Chrysanthemum

Family. Asteraceae.

Homeland. Far East.

Description. Annual, biennial or perennial plants with vertical, branched shoots that grow woody at the base.

The leaves are simple, green, alternately arranged, different in shape - most often they are palmate - separate, but there are varieties with lanceolate or elliptical leaves. The edges of the leaf plates can be either smooth or have small teeth. Young shoots and leaves are pubescent.

The flowers are actually a large inflorescence of many miniature flowers. The shades of the petals are varied and include white, yellow, red, pink, lilac, orange, crimson and green.

Height. Very variable and depends on the variety. Miniature varieties often do not exceed 40 cm, and garden plants reach 120 cm. 

Planting and care

Growing in open ground

Chrysanthemums are planted in open ground in spring using seedlings, the seeds are sown before winter so that they do not have time to hatch before the onset of frost - about 2 weeks before the first frost.

You can plant seeds directly in the ground in spring, but such specimens will not be able to boast of early flowering - it will occur in the last weeks of summer, closer to autumn. The second half of May is suitable for sowing seeds in open ground - during this period there will be no risk of recurrent frosts.

Well-lit areas protected from strong gusts of wind are suitable for placing bushes. When grown in the shade, the plants will not be able to boast of lush flowering.

The plot of land is prepared for sowing - it is carefully dug up and weeded.

Before planting, the soil is enriched with organic or mineral fertilizers, and river sand is also mixed in if the soil on the site is too heavy and does not allow moisture to pass through well. The flower should not be planted in swampy areas.

Planting holes are located at a distance of 20-40 cm from each other, depending on the specific planting scheme and varietal characteristics. The higher the shoots, the greater the distance should be maintained between the seedlings.

Planting holes are prepared 20-35 cm deep. A drainage layer in the form of fine expanded clay or broken brick is placed on the bottom, the soil is thoroughly watered and 2-3 seeds are placed in each layer.

After planting, the soil is slightly compacted and the area is covered with non-woven material to retain moisture and create a greenhouse effect. The cover is removed when the first shoots appear above the soil surface. Make sure that the cover does not directly touch the surface of the leaf blades.

When young plants reach the age of 2-3 weeks, they can be fed with a weak solution of mineral fertilizers. When 3-5 true leaves appear on each bush, only the strongest specimen is left in each hole. Weak shoots can be transplanted to another place.

Bushes grown from seed will bloom for the first time in August.

Chrysanthemum seedlings are planted in open ground using the transshipment method, leaving the root ball intact. Flowers transplanted in this way will quickly get used to new living conditions and begin to grow.

Before transshipment, water the flowers generously - this will soften the soil and facilitate its separation from the walls of the cups. Planting in open ground should be done in the evening or in cloudy weather - too high air temperature or direct sunlight at this time will only add stress.

Planted chrysanthemums are generously watered with warm water, the tops of the shoots are pinched and covered with non-woven material for several days. The cover will not allow moisture to evaporate too quickly and will allow the bushes to receive additional heat. The non-woven material is removed only when new, young leaves or shoots appear.

Autumn planting of seedlings is possible, but in this case it is carried out no later than mid-September, so that the flowers have time to get used to outdoor conditions before the first frost.

Further care will consist of periodic watering, loosening and fertilizing.

The first wintering will be a real test, for which you need to prepare in advance. Not all varieties can winter in open ground - it is worth checking with the seller about the degree of frost resistance. The most resistant is considered to be the Korean small-flowered chrysanthemum.

Wintering

1. In mid-autumn, after the onset of short frosts, the bushes are hilled, sprinkling the root system with a small layer of soil.
2. All green mass is cut at a height of 10 - 15 cm from ground level.
3. A shelter in the form of fallen leaves and spruce branches in a layer 30-40 cm thick is constructed over the chrysanthemums. Additionally, it is not necessary to cover them with polyethylene film - in case of high humidity, the shoots under it will simply rot.

Varieties that cannot withstand prolonged and severe frosts (for example, imported large-flowered species) are dug up in the autumn months and the rhizomes are transferred to wooden or plastic boxes with a large number of holes for good ventilation.

