How to preserve chrysanthemums in winter without digging them out of the ground
Chrysanthemum is deservedly considered the queen of autumn. Its flowering begins at the moment when other varieties of horticultural crops are at the end of flowering or are already in dormant mode. Novice flower growers are often interested in how to preserve chrysanthemums in winter without digging them up. People who have experience caring for these flowers believe that it does not always make sense to dig chrysanthemums out of the ground. Some varieties can be provided with the necessary shelter and left to overwinter in the garden.
Reproduction
Chrysanthemums are propagated by separating cuttings with 4-5 leaves. The ideal soil for cuttings will be a mixture of peat and sand. The shoots are planted in boxes in a greenhouse, the soil temperature should be from 16 to 18 degrees, and the air temperature should be 14-16 degrees. In such conditions, rooting of cuttings will occur in 2-3 weeks.
Chrysanthemums can be propagated by cuttings
To grow chrysanthemums in a greenhouse, the most important thing is to follow the necessary regime:
If you follow all these recommendations, you can enjoy the blooming of chrysanthemums regardless of the time of year. The flowers will be large and of extraordinary beauty, the plants will not get sick and will feel comfortable in the greenhouse, and you will be able to control the receipt of flowers in accordance with the required deadlines.
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Hello, I’m from Dagestan, I’m 35 years old, I’ve been working with flowers since I was 17, I’ve grown roses, gladioli, and tulips. Well, now I want to grow different types of chrysanthemums all year round, I don’t really understand them, I would like to get advice on when and what to do, here in summer the temperature is from 29-40 degrees, and in winter from 5-16 degrees Celsius,
Preparing plants for wintering
Preparing plants for wintering begins differently in each region. In the Moscow region, such work begins at the end of August. In the southern regions, they begin to worry about covering heat-loving plants in early or mid-autumn. At this time, gardeners cut the stems, add fertilizer to the soil and begin winter shelter.
At the end of the summer season, fertilizer should be applied to the bush. The recommended composition of the fertilizer is complex, containing a higher amount of phosphorus and a lower concentration of potassium. Such an agronomic operation will provide the plant’s root system with adequate nutrition and increase its cold resistance.
Features of watering greenhouse chrysanthemums
For faster growth, chrysanthemum needs good watering. This can be achieved using drip irrigation, especially if the plants are planted in beds. At the beginning of autumn, chrysanthemums should be watered before lunch, and closer to winter - early in the morning, so that the leaves have time to dry by night.
Since the humidity level in greenhouses is always high, to prevent diseases it is important to ventilate the room well after watering chrysanthemums.
Autumn pruning
All plants (overwintering in the ground and dug up) are subject to autumn pruning. The procedure begins after a seasonal drop in temperature. You should not be too zealous and cut off the shoots at the root. Stems of at least 10 cm in length should remain above the soil surface .
Flower growers are not unanimous in their opinion whether it is necessary to dig up all chrysanthemums for the winter. Some believe that all plants should be dug up due to the fact that they can suffer from both frost and prolonged thaw. Others prefer to rely on the climatic conditions of the region in which the plants are grown.
Temperature
During planting and growing, the best temperature for chrysanthemums will be 16-18 degrees. During the period when buds appear on the plants, the temperature must be reduced to 10 degrees, and to preserve flowering plants, it must be maintained at 15 degrees.
Sunny weather and a temperature of about 18 - 20 degrees accelerate flowering by 1 week, and cloudy weather and a temperature of 15 degrees slow it down. Therefore, if there is a need to receive products by the planned date, flowers should be grown in a greenhouse that guarantees the necessary thermal conditions.
A certain microclimate must be maintained in the greenhouse
What varieties should you dig?
“Multiflora” chrysanthemums, large-flowered and branched varieties must be removed from the soil. It has been noted that plants with large inflorescences do not tolerate wintering well in the ground. They are removed from the ground after the onset of cold weather and sent for storage in a dry basement.
Indian varieties especially need a gentle wintering:
- Golden Orpheus;
- Helen, etc.
Similar plants can be transplanted into greenhouses, insulated loggias or greenhouses.
Popular varieties of small-flowered chrysanthemums are:
- Oak;
- Red Moscow;
- Purple Haze;
- Everest;
- Korean;
- Malchish-Kibalchish;
- Chamomile, etc.
In all regions with a warm climate, they can be left in the ground for the winter, having previously taken care of the shelter without the risk of freezing.
