Chamomile (Matricaria) is a perennial herb of the Asteraceae or Asteraceae family. This is a simple, but at the same time, an unusually beautiful flower. There are about 20 species of this herbaceous flowering perennial. Chamomile grows almost all over the planet. The most popular of all types is chamomile. It is used for both medicinal and cosmetic purposes. Too often, chamomile is confused with other flowers from the Asteraceae family, as they are similar to each other. This article will talk about garden chamomile (leucanthemum vulgare), about the rules for growing and caring for it.
Description of chamomile flower
Garden chamomile has two more names - daisy and popovnik. A chamomile can grow in height from 15 to 60 cm. And sometimes its height can reach up to one meter. The root system is not very powerful and strong, the root is erect and short. The stem of the flower is long and faceted with basal leaves of bright green or dark green color. The flowers are bright, like the sun, the diameter can reach up to 6 cm. The middle of the flower is bright yellow, and the petals themselves are white, but occasionally the leaves have a yellowish tint.
Growing chamomile from seeds
Sowing seeds
You can grow chamomile in two ways: seedlings and without seedlings. Of course, both methods give a positive result, but it is better to plant already grown seedlings in open ground. The best time to plant chamomile seeds for seedlings is March. In order for the seedlings to sprout well, it is necessary to prepare a special soil for planting it. Mix peat and sand in a 1: 1 ratio. It is not worth planting seeds deeply, it is enough to deepen them a couple of centimeters into the soil. After planting, water the soil abundantly and cover with plastic wrap to create a greenhouse effect. You need to put boxes with planted seeds in a sunny place, but do not allow direct sunlight.
Chamomile seedlings
Under comfortable conditions, the seeds will germinate in about two weeks, or maybe even earlier. After the shoots appear with plastic wrap, you need to remove and place the boxes with seedlings in a sunny place where there are no drafts. When the seedlings grow by about five centimeters, then it must be thinned out, leaving only the strongest and strongest shoots. Unnecessary seedlings should be removed carefully, not pulling them out completely, but simply pinching the stem to the very root. In order for the chamomile to bush well, pinching should be carried out over the third or fourth leaf.
Planting chamomile in open ground
It is necessary to plant seedlings in open ground no earlier than after four to six weeks. The place for planting chamomile should be in a sunny part of the garden. In terms of soil, garden chamomile prefers neutral or chamomile.Before planting, it is imperative to thoroughly dig up the soil and apply a complex of balanced fertilizers, which is designed specifically for flowering garden plants and contains all the necessary trace elements and minerals. Seedlings should be planted at a distance of 30 cm from each other. so that in the future the bushes do not interfere with each other's growth and development. After planting seedlings in open ground, it is necessary to water the soil abundantly and loosen it.
Garden chamomile care
After planting seedlings in open ground, watering should be regular and abundant for another two weeks. Then watering can be reduced to 2 times a week, in dry weather 3-4 times. After each watering, be sure to thoroughly loosen the soil so that oxygen gets into the soil, but this must be done with extreme caution so as not to damage the root system of chamomile, which grows close to the surface. In order for moisture to stay in the soil longer, you need to mulch it with peat or sawdust. It will also protect well from active growth of weeds around the plant. Weeds around the plant should be removed as needed, and under no circumstances should they be allowed to run. Since pests appear due to the weed. diseases can develop that lead to the death of the entire plant.
Top dressing and fertilizers
As an organic fertilizer for chamomile, both humus and compost with peat are excellent. It is advisable to apply such fertilizers to the soil even before planting seedlings. This will saturate it with useful substances and trace elements necessary for the normal growth and development of garden chamomile. Then you will need to carry out two more dressings, one during the period of active growth, and the second during the budding period. As fertilizers, specially developed balanced complexes of vitamins and minerals for flowering garden plants, which can be bought in almost every store for gardeners and summer residents, are excellent.
