Helipterum, or acroclinum, is an extraordinary and beautiful herbaceous garden flower. This annual flower has bright colors and perfect flowers in which the petals are arranged symmetrically and in several rows. Gardeners are very fond of acroclinum for a long flowering period, bright flowers and unpretentious care. This article will tell you how to properly plant and grow helipterum, how to care for it in the open field.
Description of the plant helipterum
Helipterum is a herbaceous plant from the Asteraceae or Asteraceae family. The stems of the plant are quite long (sometimes they reach a height of up to one meter) and thin, but strong and strong. The leaves of the plant are short, oblong and dark green in color, on the back side they are slightly covered with a grayish bloom and rough. Flowers can be both small and large, it all depends on the type and variety of helipterum. The leaves are arranged in several rows around a bright and large core. The color of geliterum is very delicate, the flowers can be pink, white, yellow and even burgundy.
Growing helipterum from seeds
Helipterum flower propagates exclusively by seeds. There are two ways to plant it: seedling and seedling.
Sowing seeds for seedlings
The best time to plant seeds of Helipterum seedlings is mid-April. The soil does not need special preparation; you can use a special substrate designed specifically for flower seedlings. You can buy such soil in specialized stores for summer residents and gardeners. When planting, you should not deeply deepen the seeds into the substrate, it is enough just to cover them on top with a small layer of soil.
After planting, be sure to carry out abundant watering and cover the pots with seedlings with plastic wrap to create comfortable conditions for seed germination. Every day it is necessary to remove the liquid, and the film and open the pots for 10-15 minutes in order for the soil to be aired. It is also necessary to regularly spray the soil and seedlings, the topsoil must not be allowed to dry out. If you follow all the rules and create comfortable conditions, then the seeds will germinate in two weeks, and possibly a little earlier. After that, it is necessary to remove the plastic film and continue regular spraying of the soil and seedlings until they are planted in open ground.
Sowing seeds in the ground
The best time to plant seeds of Helipterum is considered the beginning of May. Before planting, you must choose a suitable place for planting the flower. It is best to plant it in the sunny part of the garden, since sunlight is simply necessary for normal development, growth, abundant and prolonged flowering of the helipterum.The flower categorically does not tolerate alkaline soils and are too fertile too, so there is no need to apply top dressing before planting in the soil, this can only harm the plant and even destroy it.
Planting a helipterum in open ground
It is necessary to plant seedlings of Helipterum in open ground at the end of May, at which time the soil has already warmed up enough and the frost is unlikely to return. The distance between the bushes should be at least 20-30 cm so that the bushes of the helipterum do not interfere with each other and can grow lush and spreading. After planting, it is necessary to water the soil abundantly and pinch the top of the main shoot, this will help the plant grow better.
Helipterum care
Watering
Helipterum is an unpretentious garden flower and does not need any special and special care. It is necessary to water the flower once a week; during the rainy season, watering can be reduced to two times a month. If this is not done, then the flowers will become much smaller. After each watering, it is necessary to carefully loosen the soil so as not to damage the bark system, this will saturate the soil and roots with oxygen.
Mulching
In order for moisture to stay in the soil longer, you need to mulch it. Peat, sawdust, leaves, hay or straw are perfect for this. Mulching will not only help to retain moisture, but also significantly reduce the number of weeds that interfere with proper growth and lead to the appearance of various insects. Weeds should be removed as needed; they should not be started.
Top dressing and fertilizers
In no case can organic fertilizers be used as fertilizers for helipterum; it is best to apply special balanced mineral fertilizers for flowering garden plants. During the period of active growth, you should feed the flower with fertilizer with a high nitrogen content, then 2 times a month you should apply balanced fertilizers designed specifically for flowering garden plants and with a high content of fluorine and potassium. All fertilizer must be applied exclusively in liquid form and only at the root, without getting on the leaves and flowers.
Diseases and pests
If you follow all the rules for caring for the helipterum, then no diseases and pests will be scary. Although rare, there are still cases when a plant is attacked by diseases and insect attacks. Most often, acroclinum is affected by fungal diseases, it is very simple to cure a plant from them, it is enough to exclude errors in flower care and treat the plant with a special solution of fungicides.
As for pests, nematodes and caterpillars of night moths love to feast on helipterum. In order for the plant not to infect nematodes, it is necessary to plant garlic or marigolds not far from it, they are very good at driving away pests with their specific and persistent smell. Caterpillars can only be removed by thoroughly spraying with special insecticides. In order for the plant not to suffer from various insects, it is necessary to remove weeds in a timely manner and regulate the frequency of watering, as well as observe all the rules for caring for helipterum.
Helipterum in landscape design
Helipterum grows well and looks spectacular both in flowerpots, pots and in ordinary flower beds. Helipterum can be planted near hedges or along garden fences. Thanks to the beautiful and bright color with the help of the helipterum, you can make an original design in the garden, which will delight you with its beauty and originality. The best neighbors for the acroclinum are: violets, allium, dicentra, tails and primroses. With the help of these combinations, you can make very bright and original flower beds that will attract attention. It all depends on the gardener's imagination.
Helipterum in floristry
Acroclinum is often used to create extraordinarily beautiful and interesting flower arrangements. With the addition of this flower, unusual bouquets are collected and original flower baskets and boxes are made.Due to its ideal forms and bright varied color, the flower looks very original and quite unusual. The flower is used not only fresh, but also often dried. Dried flowers produce excellent herbariums, dry bouquets and various creative works that amaze with their beauty and originality.
Cutting and drying flowers
In order for the dried flower to look just as beautiful and have a bright color, like a fresh flower, it is necessary to follow the rules for drying the helipterum. The inflorescences should be cut a couple of days after they bloom, but not later. Then you need to hang them in inflorescences down by the stems in a dry, warm and well-ventilated place and wait for the flowers to dry completely. Drying time usually lasts no more than one month.
Types and varieties of geliprterum
About 100 varieties of this flower are known, but only a few of them are grown in our region. It is these species and varieties that will be described in more detail below.
Helipterum pink - a plant of this species can grow up to 1.5 meters in height. The stems of the flower are thin, but very strong and strong. The leaves are small, dark green with a grayish bloom, rough. The flowers are large enough, bright pink in color, the petals are arranged in several rows, ideally symmetrically around the bright yellow center. The best varieties of the species: Red Boni, Album, Round dance, Goliath.
Humbold's Helipterum - the plant can reach a height of 40 cm. The flowers are small, about 3 cm in diameter, but they gather in small shields. The leaves are elongated and dark green with a bluish bloom. The flowers range in color from bright yellow to bright orange. Most often, the variety Baby San is used for planting, its flowers in diameter can reach up to 6 cm and are considered the largest of this species.
Helipterum Mengles - Plants of this species are very short, they grow in height up to a maximum of 30 cm, but they are very bushy and lush. The flowers are small, no more than 3 cm in diameter, the color of the petals ranges from bright pink to burgundy, the middle is bright yellow and large.
There are many more types of geliterum, this allows gardeners to choose the one that suits them the most. Thanks to this variety, you can make an original and extraordinary landscape design of the garden, which will delight you with its extraordinary beauty and unique composition.
In order to grow healthy, powerful and strong plants, it is necessary to follow the rules for the care and cultivation of Helipterum in the open field. And then the plant will delight with its abundant and long enough flowering, no pests and diseases will be scary.
