Nivyanik: planting and care in the open field, growing seedlings, description of species and varieties

An indispensable element in landscape design is leucanthemum, which will gain popularity due to its long flowering, interesting shrub shape. Many gardeners love the culture for its simplicity, elegance, and harmony with the rest of the plants in the garden when composing. If you want to decorate a plot with a cornflower, you must first carefully study all the nuances of planting and the subtleties of caring for a perennial.

Description and features

Nivyanik, the official name of which is leukantemum, of the Compositae family. In the wild, it can be found in areas with a temperate climate. It is actively used in landscaping, creating landscape design.

Characteristic features are the height of the cornflower, which is up to 60 cm. The root system is superficial, the stem is erect. The lanceolate-oblong shape and rich green color of the leaves are located along the stem or at the roots. The inflorescences are a shield with a hemispherical shape, its diameter ranges from 2.5 to 12 cm. The flowers are concentrated in the center, have a yellow color and are called tubular, and reed flowers are located at the edges and have a white tint.

The flowering process is repeated twice in one season. The first can be admired in May, and it lasts until July, then the plants bloom again in August and delight until September.

Nivyanik can be both perennial and annual. In all species, the fruit is a box with seeds located on one side. Seeds have a germination period of 2 to 3 years.

Growing seedlings

In floriculture, when breeding cornflowers, growing seedlings gives excellent results. The advantage of this exciting process is that these plants bloom earlier than those sown directly in the flower bed, and for a long time delight with their luxurious flowers.

Timing

Planting seeds for seedlings is carried out in the last decade of February or early March.

Soil preparation

To plant cornflower seeds, you need to purchase special soil in a flower shop. You can also make your own soil mixture based on sand, peat.

How to plant

Sowing includes the following actions:

1. Sterilize the soil and dishes before sowing using a solution of potassium permanganate.
2. Put a drainage layer on the bottom of the container, then pour the soil mixture, leaving the dishes empty 3 cm from the edge.
3. After leveling the surface, distribute the seeds, deepening them by 1 cm, lightly sprinkle with soil on top.
4. Spray with room temperature water using a spray bottle.
5. Cover with glass, film material.

Temperature and light conditions

For successful germination of seedlings, it is recommended to keep the room temperature at 22 degrees, the light should be diffused. Care at this point consists in daily airing the greenhouse and moistening the soil as it dries. Seedlings will not take long to wait and will appear after 7-14 days, the shelter must be immediately removed and already grown, organizing a temperature of 17-20 degrees and the same lighting.

Fertilizer

When sprouts are formed when watering seedlings, instead of water, use a non-concentrated solution of complex fertilizer.

Picking

When the sprouts form 3 real leaves, dive, planting the seedlings in individual containers. As a soil, take a mixture based on substances such as peat, sand and humus. Install containers in a bright place and conduct moderate watering.

Feeding

After picking, the sprouts need to be fed with a solution based on organic fertilizer. Perform the procedure twice with a time interval of 3-4 weeks.

Landing in open ground

Adhering to certain rules for planting leucanthemum in the garden, you can grow flowering bushes of unique beauty.

Timing

In May, as soon as the threat of frost at night has passed, plant the seedlings in open soil.

Select site

The ideal place for cultivating cornflower is an open, well-lit area. It should be taken into account that from the lack of light, the shoots are stretched, bent, and few flowers are formed.

Soil Requirements

Nivyanik prefers fertile moist soil, characterized by friability and containing peat, sand, humus in equal parts.

The plant does not tolerate heavy clay soils and lowland areas.

Plant pattern

Algorithm for planting seedlings in a flower bed:

1. Dig holes, 25-30 cm deep, keeping a distance of at least 30 cm between planting units.
2. Fill the bottom of the pit with drainage, which will be sand, broken brick or expanded clay insulating granules. Sprinkle soil mixture on top.
3. Plant seedlings in prepared holes. When planting, cover the sprouts with loose soil that does not have lumps, while keeping them strictly vertical.
4. Consolidate the soil and water it with warm water.

When the seedlings are planted, proceed to the stage of saving and creating good conditions for the plants to develop.

Care

Following the simple rules of caring for the plant, you can get strong and profusely flowering cornflower bushes, which will decorate any plot, house territory with their magnificent view. To do this, attention should be paid to watering, loosening the soil, top dressing, as well as to combat major diseases and dangerous pests.

