Autumn Gelenium: Description, Growth, Reproduction and Photo

Among the palette of bright colors in the garden, autumn is elegant, humble and beautiful the camomile gelenium ... The summer gelenium, lost in the summer amidst lush blossoms of roses, gladioli, lilies and dahlias, manifests itself in all its glory at the end of a hot season, when the main riot of colors in the garden gradually Is damped. The plant blossoms long enough and staunchly holds in case of any bad weather.

For reference. Such an interesting botanical name for the flowers of helenium is due to the wife of King Menelaus, who was abducted by Paris - the Beautiful Elena, who became the involuntary cause of the prolonged Trojan War.

External characteristics

Autumn gelenium is quite high (up to 160 cm); Stems strong, branching, by the end of autumn they are lignified. The leaves are small, light green, with jagged edges. The baskets are chamomile, with a convex middle, in diameter are 3-6 cm. The edges of the petals are curly, as if carved with scissors. Fluctuatingly sprawled to the side, they resemble a ballet tutu. The core of the helenium is convex, at the time of flowering it is covered with bright yellow anthers and takes a spherical shape. At each stem of the plant, 15-20 flowers dissolve simultaneously in its upper part. Their yellow-orange palette fully corresponds to the current season and optimally fits into the landscape of autumn days.

How to prolong the flowering of helenium?

To admire the blossoming of a modest garden decoration, during which many varieties have the property of changing color, it is possible from July to the first frost. The abundance of flowering is easy to provide by picking off the tips of shoots, and prolong the enchanting action by removing the wilted inflorescences and a small part of the stem on which they are located. This manipulation will activate the branching and the formation of new shoots, which will bloom after a short time.

A plant in the garden landscape

The autumn helenium is beautiful in cutting. Torn unopened, it will still bloom and surprisingly long in the vase will not fade.

Perennial is often used to decorate unpresentable fences and revitalize the landscape on old sites. Helenium can not be called an individual flower, as, for example, a tulip or a rose. Most often it is an addition to the overall composition. In the garden area, low-growing varieties look gorgeous in the foreground of the flower garden, they can be planted as a curb plant. Tall heleniums are an excellent background for large flower beds, good neighbors for ornamental shrubs, wonderful "partners" for perennial autumn autumnal asters, ornamental grasses, feathery phlox, orebaide.

In one place, a plant can grow 3-4 years, during which a large number of basal rosettes develop, each year rising higher to the surface of the earth. In the future such a process can lead to the freezing of the plant. Therefore, the location of the helenium should be periodically changed.

Popular varieties of helenium autumn

Helenium autumn (photos presented in the article) in cultural cultivation is known since the 17th century, is the most popular species among its brethren and is fundamental for breeding a large number of varieties. Many of them are used by flower growers to decorate their plots and landings for the purpose of aesthetic pleasure.

In July-September abundantly blooms helenium autumn Moerheym beauty. The plant is undemanding to the soil, the optimal location for it are solar patches. Also this variety can be planted in the penumbra. The bush height of 90-150 cm has strong stems, the garter does not require. Resistant to windy weather. Externally decorative. Flowers play a diverse palette: red, golden, orange, yellow, copper; When blossoming take one shade - dark brown.

The description of the helenium of autumn Pip squeak causes an irresistible desire to acquire such a variety in the suburban area. An unpretentious Autumn-Bunting plant is characterized by a low growth, up to 60 cm. It has a large number of sturdy straight stems with bright yellow flower baskets with a brown center and a mass of narrow leaves. Flowering begins in July. The plant is beautiful in group plantings, unpretentious in care.

With velvety warm tones delivers aesthetic pleasure to gardeners helenium autumn Jazz. The flowers of this variety are characterized by a red-yellow palette, the inflorescence baskets in diameter are 3-5 cm.

The landscape of the autumn garden will perfectly adorn the helenium autumn Rubinzverg (in translation from German - "ruby dwarf"). Against the background of other plants, perennial culture is distinguished by ruby-red flowers with a convex dark middle. The variety is low, about 70 cm. The bush is sprawling, with rapidly growing new shoots.

Red-copper-yellow flowers garden territory will enrich the helenium autumn Waltraut. The bush is low, up to 80 cm. Flowering occurs in July-August.

The peculiarity of the helium

The bushes of the helenium of autumn can be called only such. In fact, it is a colony of independent plants, whose flowering stems live only one season.

From the column "It's interesting": there is a belief that the petals of the helenium were used instead of tobacco. Breathing them, a man sneezed, thus getting rid of those present in the body of evil spirits.