Store in a cool room at a temperature of 2 - 6 degrees Celsius in a place with high air humidity. You can also plant the flowers in separate pots and put them, for example, in the basement.

From time to time, the soil around the rhizomes is slightly moistened to avoid drying out.

Chrysanthemum is grown in the same place for 3 years - in the fourth year it is worth choosing a different area for its cultivation. 

Reproduction

Cuttings

Perennial varieties are successfully propagated by semi-ripe stem cuttings 6 - 10 cm long using growth hormones. With a high degree of probability, you can root cuttings even from a bouquet you like.

1. The cuttings are cut obliquely at the bottom with a sharp sterile knife and pinched at the top, and the top leaves are removed to prevent moisture loss. Only stems that come from the roots root successfully; side shoots should not be used for rooting.
2. The bases of the cuttings are dusted with growth hormones.
3. Rooting can be done both in peat soil and in just a glass of water. Remember that roots appear faster in opaque containers without access to light. 
4. When rooting in the soil, the cutting is immersed to a depth of about 2 cm in the soil and slightly tilted so that it is at an angle of approximately 40 degrees to the surface of the earth.
5. From time to time, the soil is moistened with warm water from a spray bottle.
6. The seedlings are placed in a cool room at a temperature of 15 - 18 °C, shaded from direct sunlight.
7. The successful completion of the process can be judged by the appearance of new leaves - this usually occurs within 2-3 weeks after planting.

Chrysanthemum takes root well in water, but when transplanted into the ground, such specimens stop growing - their root system adapts to new living conditions for some time. 

Division

The simplest method of propagation for perennial chrysanthemums will be dividing the bush, which is carried out in the spring, during transplantation.

1. The flower is removed from the old pot and cut with a sharp sterile knife into several parts so that each part, as a result of such division, receives its own root system and a well-developed green ground part.
2. The wound surface is treated with finely crushed charcoal in powder form - this measure will dry and disinfect the wound.
3. The resulting seedlings are planted in separate small pots and placed for a week in a place protected from direct sunlight.
4. Such bushes should not be watered immediately - the first watering is carried out only after a few days.
5. To reduce moisture loss, you can cover the top of the cuttings with a plastic cap or a plastic bag, making sure that the bag does not touch the stems and leaves.

Growing from seeds

Both annual and perennial species can be propagated by seeds.

Chrysanthemum seedlings are grown in containers at home, using a nutritious and loose substrate based on peat with the addition of humus and river sand for planting.

1. The first step is to lay low drainage in the form of expanded clay, small river pebbles or clay shards at the bottom of the growing container.
2. The base soil is poured onto the drainage layer and thoroughly moistened using a fine spray bottle.
3. Perennial and annual varieties are sown differently - annual varieties are covered with a layer of soil about 5 mm thick, and the planting material of perennial chrysanthemums does not need to be covered - the seeds are simply lightly pressed into the surface of the soil when sowing.
4. After sowing, the soil is sprayed again and the container is covered with a plastic lid or glass to maintain a high level of humidity.
5. Place the box in a place shaded from direct sunlight with a temperature of at least 23° C. 

Every day the shelter is removed and any condensation that appears from it is wiped off, at the same time ventilating the crops. The ventilation time is gradually increased.

If you follow the rules of agricultural technology, the first shoots can be seen after 1.5 - 2 weeks. When the seedlings are 10 - 15 days old, the cover can be completely removed. The first picking - planting young bushes in separate cups is carried out when each has 2 - 4 true leaf blades.

Picking is carried out very carefully, trying not to damage the root system and to preserve the earthen lump as much as possible.

2-3 days after picking, the temperature is lowered to 16-18 ° C - this will harden the seedlings.

After 10-15 days, you can feed for the first time with a very weak solution of mineral fertilizers.

In order for the bushes to develop strong and lush, it is worth providing them with artificial lighting, with the help of which you can increase daylight hours to 12-14 hours per day.

Some varieties form basal shoots, which are separated from the mother plant and planted separately.

Growing home, pruning

Representatives of the genus are hardy and do not require special care, but perennials do not always bloom again at home - only with proper care.

