Autumn ball of blooming chrysanthemums: small-flowered variety

Chrysanthemums first appeared at the court of Chinese emperors. But Asian countries: China, Japan, Korea are still arguing over the issue of primacy in breeding this flower. Initially, only yellow flowers were held in high esteem, although the ancient Chinese philosopher who cared for chrysanthemums said that there are no ugly chrysanthemums, only bad gardeners.

In modern gardening, many hardy species and varieties have appeared that do not require special skill. Growing them is not difficult and is accessible to any gardener. One of the first places among unpretentious species is occupied by small-flowered chrysanthemum.

Content:

Chrysanthemum genus, description
Small-flowered chrysanthemum - the smile of your garden
Planting and care

Chrysanthemum genus, description

Garden chrysanthemums belong to the Asteraceae family. There are annual, perennial, herbaceous or semi-shrub forms of plants. The shoots are mostly glabrous or medium pubescent. The leaves are arranged alternately, their shape is varied, elongated, strongly or slightly indented.

Chrysanthemum flowers are of interest. At first glance they look like a single flower, but in reality they consist of individual small flowers - florets. Disc or tubular florets are located in the central part of the inflorescence. Ray-shaped florets frame the edges of the flower.

Chrysanthemums came to European gardens at the end of the 17th century, and to Russian gardens in the mid-19th century. Variety of chrysanthemums can be classified according to several criteria.

By bush height:

short, up to 30 cm
medium height, up to 50 cm
tall, up to 100 cm

By flowering time:

early, bloom in August
late, bloom in September

According to the fullness of the inflorescences:

simple
semi-double
terry

By flower size:

grandiflora
small-flowered

According to the shape of the inflorescences:

flat
spherical
pompons
anemone-shaped
bent
curly

The question of the origin of diverse varieties and hybrids is still unclear. The ancestor of modern chrysanthemums is the Indian small-flowered chrysanthemum, crossed with white and pink flowers, but it requires cultivation in protected soil. On the territory of Russia, species obtained as a result of hybridization with small-flowered plants are popular in open ground. Korean chrysanthemums.

Small-flowered chrysanthemum - the smile of your garden

Small-flowered Korean chrysanthemums, due to their good frost resistance, are grown everywhere in open ground. Almost all varieties of small-flowered chrysanthemum are distinguished by drought resistance, easy care, rapid reproduction, long-lasting, abundant flowering.

The variety of shapes and sizes of the bush makes it possible to use small-flowered chrysanthemum as a border plant, in flower beds in combination with other plants, in homogeneous and mixed groups, as stand-alone accent plants. Low-growing varieties are suitable for border and ground cover plants. For individual groups - medium and tall:

Variety "Talisman". Small bushes do not exceed a height of 25 cm, the flowers are small - 2 cm, and 20-25 dark crimson flowers can open at the same time. Blooms in August, flowering can continue until October. Pairs well with low-growing marigolds.
Variety "Cheburashka".Low-growing, multi-stemmed, compact bushes of hemispherical shape, up to 35 - 40 cm high. Flowers 4 cm, lilac, double. Blooms in September, blooms until frost.
Variety "Far Eastern". Medium-sized, up to 45 cm high, flowers are dense, double, 5 cm, lilac, do not fall off. The number of inflorescences on one plant is more than 200. Winter-hardy, tolerates drought well. Suitable for both landscaping and bouquets.
Variety "Umka". Tall, straight bushes, up to 80 cm, white flowers, 5 cm, long flowering, suitable for cutting.

All of the above varieties were bred by domestic flower growers. Much work in this direction is being carried out by the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The largest Russian specialist on the Chrysanthemum genus, Alevtina Ivanovna Nedoluzhko, created a collection of these plants in the Botanical Garden of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. She herself is the author of 15 new varieties. The flowers of her selection can withstand frosts down to -7 degrees and bloom until late autumn.

Incredibly popular chrysanthemum varieties “Multiflora”, with spherical bushes, during the period of maximum flower opening the bush looks like a solid flowering ball, for example, the variety of foreign selection “Silver Rain”.

Small-flowered chrysanthemums go well with variegated hostas, purple-leaved barberries, and spirea. In flower arrangements they look good both in monocolor and in multi-colored, contrasting compositions.

Planting and care

The place for planting small-flowered chrysanthemum must be chosen:

with good sunlight
with neutral or slightly acidic soil reaction
with loose, permeable soil

The optimal planting time is late spring - early summer. Prepare planting holes at a distance of at least 30 cm from each other.Install the plant along with a lump of earth. Cover with soil and compact lightly. Water moderately. Before complete rooting, it is necessary to loosen the soil several times.

It is advisable to mulch the root zone with bark and straw. Feed with fertilizers at least twice during the season. In the spring, when the first green shoots and leaves begin to grow on the bushes, all old ones must be removed. Carefully unscrew the central dry shoot; it will not grow back. The regeneration of the bush occurs due to the growth of lateral shoots.

Propagated by cuttings or dividing the bush. It is better to keep bushes purchased in the fall in the cellar until spring. They grow well up to three years without transplanting. Then it is advisable to dig up the bushes, perform anti-aging pruning, divide if necessary and replant them in new prepared holes.

The success of growing chrysanthemums depends on the quality of planting material. By purchasing it in specialized stores or nurseries, you receive a description of the variety and recommendations for its cultivation. This can also be done through a network of online stores.

Video about planting and caring for chrysanthemums: