Chrysanthemum is a very beautiful and popular flower among gardeners. It can be grown not only in personal plots, but also at home. Home chrysanthemum as a pot plant has a lot of species. The flower is adapted for indoor cultivation. It will be discussed about him in our article.
Home plant
With the advent of autumn, bright chrysanthemums are sold in all flower shops. But a beautiful bouquet can be grown on your window, if you like flowering plants. Home chrysanthemum is a long-standing culture, therefore, if properly maintained, it will delight you for many years. With the advent of spring, gardening enthusiasts even transplant their plants to personal plots.
Cultivars
There are different types of chrysanthemums, among which there are varieties suitable for home growing. Any variety can be kept at home. However, many varieties are quite tall, and therefore the window will not look very nice. Therefore, for growing chrysanthemums at home, undersized species are used.
Chinese varieties are especially popular. Bushes can grow from 15 to 70 centimeters in height. Chinese varieties can have a variety of inflorescences. There are single flowers or whole caps of inflorescences.
There are not only plants of medium height, but dwarf forms, for example, "minimum". Bushes of this variety grow in height no more than up to 15-20 centimeters. Ampel form is very much appreciated among florist collectors. This includes white whites.
In addition to Chinese varieties, undersized Korean varieties are considered indoor chrysanthemums. Very beautiful during the flowering "orange jam". It belongs to a series of varieties of "multiflora". Such plant species are incredibly beautiful due to spherical inflorescences. Korean varieties are grown even in home gardens.
Specialty stores also have Indian varieties. They are grown in our climate only indoors or on balconies. Such plants are used for planting in greenhouses.
Choosing a place for culture
Get lush greenery and abundant flowering at home is possible only with proper care. Chrysanthemums need to choose the right place in which they will feel comfortable. The culture is sensitive to temperature and lighting. South windows are not very suitable for home chrysanthemum, because they are too hot. Direct sunlight causes blooming too quickly. But on the north side, the plant may not reveal flowers at all. The best option is east or west windows.
Chrysanthemum blooms at home in the fall. The process is associated with a short period of daylight hours. However, similar conditions are observed in the spring, so often plants delight with flowers in the spring. In order to set the chrysanthemum to bloom, you can put it in early spring on the veranda or glazed balcony.
Temperature mode
Home chrysanthemum prefers cool and short daylight hours. The maximum possible temperature is considered to be + 18 ˚. But for blooming chrysanthemums for better preservation of inflorescences, the optimal mode is +15 ˚.
The fact that the plant is too hot, you will understand by the appearance of yellow foliage, the rapid end of the flowering period and the drying of the buds. More vulnerable are newly acquired plants that have not yet had time to adapt to your conditions.
Chrysanthemums require a short daylight hours, approximately 8 hours. But at the same time, the plant belongs to photophilous cultures. Therefore, do not hide it in the shade. Chrysanthemum needs to be protected from direct sunlight.
In the summer, the temperature will be optimal for the plant +22 ˚. If the room is much hotter, then it is necessary to provide ventilation. Chrysanthemum can tolerate short-term cooling to -3 3.
Watering a plant
Watering is an essential part of care. Chrysanthemum loves high humidity, so flower growers recommend regularly spraying it with a spray bottle. This will help create optimal conditions for upkeep.
The plant needs regular watering. Do not allow the earthen coma to dry out, as this can cause the root system to dry out. Watering room chrysanthemum should be moderate. Water should not be pushed into the pan. If it has accumulated after watering, then it is better to drain it. During periods of active growth, the plant must be watered up to two to three times a week, so that the soil is always moderately moist.
Chrysanthemum transplant
Planting chrysanthemums is one of the most important stages in caring for a crop. First you need to prepare the soil, you can purchase it in a store. The soil should be very nutritious and at the same time perfectly leak moisture.
If you do not want to purchase a finished substrate, then you can prepare it yourself. To do this, mix soil from the garden, humus, peat and sand (in a ratio of 4: 1: 4: 1).
Culture needs to be transplanted regularly. Young bushes are transplanted annually, and adults - once every two years. Planting of chrysanthemums is carried out by transferring an earthen coma into a larger pot.
Ready-made substrates are good in that they have all the necessary elements and they are completely safe for planting. Self-prepared soil may contain pests, so it must be treated with the goal of disinfection. For this, the soil is poured with boiling water. After its complete drying, the mass can be used for planting.
Breeding
Inexperienced gardeners mistakenly believe that indoor chrysanthemums are annual plants, and therefore throw them out after flowering. Do not rush to say goodbye to your bush. With proper care, you can not only save it, but also propagate it. Culture propagates in several ways. Very effective methods of dividing the bush and cuttings. They usually give excellent results. Chrysanthemum seeds are also propagated, but less often, since the process itself is more time-consuming and lengthy.
The easiest way is to divide the bush. You can use it in the spring, when the growing season begins. From one bush you can get five or six young shoots. For this, the plant is removed from the pot and the shoot is carefully cut, which is planted in prepared containers with soil. Young shoots after transplantation are abundantly watered.
New chrysanthemum seedlings can be obtained by cuttings. Shoots are cut from the existing bush, which are subsequently rooted. Two options are possible here. Cut cuttings can be put in a container with water, wait for the roots to appear and only then plant young plants in pots.
The second method involves planting the shoots immediately after the cut. In this case, the cuttings must be covered with a transparent jar or bag. Some time after rooting, young plants can be transplanted to a permanent place.
You can get a flowering plant in the same year only after dividing the bush.
