Chrysanthemums have long fascinated me with their endurance. In the fall, when I visited our friends’ garden, I couldn’t take my eyes off the plants that were blooming in spite of the bad weather. They had only two types - yellow in the shape of daisies and pink terry.
But the plants grew well, and the friends planted several bushes in different parts of the garden. The effect was wonderful - as if it was not autumn in the yard, but summer.
Then we got our own garden, and my friends gave me a couple of bushes. This is how I got my first chrysanthemums.
Later I tried to purchase other varieties. And I was often wrong. In the Moscow region, where our garden is located, they sell a lot different varieties, including those that can only be grown in a greenhouse. Mainly large-flowered chrysanthemums with a flower diameter greater than 10 cm. They do not bloom in the ground. Sometimes the bush will fill with a lot of buds, but it’s just cold here. He should go to Japan, for the Chrysanthemum Festival. These plants are not for us.
Then I decided to act for sure. In the fall, I looked for aunties at the market who sell bushes along with flowers. These varieties are definitely from our area, and since they have flowers, it means they have time to bloom.
There is one drawback to this method. Housewives often do not know the varieties or call similar flowers known varieties. For example, I have three white chrysanthemums named Umka. But I doubt whether there is a “real” Umka among them. For me this is not the main thing. It is important for me that the chrysanthemums have time to bloom before the snow.
Planting chrysanthemums in the fall is, of course, risky. Weakened by flowering, they may freeze. I had to insulate them like roses. She covered it with spruce branches, placed a fruit box, and on top - lutrasil or spunbond.
This did not always help, and the plants froze. I wasn't too worried. This means that these are not very hardy chrysanthemums. And I needed “our” reliable ones. Let them be called “Korean”, but they are already acclimatized.
Sometimes I bought bushes too late, when it was already snowing. And the grannies with chrysanthemums in baskets reminded me of the fairy tale “12 months”, when the flowers bloomed in winter.
But you can no longer plant in the snow. Even with shelter, the plants will not survive the winter, because they will not have time to take root in the cold soil.
I let these roots go into the cellar for the winter. She put them in a basin and filled the voids with soil. In winter, when I took out jars of pickles, I checked my chrysanthemums. Occasionally I “watered” them with snow.
In March, I took the roots out of the cellar for germination and placed them in a bright place. I planted it in the garden in May. I watered it abundantly and fed it once a month. With frequent feeding, chrysanthemums become fattened and later produce buds.
IN Middle lane In Russia, small-flowered chrysanthemums with early and medium flowering periods winter best. The small size of the flowers is more than compensated for by their abundance.
The choice of varieties in the markets is small. It is not possible to find a new color every year. And yet, I already have seven reliable varieties. Although only three varieties can be called, others are unnamed or “dubious.” But they are “ours”, proven - they spend the winter in open ground.
I am currently digging up three more varieties for the winter. I'm afraid of losing them. These include the Zhemchuzhina variety. They say it is winter-hardy. But I want to check it in our conditions. When I propagate, I will conduct an experiment: I will send one part of the plant to storage, and leave the other in the ground.
I propagate chrysanthemums by dividing the bush and cuttings. I start cuttings in the spring, when the young shoots have grown to 5-7 cm. I carefully break them out at the base and plant them in the soil. I pour a 2 cm layer of sand on top. I cover it with a jar.
Over the years of growing chrysanthemums, I have accumulated quite a bit of experience. I want to give some more advice.
1. Chrysanthemum does not tolerate shade at all. Even slight shading during the day will delay flowering.
2. Chrysanthemum is a short-day flower, that is, it begins to bloom when daylight hours decrease. Many people understand this incorrectly and plant the plant in the shade, where there is less light. This is mistake! Shadow is not a short day at all, but a lack of lighting.
3. Chrysanthemums do not like wet, heavy soil. I shared flowers with my friends who have just such soil. With the same care in the summer, their chrysanthemums froze. This means that clay creates unfavorable conditions for wintering. The soil needs to be seriously loosened.
