Content
- 1 Description of the cornflower
- 2 Varieties of cornflower with photos and names
- 3 Growing nevus seedlings from seeds at home
- 4 When to plant cornflower seedlings in open ground
- 5 How to plant cornflower seeds in open ground
- 6 Caring for the cornflower
- 7 Reproduction of cornflower
- 8 Diseases and pests
- 9 Photo of cornflower in landscape design
- 10 Interesting facts about cornflower
- 11 Conclusion
Common leucanthemum (Leucanthemum vulgare), or garden chamomile, is an elegant flower often found in flower beds in garden plots. Growing it is considered an easy process that does not require much time and effort. The plant is not at all whimsical, goes well with other flowering crops, and is appropriate in different parts of the site.
Common cornflower has several varieties and many subspecies
Description of the cornflower
The culture belongs to the Asteraceae family; it is often popularly called garden chamomile, leucanthemum or popovnik. The flower can be either a perennial or an annual, but according to the botanical description it is a herbaceous rhizomatous perennial plant.
The common cornflower is characterized by strong and tall (up to 100 cm) erect stems, at the end of which there are delicate, odorless inflorescences, up to 15 cm in diameter. They have two rows of white petals arranged around a yellow heart. The flowering of the crop is long-lasting and can be observed from the beginning to the end of summer. Some varieties bloom as early as May.
The stems of the plant are slightly pubescent, weakly branched, covered with smooth leaf plates of rich green color, which are supported by short petioles. Their shape is oblong, oval, sometimes with a jagged edge. Some species form a basal rosette of leaves. The main feature of the plates is that the higher they are located, the smaller their size.
After the end of the flowering period, the buds of the plant shed their petals and form a box with seeds in the central part. There are a lot of fruits, up to 25 thousand pieces.
For many years, the common cornflower was classified as a member of the chrysanthemum genus.
Where does nevus grow?
Common cornflower is widespread in its natural habitat. It is often found in Europe and can grow in regions of North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Asia. In Eurasia it grows in forest clearings, meadows, fallow lands, and can become a weed in vegetable gardens and fields.
When does the cornflower bloom?
The flowering period of the crop depends on the variety. Most often, buds begin to form towards the end of June, but some species bloom in the spring. The end of the budding period also occurs at different times, but by autumn there are no more buds on the crop.
Winter hardiness of cornflower
Perennial subspecies of the crop can survive the winter under light shelter. Before the first frost occurs, they are simply covered with leaves or spruce branches. Some varieties do not need insulation at all.
Varieties of cornflower with photos and names
Experts have done a good job of breeding different varieties of garden chamomile. As a result, they received about 50 of its varieties, among which there are specimens with large baskets, double and semi-double inflorescences. In ornamental gardening, several of them deserve great love:
- Silver spoons are a new variety, characterized as an erect plant, the marginal flowers of which have the appearance of a cutlery before blooming. They look beautiful cut and are suitable for flower beds, borders and group plantings.
The height of common silver spoon can be up to 120 cm
- Maxima Kenig is a tall variety with large flowers. The petals of the buds are white, long.
Maxima Koenig blooms from July to late August
- San-Sousi - a variety up to 1 m tall with inflorescences in baskets. The buds are terry and large.
Sanssouci can be seen blooming all summer long
- May Queen is an ordinary cornflower up to 0.5 m high. The flowers of the variety are snow-white, 10 cm in diameter.
May Queen blooms in late spring
Growing nevus seedlings from seeds at home
Gardeners who are planning to plant cornflower seedlings at home begin work at the end of winter. They operate according to the following scheme:
- Gravel is poured into the bottom of the prepared containers.
- Nutrient soil is laid on top of the drainage.
- Carry out watering.
- Planting material is evenly distributed on the surface of the earth.
- Sprinkle with soil.
- Cover with film until shoots appear.
As soon as the sprouts appear on the surface of the soil, the cover is removed and standard care is carried out for the seedlings until they are planted in the flowerbed.
