the death of even frost-resistant perennial chrysanthemums. Therefore, to plant flowers, you need to choose areas with fertile, loose, breathable soil with acidity levels in the range of 5.5-6.5 Ph.

When preparing the soil for planting perennial chrysanthemums, add a bucket of compost or rotted manure to the soil while digging. Flowers do not require more organic fertilizer. On overly fertile soils, plants “fatten,” that is, active growth of green mass occurs to the detriment of abundant flowering.

Interesting! In China, flowers picked on the 9th day in the 9th month are credited with powerful magical properties.

Recommended planting times

Perennial garden chrysanthemums can be planted in open ground both in spring and autumn.

In spring, flowers are planted in the second half of May or early summer. In the southern regions, you can plant chrysanthemums a little earlier, at the end or beginning of April. The plants will have enough time to take root until the fall.

In the fall, it is advisable to plant chrysanthemums before the beginning of October, so that the flowers have time to take root and fully prepare for winter. However, do not forget that autumn planting is undesirable for garden chrysanthemums. Therefore, if you purchased several bushes in the fall, plant them in a small box or flower pot and store them in a dry, cool basement until spring.

Let's start landing

Chrysanthemums are fairly unpretentious flowers; they can easily be transplanted and take root quickly. Therefore, the planting process will not cause you any special complications. Try to adhere to the following recommendations:

The distance between plants depends on the variety. For large-flowered, tall varieties, these parameters are at least 30 cm. But for bush and small-flowered flowers, you can increase the distance to 40-50 cm.
The depth of the planting holes is no more than 25-30 cm.
Don't forget to put 1-2 handfuls of sand in each hole.
During transplantation, it is advisable to transfer the flowers to the planting hole along with a lump of earth in order to injure the root system as little as possible.
There is no need to deepen the root system of plants. It is enough that the roots are covered with soil and do not protrude from the ground.
Install a support near tall flowers immediately after planting.

Interesting! Few people know that in Russia chrysanthemums are usually called “oak trees”. The flower received this name back in the last century for the similarity of the shape of the plant’s leaves with oak leaves.

If after planting there is a threat of short-term spring frosts, cover the plantings with lutrasil or other non-woven material to protect young, fragile shoots from freezing.

Secrets of care during the season

Every gardener knows that only if the rules of care after planting are followed will perennial chrysanthemums delight with their luxurious and delightful flowers for several years.

Watering, timely fertilizing, loosening, bush formation and preparation for winter - these are a number of activities that you need to carry out throughout the season.

Watering rules

When growing garden chrysanthemums, great attention should be paid to watering. The abundance of flowering and the appearance of the plant depends entirely on soil moisture. Water your flowers promptly. During dry periods, increase the volume of water. You should not over-moisten the soil in the flower garden, so as not to provoke the occurrence of diseases and death of garden chrysanthemums.

How, when and with what

The next stage of care after planting perennial chrysanthemums in open ground is timely and competent feeding. In spring and early summer, you need to fertilize flowers with nitrogen-based fertilizers.The first procedure is carried out a week after planting, 2-3 weeks later - the second. Subsequently, you can fertilize the flowers with a liquid solution based on bird droppings or mullein.

Chrysanthemums respond well to mineral and complex fertilizers. As soon as the first signs appear indicating the beginning of flowering, nitrogen fertilizers should be eliminated.

Interesting! After cutting, garden chrysanthemums last in bouquets for a very long time, maintaining their attractiveness for up to 3-4 weeks. This property is widely used by florists all over the world to create unique and inimitable bouquets and flower arrangements.

In the budding phase, garden chrysanthemums are fed with fertilizers based on phosphorus and potassium.

How to form a bush correctly

Forming a bush is a mandatory procedure when growing bush and low-growing varieties of garden chrysanthemums. In order for the bushes to be lush and look neat and well-groomed by autumn, each shoot must be pinched in a timely manner.

As soon as the main shoots reach a height of 10-12 cm, the top is pinched. Side shoots gradually grow, and the tops of them also need to be pinched at the same height. Thus, by autumn the bush will look like an even, neat, peculiar ball. Soon, multi-colored flower balls will delight the eye and decorate your area for several months.

Pinching of the tops is carried out until the end of June. However, remember that a month before flowering begins, pinching shoots must be stopped.