VARIETIES FOR THE MIDDLE BAND
Talisman, Copper Thunder, Lucy, Youth; Malchish-Kibalchish, Evening Lights, Gypsy, Korean Girl, Radiant, Svemba Kare, Radiant, Alexandrite, Flamingo, Swan Song, First Snow; Petrukha, Pearl, Helen, Orange Sunset, Isabel, The Cherry Orchard, Evgenia Grande, Evelyn Bush, Syaivo, Golden Autumn.
4. Covering chrysanthemums with film will most likely lead to their death. They will simply get wet under it. If you want to be on the safe side, mulch with soil and leaves (preferably forest leaves). Or cover with a box and spunbond, as described above. There must be air under the shelter. I do not cover my chrysanthemums (7 varieties). For the winter I just mulch the roots with soil.
5. Chrysanthemums need to be replanted every three years. They can be divided or simply planted deeper. Young plants overwinter better. Transplantation should be carried out only in the spring, when young shoots appear from the ground.
6. If you bought a chrysanthemum late, then do not plant it, but put it in the basement. But don't water the roots in the cellar! It is necessary to moisten the earthen ball minimally, otherwise the bushes will begin to grow. The shoots stretch out and the plant dies from exhaustion. For the same reason, it is difficult to preserve chrysanthemums at home, at room temperature.
7. After a bad winter, chrysanthemums lag behind in growth and do not have time to bloom. And for a good winter you need to take into account rules 1 - 6.
G.P. Safonov, Moscow region.
Many people think that chrysanthemums in winter feel great without any additional care. In fact, if you don't take any care chrysanthemums in autumn, then in the spring you will get weak bushes prone to disease. And then - if the plant manages to overwinter, and it does not freeze or dry out.
Therefore, if you want your chrysanthemum to be healthy and pleasing to the eye, pay a little attention to it in the fall.
Preparing chrysanthemums for storage
Eat different ways storage chrysanthemums in winter, but they can be divided into two main groups: chrysanthemums are left in the open ground or dug up and stored indoors. Unlike, for example, dahlias, where there are no options and you always have to dig up tubers for the winter, chrysanthemum owners have options. To be on the safe side experienced flower growers some plants are dug up, and some chrysanthemums in winter left in the ground.
Which method should you prefer? This depends on two main factors:
Climatic conditions. For most varieties of chrysanthemums, snowy winters, even very cold ones, are not a problem. It is worse when the winter is very wet, or snowless, or with sudden temperature changes. Here, no matter how you cover the chrysanthemum for the winter, it will be difficult to protect it from damping out or freezing.
Chrysanthemum variety. There are heat-loving varieties - Indian, for example. These chrysanthemums for the winter left in open ground unless the region has very mild winters. But Korean hybrids of chrysanthemums (we also call them “oak”) can overwinter with the slightest shelter.
Chrysanthemums in the fall begin to prepare for cold weather only after the first minor frosts. This is October, and sometimes early November. The plant must have time to harden, and only before the soil freezes chrysanthemums for the winter cut off leaving “stumps” 10-20 cm high (for ease of identifying the variety).
Storing chrysanthemums in winter
Wintering chrysanthemums in the ground
1) Mulching chrysanthemums for the winter. Suitable for frost-resistant varieties chrysanthemums and snowy winters. At the same time, with the onset of the first frosts, the plant is hilled up (sawdust, shavings, compost, humus, peat, etc. are taken), and in case of severe frosts, it is covered with spruce branches or simply with branches and sprinkled with dry leaves.
2) Construction of a shelter for chrysanthemums in winter. This option is more reliable, especially if winter is capricious. To do this, in the fall, supports are placed around a bush or several chrysanthemum bushes (bricks are laid, for example), and a board or slate is placed on top of them. Now all that remains is to put the covering material on top and secure it. You can take the same spruce branches, or you can use materials like Spandbond or Lutrasil. The main thing is that the shelter has the opportunity to be ventilated, otherwise the chrysanthemum may die in winter from excess moisture.
