Home chrysanthemum

The chrysanthemum plant (Chrysanthemum) is a representative of the Astrov family, which includes both annuals and perennials. In total, this genus includes about 30 species, the main part of which is considered to be open ground plants. Moreover, some species, which have a more miniature size, are widely used as home or container plantings.

In nature, chrysanthemums live in a rather cool climate of the temperate zone. Most of the species come from Asian countries. Chrysanthemums have been grown there for thousands of years. Europeans have known the flower for only a few centuries.

Description of home chrysanthemum

Potted chrysanthemums differ from larger garden species. They are small, low bushes. Most often, the small size of such plants is associated not only with their natural structure, but also with the treatment with certain drugs. They inhibit growth and make the bushes more compact and decorative. Sometimes cuttings of domestic chrysanthemums produce a full-sized garden plant. After transplanting into fresh soil and adapting to a new place, the bushes of the acquired chrysanthemums can become a little larger, and sometimes even change the color of the inflorescences. Most often, it becomes lighter than store-bought.

In the pot culture, stunted subspecies of Chinese chrysanthemum, called mulberry, as well as varieties of Korean or Indian chrysanthemums are usually grown. In height, such bushes can reach from 15 to 70 cm.The flowers can be medium (up to 5 cm) or small (about 2.5 cm). Varieties can also vary in the shape of the baskets.

Homemade chrysanthemums bloom in the fall or winter. For a longer flowering period and full development, such bushes require special care.

Brief rules for growing chrysanthemums in a pot

The table shows brief rules for caring for a chrysanthemum at home.

Chrysanthemum care at home

Most often, such plants are purchased in garden stores already in bloom. On the counter, such bushes look incredibly impressive, but at home they often start to hurt or refuse to bloom again. Therefore, before buying the plant, you must carefully examine it. The shoots should look strong and healthy, and the foliage should be free of stains or signs of pests. If you buy a bush with buds, the flowering will last longer.

When bringing chrysanthemum into the house, you should not put the pot in a bright light. You need to give the flower time to adapt. Sometimes the buds begin to dry out or fall off the bushes, but this can also be a consequence of stress from a change of scenery. A couple of weeks after the purchase, the bush must be transplanted into a fresh soil suitable for chrysanthemums. The substrate in which the plant grew may already be depleted or oversaturated with flowering stimulants. At the same time, it is undesirable to transplant the chrysanthemum while it is blooming - you should wait until the end of this period.

When growing chrysanthemums in a pot, it is important to comply with the basic requirements of the flower: create a certain temperature and humidity, and also monitor the regularity of watering.

Lighting

Indoor chrysanthemums love the sun, but its rays should be diffused. So that the plantings do not suffer from the midday heat, it is recommended to keep flower pots on the east or west windows, where the sun is only in the morning or in the evening. The north side will be too dark to allow the plant to develop fully. The flower will be too hot on the south window. In the summer, to avoid overheating, you can transfer the pot with the plant to a sufficiently lit balcony or open veranda.

Sometimes indoor chrysanthemum bushes are transplanted into open ground for the summer. In the fall, the plants are dug up and returned to their pots before the onset of frost. But such flowers over the summer can be affected by pests or become carriers of diseases. To avoid their spread, after transferring a pot with a bush to the house for a certain period, it should be kept in quarantine or preventive treatment with appropriate means should be carried out.

Temperature

The correct temperature regime, corresponding to the needs of the plant, will allow it to form a more lush and beautiful bush. Chrysanthemum does not like hot weather and grows best in moderate heat. In summer, the bush can be placed in a room where the temperature is kept within 20-23 degrees. In spring and autumn, the temperature can be slightly reduced - up to 15-18 degrees, but it is important to protect the plants from cold drafts. In winter, when the bush fades, it goes into a dormant state, so it should be moved to a cool place, where it keeps about 3-8 degrees. Compliance with these conditions will allow the flower to maintain its natural rhythms of development.