Chamomile after flowering
In order to collect the seeds, you must wait until the flowers are completely dry. Then you should choose the largest and strongest of them, carefully cut and place in a dry and well-ventilated place for another couple of weeks so that the seeds dry out. The dried flowers must be carefully peeled and the seeds must be poured into a paper bag. Store in a dry place out of direct sunlight. Such seeds remain viable for two to three years.
Chamomile in winter
Perennial daisies need preparation for wintering. Since many of them are not cold hardy. After the flowering period is over and the seeds are collected, it is necessary to cut the stems of the daisies, leaving about five centimeters from the root. Then you need to cover the rest of the daisies with foliage or sawdust, you can also cover it with a non-woven material.
Chamomile propagation
Chamomile reproduces in two ways: by seed and by dividing the bush. Garden chamomile is a perennial plant, so every 2-3 years the flower should be transplanted to a new place, it is during this period that the bush can be divided. This will not only help increase the number of chamomile bushes in the garden, but also rejuvenate older bushes, they will begin to grow better and bloom abundantly, the bushes will become more lush and strong.
It is necessary to carry out transplantation and division from September to October. It is necessary to carefully dig out the roots of the chamomile and separate the roots with young shoots. Transplant the chamomile to a new place, which must be prepared in advance. Apply the necessary fertilizers to the soil and dig holes suitable for the roots. After transplanting, the plant should be watered abundantly and the soil surface should be mulched with sawdust or leaves.
The seedling planting method was described above. As for planting seeds in open ground, then it should be carried out in the fall. The seeds need to be planted in the soil and dug in, the strongest seeds will survive the winter and will sprout in early spring.Such a kind of natural selection for plants.
Diseases and pests
With improper care, garden chamomile can undergo various diseases and infections. The most common of these are powdery mildew, rust, fusarium and gray rot. If you do not notice the symptoms of the appearance of the above diseases in time, then they can completely destroy the plant. Since such infections affect the leaves, flowers, stem and even the root system. In order to prevent the appearance of these diseases, it is necessary to irrigate in a timely manner, loosen the soil and remove annoying weeds. apply fertilizers on time and mulch the soil on top with sawdust or dry leaves. If the plant does get sick, then it will have to be treated and this should be started as soon as possible. To do this, it is necessary to carefully and thoroughly spray the entire flower with a solution of special fungicides. Which help fight similar diseases of garden plants.
The main pests of garden chamomile are aphids, wireworms, thrips and star-winged fly. Getting rid of insects is very difficult, so it's best to keep them out. To do this, you must follow the rules for the care and cultivation of garden chamomile and carefully monitor your garden so that the plants that grow nearby are also not attacked by pests. If insects do appear, then you need to immediately spray the plant with special insectoacaricides.
Types and varieties of chamomile
Meadow chamomile or common daisy - such a perennial can grow up to one meter. The flowers are large, up to seven centimeters in diameter. The petals are white, and the tubular center is bright yellow. The most popular garden forms of meadow chamomile: Sanssouci, Mae Queen, Maxima Koenig.
Kuril chamomile - a variety of flowering chamomile. In height, such a daisy can only grow up to 20 cm, but despite this, its root system is strong and thickened. The flowers are large, sometimes they grow up to 8 cm.
Marsh chamomile or marsh chrysanthemum - this variety of chamomile is very low, rarely reaches 25 centimeters, but grows in a lush bush. Leaves are bright green. The flowers have an unusual shape, the leaves are white and short, and the middle is large and bright yellow.
Nivyanik the greatest - in height can reach up to 1 m. Most of the rhizome is on the surface. The flowers are very large and spreading, they can grow up to 10 cm in diameter. The petals are white and grow in several rows, the middle is yellow. The flowers of this variety are very similar to chrysanthemum, hence the second name. Most popular varieties: Alaska, Beethoven, Stern von Antwerp, Schwabengrub, Little Princesses.