3) Wintering chrysanthemums in trenches. For this method, you should prepare from the end of summer or beginning of autumn. On a hill (so that moisture does not accumulate) a ditch at least half a meter deep is dug. The bottom of the trench is covered with sawdust or pine needles. With the first frosts, chrysanthemums are dug up along with a lump of earth and placed in a “wintering room” in dense rows. Boards should be placed on top of the trench, and the boards should be covered with material such as dense polyethylene. This way, water will not get into the ditch. There is one feature of this method - chrysanthemums “wake up” early and in the spring they are usually taken out with green shoots.
Digging up chrysanthemums for the winter
It is this method that experts advise to resort to. Bushes chrysanthemums, for the winter dug out of the ground, they form a strong bush, get sick less often, and bloom earlier. In addition, it is possible to monitor the storage of chrysanthemums in winter - whether they are drying out, dampening off, or rotting, and if necessary, chrysanthemums can be watered or treated with a fungicide.
True, there are situations when there is no suitable place for storage (temperature - 0...+5 degrees). This could be a cellar, basement, veranda or garage.
If you are the happy owner of a cellar with an earthen floor, then dug up chrysanthemums are placed directly on the floor for the winter - the plants will draw moisture from it. And the temperature, as a rule, in such rooms stays at optimal level, which will prevent the plants from waking up too early.
But most often, flower growers dig up their shortened chrysanthemums in the fall and place them in specially prepared boxes for wintering. The boxes should contain a mixture of sand and peat (1:1). And even after the chrysanthemums are dug up and placed in containers, you should not immediately bring them indoors - let the plants stay in the cold air until the final frost.
If you have a choice of where to store chrysanthemums in winter, give preference to a bright room. There is an opinion that without light during the winter the chrysanthemum becomes depleted, becomes pale and powerless.
These are all the main secrets that will make chrysanthemums feel great in winter. The main thing is to monitor changes in temperature and moisture: so that the chrysanthemums do not freeze and dry out - on the one hand, they do not start waking up early due to high temperature and didn’t say it out - on the other hand. If you create the right conditions For chrysanthemums for the winter- flowers will thank you generously. Moreover, doing this is not at all difficult.
How to preserve chrysanthemums in winter? Do I need to dig up chrysanthemums for storage or can I just cover them? What varieties of chrysanthemums winter best? How and when to cover chrysanthemums for the winter? How to prune chrysanthemums before winter shelter? These wintering issues
How to preserve chrysanthemums in winter? Do I need to dig up chrysanthemums for storage or can I just cover them? What varieties of chrysanthemums winter best? How and when to cover chrysanthemums for the winter? How to prune chrysanthemums before winter shelter? These issues of wintering chrysanthemums concern many gardeners. Read about how best to preserve chrysanthemums in winter
Chrysanthemums in winter. Dig or cover?
1. What are the winters like in your region? Chrysanthemums, like other plants, are better preserved under snow and have a harder time withstanding snowless winters with frost. Temperature changes with alternating thaws and frosts are also detrimental to chrysanthemums. If the winters in your region are rainy (this happens here), chrysanthemums may die from stagnant water.
2. Chrysanthemum variety. In regions with frosty winters, choose the so-called. Korean chrysanthemums, or Korean hybrids of chrysanthemums, which in Russia are also called ‘oak’. This conditional view, which contains many varieties of chrysanthemums for every taste and color. Korean chrysanthemums have been successfully zoned in the central zone and the Moscow region and overwinter with minimal shelter.
When buying a blooming chrysanthemum in a pot, do not make the mistake of accepting a heat-loving homemade chrysanthemum for cold-resistant garden. They can be distinguished by the size of leaves and flowers: garden chrysanthemums have smaller leaves and flowers, while domestic chrysanthemums have larger ones. Heat-loving chrysanthemums not only do not store well in winter, but also require a much longer warm season to lush flowering, which in cold regions is only possible behind the glass of a greenhouse or loggia.
See also: Winter hardiness zones of plants in Russia and Europe
3. Planting chrysanthemums in your garden and caring for them. To prevent chrysanthemums from withering away during thaws, it is recommended to plant them on a hill where rain and melt water do not accumulate. In cold regions, it is better to plant flowering chrysanthemums from a store in open ground no later than the end of August, so that the plant has time to take root before winter. When planting, add phosphorus fertilizers to the hole. Fertilize garden chrysanthemums with nitrogen only in the spring, at the very beginning of the season, and in the summer carry out regular fertilizing with potassium fertilizers, which promote flowering.