You need to come to the right decision whether to dig up or leave chrysanthemums in the ground after reading useful information. The climatic conditions of the region should be taken into account. It is known that all plants are perfectly preserved under a layer of snow, even in harsh winters. But if the cold season passes without snow and with severe frosts, then chrysanthemums may not withstand such conditions and die. The same damage to the roots will be caused by frequent alternations of thaw and frost, and prolonged precipitation in the form of rain.
The second important factor to consider is the chrysanthemum variety. For the middle zone and Moscow region, Korean hybrid varieties are preferred. When purchasing a plant you like, it is important not to make a mistake and buy a garden flower, not an indoor flower.
Planting of newly acquired bushes should begin no later than the end of August in order to give the chrysanthemum time to fully take root. Phosphorus fertilizers are added to the planting hole, and the plant will need nitrogen fertilizers in the spring. Fertilizing with potassium fertilizers is used during the warm season for abundant flowering.
Species suitable for wintering
Today, science knows at least four dozen different types of chrysanthemums, and the number of varieties is in the tens of thousands. It is clear that not all of them are suitable for growing in our harsh conditions, even under film.
In order not to make a mistake when choosing a winter-hardy variety, you need to remember that all varieties of popular garden plants are conventionally divided into 2 groups:
- Indian, which have large flowers;
- Korean, with small flowers.
Important! Indian chrysanthemums are mostly heat-loving, so frost-resistant varieties should be sought among the Korean variety.
Examples of very decorative, bright, delicate and at the same time cold-resistant varieties of Korean chrysanthemums include the following:
- Altgold;
- Anastasia;
- Anna Yaroslavna;
- Harlequin;
- Bella pink;
- Hood;
- Vanilla;
- White loin;
- Lelia;
- Lipstick;
- Malchish-Kibalchish;
- Orange sunset;
- Chamomile;
- Purple Haze;
- Sun;
- Mascot;
- Umka;
- Cheburashka;
- Everest;
- apple blossom;
- Amber and many others.
However, even among chrysanthemums with large flowers, there are varieties that are quite cold-resistant, but their choice is simply much smaller. As exceptions to the general rule, we can name, say, varieties such as Anastasia Green with bright needle-shaped green flowers, double pink Zembla Lilac or red-orange Tom Pierce. They can be left in the ground for the winter, but be sure to cover them thoroughly. Any of the possible methods of wintering chrysanthemums has its own disadvantages and risks, so wise gardeners, in order to guarantee the preservation of the flower, use a combination of various techniques.
Check out the indoor chrysanthemum.
To do this, the main plant should be left in a permanent place, securely covered to prevent freezing, and a small fragment separated from the bush should be removed from the ground along with a lump and stored in a trench or in a cool room where the air temperature does not drop below a few degrees below zero. In the spring, such a young plant can be planted in a pot for germination and subsequently transplanted into open ground when fully grown and mature.
Caring for dwarf varieties
Compared to traditional varieties of chrysanthemums, their dwarf varieties were bred recently. Their mission is to decorate balconies, loggias, mixborders and even apartments. Residents of the southern regions are not too concerned about covering the spherical varieties of these plants for the winter. It is enough to cover them with spruce branches - and the shelter is ready.
In harsh climates, such chrysanthemums must be dug up . Rhizomes should be removed from the soil after the above-ground part has dried. After lightly clearing the soil, the roots of the chrysanthemums are laid out in the shade to dry. After removing dead fragments, the roots are placed in containers with sawdust or straw and sent to a dry basement.
Some gardeners do things differently. Immediately after removing the plant from the soil, cut off the shoots, first leaving 10 cm of the stem, and place the rhizome in a flower pot with peat. A drainage layer of foam fragments is placed on the bottom of the container. It is recommended to moisten the roots and treat the stems with an insecticide. This measure will allow you to protect the plant from aphids and other pests in the next season. This is how chrysanthemums are stored in the basement in winter until spring.
Step-by-step planting of chrysanthemums in autumn
Planting is recommended in rainy weather.
How to carry out the work correctly:
- Dig planting holes at a distance of 30-50 cm if there are several bushes. Their diameter is 50 cm and depth is 35-40 cm.
- Lay out a drainage layer (3-4 cm) of small stones, pebbles, expanded clay, etc.
- Prepare a nutrient mixture of humus or garden compost (5-6 kg) and peat (3-4) g. Add potassium sulfate 7-10 g and superphosphate 10-15 g to it.
- Shorten the shoots by 1/3, completely cut off the flower stalks.
- Place the seedlings in the center of each hole, carefully spreading the roots in different directions.