When to plant cornflower seedlings in open ground
Ready seedlings are planted in open soil in the second half of May, when the threat of frost has passed. Low-growing bushes are placed at a distance of 30 cm, high ones at intervals of 70 cm, to a depth of one and a half times more than a clod of earth. After planting, the soil is compacted and watered.
It is advisable to mulch the soil around the plant bushes
How to plant cornflower seeds in open ground
You can plant common cornflower seeds either as seedlings or directly into the ground. In the middle zone, work begins at the end of April, when during the daytime the temperature remains at +15 ° C; in the south, the procedure can be performed a couple of weeks earlier. Some gardeners practice planting nevus in the fall, before winter. This way the plants become stronger and more resilient, although seed germination is slightly reduced. The algorithm for planting in open ground is as follows:
- A week before planting, the flowerbed is dug up with compost.
- Before sowing, the area is watered with warm water.
- Make grooves 20 mm deep, at a distance of 30 to 50 cm from each other.
- Sowing seeds is carried out.
- Sprinkle the bed with a mixture of peat and garden soil.
- Water the plantings from a watering can and cover with film until germination.
Caring for the cornflower
The flower is very easy to care for.If the planting site is chosen correctly, all agrotechnical procedures are carried out in a timely manner, the flowering of the crop will be long and abundant. Elevations, soft and loose soil with neutral acidity are best suited for the plant. The place should be located on the sunny side, without shading.
Among the main procedures for caring for a crop are watering, fertilizing, and preparing for winter. Also, to stimulate the formation of new buds, it is advisable to shape the bushes and free them from wilted flowers, and after flowering, the nivaria should be cut to a height of 10 cm above the soil.
The plant can bloom twice per season
Watering
The common cornflower does not like moisture, and some of its species require additional drainage. Watering is carried out as needed, about once a week. After the procedure, the ground is loosened shallowly and weeds are removed.
What to feed the cornflower
Plants at any age respond well to fertilizers. It reacts best to organic matter in the form of chicken droppings or manure, as well as bone meal and nitrophoska. Substances can be applied up to three times a month.
Preparing the cornflower for winter
Common cornflower is prepared for frost when all the buds on the bushes have faded. To prevent the roots of the plant from freezing, the soil is covered with leaf litter or covered with spruce branches.
Reproduction of cornflower
Reproduction is carried out in different ways. The simplest and most common method is dividing the bush or cuttings. You can also grow cornflower from seeds.In this case, seedlings can be planted both as seedlings and directly in open ground.
The crop is moved to a new location in the spring at the initial stage of active growth. They dig up the bushes together with a lump of earth, and if necessary, divide them. In the fall, replanting common cornflower is also allowed. But the work must be completed 3-4 weeks before the onset of frost.
In one place, the common cornflower lives up to seven years
Diseases and pests
The common cornflower can be susceptible to some diseases. Especially with frequent and dense plantings, as well as during prolonged rains, it is vulnerable to powdery mildew, fusarium, rot, rust, and ramularia. At the initial stage of any illness, you can try to overcome it with a tobacco solution.
Among the pests, aphids attack the common cornflower. They get rid of it using treatments with Actellik or Karate.
Photo of cornflower in landscape design
An ordinary flowerbed in a flower bed (photos of flowers are presented below) can harmonize with almost all ornamental plants. It is often planted along hedges, near the walls of unsightly buildings, and in front gardens near home areas. Some species are used to decorate bouquet arrangements.
Alpine variety suitable for planting in hills
With the help of Little Princesses they decorate paths and edge flower beds
Interesting facts about cornflower
Among the interesting facts about the plant are:
- Common cornflower can be grown as an ornamental flower on any continent.
- All types of crops were previously classified as chrysanthemums.
- Often the common flower is confused with chamomile, although these are different flowers.
- The plant is the official flower emblem of Skåne (a town in Sweden).
- How many types of culture there are is unknown.
- The buds of the plant do not emit aroma.
Conclusion
Common cornflower is an undemanding, pretty flower that will perfectly complement the landscape design of any flower bed. The plant is widespread in many countries and is divided into several species. There are also especially beautiful decorative varieties used for cutting and making bouquets.