Helenium autumnale has one specific feature: the absence of wintering rhizomes. At the end of flowering, the stems along with the roots die off, giving way to new rosettes formed from the buds of renewal at their base. These are independent young plants that have their own root system. Each of them gives full floriferous shoots, which, despite their defenseless appearance, are able to withstand sufficiently strong frosts in snowless winters.

Subtlety of care for gelenium

Autumn Gelenium in the care of absolutely unproductive. When acquiring such a plant on your own site, you should know that it does not tolerate a drought. Therefore, in dry days it is necessary to water gelenium abundantly and often. Periodically it is recommended to make weeding and shallow loosening of the soil. The control of weeds can be minimized by mulching the site with peat or overgrown foliage.

To prepare for winter, the stems of helenium need to be cut almost to the surface of the earth, leaving 10-15 cm. After carrying out this operation, the site must be covered with sawdust or moss and covered with lutrasil (non-woven covering material) from above .

Feeding events

To activate growth at the beginning of the vegetation period, helenium autumn will not be superfluous to handle the growth stimulator "Buton" at the rate of 10 grams of funds per 10 liters of water.

In the summer season, it is recommended to make three additional fertilizing with mineral preparations and organic.

1. May. On a 10-liter bucket of water - potassium sulfate, urea and organic preparation "Effeton" (on a tablespoon). The consumption of the solution obtained is 1 sq. Km. Meter - 3-4 liters.
2. During flowering. In 10 liters of water dilute a tablespoon of the drug "Agricola 7" and "Agricola fantasy." Add 1 liter of liquid manure here. Consumption per 1 sq. M. Meter area - 2-3 liters of the finished solution.
3. End of october. For 10 liters of water - a tablespoon of potassium sulfate and superphosphate. The drug consumption per 1 sq. Km. Meter plot - 5 liters.

Reproduction of Autumnal Helenium Autonomic

Helenium Autumn, planting and caring for which are not particularly difficult, multiplies in several ways, the easiest of which is the division of a bush. The optimal period for this operation is May-month, but if necessary it can be performed at any other time, even at the flowering stage.

The bush needs to be excavated and divided into parts, each of which before the planting is cut low - up to 10-15 cm from the soil level. By dividing the bush it is recommended to propagate varietal plants, in order to preserve the characteristic features.

The method of propagation

No less popular among florists is reproduction by cuttings. In the spring, you need to cut a few twigs you like and put in water. As soon as the roots appear, young shoots can be planted in the soil. For better rooting, young cuttings should be covered with cans or plastic bottles. Remove the container can be with the appearance of the first leaflets. The plant, planted by cuttings, will please with flowering a year after planting.

Seed method

The seed method of reproduction is less popular because of the low percentage of germination and labor intensity of the planting process. In the open ground seeds can be sown in late autumn or in May, in a well-heated soil. To protect against possible frosts, it is recommended to cover the area with a polyethylene film.

For the cultivation of helenium seedlings, sowing is seeded in spring (in April-May) in the landing tanks. Preliminary it is necessary to conduct stratification of seeds, mixing them with wet sawdust and leaving for 3 weeks at a temperature of +3 ... +5 ^о С.

Germination of seeds is required at a temperature of +18 ... +22 ^о С. The appearance of 2-3 full leaflets will indicate the need for picking (planting) of young plants. In the open ground seedlings should be planted in May. Before dipping into the fossa, the plant must first be lowered with roots in water to saturate with moisture. The number of plants per square meter should be no more than 4-5 pieces because of the active growth of the bush.

After planting the site must be covered with peat or humus.

Seed procurement

The collection of seeds should be carried out until the protracted precipitation characteristic of the autumn season. Otherwise they will rot on the plant itself. Maturity of the seed material can be determined by darkened lingual flowers and blackened tubular. However, the most optimal option is to purchase seed in specialized stores.

Diseases and pests

Autumn gelenium is resistant to diseases and pests. Occasionally it can be affected by chrysanthemum nematodes. The latter parasitize on leaves and flower buds, causing their drying. It is required to fight the pest with cardinal measures: cut out the affected areas, burn the bushes, and inject ground sulfur or slaked lime into the soil.

Also, the stagnation of moisture, which is capable of forming from the near occurrence of groundwater, affects negatively the growth of the helenium. Therefore, planting plants, it is necessary to take a responsible attitude to the choice of a landing site in order to avoid negative consequences in the future.