Did you know that a particularly important part of chrysanthemum care is regular division of the bush? If bush chrysanthemums are not divided once every 2-3 years, they quickly age and die. Chrysanthemums that are regularly divided are much better preserved in winter than old bushes, which tend to die in winter, even if the weather was quite favorable. To be sure, plant parts of the divided bush of your favorite chrysanthemums in different places in the garden, which will increase the plant’s chances of a successful wintering.
4. Covering chrysanthemums for the winter. Under excessively warm shelters, chrysanthemums become damp. Often in cold regions, chrysanthemums die precisely from damping off, and not from frost.
For cold regions, there are 2 main ways to preserve chrysanthemums in winter: shelter and digging with subsequent storage. The most practical gardeners successfully combine both methods to ensure that their most favorite varieties of chrysanthemums are preserved in winter. They cover the main chrysanthemum bush, and a small part is separated with the roots and stored in the winter in a cellar, basement, on a cold terrace, in a storage room or other room, which, if it freezes, is only slightly. For information on storing chrysanthemums (roses, hydrangeas and other plants) in a container, read our special article.
Some initially grow chrysanthemums in containers (pots and tubs). With this method of cultivation, transfer chrysanthemums to winter storage Very easy and no digging required.
To preserve chrysanthemums in the garden under cover in winter, when the temperature approaches zero or even after the first light frost, the plants are pruned to a height of approx. 20 cm and hill up with peat, humus, sawdust, shavings, garden compost or just soil. The top of the chrysanthemums is covered with a layer of dry leaves and covered with spruce branches. The spruce branches retain the snow above the chrysanthemum bush and retain air inside the winter shelter.
Chrysanthemums in Russian gardens with different climatic conditions.
Winter-hardy chrysanthemums are not very afraid of cold weather, but are more afraid of getting wet.
If the winter has a lot of thaws or rain, then there is a greater chance that the chrysanthemum wintering in the open ground will die.
Many gardeners leave their chrysanthemums in the ground in the fall. Some additionally cover chrysanthemum bushes to protect them from the cold. Someone digs up their favorite chrysanthemums and puts them in the cellar for the winter. Some people prefer chrysanthemum mother plants. Each gardener adapts to preserving his chrysanthemums in winter based on the climatic conditions of the garden and personal preferences.
In the photo: chrysanthemums Korean varieties“Vyshyvanka”, “Key Largo”
The most important rule for covering chrysanthemums in the garden: cover the plants late - in case of frost; and we open it early so that the chrysanthemum bushes do not get steamy under cover.
Chrysanthemums should be covered no earlier than the soil begins to freeze.
Cut off the chrysanthemum branches and place a low box on the bush. If the box is foam plastic, then you don’t have to cover the chrysanthemum with anything else.
The good thing about a foam box is that when properly covered (that is, on frozen soil), it works like a thermos, and in the event of a thaw, it does not allow heat to pass through to the wintering chrysanthemum bush. This is especially important for those regions where winter frosts often alternate with thaws.
If there is no foam box, then you can use any suitable box to cover the chrysanthemum.
The point of such a shelter is to ensure that there is sufficient air space above the wintering chrysanthemum bush.
If snow has already fallen, then such shelter will be enough.
If there is no snow, and the frosts are getting stronger, then throw everything on the box above the covered chrysanthemum plant remains, what is at hand (fallen leaves, straw, sawdust, etc.). And then you cover it all with a bag. It is better to take white woven synthetic bags for flour, sugar or cereals, which, unlike polyethylene film allow air to pass through.
In the spring, melt water should not accumulate in the place where chrysanthemums are planted.
Chrysanthemums are more afraid of dampness than frost. Therefore, make drainage for chrysanthemum bushes and build drainage grooves.
If your site is located in a lowland, then in order to avoid waterlogging of the soil, it is better to immediately plant chrysanthemums on the ridges.
In the photo: multiflora chrysanthemums of the varieties “Chelsey Coral”, “Miasto Orange”
Wintering experience of chrysanthemum multiflora
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