Irrigation

Nivyanik shows resistance to drought. Watering is required for perennials to form exquisite flowers and normal growth and development. It is important to avoid stagnant water during the procedure, as this will provoke the occurrence of fungal diseases and rotting of the roots. Moisture deficiency can cause wilting of flowers and aging of bushes.

After watering, it is recommended to mulch the soil using sawdust, straw.

Loosening and weeding

Loosening the soil is an important measure for the care of the cornflower, as it helps to reduce the evaporation of internal moisture, as well as the free supply of oxygen to the root system. Following this procedure will produce strong plants with large and bright flowers.

Weeding is also a must, as it gets rid of weeds that draw moisture and nutrients from the soil necessary for the normal growth of flowers.

Cutting

To maintain the beauty of plantings, you need to cut wilted flowers at the time of flowering, if you do not plan to collect seeds. At the end of flowering, to maintain the decorativeness of the bushes, they must be cut to a height of 15 cm from the ground. In autumn, cut plants to the ground so that in spring young shoots grow without obstacles, and dry stems do not spoil the beauty of plantings.

Feeding

Perennial crops are responsive to top dressing, it is important to observe the dose when fertilizing. Feed leucanthemum twice a month, alternating organic matter with mineral elements.

Preparing for winter

Nivyanik from among winter-hardy plants, able to withstand temperatures down to -20 degrees. But for the purpose of prevention, it is better to cover the cornfield with foliage or coniferous spruce branches for the winter. In the spring, remove the cover so that the bushes do not rot.

Diseases and pests

Nivyanik can infect diseases and attack pests, especially in wet, cool weather.

Rust

Fungal disease, which is manifested by reddish and brownish powdery pustules on the underside of the leaves and on the stems. Infected bushes must be removed from the flower bed, rust does not respond well to treatment.

Powdery mildew

The disease can affect not all varieties of cornflower. Its appearance is signaled by a white coating on the lower foliage. At the first symptoms, spray with Bordeaux mixture.

Peronosporosis

The signal of peronosporosis is the formation of light yellow oily spots on the leaves, which increase over time, merge, this leads to the drying of the leaf plate. Severely affected bushes that have lost their decorative effect are to be destroyed.

Spotting

The presence of spots of various shapes, colors and sizes on the foliage and stems of cornflower indicates the occurrence of spotting. As a result, the disease leads to the death of the entire plant. Fallen and affected leaves must be removed. At the first symptoms, treat the bushes with any preparation containing copper.

Fusariosis

In diseased young daisy bushes, the foliage turns pale, droops and dries out. In adults, at the initial stage, the lower leaves turn yellow, then the whole plant. The appearance of the first signs requires prompt elimination of infected plants.

Stem base rot

Nivyanik wilts, its roots, the root neck rots. The disease is concentrated at the base and eventually spreads up the stem, the foliage turns brown at the bottom. Control measures include the destruction of infected bushes and the treatment of the rest with systemic fungicides.

Bacterial cancer

White outgrowths appear on the roots, the root neck of the cornflower, which subsequently darken and decompose. They lead to a slowdown in the growth of the plant, followed by its death. Infected specimens must be removed from the garden, and the wells should be treated with bleach.

Slobbering pennies

Large sucking insect, 10 mm long, yellow-brown. Its larvae feed on the juice of plant tissues, wrapping the petioles of leaves and the stem with foamy saliva. As a result, the damaged parts are deformed and dry out. Control measures include the collection and destruction of larvae, as well as the treatment of cornflower bushes with special chemicals diluted in accordance with the attached instructions.

Thrips

Thrips are considered dangerous for the daisy. They settle on inflorescences, from which the splendor of white petals and yellow cores fades. Treatment with an insecticidal solution is considered an effective tool against insects.

Chrysanthemum miners

Chrysanthemum miners have also taken a fancy to the leaves of chrysanthemum miners, gnawing winding passages inside the leaves. Only treatment with insecticides will help get rid of them.

Views

The simplicity and elegance of leucanthemum captivates and does not leave indifferent flower growers, who, in order to give the site a unique look, prefer the following varieties of culture.