To form a lush bush, regularly pinch the apical buds. The first pinching is carried out when 8-9 leaf blades are formed on each bush - as a result, lateral shoots are formed.

When 3-4 leaves are formed on each lateral branch, they are also pinched.

Withering buds should be removed immediately after they appear - so the plants will not waste energy on the formation of seeds and will bloom again.

If too small buds appear after pinching, then it is worth removing some of the lateral shoots - for example, the weakest ones.

Tall varieties may require support.

In the warm season, indoor decorative chrysanthemums will feel better in the fresh air - in the shade in the garden or on the balcony and loggia. Place flower pots in a place protected from direct sunlight, strong wind and precipitation.

How to replant

Perennial potted species are planted in fresh soil annually in the spring.

The most suitable time for replanting is the beginning of new growth - when young leaves are already appearing on the bushes, but there are no buds yet. Flowering specimens should only be replanted if absolutely necessary.

Annual and biennial chrysanthemums do not need to be replanted - they are simply thrown away after flowering. 

For growing, choose pots with large drainage holes that will let moisture pass into the tray after watering. Unglazed ceramic pots, the walls of which are able to pass moisture and air, are well suited for maintenance. In addition, the impressive weight of the pot will be able to keep tall flowers from tipping over.

A drainage layer is placed on the bottom of the pots, sprinkled with a small layer of soil.

Instead of transplanting, it is better to use transshipment - move the bush to a new pot along with the old lump of earth. When transshipping, the root ball is placed in the center of the pot and sprinkled with fresh soil along the perimeter, which is then compacted to remove air pockets.

After transplanting, the plants are watered abundantly and excess moisture is drained from the tray. If necessary, if the substrate in the pot has sagged a lot after watering, add fresh soil.

For 2 weeks, the seedlings are protected from direct sunlight.

The first feeding is also carried out 2-3 weeks after transplantation. Fresh soil already contains a sufficient amount of nutrients, and getting fertilizers into the wounds on the root system can lead to damage to the roots.

When transplanting, flowers are always placed in a new pot at the same depth at which it was previously located. Too much deepening will lead to rotting. Cramped pots can delay the growth of even tall varieties.

Planting in too large containers is unacceptable, since excess soil not used by the root system will accumulate a large amount of moisture and turn sour.

Each time you transplant, increase the size of the pot by 2-3 cm in diameter.

Care after purchase

When buying in a flower shop, you should choose bushes that are outwardly healthy and without the slightest signs of disease or signs of the presence of harmful insects. Preference should be given not to lushly blooming specimens, but to plants with a large number of unopened buds.

After purchasing, place the pot in a cool place, protected from the sun, for about a week.

Chrysanthemums should not be replanted immediately - you need to give them time to adapt to new living conditions. Even if the flowers are in nutrient-poor soil, the first transplant after purchase should be carried out after 2 weeks.

In the first days, the shoots can shed several buds, and their lower leaf blades can also turn yellow - there is nothing to worry about.

Feeding

During the growing season, regular fertilizing with mineral fertilizers is necessary, which is carried out every 2 weeks.

In the fall, stop fertilizing and let the chrysanthemums rest. Fertilizer application is resumed only in the spring - with the first signs of new growth.

Organic matter can be successfully used for fertilization - well-rotted cow or horse manure, humus and humus.

The best results are achieved by alternating organic and mineral fertilizers.

Young seedlings can be fed with mineral fertilizers with a high nitrogen content - this will allow them to form green mass faster. To feed adult specimens, select fertilizers for flowering plants with a high content of potassium and phosphorus - for abundant bud formation.

A solution of mineral fertilizers is always applied only to moist soil - getting fertilizers on the root system in dry soil can cause a chemical burn.

Temperature

Indoor chrysanthemum prefers cool conditions, if possible, it is kept in a room with a temperature of 12 - 15 ° C. At higher temperatures, the flowering time is reduced.

In the winter months, a dormant period in a cool place with a temperature of 4 to 6 ° C is desirable.

