Autumn flowers do not cease to please with a variety of colors.
Chrysanthemums occupy an honorable place among them.
The fluffy heads of these flowers bloom until the frost, when the bulk of the plants are already fading.
Lovers grow them in their gardens and home gardens.
There is nothing complicated in the autumn planting of chrysanthemums; it’s enough to study some useful information about the choice of seedlings and growing conditions.
The subtleties of autumn planting chrysanthemum
An undoubted advantage of the autumn planting of the plant is the ability to determine the color and size of the buds, the shape of the bush, which can not be done with the spring purchase of seedlings.
However, experts are inclined to spring planting. For those who still decide to plant chrysanthemum in the fall, there are rules that will help preserve the plant.
1. The optimal time for planting chrysanthemums is considered to be the end of September. Landing work can be postponed until the beginning of October, but it is not worth delaying further. The seedling does not have time to take root and die.
2. It is impossible to plant flowering bushes in late autumn, as they poorly take root.
3. Saplings for autumn planting should have several formed basal shoots. Without them, the chrysanthemum bush will not tolerate winter.
Autumn planting of chrysanthemums according to all the rules
Chrysanthemums are considered quite unpretentious and frost-resistant plants. They grow them in any corner of the country. Every gardener is concerned about the planting of chrysanthemums in the fall, which must be taken into account when carrying out work. After all, the beauty of flowering and the general condition of the plant depend on this.
Preparing a place for landing
Chrysanthemums prefer sunny areas. The bed is better to break on a dais. In the shade, the plant looks depressed. The flower is sensitive to groundwater. If they lie close to the roots, then good drainage is required. As a drainage layer, you can use river sand.
The soil on the site should be loose, preferably neutral or slightly acidic reaction. If the soil for planting is too heavy, then it is enriched with peat, humus and rotted manure. No more than 0.5 kg of fertilizer is added to each well, otherwise the plant will have a good crown next year, but flowering will be sparse.
How to prepare a landing pit
The depth of the planting hole for chrysanthemum does not exceed 40 cm. Each well is well drained, seasoned with fertilizers and watered. The bush is lowered into the hole, practically without deepening it. After planting tall varieties, a support is established. Seedlings need a pinch, which is carried out immediately after planting. In hot autumn, the plant is shaded for a week from exposure to sunlight. Rooting chrysanthemums is slow.
Chrysanthemums are grown in rows. The distance between plants depends on the variety and size of the bush. Short and medium bushes are planted at a distance of about 30 cm, and tall varieties up to 50 cm.
Chrysanthemum planting is carried out in the evening hours or cloudy weather, it is possible in the light rain. If the weather is hot, it is best to postpone the procedure until the dew falls.
If there are difficulties with the autumn planting of chrysanthemums in the ground, then you can plant a seedling in a container. Choose a shallow but spacious drawer. The root system of the plant lies closer to the soil surface, does not require significant deepening. Shrub shoots are cut to 2/3 of the height. Pots with seedlings are stored in the basement, where the temperature does not exceed +6 degrees. Over the entire storage period, it will be necessary to occasionally water the plant, avoiding the dryness of the earthen coma. In the spring, a seedling with a lump of land is placed in a permanent place.
How to get planting material of chrysanthemums for autumn planting + photo
Seedlings of new varieties for planting are purchased in the nursery or on the market. But you can breed existing chrysanthemums yourself. Shrub propagates well by dividing the bush or cuttings.
Division of the mother bush
During the autumn planting of chrysanthemums, you can separate a part from an adult plant. The resulting seedlings are planted in prepared wells. In the spring, the bush starts to grow, and in the fall it blooms. This method of reproduction is considered the fastest and most effective.
Rejuvenation of the plantation of chrysanthemums is carried out similarly. Mother bushes are dug up and divided into parts, discarding only the core, which looks unattractive. You need to rejuvenate the planting of chrysanthemums at least 1 time in 2 years.
Autumn cuttings of chrysanthemum
If the stalk of a favorite variety was purchased in the fall, then planting in the ground should be postponed. Before the onset of frost, he will not have time to take root and die in the winter. It is better to root the cuttings in a container and store until spring in an unheated room.
At the first stage of rooting, the pot with the plant is kept at a temperature of at least 20 degrees. The soil should be moist, but not too damp. The rooting of chrysanthemum lasts about two weeks. After which the plant is transferred to storage in the basement. In the spring, the seedling is sent to the flowerbed.
Preparing chrysanthemums for winter
In specialized books on crop production, it is advised to carry out autumn pruning of chrysanthemums after the death of shoots. Cutting height is 15-20 cm above the soil level. After which the plant is prepared for wintering.
Despite the frost resistance of chrysanthemums, it is still advisable to shelter the bushes. In late autumn, seedlings are mulched with straw, sawdust and spruce branches. Old bushes of chrysanthemums cover a little differently. The fact is that in the process of development, the root system of the bush rises to the surface of the soil and exposes itself. Therefore, mulching begins with the addition of a fertile layer - peat, and then straw, foliage and spruce branches are already introduced.
Experienced gardeners grow chrysanthemums without autumn pruning. As practice shows, low pruning leads to the extinction of stems under a thick layer of snow. Through holes in the shoots, moisture seeps inside the stem and leads to the death of the roots. The bushes are prepared for wintering in the usual way, and the shoots are trimmed in the spring.
Chrysanthemum Growing Tips
1. Chrysanthemum loves moisture, but dies from stagnation of water at the roots. The plant is watered sparingly, preventing the earthen coma from drying out. Watering regimen is increased only in drought.
2. For full flowering, the bush is fed with complex mineral fertilizers. Nitrogen supplements are introduced only in the first months of the growing season; in autumn, chrysanthemum is fed with phosphorus fertilizers.
3. Mulching is an important chrysanthemum care procedure. A layer of mulch will save the plant from heat, protecting the roots from drying out, and in winter serves as a shelter from frost. The best material for mulching is sawdust, straw or bark.
4. Most often, chrysanthemums suffer from putrefactive diseases. This is due to insufficient plant care. Affected shoots need to be cut and burned.
5. To get rid of pests on the leaves of chrysanthemum will help complex preparations and folk remedies. From the spider mite, the infusion of garlic, which is sprayed with the bush during the growth period, helps well.
Chrysanthemums are distinguished by their decorativeness and high frost resistance. Some varieties are well preserved in the cut, others decorate flower beds with bright colors until late autumn.
