Nivyanik (Leucanthemum) is a herbaceous plant from the Astrov family. It is found on several continents at once, with most species preferring regions with a temperate climate. Until recently, the flower was considered a representative of the Chrysanthemum genus. But, despite some similarity in structure, the daisy lacks the characteristic smell of wormwood, and the foliage does not have grayish pubescence.
The genus Nivyanik combines several dozen different species. The Latin name of the plant "leucanthemum" means "white flower", in Russia it is often called garden chamomile. It is also known as a poper. In flower beds, this plant can perfectly coexist with both its field cousins (cornflowers, poppies, bells, cereals, other flowers with a similar shape of inflorescences), and with lush garden flowers. White-yellow flowers look great in single plantings against the backdrop of green bushes or trees. Daisy inflorescences can also be used for cutting.
Description of Nivyanik
Nivyanik has both annual and perennial varieties, some of its species can be grown as biennials. The small fibrous rhizome of such plants is colored reddish. Shoots are straight, weakly branching, can be both short (about 30 cm) and high (more than a meter). The dark green foliage has an oblong shape, it can be lobed or have a wavy crenate edge. Depending on the species, leaf blades can be located in the root part or on the stems.
The flowers of the daisy are formed at the tops of the shoots and resemble large daisies. Their size can reach 12 cm. The inflorescence-basket includes tubular yellow flowers located in the center, and ligulate yellow or white, located at the edges. They are usually mistaken for the petals of the daisy. Its flowering can be admired twice during the summer: at the beginning or in the middle, as well as at the very end. After the withering of the flowers, seeds are formed in the baskets that remain viable for up to 3 years. Nivyany can grow abundantly, as well as self-seeding, sometimes even turning into a weed. But varietal plants, as a rule, are more capricious than species. After several years of cultivation, many of them begin to shrink, and seed reproduction, in their case, does not always convey the characteristics of the variety - especially for terry varieties. For long cultivation without renewal and transplantation, zoned or well-proven varieties of garden chamomile should be selected.
Growing a lemongrass from seeds
Sycamore seeds can be sown directly into the ground, but seedling growing allows you to get flowering plants in the same year. The best time for this is February or early March. For seeds, you can choose any container, because later the seedlings will still need a pick. Usually, preference is given to a shallow container.A drainage layer is laid on its bottom, and then filled with universal soil for flower seedlings, trying to pour the earth not to the very top, leaving about 0.5 cm from the edge. Instead of purchased land, you can mix sand with high-moor peat yourself. Before sowing, the finished soil is pre-disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate. The seeds are distributed over the surface of the leveled soil, they should be buried no more than 1 cm. After lightly sprinkling the crops, they are moistened with a spray bottle.
Crops do not need a film shelter, but it is advisable to keep the container with them in a warm (about +22 degrees) place. With the appearance of the first shoots, it is moved to a slightly cool corner (up to +20 degrees). Typically, seeds can germinate from several days to 2-3 weeks. A month after germination, it will be possible to feed the seedlings with a weak mullein solution. After another couple of weeks, they are split into separate containers, where the seedlings will grow until the final planting. A small amount of humus can be added to the previous earthen mixture. The second organic feeding is carried out at least 3 weeks after the first.
Grown plants are planted in the ground in May-June, when the frost has completely passed. In order to better adapt to the new conditions, the nyvianies are gradually hardened two weeks before planting. For the final transplant, prepare holes about 30 cm wide.The distance between them is calculated from the height of the variety and can be up to 70 cm.If the daisy is planted in rows, the distance between them should be at least 20 cm.Before transplanting, a small amount of mineral fertilizers can be poured into the bottom of the hole as well as some compost or humus. They try to move the seedlings together with the soil clod. From above they are covered with nutritious soil, and then watered properly. After the moisture is completely absorbed, wait until the top layer of the soil dries slightly, and then cover the garden with the seedlings with a layer of mulch. In this capacity, you can use saltpeter with sawdust (20 g per bucket), grass or wood chips left over from mowing. This move will help the soil retain moisture longer.
Planting a daisy in the open field
If the seeds of the daisy were sown directly into the ground, in the first year its bushes will develop only a root system and a foliage rosette and will not bloom until next year. Direct sowing is usually carried out in early spring or autumn.
