Chrysanthemum maiden: description of the species and characteristics, 8 best varieties, care, disease

Garden chrysanthemum is a composite plant of the Asteraceae family. It has a long flowering period and excellent decorative qualities. Several species are known, some of which grow for several years, and some belong to annual crops. You can often see chrysanthemum (pyrethrum) girlish in the plots. This unpretentious perennial is loved by flower growers, because it looks great both in a flower bed and in a bouquet. In addition, the flower has medicinal properties.

Description and features

Chrysanthemum maidens is native to Northern China.The plant has several varieties. Flowering begins in June and continues until the first frost. During this period, the plant is a highly branched shrub with a height of 20 to 80 centimeters, covered with many small white inflorescences up to 3 centimeters in diameter. Depending on the variety, the flowers are in the form of double or semi-double balls, resemble snowflakes, snow flakes, or are collected in voluminous inflorescences. The plant has a pleasant bitter aroma.

In folk medicine, infusions of chrysanthemum maiden are used as an analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic.

Popular varieties

There are many varieties of girlish chrysanthemum, each of which differs in its shade of inflorescences, stem height, crown shape.

Schneebal

Schneebal is a low-growing variety, reaching a height of no more than 20 centimeters. It has double flowers of white or yellowish hues and a green core. The crown of the bush has a spherical shape with a diameter of up to 25 centimeters.

Virgo

Tall plant with a stem reaching 80 centimeters. It has small white double flowers, up to 1.5 cm in diameter.

Silbeoteppich

This variety has small, double white flowers.

Snow ball

A small-flowered plant, its inflorescences are rounded, the snow-white core is surrounded by a kind of skirt of short petals. Differs in lush flowering. The name of the variety justifies the shape of the crown, reminiscent of large snowballs.

Double White

A bushy plant with small white flowers resembling buttons. Stem height - no more than 25 centimeters.

Goldball

Spherical small bushes with double flowers, 2.5 cm in diameter. The height of the bush is small - only 35 centimeters.

Golden Ball

Short plant with spherical terry inflorescences of white or yellowish tint. Each flower is decorated with a lace skirt.

White stars

Fast-growing plant with branched bushes up to 25 centimeters high. Has double flowers. The apical inflorescences form a beautiful lush crown.

Growing through seedlings

Chrysanthemum maiden is a perennial plant, but often used as an annual crop. Growing an annual is much easier, although it blooms later. An overwintered perennial plant with last year's dry shoots does not look very aesthetically pleasing. The annual boasts fresh green stems and a lush snow-white crown.

Preparation of containers and soil

Grow seedlings in boxes specially prepared for this purpose.The soil is bought at a flower shop or made independently. To do this, mix garden soil, peat and humus in equal parts. Containers are filled with this mixture, having previously laid a drainage layer in the form of pebbles or expanded clay on the bottom.

Temperature conditions

Germination should take place indoors at a temperature of 23-25 degrees Celsius. After the appearance of the first shoots, they put the boxes in a cooler place and grow at a temperature of 15 to 18 degrees Celsius. This is necessary in order to prevent strong stretching of the shoots.

How to plant

Sow seeds for growing seedlings in late March or early April. Having prepared the containers, the seed is deepened into the soil at a distance of 1 centimeter, after moistening it. Then the plantings are covered with film, glass or placed in a plastic bag in order to create greenhouse conditions.

The soil should always be kept moist. But it is recommended to soak it not by watering, but by spraying, so that the seeds do not go deep. For good germination you need:

regular ventilation of the room;
good plant lighting.

Picking

Approximately 2 weeks after the seedlings germinate, with the advent of 4 developed leaves, a pick is carried out - seated in separate pots. Before starting the procedure, moisten the soil abundantly. After finishing, the sprouts are sprayed with a growth stimulator (Epin or Zircon). This will shorten the plant establishment period.

Hardening

10-14 days before transplanting seedlings into open ground, hardening is carried out, exposing the pots to fresh air.

Landing in open ground

Before landing in open ground, thorough preparations are carried out. Choose a planting site, improve soil quality.

Choosing a seat

Chrysanthemum maiden is light-requiring, so they choose a place for it on a hill, most of the day lit by the sun. At the same time, the plant should be on the leeward side. Frequent winds have a negative effect on the decorative qualities of plants.

Soil Requirements

Chrysanthemum feels comfortable in calcareous soil well warmed by the sun. Air must be supplied to the roots in sufficient quantities, so a drainage system must be considered. In addition, the soil will need to be periodically loosened. The soil is prepared in the fall: they dig, fertilize, lime.

Timing

Planting plants in open ground can only be done when there is confidence that frosts will not return. In Central Russia, this is approximately the middle of May.