Small-flowered varieties can withstand short-term frosts down to -7 ° C. The onset of extreme heat is harmful to plants - high temperatures greatly reduce the flowering time.

If you keep the bushes at room temperature throughout the year and do not observe a cool dormant period, they will continue to grow, and in low light conditions their stems will become loose and elongated - use artificial lighting.

Lighting

For abundant flowering, the leaves and shoots should receive 3-4 hours of direct sunlight daily - morning and evening. Shade only during hot daytime hours in spring and summer.

In autumn and winter, the pot can be placed in the brightest spot.

The most suitable for growing are windowsills on the western or eastern side. When kept on a southern window, it is worth organizing a little shading with a tulle curtain or placing the pot in the back of the room.

Every week, turn the flower pot a quarter of a turn around its axis so that the chrysanthemum develops densely, is symmetrical and does not lean towards the light source.

Soil

Any loose and nutritious soil with good drainage and neutral or slightly acidic pH.

The substrate should easily allow moisture and air to pass to the roots and provide them with sufficient nutrients.

To improve drainage, coarse river sand or perlite and vermiculite are added to the soil.

When blooms 

Depending on growing conditions, the flowering period can occur either in early summer or early autumn. Many varieties are able to bloom year-round in the presence of good artificial light. 

When grown in open ground, flowering can only be interrupted by the onset of frost.

Spraying 

Chrysanthemums need high humidity.

Spraying can be done once a day, in the morning, with soft water at room temperature. Make sure that moisture does not get on the buds and flowers and has time to evaporate from the surface of the leaves before dark.

To increase the humidity, you can also use a room humidifier or place the pot on a tray with wet pebbles.

Any container with water placed in close proximity to the flower helps to humidify the air.

Provide a location with good air circulation.

Watering 

Keep the soil evenly moist during the growth and flowering period. In spring and summer, only the top 1-2 cm of soil may dry out slightly between waterings.

In autumn, the frequency of watering can be reduced slightly. In the winter months, when the plants are kept in a cool room, the frequency of watering is reduced to a minimum. During this period, you can simply protect the soil ball from drying out completely.

For watering, use only well-settled tap water, filtered water or softened bottled water at room temperature.

After watering, excess moisture that appears in the tray must be drained.

Watering is carried out carefully - under the root, trying not to get on the leaves and flowers. Drops of moisture on pubescent leaf blades can cause rotting or fungal diseases, and water getting on the flowers will lead to the appearance of brown spots on them.

For watering, you can use a watering can with a long and thin spout. You can immerse the chrysanthemum pot in a large container of warm water for a few minutes until the soil is completely saturated.

Mature bushes tolerate short-term drought better than stagnant moisture at the roots.

Diseases and pests

• Excessive watering, as well as moisture accumulated in the pan after watering, causes the appearance of rot.
• With insufficient moisture, chrysanthemum stems become woody at the base.
• Overdrying of the soil leads to yellowing and falling of leaves, as well as to the shedding of flowers and buds.
• Stagnation of moisture at the roots and excessive watering, especially in the cold season, can lead to rotting of the roots.
• With insufficient lighting, the leaf blades become light and then turn yellow.
• Diseases such as viral mosaic and dwarfism are incurable - the affected bushes are destroyed.
• Powdery mildew due to insufficient air movement.
• Rust.
• Bacterial cancer.
• Verticillium wilt.

Insect pests: spider mites, nematodes, aphids. When grown in open ground, plants can be bothered by garden bugs, snails and slugs.

Purpose

Flower stalks are often used for cutting - standing in a vase with water, the buds do not lose their attractive appearance for a month.

Ampelous varieties allow you to grow chrysanthemums in an unusual form - in hanging baskets and vases.

Note

All above-ground parts of the plant are poisonous - keep chrysanthemums away from children and pets.

Types of chrysanthemums:

Chrysanthemum morifolium

Plants of this variety are most widespread in floriculture due to their relative unpretentiousness and the variety of shades of flowers and sizes of bushes. Currently, more than 3,000 varieties of garden chrysanthemum have been bred. It is a perennial herbaceous plant with beautiful, carved, dark green leaves and large flower heads colored in shades of yellow, white, purple or red. Plants with a height of 30 cm to 90 cm. Flowering in most varieties is later and occurs in autumn. Unfortunately, this variety does not withstand frost and can be grown at home. After flowering, plants often lose their attractive appearance and are thrown away.