Watering mode

Compliance with the watering schedule plays an important role when growing chrysanthemums in a pot. This flower loves moisture, so the earth in the container should be moist all the time. During the period of active development of the bush, it is watered abundantly about twice a week. Between waterings, the earth should have time to dry out, but you should not bring the earthen lump to dryness.

On especially hot days, you can additionally moisten the leaves of the plant with a spray bottle.Spraying is carried out in the morning or in the evening. This procedure is not considered mandatory, but it helps the plant to maintain a vigorous appearance even in the heat of the day.

The soil

For planting chrysanthemums, a substrate is suitable, which includes two parts of turf and garden soil with the addition of half parts of humus and white sand. For a more lush bloom, you can add a little bird droppings to the resulting mixture. The reaction of the substrate should not be acidic - in such soil, the bushes will not be able to develop. Drainage must be laid at the bottom of the pot, and the soil is disinfected before planting.

Top dressing

Home chrysanthemums require regular feeding. In the spring, when the bush grows fresh green mass, you can feed it with nitrogen fertilizers. Since the middle of summer, complex compounds rich in potassium and phosphorus have been used. These elements help stimulate flowering. They are brought in once every 1.5 weeks. In order for the bush to bloom a little earlier than usual, you can add a solution of potassium monophosphate (1:10) or a complex composition that includes phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen in a ratio of 3: 2: 1 to the soil.

You can also use organics for feeding. Chrysanthemum can be fertilized with mullein solution (1 part per 1 bucket of water), adding the nutrient composition to the soil every 4 days. Fertilizers are stopped after the bush begins to form buds.

After transplanting, the bushes are not fed for two weeks. If the planting mixture contained humus, feeding is not carried out for a month. Diseased plants are also not fed until complete recovery.

Transfer

In the early years of development, chrysanthemum bushes are transplanted into a new pot every spring. The new container should only slightly exceed the old one in volume. Adult specimens are transplanted 2-3 times less often.

The bush is transferred to a new container along with an earthen clod, thoroughly watering the plant a day before the procedure. The lump is placed in a new pot on a layer of fresh earth, and then the voids are filled with new soil. It should have a composition similar to the previous one. The bush should spend several days after transplanting in the shade. Even flowering specimens can be transplanted while maintaining the soil coma.

Pruning

During the entire period of chrysanthemum growth, it is necessary to regularly pinch or cut the bush, trying to maintain a neat and lush crown. As a rule, you can pinch the branches 2-3 times over the summer. This process stimulates the development of new shoots, and at the same time increases the number of flowering branches. Pulling stems are usually indicative of improper formation or lack of lighting. Also, all wilting baskets and yellowed leaves are subjected to sanitary pruning.

Home chrysanthemum after flowering

When the chrysanthemum bush has completely bloomed, it should be provided with conditions for rest. During this period, the shoots are pruned, but its degree depends on the conditions in which the bush will spend the rest of the winter. If the bush hibernates on a light balcony, where the temperature does not rise above 8 degrees, but does not even reach 2 degrees, the stems are shortened to a height of 10-15 cm.Watering is carried out about once a month, when the soil dries out at least a few cm deep ...

If the flower cannot be left on the balcony, it is taken to a cellar or other cool place (including a refrigerator), where it is kept at about 3 degrees, but not less than -3 degrees. There you can also store dug out bushes of garden chrysanthemums that do not winter in the ground. In this state, the flower pot is left until spring. When the plant begins to wake up and form fresh shoots, it can be returned to the house. During the same period, you can transplant into a larger container.

Sometimes houseplants, on the other hand, are planted with garden plants. This method is suitable if more frost-resistant Korean chrysanthemums are grown in a pot, but it is certainly difficult to guess the degree of plant resistance to cold weather. Bushes planted in the ground should have shoots cut off at a level of 10 cm.From above, the planting is covered with dry soil, peat or fallen leaves, and then covered with a film or agricultural canvas.

