Chrysanthemum

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Chrysanthemum (lat. Chrysanthemum) - flowering culture; a genus of annual and perennial herbaceous plants of the Asteraceae family. The genus got its name from two Greek words "chrysos", which means "gold" in Russian, and "anthemis" - a flower. The genus is quite large, it includes about 200 species that grow in countries with a temperate climate. Chrysanthemum is actively used for landscaping gardens and personal plots. Suitable for growing outdoors in the Urals and Siberia.

Characteristics of culture

Chrysanthemum is represented by annual and perennial herbaceous plants, as well as semi-shrubs with bare or pubescent shoots, bearing alternate, whole, simple, dissected, serrated or notched leaves. Leaves can have a wide variety of shapes and sizes, depending on the species. The color of the foliage is predominantly green. Inflorescences-baskets, usually large, consist of reed and tubular flowers. The reed flowers are single-row, although there are varieties and hybrids with double inflorescences, on which the reed flowers are arranged in multiple rows. The fruits are achenes.

Common types

* Garden chrysanthemum, or Chinese, or mulberry (Latin Chrysanthemum x morifolium) is a hybrid species, represented by many varieties. One of the most popular types used for landscaping large city gardens and parks. It boasts long-lasting and abundant flowering. Suitable for cutting and arranging bouquets. For the most part, it represents plants equipped with erect highly branched densely leafy stems up to 120 cm high, crowned with large inflorescences-baskets of the most diverse colors. The species includes both simple and terry forms.

* Indian chrysanthemum (Latin Chrysanthemum indicum) - a hybrid species; represented by perennial herbaceous plants up to 80 cm high with large inflorescences-baskets, reaching a diameter of 10-12 cm. It is grown only in greenhouses. It has many varieties, differing in height and color and size of inflorescences and foliage.

* Arctic chrysanthemum (lat. Chrysanthemum arcticum) - the species is represented by perennial herbaceous low-growing plants with creeping stems, bearing deeply dissected leaves and large inflorescences-baskets, consisting of yellow tubular and white reed flowers. Flowering later, comes in October. It is not suitable for growing in open ground in central Russia, but optimal for southern countries. In the process of growth, it forms loose decorative rugs of a dark green color. Can be used to decorate rocky gardens.

* Korean chrysanthemum (lat. Chrysanthemum x koreanum) is a hybrid species that boasts a huge variety of varieties that differ in a variety of colors, structure and size of inflorescences, flowering times and bushes height. Suitable for open field cultivation. Suitable for growing in Central Russia.

* Alpine chrysanthemum (lat. Chrysanthemum alpinum) - the species is represented by perennial herbaceous low-growing plants no more than 15-20 cm in height with erect stems bearing dark green pinnately dissected foliage and crowned with single inflorescences-baskets with a diameter of up to 4 cm. Flowering occurs in July, ends in August. Quite a demanding look. It is an adherent of semi-shady areas with acidic soils. Ideal for decorating alpine slides, rockeries and other rocky gardens.

Growing features

Most chrysanthemums are sun-loving and thermophilic, drought-resistant, but not cold-hardy enough. Some species are not suitable for outdoor cultivation. Place they should be given sunny, well-warmed, with fertile, moderately moist, drained soils. Some species require special growing conditions. It is not recommended to plant chrysanthemums in dense shade and on damp lowlands, on such sites they feel defective, often do not bloom and are affected by diseases and pests.

Also, the culture does not accept heavy clay, saline and poor soils. One of the most important procedures for caring for chrysanthemums is considered to be feeding. They are carried out at least 2-3 times per season with the help of complex mineral fertilizers or mullein infusion. The amount of fertilizer applied largely depends on the fertility of the soil. It is recommended to feed chrysanthemum with peat, this approach will maintain the optimal level of acidity in the soil required for plants.

Watering to maintain active growth and abundant flowering should be moderate, it is important to remember that with an excess of moisture in the soil, the roots of the chrysanthemum will rot, and the aboveground part will lose their former decorative effect. In drought and at the time of formation, the plants are watered a little more than usual. Water for irrigation is used standing. Chrysanthemums are propagated by seeds and dividing the bush. Annual species - only in the first way.