Swamp

Bushy low-growing leucanthemum 25-30 cm high with thin stems and green foliage with jagged edges. It blooms in the last decade of June with white inflorescences 3 cm in diameter.

Kuril

The perennial is characterized by a powerful rhizome, its height is up to 20 cm. Nivyanik bushes have dissected foliage and thin stems, on which single baskets up to 8 cm in diameter are formed.The attention is drawn to the white flowers of leucanthemum with a yellow tubular center, pleasing with its beauty later than other varieties.

Biggest

This type of leucanthemum is capable of reaching a height of up to 1 m. It is valued for large simple and double flowers, the diameter of which is 12 cm.

Regular

A plant with a straight, unbranched stem that grows up to 90 cm. The bush has a powerful rhizome from which lateral shoots grow, so an ordinary cornflower can have a diameter of up to 30 cm. The leaves are green in color, have an oval shape and teeth along edge. The type of leucanthemum is popular due to the flowers, which are distinguished by a yellow center up to 5 cm in diameter, surrounded by long white petals in the form of rays. Blooms in May and late autumn.

Terry

A beautiful flower 60-70 cm high with tall thin dark green stems, glossy large leaves and flowers consisting of many white petals and a yellow center. Nivyanik blooms in June-July.

Large

Nivyanik with straight stems and large flowers with wide white petals and a yellow center. Abundant flowering in June-July.

Popular varieties

The varietal variety of leucanthemum is represented by many hybrids.

Alaska

The variety shows resistance to frost, therefore it is popular in regions with a cold climate. It has a slightly pubescent, strong stem, narrow, shiny, dark green foliage and large white flowers up to 10 cm in diameter.

Beethoven

The 60 cm tall plant is characterized by erect stems that are strongly leafy at the bottom. Baskets up to 8 cm in diameter, solitary, apical. Marginal reed flowers of white color, oblong, finely toothed at the top. Flowering occurs in July.

Christine Hagemann

A favorite of the garden, with anemone inflorescences 8-10 cm in diameter. Marginal ligulate flowers of leefflower are long, white, behind them there is a ring containing short twisted white petals, completely covering the yellow center. The beginning of flowering occurs in July.

Little Princesses

Low-growing perennial with a height of 15 to 20 cm. It attracts attention with its large bright white flowers with a diameter of 6-7 cm. It blooms in July-August.

Lady Snow

Compact bush 25-30 cm high, 40 cm in diameter. Against the background of low shoots, the inflorescences seem large, although their diameter does not exceed 7 cm. It has green foliage and white flowers up to 4 cm in size. It blooms in mid-summer.

Stern von Antwerp

Nivyanik belongs to tall varieties, has inflorescences up to 10 cm in diameter. Reed flowers in baskets are white, tubular flowers are yellow.

Maxima Koenig

Perennial capable of growing up to 1 m. It has baskets up to 12 cm in diameter, containing 1-2 rows of reed flowers of white color and dark yellow median tubular ones. Fascinates with the beauty of flowers in June.

Mae Queen

Popular cultivar up to 50 cm high. Valued for bright green foliage that surrounds the stems and forms an impenetrable carpet under large flowers, with a slightly convex yellow center that frame wide white petals. Pleases with flowering at the beginning of summer.

San Souci

A beautiful daisy up to 1 m high. The bush is decorated with inflorescences 12 cm in diameter, containing yellow median and white reed flowers placed in 6-8 rows, having a length of up to 5 cm. It blooms in the last decade of May.

How to prolong flowering

In order to admire the luxurious flowers of the plant again during the season, it is necessary, provided that the collection of seeds is not planned, to cut off the wilted flower stalks. This procedure will preserve the strength of the plant and incline it to secondary flowering in late August, in the fall.

Collection and storage of seeds

August is the time of harvesting cornflower seeds. To do this, choose he althy bushes in advance and leave large flower stalks on them. When the petals dry up and the baskets turn brown, cut off the seed pods and send them to a warm, well-ventilated place to dry. After that, take the cornflower seeds out of the baskets and put them in a bag made of paper, which should have holes to provide air access to the seed material.

Store in a dark room at room temperature.

Having studied the information about the non-capricious, luxurious leucanthemum and making sure that it is easy to grow a flower from seeds, novice gardeners will definitely burn with a desire to decorate their plot with it.

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