If all these options are not suitable, the chrysanthemum pot can be left at home, on the lightest and coldest windowsill. In this case, only sanitary pruning is carried out, removing old dried shoots, as well as wilted flowers. The irrigation schedule is practically not changed. But a warm wintering can have a bad effect on the abundance of flowering in the next season - the plant will not be sufficiently rested.

Why chrysanthemum does not bloom

If the home chrysanthemum does not bloom in due time, the problem should be looked for in the conditions of maintenance or in the care of the plant. This can affect flowering:

• Lack or excess of light (chrysanthemum needs a certain length of daylight hours to form buds - about 9-10 hours. If the bush is illuminated for a longer or, on the contrary, a short time, or if it stands in a too shady place, flowers will not appear). Sometimes lighting devices can affect the biorhythms of a flower.
• Lack of nutrients required for flowering, or excess nitrogen fertilization.
• Excessively high room temperature. During this period, it is advisable to keep the flower at a temperature of about 15-18 degrees.
• Pruning or pinching too late to prevent buds from forming in time.

Breeding methods for indoor chrysanthemum

Propagation by cuttings

The easiest way is to propagate chrysanthemum in a pot with green cuttings that have not had time to stiffen. The size of the segment should be about 10 cm. The foliage is first removed from its lower part, and then the cutting is placed in water or directly into the soil substrate.

The piece is left in water until roots of about 4-5 cm long are formed on it. After that, it can be planted in the chosen pot. Several segments are usually rooted in one container at once to obtain a more lush bush. A drainage layer must be laid at the bottom. The soil for planting should be neutral or slightly alkaline. When planting, the ground around the cutting is slightly compacted and then watered. After a while, you can pinch the tops of the shoots for more tillering.

If the cutting is planted in the soil, bypassing the stage of root formation in water, the seedlings should be closed with a transparent cap. Such a greenhouse will speed up the adaptation in a new place. The plantings should be ventilated daily by removing the shelter and removing condensation from it. When the foliage is no longer lethargic, the stalk can be considered rooted. After that, the shelter is removed.

Dividing the bush

The division procedure is combined with a transplant. The bush is pulled out of the pot, the soil clod is gently soaked in water and the roots are washed. With a sharp disinfected tool, the rhizome is divided into parts so that each has a sufficient number of shoots and strong roots. The sections are treated with carbon powder. Delenki are planted in pots in the same way as adult plants.

Growing from seeds

Seeds are usually propagated by Korean small-flowered varieties and chrysanthemum hybrids. Their seeds are sown in low containers. At the bottom, they should have a drainage layer, and on top of it - a peat-humus substrate. The soil is pre-calcined in an oven at a temperature of about 120 degrees for disinfection. When using a commercially available flower mixture, it should also be disinfected.

Seeds are spread over the soil surface, not deepening, but only slightly pressing down on the soil. Then they are carefully sprayed and covered with glass or film. The container with crops should be kept in a warm place, periodically ventilated, wipe off condensate and check if the ground is dry. The first shoots appear within 2 weeks. As soon as the sprouts appear, the seedlings are moved to a lighter place. The shelter is not removed immediately, but gradually, accustoming the plants to new conditions and gradually increasing the time of their stay in the air.

When the sprouts form 1-2 pairs of true leaves, they are dived in separate containers.Individual cups should also have a drainage layer. The composition of the soil can be left the same. The pick is carried out carefully, trying not to disturb the roots of the seedlings. To simplify adaptation to a new place, seedlings can be treated with Epin or Zircon solution. After picking, the seedlings must be moved to a cooler place, where they keep about 16-18 degrees. After that, caring for them will not differ from caring for adult bushes.

Diseases and pests of chrysanthemums

Diseases

Improper growing conditions for home chrysanthemums and lack of proper care often lead to the appearance of various diseases. Some of them are fungal. They develop due to insufficient air movement combined with high humidity. Heat, acidic soil and an excess of nitrogen supplements contribute to the development of diseases.

