In Europe, chrysanthemum appeared only in the 18th century, but the Chinese have known about it for more than 2000 years. A great variety of shapes and colors are characterized by autumn chrysanthemums. They are pink and orange, red and white, terry and ordinary shapes (like chamomile). Not all flowers love the Russian climate. The most popular are cold-resistant perennial varieties that can survive far from warm autumn and winter frosts. Not everyone knows that young chrysanthemum inflorescences are edible. They can decorate fish or salad. Do not use mature inflorescences - they are bitter.
Chrysanthemum (dendrathema) is the queen of the autumn garden. It blooms before the onset of cold weather. It is necessary to choose plant varieties so that they bloom one after another, decorating the flower bed from August to November. The combination of bright colors with autumn foliage of trees and shrubs in the garden looks amazing among the falling asleep nature. Therefore, sheltering chrysanthemums for the winter requires increased attention. It's a shame not to preserve such beauty for the next year.
How to cover chrysanthemums for the winter correctly? This question often torments summer residents. Basic flower requirements for a successful wintering:
- Only healthy plants should be chosen. If the flower has a sign of disease, it must be treated with a special drug.
- In early autumn, plants need to be fed with phosphorus-potash fertilizers.
- After flowering, the bushes should be cut to 10-15 cm.
Winter chrysanthemums are stored either in the ground, or in a trench, or in the cellar. Experienced gardeners practice combining these methods, one part of the flowers is left to winter in the open ground, and the other part of the collection is stored in the basement. This allows you to not lose valuable varieties under adverse conditions.
1st option - storage in open ground
Korean dendrathemes, flowers of small selection, can be left in the ground. How to cover chrysanthemums for the winter in this case? Trimmed bushes should be covered up on all sides higher, covered with an inverted box. Top can be covered with fallen leaves or branches, covered with roofing material, plywood or film. That is, you need to make a shelter that will not allow moisture to get to the roots. When the snow falls in the spring, the branches and the film must be removed so that the plants do not sing. When returning frosts, it is recommended to cover seedlings with lutrasil.
2nd option - wintering in a trench
This method is used in more northern regions of the country. How to cover chrysanthemums for the winter in a trench? Lay the dug bushes tightly in a previously prepared groove to a depth of 50-70 cm, sprinkle empty places with earth. The trench should not be closed immediately. The first frosts will kill all fungal diseases on the roots, if any. Top also cover with slate or plywood, then leaves and film.
3rd wintering option
How to cover winter chrysanthemums grown in greenhouses, large-flowered, or new foreign varieties grown in pots? Unchecked delicate varieties of flowers must be stored in the cellar. To do this, carefully remove the dendratum bushes from the ground, transfer to the cellar. There you can put them in a box with earth, in a pot or just on an earthen floor, then cover it so that the roots do not dry out. The optimum temperature in the store for wintering flowers is from 0 to - 4 ° C, high humidity is desirable.
When the temperature rises, the bushes may begin to grow ahead of time. A plus of this option is the opportunity at any time to begin germination and cuttings of flowers, which is used for earlier and lush flowering of chrysanthemums.
Choosing the right type of wintering (cellar, trench, soil) is not easy. The gardener for each variety, each bush must decide where to put chrysanthemums for the winter, applying his experience and our advice.