- Fill with prepared soil mixture and compact lightly with your hands. The root collar should be flush with the ground surface.
- Water generously. Each bush will require 5-7 liters of water.
Also, after work, it is recommended to mulch the tree trunk circle with humus, peat, dry leaves, etc.
This will retain moisture in the soil longer and protect against cold weather.
Shelter organization
Plants should be covered in stages. Initially, pruning is performed, and then hilling is done. When hilling, you should avoid the presence of holes and grooves in which excess moisture may subsequently accumulate.
Flower growers should hill the bushes in the ground so that they are completely covered. In harsh climatic conditions, it is additionally recommended to cover the chrysanthemum bushes with spruce branches or sawdust. But it’s worth starting the second protective layer after frosty weather has established itself.
Bricks, sheets of slate or other available material are used as shelter for wintering plant bushes. Protective walls are laid out of bricks around the rhizome and covered with a sheet of slate on top. Shelters are constructed from special agrotechnical or improvised material. Breathable agronomic material lutrasil or spandbond can be used as a roof. This design will provide ventilation and protection from heavy rainfall.
You almost always need to cover chrysanthemums for the winter, but not too warmly. A big mistake gardeners make is an excessively large layer of cover, under which the plant damps out. Those who do not want to risk rare varieties separate a small fragment of the root from the mother plant and store it in the basement. The main plant is covered and left to overwinter in the ground.
The simplified sheltering procedure is as follows:
- The ground part of the chrysanthemum is cut off, leaving shoots of 15-20 cm.
- The bush is covered with soil or peat.
- A layer of foliage and spruce branches is laid.
In addition to the mulching method, you can preserve chrysanthemums in winter without digging them up using another method - planting in a trench. To implement this wintering method, it is necessary to build a depression up to 50 cm high. The depression is created on a hill, and its bottom is insulated with pine needles or spruce branches. The roots of the chrysanthemums are placed tightly together and lightly sprinkled with peat. Then the plants are covered in layers with polyethylene, boards and slate sheets.
Not everyone has the opportunity to keep plants in a dark room. Flower growers, deprived of utility rooms, have to leave them outside. To winterize chrysanthemums in the open ground without problems, you need to listen to the practical advice of experts.
How to equip a greenhouse?
If you plan to grow chrysanthemums in the warm season (spring - autumn), any greenhouse with a film coating will do. It is enough to take care of ventilation and abundant watering . For year-round cultivation, you will need a stationary greenhouse with a strong frame and high-quality covering material (for example, polycarbonate). We will have to install a heating system and additional lighting.
Wintering chrysanthemums in a greenhouse
Chrysanthemum is a beautiful flower and, in general, not too whimsical, but one of the main difficulties that a gardener faces when growing it is the need to dig up the plant for the winter and somehow store it until it gets warmer. A greenhouse can partially solve this problem, but even under the film, flowers can easily freeze. This review details several ways to preserve greenhouse chrysanthemums in the ground, and also provides the basic rules that should be followed.
Why do you need a greenhouse when growing flowers?
This question may concern any novice gardener, but a greenhouse is really necessary, for example:
- Year-round flowering of a plant such as an orchid can only be achieved if the soil is closed.
- Chrysanthemums that are grown in a greenhouse are already protected from pests; they retain their integrity and aesthetic appearance much longer.
- For a plant to grow and develop well, it must receive a lot of light. The greenhouse helps maintain the required amount of light, and its supply can be adjusted independently.
- A place like a greenhouse is great for growing rare and capricious varieties of plants, because all the suitable conditions can be created in it.
Storage methods
There are two standard methods for wintering chrysanthemums - with or without digging them out of the ground. The first option, in turn, assumes the possibility of storing a bush extracted from the ground along with a lump of earth indoors (a cellar, glassed-in loggia or other cool, but not freezing place is suitable for this), or if suitable conditions at home cannot be created succeeds - digging the plant into the soil, but to a greater depth than it initially grew, thus providing the root system with a more gentle temperature during the wintering period.
If the gardener does not want to dig the bushes out of the ground for the winter, they can be left in their place, but provided with reliable shelter. When storing chrysanthemums outside the ground, everything is simple and clear. This method, although not very convenient due to the fact that not everyone who likes to grow decorative flowers on their site has at their disposal a fairly spacious cellar for wintering them, is nevertheless good because it allows you to control the condition of the bush at any time. moment to react if the plant begins to rot, mold or sprout. But leaving the bush in the ground under cover or re-burying the plant in deep layers of soil is worth considering in more detail.