Some gardeners note that in many varieties of garden chrysanthemums the first buds appear 1-2 weeks after planting. It is advisable to tear them off in order to direct strength and nutrients to plant growth.

Before growing perennial chrysanthemums, it is worth knowing that faded flowers from small-flowered plants must be promptly removed. This simple event will help extend the flowering period to 2-3 months.

Loosening and mulching

Immediately after planting, in order to provide the roots with oxygen, you need to regularly loosen the soil. At this time, chrysanthemums undergo active growth of the root system.

However, 1-1.5 months after planting, loosening should be abandoned. During this period, you can easily damage the roots of garden chrysanthemums.

Important! It is highly undesirable to replant garden chrysanthemums during the flowering period! This can lead to the death of the plant.

Chrysanthemums respond well to such a stage of care as mulching. This procedure helps keep the soil moist. In a mulched flower garden weeds grow more slowly and in smaller volumes.

The following materials can be used as mulch:

pine needles;
crushed pine bark;
chopped straw.

With proper care, garden chrysanthemums grow very quickly. In just a month you will notice that the small bush has almost doubled in size, and by autumn it will turn into a luxurious, flowering bush.

Autumn work in the flower garden

When preparing perennial garden chrysanthemums for winter, you need to carry out a number of activities in the flower garden. At the end of flowering, all flower stems should be cut to a height of 7-10 cm. Remove foliage and debris from the flower garden, and provide good cover.

It is impossible to predict how severe and frosty the winter will be. Therefore, it is imperative to cover garden chrysanthemums.

Advice! Frost-resistant varieties of flowers can be left for the winter without shelter only in the southern regions.

Before covering, hill up the plants, renew the mulch layer and cover them with spruce branches or fallen leaves. If in your region the temperature often drops below –30˚С –35˚С, take care of additional shelter - cover the flower beds with lutrasil or any breathable material. It is important that the shelter allows air to pass through well.

Before the onset of winter, tall and large-flowered garden chrysanthemums will require more care from you. They are quite capricious in this regard and are afraid of low temperatures. Therefore, it is advisable to dig them up, replant them in a suitable container, and send them for wintering in a dry room, the air temperature in which should be strictly within the range of 0˚C +5˚C.

At least 1-2 times a month, check how the flowers are doing and water the soil in the containers with a small amount of water. Do not allow the soil to dry out.

Who or what can harm flowers?

If you follow the rules of care after planting, perennial chrysanthemums very rarely get sick. And pests can rarely threaten flowers. However, from time to time, carefully inspect the foliage and stems of the plant to make sure that no one is encroaching on your flowers.

Interesting! Today, more than 150 species of this inimitable flower are known. There is no exact data on how many varieties there are to this day.

When growing garden chrysanthemums, you may encounter the following problems:

If small cobwebs are found on the underside of the leaves, the foliage changes its emerald color to gray-brown, which means that a spider mite has settled in your flowers. It sucks moisture and nutrients from plants, and if immediate action is not taken, the flowers will die.If insects are found, immediately treat the plantings with chemicals.
Deformation and darkened foliage indicate a leaf nematode disease. Trim off any damaged parts of the flowers and remove them from the area or burn them. Carefully dig up the flowers, treat the roots with a solution of potassium permanganate and replant them in another place. Garden chrysanthemums cannot be planted in the same place for 4-5 years.
The leaves below turn yellow and subsequently fall off. This suggests that the flowers are infected with verticellosis, an infectious disease that primarily affects the root system of plants. At the initial stage, you can still save the flowers by spraying them with special preparations. In advanced cases, the plant dies.
A light, white-gray coating on the leaves and buds indicates that powdery mildew has appeared in your flower garden. To prevent the spread of the disease, remove the infected parts of the flowers and treat the plants with Bordeaux mixture.

Interesting! In the East they say that if a person wants to live happily ever after, he must grow chrysanthemums.

In general, garden chrysanthemums are highly resistant to many diseases, and are relatively rarely chosen as shelter or food by insect pests.

The author of the video will tell you about the features of planting and caring for perennial chrysanthemums.

Conclusion

With the arrival of autumn, these graceful and unique flowers can be found on the plot of every avid gardener. Bright and lush, capricious and unpretentious, chic and luxurious - it is impossible to describe in a nutshell the irresistible beauty and exceptional attractiveness of garden, perennial chrysanthemums.