Eastern wisdom says:”if you want to be happy all your life, grow chrysanthemums.” Therefore, today we will meet again with these autumn flowers and talk about the secrets of their culture.
Counting a little time ago, we will start with the moment when you, being at the exhibition, in the garden center or flower shop, bought a chrysanthemum in a pot or you gave it.
What with it to do further?
Care for a chrysanthemum in the indoor environment
As soon as they brought her to the apartment, immediately find her not hot (with a temperature no higher than +15 ° C) bright place away from the batteries, heaters, and continue to admire her bloom. Take care of the chrysanthemum as a houseplant.
That is, we water it, loosen the soil after watering, monitor the appearance of aphids, if the pest is detected, measures are taken immediately. And since at home (especially in families where there are young children or elderly parents) to carry out treatment chemicals undesirable, use soap solution:
- wear gloves;
- dilute the soap with water;
- take a piece of sponge;
- rinse off with solution of aphid;
- especially carefully process buds and the lower the surface of leaves.
If necessary, the treatment is carried out several times-until the complete disappearance of pests.
What to do with chrysanthemum after flowering
After flowering chrysanthemum is often thrown out, but if you liked the variety, try to keep it, multiply and settle in his country. Therefore, all the faded shoots cut to a height of 5-10 cm, and a pot with chrysanthemum (mother Bush) is determined in a bright cool place with a temperature of +5 ° C…+10 ° C, water moderately.
In March, our mother Bush is moved to a warmer light place with a temperature of + 12 ºC…+15 ° C, water. The grown up spring cuttings up to 8 cm long with the semi – wooden basis-the best, and we take them for cuttings.
Planting cuttings
So, now we have plenty of planting material with our only chrysanthemum.
Hardened healthy, well-developed root system cuttings planted immediately on a permanent place in the country, in well-prepared soil.
Soil preparation for planting cuttings
Soil for planting cuttings should be prepared in the fall: dig, make fertilizers: manure, superphosphate (40-50 g per 1 m2), potassium salt (20-30 g per 1 m2). In spring-ammonium nitrate (40-50 g per 1 m2) and good humus.
We plant, adhering to the distance between the plants 40 cm.after planting, be sure to water the soil mulch layer (thickness not more than 3 cm) or humus, or peat.
Care for planted cuttings
Summer watered, fed, loose, weed our chrysanthemums. We pay special attention to loosening, as chrysanthemums do not like dense heavy soils and waterlogging. Watering is not often, but profusely.
Additional fertilizing
After planting, after about 2-3 weeks, we carry out the first dressing with ammonium nitrate (10-15 g per 1 m2); with the same interval, repeat it until August. Instead of ammonium nitrate chrysanthemums can be fed with a weak solution of mullein or bird droppings.
In August-September we bet on phosphorus-potash fertilizers, they are introduced according to the instructions. If the autumn was made the superphosphate, it is possible to spend only 1 fertilizer nitrate potassium. First, prepare a solution of potassium nitrate (KNO3) at the rate of 1-2 g per 10 liters of water. Then make it after watering at the rate of 0.5 liters per 1 plant. In addition, there is a special fertilizer for chrysanthemums. With the beginning of the coloring of the buds all feeding will stop.
Installation of supports
If your choice was medium or high chrysanthemum, it is necessary to put a stake and tie the plant.
Pegs it is desirable to put already at the landing of the cuttings.
Nipping and remove side shoots
Nipping helps better rooting, so it can not be ignored. For more tillering 1 week after planting young chrysanthemum primitives (remove the shoot apex), while the plant should remain on 4-8 leaves. From their sinuses will develop new side shoots, which will appear in the future inflorescences. 2-3 weeks, for more tillering – dwarf varieties will hold the second pinched.
In large-flowered chrysanthemums will conduct side-shoot removing: remove shoots that develop from the axils of leaves on the main flowering shoots; leave them from 1 to 6 pieces.
It is important to remember: the less left shoots, the larger the inflorescence.
All summer inflorescences are removed, leaving only those that began their development in late August – in September, while maintaining at the top of each escape one Central Bud.
During the growth and development of follow the emergence of diseases and pests, the detection immediately take the necessary measures.
If the summer is cold and early autumn, then your chrysanthemum will not have time to bloom in the open; then it passes into the pot and bring to the house, the apartment – cycle closed.
Preparation for wintering
Winter can be left outdoors in the southern regions.
After flowering, prune them to a height of 10 cm, the soil around mulching with humus layer of 5-8 cm on Top is additionally covered by spunbond or burlap, you can set the hive inverted drawer, throwing on his cloths. The worst result gives a simple mulching of sawdust: with unstable winter weather thaws, chrysanthemum under the shelter will not survive the winter.