Choosing pots for planting
What is the most suitable chrysanthemum pot size? It is necessary to select containers based on the dimensions of the culture variety. In addition, the fact that how many cuttings you are going to place in the pot is of no small importance. For undersized forms they acquire small containers. So, for example, when planting one plant, it is enough to take a pot with a diameter of up to 9 centimeters, for three cuttings - 11 centimeters, for five - 14 centimeters.
If you put several chrysanthemums in one container, then they need to be selected in size, placing along the edge. You should not initially take large pots, since in the future you will still have to replant the bushes.
Seed cultivation
Growing chrysanthemums is also possible from seeds. In this way, annual and perennial varieties can be propagated.
However, chrysanthemum seeds are often used by breeders to obtain indoor species. Ordinary gardeners are much easier and faster to get young plants using cuttings or dividing the bush.
What ailments are susceptible to culture?
Not a single plant is safe from ailments and pests, including potted chrysanthemums. Diseases, as a rule, arise due to violation of the rules of detention. The following pests and ailments pose a threat to chrysanthemums:
- Powdery Mildew
- Spider mite.
- Septoria
- Gray rot.
Most often, plants are affected by a spider mite. Its appearance can be judged by the white spider web on the foliage. As a pest control measure, you can use rubbing the green of the bushes with a cloth dampened in soapy water. In addition, chrysanthemums can be treated with Actellic and Pyrethrum.
If you notice a gray coating on peduncles or leaves, then this indicates the appearance of powdery mildew. As a rule, it occurs due to high humidity. In this case, the plant must be moved to a drier room and treated with a fungicide.
Gray rot is manifested by the appearance of brown spots on the foliage. Treatment with foundation helps cure an ailment.
Septoria causes brown spots with yellow edges on the bushes. Affected plants are treated with foundationazole, reducing the amount of watering.
Top dressing
Planting a plant in good soil allows the bushes to develop correctly from the very beginning. However, chrysanthemums quickly pull all the beneficial substances out of the ground, so they need to be fed regularly. Fertilizing is an essential element of plant care. Chrysanthemums respond well to minerals. Untimely application of potassium and phosphorus can lead to later flowering. For this reason, it is desirable to introduce complex fertilizers.
Adult bushes can be fertilized once every ten days during the growing season. Florists recommend the use of liquid organics. Top dressing is introduced until the buds appear. Fertilizers are also a good preventive measure against the appearance of diseases.
Flowering and pruning
Flowering of chrysanthemums begins at a time when the length of daylight is about 9 hours. As a rule, this happens in the fall. We have already mentioned that experienced gardeners also stimulate spring flowering.
During the bud bloom, the bushes do not require special care, apart from regular watering. But after the flowers wither, the time comes for pruning and further preparation of the plant for wintering.
Experienced flower growers do not recommend leaving chrysanthemum in the apartment for the winter. This can only be done if you have nowhere else to put the pot. In winter, the plant is best placed on a glazed balcony, in the basement or on the veranda. If you plan to keep the chrysanthemum in a cool place, then you need to make a good pruning of the bush, leaving only 10 centimeters from the ground part. In the future, the plant can be kept at + 5-8 ˚. It is also necessary to drastically reduce the number of irrigations. It is enough to moisten the soil only once a month. Chrysanthemum for the winter can be placed in the basement.
In that case, if you leave the plant to winter in the room, then a strong pruning is not worth it. Only dry leaves and wilted peduncles are removed. Watering remains the same.
During periods of active growth, the plant cannot be pruned, as the bushes will need a lot of effort and time to form new shoots. You can very slightly adjust the shape of chrysanthemums by removing dry foliage and dry twigs.
Florist recommendations
Far from always, domestic chrysanthemums have an attractive appearance. Sometimes the bushes stretch too far, losing their beautiful shape. To form a lush plant, it is recommended to trim and pinch it. This will allow you to safely give the bushes the desired look.
To extend the flowering period, it is necessary to remove the yellowed leaves and wilted flowers in time. In fairly warm periods, chrysanthemums need to be taken outside because they love fresh air and airing.
In the warm season, flower growers even plant potted plants in personal plots. And with the advent of cold weather, plants are returned back to the house. This care option has its advantages. In the open ground, the plants feel great, quickly growing and giving magnificent flowering. Sometimes, of course, chrysanthemums are difficult to adapt to room conditions after open ground. But this is only due to the fact that overgrown roots are injured during transplantation. They should be removed from the soil together with a lump of earth and placed in an appropriate size pot. After a transplant, the lower leaves may turn yellow on the plant, which simply needs to be removed immediately. But chrysanthemum cannot perish.
In the southern regions, culture can generally be left on the site for wintering. For this, the temperature should not fall below +5 ˚. In other regions, one should not take risks, since the chrysanthemum quickly freezes out and no longer revives from the root.
The only drawback that is worth noting when keeping the plant on the site in the summer is the increased risk of bacterial diseases and pests. But regular treatment of the bushes with fungicides helps to avoid such troubles. In this case, the plants are least susceptible to any ailments.
Instead of an afterword
In the West, domestic chrysanthemums are perceived only as a living bouquet that pleases the eye longer than usual with flowering. After withering, containers with bushes are simply thrown away like ordinary cut flowers. But our flower growers are always very kind to any of their pets, trying to create all conditions even to the most capricious representatives. Home chrysanthemums are completely non-capricious, they are classified as flowers that can be kept in an ordinary apartment or house. Providing minimal care, you can guaranteed to get a beautiful bright flowering, which is especially appreciated in the autumn period, when nature is already fading. Large bright balls can be a real decoration for your home. We hope that our article will help you understand the basic principles of care and growing beautiful chrysanthemums, which can rightly be called the most beautiful autumn flowers.