Nivyanik bushes can live in one place for up to seven years. In order not to move the plants unnecessarily, the site for planting them is selected based on the basic requirements of the flower. For garden daisies, a sunny corner with drained, but well-retaining moisture and loose soil is suitable. This flower appreciates nutritious soil and grows well in black soil, and acidic soil is contraindicated for it. Too light or heavy soils will need the addition of humus (up to 20 kg per 1 sq. M). On poor soils and in arid places, the inflorescences on the bushes will be much smaller. Sufficiently large and beautiful inflorescences can be obtained by planting a daisy in partial shade, but in this case the plants will develop more slowly. Too thick shade or damp soil can harm the flower: in places of stagnant water, the daisy can get sick, quickly lose its attractive appearance, or even die. Some varieties prefer to grow only in sunny beds.
The soil for planting seeds is carefully dug up and leveled. Several grooves are made in the garden bed, keeping a distance of 20 cm. The seeds are buried by about 2 cm, the holes are closed and the crops are thoroughly watered. A day later, the bed is lightly covered with peat. If the seedlings sprout too often, they are thinned out. In the case of winter sowing, seedlings may appear in early spring. In May, these plants can be relocated to permanent locations. In this case, they can begin to bloom by the fall. Plants obtained after spring sowing are planted in their final place by the end of summer, when they are sufficiently strong.For the winter, such seedlings are recommended to be covered.
Peculiarities of caring for an udder in the garden
Nivyanik requires not too complicated care. Bushes will need periodic watering, fertilization, weeding and loosening. It is necessary to water them only during dry periods at the rate of 1 bucket per 1 sq. M. Without proper moisture, chamomile foliage begins to wither during periods of drought. A correctly selected watering regime will make the flowers brighter and more contrasting, and will also help them increase in size, but you cannot overmoisten the soil.
After watering or rain, the soil surface should be slightly loosened and at the same time all weeds should be removed. Particularly decorative varieties are advised to additionally huddle, and the stems bending under the weight of the flowers, if necessary, tie up. You can use Nitrofoska as fertilizer. During the growth period, solutions with an increased nitrogen content are introduced into the soil, and when the cornflower forms buds, the bushes are fed with potash fertilizers. The plant also responds well to regular application of mullein solution. Such organic additives are applied once every 2 weeks, in this case, mineral fertilizers can not be applied to the soil, confining themselves only to the addition of bone meal or compost during the budding period.
So that the daisy bushes do not lose their decorative effect, fading flowers should be removed regularly. An exception can be made only if it is necessary to collect seeds from plants. Subject to the basic growing conditions, this will contribute to the beginning of the second wave of flowering. After flowering is complete, the stems are shortened to 12 cm in length. Finally, the dried branches are cut off in the fall - in the spring they will only spoil the appearance of the flower garden and interfere with the growth of new stems. Varietal plants, especially terry plants, are recommended to be covered with fallen leaves or peat and sawdust for the winter, trying to form a layer not thinner than 15 cm.But so that the plants do not get stuck in the sun with the arrival of spring, such a shelter must be removed early, in April.
If the daisy is grown as a perennial plant, it is recommended to divide its bushes for 3 or 4 years of life. This will contribute to the rejuvenation of the plantings and will not allow the flower to lose its spectacular appearance. Especially varietal plants will need this procedure. Due to the need for periodic division, such nyvyaniks are trying to plant in places accessible for passage. Usually this procedure is carried out in the spring. The bushes should be dug up and divided into parts, trying to ensure that there are several fresh buds for each division. Parts that are too small will develop worse than others. Separated corn beds are planted in deep holes at a distance of about 35 cm. Water them sparingly. If you engage in division in the fall, there is a risk that the plants will not have time to take root in a new place before frost and will not accumulate enough strength for wintering.
Another way to get new plants vegetatively is by cuttings. It also allows you to keep all the varietal characteristics of the selected bush. As cuttings, root rosettes are used, on which there is a part of the rhizome. They are planted in loose nutrient soil. Usually, this type of reproduction is practiced from mid to late summer - it is during this period that the rosettes take root faster.
If garden daisies are grown for cutting, they need to be planted in a special way. In order for the bush to form large, spectacular flower stalks suitable for bouquets, it must have a large feeding area. Such plants are rejuvenated by division every year, and are regularly watered and fed a lot. The flowers obtained in this way will be able to stand in the water for about 10 days. But it is worth remembering that the bushes grown in such conditions most often get sick and tolerate the winter worse.