Powdery mildew on chrysanthemums appears as a whitish coating on the green parts of the plant. Gradually, it acquires a brown color and significantly affects the decorative effect of the bush. For treatment, fungicides must be used.

If the bush is sick with septoria, its foliage is covered with brownish or gray spots with yellow edges. Gradually, they capture the entire leaf blade entirely. This leads to drying and dropping of foliage, as well as deformation and discoloration of the stems. The diseased bush must be isolated, cut off all affected areas, and then sprayed with a solution of copper sulfate or another fungicide containing copper. Such a plant is returned to the rest of the flowers only after complete recovery.

If the bushes are struck by gray rot, they become covered with a fluffy grayish coating, and then begin to rot. For treatment, you will need a solution of Bordeaux mixture. It is advisable to process the plant before the beginning of the budding period.

Pests

Most often, domestic chrysanthemums are harmed by aphids, thrips or slobbering pennies. These insects feed on plant juices and contribute to the spread of diseases. Insecticides should be used against them.

The most dangerous pests of chrysanthemums are nematodes. They are small worms, invisible without a microscope. The appearance of nematodes leads to the formation of light mosaic spots on the leaves of the plant. Gradually the spots turn brown, and the leaves begin to dry out and fly around. Most often, nematodes enter the bush through untreated soil before planting. It is impossible to get rid of such insects, so the bush along with the soil will have to be thrown away.

Types and varieties of domestic chrysanthemums with photos and names

Low-growing hybrid forms and varieties of Korean, Indian and Chinese chrysanthemums are grown as domestic plants. At the same time, Korean chrysanthemums are not considered a separate species - this is how they denote a group of small-flowered varieties belonging to Chinese chrysanthemums. But specimens of Chinese chrysanthemums can also be considered hybrid - such plants have been used in culture for several millennia and are no longer found in nature, so it is very difficult to trace their exact origin.

Among the most popular varieties of indoor chrysanthemums:

• Barbara - bushes up to 40 cm tall. Terry inflorescences, pink-lilac with a yellow center. Due to the abundance of flowering, foliage is completely hidden behind them.
• Evening lights - neat bushes up to 35 cm in height. Baskets reach 5.5 cm in diameter. They have red ligulate flowers with a yellow ring near the center of the inflorescence.
• Kibalchish boy - the size of the bushes reaches 30 cm, and the width is about twice the height. The variety is distinguished by an abundance of flowering. The inflorescences of such a chrysanthemum resemble pinkish-lilac daisies, and their diameter reaches 7 cm.
• First snow - the height of the bushes reaches 35 cm, and the width - up to half a meter. Inflorescences are snow-white, semi-double, up to 5 cm in size.
• Mascot - undersized variety up to 25 cm high. Baskets are small (about 2 cm), saturated with raspberry color.
• Leaf fall - this variety is considered a chameleon. Its reddish flowers up to 7 cm in diameter can change color to pinkish-yellow.The size of the bushes is 45 cm.
• Raspberry pompom - miniature bushes up to 30 cm tall. Inflorescences have the shape of a hemisphere and a diameter of up to 6 cm. The color is pinkish-crimson.
• Okishore - forms strong bushes up to half a meter in height. Pink-lilac baskets reach up to 8 cm in diameter.
• Pink cream - bushes up to half a meter high. Inflorescences are densely double up to 8 cm wide, the color is lilac-pink, gradually changing to cream.
• Flamingo - half-meter bushes with pale pink baskets up to 7.5 cm in diameter. The central part of the inflorescence has a brighter color.
• Cheburashka - neat hemispherical bushes up to 40 cm tall. The flowers are lilac, double, up to 4 cm in diameter.
• Syaivo - variety up to 60 cm tall. Baskets are large, up to 8 cm in diameter, pale yellow in color.
• Apple blossom - forms bushes up to 50 cm high. They are distinguished by strong and sturdy shoots. Terry flowers, up to 8 cm wide, color combines shades of pink and white.