Gardening is an amazingly fascinating and aesthetically pleasing activity. Engaged in the cultivation of beautiful flowering plants, you not only decorate the infield, but also develop your creative thinking.
A special place in the list of the most beautiful plants for the garden is occupied by spherical chrysanthemum. Beginners are literally speechless when they see its perfectly round shape and luxurious, rich colors. Despite its relatively small size (bush height rarely reaches 50 cm), it is simply stunningly beautiful.
Why are these flowers so popular with gardeners?
But not only these flowers won the hearts of gardeners:
- Unlike other varieties, they often bloom even at the end of August, delighting gardeners all fall.
- Due to their unique genetic properties and constant selection, they generally do not require any pruning and molding: the bush acquires a spherical shape completely independently. But some experts say that it’s more useful to pinch the tops when about four pairs of leaves appear on them. However, in 90% of cases, the event is not necessary, since the spherical chrysanthemum will acquire the necessary shape without your intervention.
- In addition to the garden and the garden, the bushes of this amazing plant feel great even on the windowsill, being planted in flower pots. In a word, they are everywhere capable of becoming a real decoration of the area, attracting admiring glances to themselves.
The only obstacle for beginners may be their wintering, which requires certain conditions and care.
Cultivation and care
Of course, such beauty needs some care. You should not be afraid: these plants are no different. However, this does not completely abolish the fact that the rules of their agricultural technology should be strictly followed. So you will achieve the most impressive results.
Where and how to plant
The most difficult thing is to choose a site: in the garden, spherical chrysanthemum should be planted in a fairly sunny place with good and loose soil in which stagnation will not be observed.
Seedlings should be planted as soon as possible, as this is a condition for their rapid growth and early flowering. In the middle lane, the most optimal landing time is early May (provided that the weather is warm enough). If there is a chance of frost, then the bushes should be covered with cropped plastic bottles.
Best of all, when you have the opportunity to add special fertilizers for chrysanthemums to the planting holes. It is imperative to carry out top dressing in the phase of setting buds.
To do this, choose fertilizers containing mainly phosphorus and potassium (you can use the banal superphosphate). Fans of organic farming can be advised the simplest infusion of ash.
Watering
In general, the cultivation of spherical chrysanthemums is largely dependent on the weather this year. Watering is especially dependent on this factor (which is not surprising). So, if the summer was dry, then you will have to irrigate the bushes every day, while in the rainy period they absolutely do not need watering.
The soil near the roots should always be moderately moist, but in no case should constant moisture and stagnation of water be allowed.
Some notes
If we talk about the southern regions where the spherical chrysanthemum can overwinter in the ground, then it is strongly discouraged to allow its vegetation in one place for more than two seasons: the plants degenerate and lose their unique round shape. That is, every two years they still have to be removed from the soil, divided and transplanted.
Breeding
We have already said that even the most inexperienced gardeners can easily cope with the requirements that spherical chrysanthemums can present. Reproduction is no exception.
Back in April, plants should be removed from the basement (where they should be stored in winter), sprinkled with water and wait for the germination to begin. When the first young buds begin to bloom on the bushes, they can begin to separate. This approach is good in that reproduction is combined with rejuvenation of the bush.
To do this is all the more important because old plants practically lose their decorative properties (we already wrote about this above). Even if only one bud grows on the cut part, it will make a full-fledged plant, the beauty of which will delight you in a few months.
Immediately after completing the division, young bushes should be planted in the ground or in pots. The latter is true if you want to have stunning beautiful indoor flowers (we also mentioned this).
Note that the spherical chrysanthemum, the photo of which is in the article, easily propagates by means of cuttings. This is offensively simple: after cutting, the stalk is placed in a glass of water and wait for the roots to appear. You can even immediately plant it in the ground, taking care of the easy shading of this area from direct sunlight.
A bit about the "Koreans"
Despite the general unpretentiousness of this variety of flowering plants, even among them there are varieties that are especially suitable for growing in our conditions. These are spherical Korean chrysanthemums.
This variety belongs to the hybrid. It is divided into several types at once. The first group includes border varieties, the height of which does not exceed 30 cm. They are ideal for decorating a personal plot, as they differ in very early flowering times, almost complete absence of root shoots and the most spherical shape of the bush.
The second type is medium-sized chrysanthemums, the height of which reaches about 50 cm. They are extremely decorative, since among plants of this group there are varieties with an extremely diverse color of inflorescences.
They are great for creating a variety of group compositions. Unlike the first group, they can be used for cutting. In addition, they may well be cultivated as houseplants.
The third group includes all tall species. They are distinguished by late flowering, a large size of inflorescences. Perfect for large areas. Despite its impressive size, the bush is quite compact.
"Multiflora"
This variety is not so resistant to frost, but it has enough advantages. These chrysanthemums belong to medium-sized varieties, rarely reach 50 cm. Because of this, they can be recommended for the design of flower beds and even cultivation at home.
In general, the spherical chrysanthemums of "Multiflora" are distinguished by their chic choice of shades and relatively fast growing season (in other words, they bloom quickly). In addition, Multiflora has the most regular spherical shape, so these plants can be safely recommended for creating complex decorative compositions.
Wintering
We have repeatedly said that it is this stage that can cause novice gardeners certain difficulties. This is so, but when you follow the simplest rules and your attentiveness there is nothing wrong with that.
We have already mentioned that wintering in open ground is allowed only in the southern regions. Even in Ukraine it is necessary to arrange basic shelters, protecting plants from possible frosts.
In the conditions of the domestic middle zone, it is absolutely necessary to dig up faded bushes in October, without waiting for the onset of stable cold weather. Roots should be stored in wooden crates covered with soil. The temperature in the room should not exceed five degrees, so that the basement or the insulated cellar is best suited.
Particular attention should be paid to soil moisture in the boxes: it should be slightly moist, but not moist. In general, it is best to try to maintain the natural moisture of the substrate, since the spherical chrysanthemum, which we describe the wintering in this case, is better at surviving the cold period.
Even if you cultivate these flowers in a room, in the fall they also need to be pruned and stored in the basement. Dry and warm air of city apartments is mortally dangerous for them.
Important! In the basement or in the cellar where you store plants in the winter, there should in no case be fungus and mold. To avoid their appearance, it is imperative to establish a high-quality ventilation system.
If there are traces of fungus on the walls or on the floor, it must be scraped off, and the place should be treated with a saturated solution of copper sulfate. If it is not, then you can use the used engine oil, which also gives good results.