Daylight regulation
As is the case with temperature conditions, regulating the length of daylight hours affects the flowering of chrysanthemums. These flowers are characterized by short daylight hours. When illumination is less than 14 hours, the receptacle is laid, and the greater the number of such days, the larger the diameter of the flower. The flowers themselves are laid during daylight hours lasting 13 hours or less.
To form a beautiful large flower, you need to leave the strongest shoot and remove the rest, including the side buds.
To form a tall shoot and a large flower, most cut chrysanthemums, after planting in the ground, must be grown for 4 weeks under 14-hour daylight hours. The reduction in daylight hours and the period for growing chrysanthemums in such conditions depend on their variety, usually from 6 to 12 weeks of growth.
In summer, greenhouses need to be protected from the sun with film, and in winter, additional lighting must be installed.
Plant care
Caring for a chrysanthemum is, in principle, simple, but in order for the plant to be truly decorative, it is important for the gardener to know and follow many agrotechnical rules.
- Choice of location and soil. Chrysanthemums grow well and bloom profusely only if they are well lit and do not freeze from cold gusty winds. In addition, the plant does not tolerate stagnation of water in the roots, so you need to plant flowers on a hill, protected from the wind, but open to sunlight for at least 5 hours a day. The soil should be rich in humus and have a neutral or slightly acidic reaction (loam is a good option, but sandstone or alumina must first be improved by adding humus or rotted manure in the first case, and peat or sand in the second).
- Watering. Chrysanthemum is a moisture-loving crop; it is only important that water can be easily absorbed into the soil and does not remain for a long time in its upper layers. Watering must be done by the root; the plant does not like water getting on the leaves. To retain moisture in the soil and at the same time to control weeds, it is useful to mulch the surface of the earth around the bush with fine gravel, sawdust or other organic matter.
- Feeding. During the season, chrysanthemums need to be fed 3-4 times. In spring, the emphasis is traditionally on nitrogen (urea, ammonium sulfate, ammonia nitrogen, etc.), while the potassium-phosphorus component (superphosphate or potassium sulfate) is needed at the stage of bud formation to stimulate early and abundant flowering. These same two substances, by the way, improve the winter hardiness of plants, so such fertilizers should be used in late summer and autumn. From time to time, you can use chicken manure or mullein as organic fertilizers, but you should not abuse these fertilizers. You should also not forget to water the flowers abundantly before applying fertilizer or carry out this procedure the next day after rain.
- Transfer. Once every 3-4 years, chrysanthemums need to be moved to another place, otherwise the bush begins to hurt and degenerate. Simultaneously with replanting, it is advisable to divide the bush, which will significantly rejuvenate the plants and increase their number on the site.
- Protection from diseases and pests. Chrysanthemums often become victims of various infections - both fungal, bacterial, and even viral (the most dangerous of the latter are mosaic, dwarfism, aspermia). Viral infections are incurable, so if signs of them are detected, the bush should be immediately removed from the area and burned. To combat other diseases, it is best to use preparations containing copper: copper sulfate, Bordeaux mixture, copper oxychloride, copper-soap emulsion. The most common pests that bother chrysanthemums are aphids, slugs, nematodes and meadow bugs. In the early stages of damage, the plant can be treated with a soap solution, infusion of tobacco or garlic. If there are too many pests, then you have to use systemic insecticides, for example, Phosfamide, Aktaru or Actellik.
Soil and fertilizers for growing chrysanthemums
Chrysanthemums growing in a greenhouse need high-quality soil. It must necessarily consist of sand and fertilizer. But this is not enough, because these flowers need mineral nutrition.
For seedlings, nitrogen-based fertilizers must be added to the soil. Since this substance stimulates the vegetative process in plants, they quickly build up the root mass, which helps them take all nutrients from the soil in full. Plants grow strong and resilient, forming beautiful, bright and large inflorescences.
When the flowers have formed, it is necessary to apply potassium fertilizers to the plants. This fertilizer increases plant resistance to diseases, and is also responsible for the bright and rich color of chrysanthemums.
It is good to feed chrysanthemums with chicken droppings. To do this, once a week the soil must be shed generously with a solution, which must be prepared in this way:
- Take a full bucket of chicken manure and fill it with water;
- Leave for three days;
- Then take ten liters of ordinary water, add one liter of infusion to them, mix;
- Before you start applying this fertilizer, you need to moisten the soil well.
Important! It is important to ensure that the solution does not get on the leaves and especially on the flowers of the plant. Otherwise, the chrysanthemum will get burned and lose its aesthetic appearance.
