Features of planting and caring for helenium in the open field

A simple but interesting flower - helenium - is often used to decorate the garden. That is why planting helenium in the open field and subsequent care for it is a sore point for many gardeners. The multi-colored flowers, similar to chamomile, attract attention not only with their bright appearance, but also with a pleasant smell.

Quite a voluminous shrub, reaching a height of one and a half meters, in fact, is not a perennial, as many believe. Just on the lower part of the stem, located underground, a leaf bud with a root is formed, from which a new bush grows in spring. This feature allows you to quickly and easily grow a beautiful plant in the country or in the garden.

Planting culture

An ornamental plant can adapt to any conditions, although it prefers direct sunlight more than partial shade. It also makes certain demands on climatic conditions, so caring for it has some features. Despite this, it is quite easy to grow helenium.

Planting helenium outdoors can be done in several ways.

• Planting seeds directly into the ground is the easiest method and is recommended for use in warmer regions. This can be done in spring or late autumn. Moreover, the likelihood of seedlings emergence is lower than when growing seedlings.
• Planting seeds for seedlings. For the appearance of better-quality sprouts, it is necessary to subject the seeds to a simple stratification procedure before sowing: one and a half to two months before planting in the open field, sow the seed material in a container with earth, cover it with polyethylene and put it in a dark cool place - a cellar, basement, refrigerator. After a month, move the boxes to a room with an optimal temperature before sprouts appear. 3 weeks after germination, the seedlings are transplanted to a prepared place in the open field. Seedling care is quite simple: timely watering, as well as ensuring the optimal amount of light and heat.

Important!

Seedlings will appear faster if you use additional lighting devices when growing seedlings, because helenium is a light-loving culture that needs a lot of light for better development.

• Planting of rosettes formed by dividing the bush is done in the spring. This is the best option, since you do not need to suffer with seedlings or worry about seed germination. More than 20 independent sprouts with a developed root system can turn out from one bush. You just need to seat them. You should not carry out this procedure in late autumn, as the new bush will not prepare for winter conditions and may die.

Important!

It is necessary to thin out helenium in two to three years. Do not leave the plant thickened for more than three years, as it will age faster, interfering with the development of young shoots.

Soil preparation

Before planting, it is necessary to prepare the soil: acidic soils must be limed. The soil should be well fertilized with humus and minerals. You can apply organic and mineral fertilizers in the spring when digging up the soil, or you can prepare the soil in the fall. It is necessary to remove all weeds from the garden and dig up the ground well. Above, you can place a layer of humus about 5 cm, and then start planting the culture.

Advice

It is important to observe the optimal planting scheme in the open field, providing for the distance between the shoots not less than half a meter. This will not only make it easier to care for the flower, but will also contribute to the better development of the bush.In addition, due to the long "non-replanting", the root sockets rise, increasing the likelihood of freezing during the onset of winter frosts.

Care

Proper outdoor helenium care is the main source of plant health and beauty. Planting in soil that has an insufficient amount of nutrients involves regular complex mineral fertilizing and the introduction of humus or peat. So that the plant does not disappoint with small and dull flowers, all growing rules must be strictly observed. Caring for a decorative flower is as follows.

• Watering

Since the culture is moisture-loving, you need to water it at least twice a week, and if there is a drought or hot weather, you need to moisten the soil every day.

• Loosening

It is advisable to loosen the soil after each wetting to a shallow depth.

• Pruning

They do it to form a more lush bush twice: in the spring they pinch the tops, and around the middle of June, they cut off some side shoots. For greater aesthetics and increased splendor, it is necessary to periodically remove wilted flowers.

• Garter

You need to tie up tall plants when they reach more than half of their full length. To do this, you need to drive a peg near the sprout, to which you attach the stem with a rope or thin tape.

• Pest control

Gelenium is practically not affected by diseases or harmful insects. You can see only a nematode on it. You can save the shoots from its invasion by cutting out the affected areas. As a preventive measure, you need to mix a small amount of slaked lime into the ground before planting. To reduce the likelihood of fungal infection, you need to try to prevent waterlogging of the soil.

Top dressing

Care also includes timely fertilization. Most of all, helenium needs potassium-phosphorus supplements. All fertilizers are dissolved in a bucket of water and applied during a certain period of the plant's growing season.

• The first time they feed helenium in late spring. You can use the composition, for which take a tablespoon of urea, potassium sulfate and fertilizer "Effecton". The composition is enough for processing 2.5-3 m² area of ​​the site.
• Then the plant is fed when the buds are set. Here you can apply the following composition: a liter of liquid manure dissolves in water and a tablespoon of Agricola-Fantasy and Agricola-7 each. The mixture is spread over 3 m² plot. You can also use foliar dressing with any growth stimulant.
• After flowering in the fall, fertilize the culture with a solution of potassium sulfate and superphosphate, taken in a tablespoon. This solution should be enough for 2 m².

In general, planting and caring for a crop does not require any complex skills and knowledge. It is important to observe some fairly simple conditions, and a good result will not be long in coming: helenium will delight with lush and large inflorescences from mid-summer to the end of September. Preparation for wintering is also simple: before frosts, you need to cut off the stems at ground level (they still die off) and sprinkle the bed with a thick layer of covering material - sawdust, moss, foliage.