Diseases and pests
Waterlogging of the soil during periods of prolonged rainfall can lead to the appearance of fungal diseases.If the cornflower began to rot, signs of powdery mildew, spotting or another similar disease appeared on the bush, it should be treated with Bordeaux mixture (1%). If necessary, the procedure is repeated up to 3 times, maintaining intervals of 1.5 weeks. If the lesion is too strong, such bushes are dug up and burned to prevent the spread of infection. If only the green part is affected, it is cut off and destroyed, then the remains of the bush are treated accordingly with ash or fungicide. You can cover the plants with a jar. Young growth in this case must be healthy.
If the bushes are attacked by pests - thrips, aphids or other similar insects - the plants, together with the adjacent soil, are treated with insecticides. You can also use improvised means. So, as a drug, you can use infusions of celandine, yarrow or marigolds. Usually, such funds can help in case of a mild injury, sometimes they are also used for prophylactic treatment.
The main types and varieties of nivyanik with a photo
Marsh leopard (Leucanthemum paludosum)
Or marsh chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum paludosum = Hymenostemma paludosum). The native land of the species is the Portuguese and Spanish southern regions. Leucanthemum paludosum forms lush and elegant low bushes up to 25 cm high. Shoots are straight or slightly inclined. The leaves have a deep green color and are arranged alternately on the stems. The bush forms many inflorescences up to 3 cm in diameter. They have a wide center of tubular flowers and relatively short ligulate flowers. Such a daisy blooms from mid-summer to autumn frosts.
Kuril daisy (Leucanthemum kurilense)
Kuril endemic, also found in northern Japan. Leucanthemum kurilense is only 20 cm tall. This chamomile can be found in rocky areas and coastal sandy areas. Its leaf blades have several lobes, and the rhizome is fleshy. Flowering occurs quite late, the bush forms single or rare inflorescences.
Leucanthemum maximum
Pyrenean look. Leucanthemum maximum is distinguished by the presence of an aboveground rhizome. In height, the bush can reach a meter in size. Inflorescences are very large - up to 12 cm, consist of yellow tubular flowers and two rows of white reed flowers. Terry varieties have a significant similarity with chrysanthemums: all their flowers, including some of the tubular ones, can be white. This type of daisy is able to form fresh shoots throughout the entire growing season, therefore, its flowering begins only in mid-July, but continues until the very frost. This increased decorative effect makes the plant more capricious and less resistant to changes in growing conditions. Usually this species is grown as a biennial or they try to divide its bushes more often. In culture, the species has been used since the beginning of the 19th century and has a number of famous varieties:
- Alaska - inflorescences with one row of white reed flowers, up to 10 cm in diameter. The variety is relatively unpretentious.
- Beethoven - bushes up to half a meter high, form a large number of simple inflorescences.
- Christine Hagemann is a terry variety with long reed flowers and bushes up to 70 cm tall.
- Little Princesses - miniature bushes up to 20 cm in size, large inflorescences.
- The winner is a domestic variety, one of the most persistent and undemanding. Able to grow in one place without intervention for up to 10 years. Forms bushes more than a meter high, while the stems do not fall apart over time. The size of the inflorescences is up to 12 cm, the reed flowers can be arranged in several rows. Flowering begins in June.
- Snow Lady is an annual variety with giant inflorescences about 17 cm wide. It is especially popular in England.
- Stern von Antwerp - tall bushes with 10-cm inflorescences with two rows of reed flowers.
Common cornflower (Leucanthemum vulgare)
Or meadow chamomile. The most famous and longest used species in horticulture: it has been known in culture since the beginning of the 16th century.Leucanthemum vulgare grows naturally in meadows or glades. The species predominantly lives in Eurasia, most often it can be found in the south of Siberia, as well as in some European countries. The size of the bush reaches 90 cm. The inflorescences are single, up to 7 cm in diameter, consist of yellow median and one row of snow-white ligulate flowers. In the middle lane, the flowering of such a daisy begins in late spring. Due to its undemandingness to external conditions, it is able to grow rapidly and sometimes turn from an ornamental plant into a weed plant. Varietal varieties of such chamomile also have sufficient resistance, but they no longer turn into a garden weed and are distinguished by larger inflorescences. The main ones are:
- Maxima Koenig - meter bushes with inflorescences up to 12 cm in diameter. The middle is dark yellow, the edges are one or two rows of white reed flowers. Flowering begins in July.
- May Queen is a half-meter bush with dark green glossy foliage and inflorescences that stand out against their background.
- Sanssouci is a meter-sized bushes with inflorescences of about 12 cm. The middle flowers are quite few, but the reed flowers are arranged in several rows (up to 8) and are up to 5 cm long. Flowering lasts about 1.5 months and begins in July.