Plant pattern

Having determined the landing site, make holes at a distance of 23-25 centimeters from each other.The wells are shed with an aqueous solution of the root formation stimulator Kornevin (3 grams of the product per 3 liters of water). Plants should be taken together with a clod of earth and buried in the ground along with cotyledon leaves (1.5-2 centimeters below ground level).

With this method, a lush beautiful bush will be formed.

Rules of care

The plant does not require complex care. In addition to the usual measures for watering, loosening the soil, weeding, it needs to remove faded inflorescences. This will help keep the beautiful spherical shape of the crown.

Irrigation

Water should not be too frequent, as the chrysanthemum does not tolerate waterlogged soil. The frequency of watering is increased only in case of hot summer and in the absence of precipitation. Chrysanthemum maiden also requires more moisture during the period of active growth and flowering.

Feeding

Feeding the plants is carried out 3 times a season. The first fertilization is carried out three weeks after planting (they take a preparation based on ammonia nitrogen).The second top dressing is done two weeks before flowering, and the third - in the fall, at the end of the growing season (mineral complex fertilizers are used). Such a scheme will ensure long and friendly flowering.

Weeding and loosening

After watering, the moist soil must be loosened for good breathability. In parallel with this, weeds and plant debris are removed, on which pathogens and parasites can live. After that, mulching is done - they cover the moistened ground at the roots with a layer of mulch (tree bark, sawdust, hay).

Preparing for winter

Chrysanthemum maiden refers to crops wintering in the ground. Preparing the plant for winter, immediately after the onset of cold weather, it is pruned, leaving shoots of 14-15 centimeters. Cropped bushes carefully spud, sprinkling with earth. Then the plants are covered with spruce branches or sawdust.

Reproduction

Propagate plants by seeds or cuttings.

Seeds

The timing of seeding into the soil varies depending on how it is supposed to be sown in open ground. In March, they are sown in greenhouses for growing seedlings, and in May they are sown immediately in open ground.

There are advantages to the open field sowing method:

adapting seedlings to the environment is much easier;
plants do not need to be repotted, which means there is no risk of root damage.

Shallow furrows or holes are made in the ground at a distance of 30-40 centimeters from each other. 3 seeds are placed in one hole at once. They are covered with earth and watered. Until the first shoots, you can cover with a film, creating greenhouse conditions. After strengthening the seedlings, they are thinned out, leaving one sprout in each hole.After another 10 days, the first feeding is done.

Cutting

Cuttings are another way to propagate perennial plants. Overwintered bushes intended for cuttings are planted in a greenhouse and watered frequently to make the shoots more powerful. By the end of March, they are cut, planted in boxes with a nutrient mixture consisting of soil, humus, sand and covered with a film. After rooting (in a month) they are transplanted into open ground.

Diseases and pests

For chrysanthemum maidens, mainly fungal infections that affect plants when waterlogged and poor ventilation are dangerous.

Septoria

One of the common infections. White spots appear on the leaves, surrounded by a dark border. The causative agents of the disease are fungi of the genus Septoria. The spots grow, leading to the death of the leaf. At the initial stage, they fight the disease by removing the affected leaves.The advanced form of the disease can only be defeated by treating the plant with fungicides.

Rust

The disease manifests itself on the leaves in the form of pustules of various shapes and sizes. They crack, pouring out fungal spores in the form of a rusty powder. The plant is losing strength. Remove diseased leaves, transplant bushes. If necessary, use fungicidal preparations.

Powdery mildew

Powdery mildew is also a common fungal disease. Appears as white spots on the upper side of the leaf. Gradually they increase, covering the entire leaf.

The risk factor is moisture on the leaves. Make sure that when watering, water does not fall on their surface.

Leaf nematode

Nematodes are phytohelminths, microscopic roundworms. The disease looks like brown spots on the leaves that increase over time. The penetration of helminths into leaves and roots threatens with imminent death.Prevention will help avoid infection. For its implementation, insecticides are used in the form of sprays.

Spider mite

This is an arthropod herbivorous pest 0.2 to 1 mm in size, living on leaves. It feeds on the juice of plants, which causes them to get sick and die. The tick becomes active in hot weather. Fighting the parasite, remove it when watering with a jet of water. If this does not help, then they are treated with a solution of laundry soap and copper sulfate.

Use in design

Girlish chrysanthemum is actively used both in landscape design and in floristry. When creating garden ensembles, low bushes are planted in the foreground, and high bushes are used in prefabricated compositions. White inflorescences can be cut and create lush bouquets. They look no less impressive in composite bouquets. Cut flowers stay fresh for a long time.

If you regularly change the water and cut the stems, they will stand for at least two weeks.