Chrysanthemum Multiflora

Long-lasting and very profusely flowering plants, often maintaining compact bush sizes, which makes it possible to keep this beauty as a potted plant on a windowsill. During the flowering period, the buds appear so abundantly that they can completely hide the foliage. The round, almost spherical shape of the bush gives additional attractiveness to this variety. The flowers reach a height of 30 - 70 cm and have strong, erect stems with green, carved leaves. At the tops of the shoots there are numerous flower heads of a wide variety of colors. Among the colors of the buds of this variety it is difficult to find, probably only pure blue.

Chrysanthemum koreanum

The most frost-resistant small-flowered chrysanthemums, which, with proper shelter, can withstand wintering in central Russia. The bushes are distinguished by abundantly branched, vertical, low shoots. The leaves are green, palmate. The flower heads are small and shaped like a daisy. Flowering time is late summer and autumn, the flowering period can take up to 6 weeks. Plants reach a height of 60 - 90 cm. This variety is considered one of the most unpretentious and can easily withstand neglect. 

Pyrethrum parthenium

A perennial herbaceous plant up to 70 cm high with tall, erect shoots. The leaves are green, carved, arranged alternately. The leaf blades are covered with sparse pubescence. When damaged, leaves and shoots emit a specific aroma. The flower heads resemble daisies. The flowering period varies from late spring to autumn - the onset of flowering will depend on growing conditions.

Pyrethrum parthenium

A perennial herbaceous plant up to 70 cm high with tall, erect shoots. The leaves are green, carved, arranged alternately. The leaf blades are covered with sparse pubescence. When damaged, leaves and shoots emit a specific aroma. The flower heads resemble daisies. The flowering period varies from late spring to autumn - the onset of flowering will depend on growing conditions.

Chrysanthemum carinatum

The bright, attractively colored flower heads of this variety are unlikely to leave anyone indifferent. Flowers can have many shades and often 4 - 5 bright, contrasting colors are combined in one flower head. The center of the heads is painted in dark burgundy or brown shades. The diameter of the flower heads can reach 10 cm. This variety is an annual compact plant up to 60 cm high with strong, powerful stems. The leaves are green, deeply cut - they consist of almost nothing but leaf veins. The onset of flowering depends on living conditions and can vary from the first weeks of summer until the onset of frost.

Сhrysanthemum alpinum

Compact, attractive perennials that form a basal rosette of dark green, carved leaves. The surface of the leaf blades has rich pubescence. Tall, strong, vertical peduncles rise above the leaves and are also covered with silvery down. At the tops of the flower stalks are white flower heads with a yellow center. Based on this variety, many ground cover varieties of chrysanthemum have been bred.

Chrysanthemum indicum

A perennial small-flowered variety with erect, abundantly branched shoots. In some varieties, the shoots may be covered with slight pubescence. The leaves are emerald green, deeply cut - pinnate, arranged alternately, on short petioles. Small flower heads are monochromatic - white, yellow, pink, lilac, burgundy, reminiscent of asters.

Chrysanthemum paludosum

Miniature flowering perennials, the height of which often does not exceed 25 cm. The plants are characterized by thin, branched stems on which emerald, small, carved leaves are located. Flower heads are small - reach 6 cm in diameter and are characterized by white edges and a yellow center. Flowers often remain closed in cloudy weather.

Glebionis coronaria

Attractive annual flowering plants up to 1 m high. The leaves are green, up to 8 cm long, on short petioles, deeply cut, with sharp small teeth along the edges. The flower heads are small - reaching a diameter of 5 cm and have a bright appearance - a white edge and a yellow or orange center; there are plants with pure yellow flower heads. The shoots and leaves of these plants are edible - they are eaten both fresh and boiled. In Asian cuisine, the stems and leaves are used as a seasoning - their aroma and taste are reminiscent of mustard.