Gelenium planting and care in the open field in the urals

In many gardens and flower beds such a beautiful and sunny flower grows - helenium. According to legend, this lovely plant, delighting with its flowering on the eve of the beginning of autumn, received such a unique name in honor of the beautiful Elena, wife of Menelaus, whose charm was so admired by the admirer of Paris. Probably, the golden tone of this flower resembled the color of Elena's golden curls.

Description of Gelenium

For the first time, the helenium flower was discovered in the region of Central and North America. Today, more than 30 species of this perennial herb are known. Geleniums are not endowed with a long-term developed rhizome. Strong flowering stems dry out after the onset of autumn frosts along with the roots.

But during their withering away, living buds that have appeared on the ground part of the plant form a rosette of leaves with roots. It is this new rosette that forms the flowering stem for the next year. Geleniums do not have the shape of a bush, they are independent plants, closely spaced to each other.

They have straight stems, they branch upward, reaching 160 cm in height. Lanceolate leaves are arranged in the next order. They give inflorescences in the form of baskets, single or collected in corymbose plants. The outermost flowers are purple, yellow, orange or two tones, the central ones are yellow or brown. As a result, they give cylindrical achenes, slightly pubescent.

Growing conditions and proper care

How to plant helenium in open ground photo

Beautiful geleniums prefer well-lit areas, they do not tolerate shading. To plant them, you need to select fertile soils that have a sufficient amount of moisture, a neutral level of acidity.

When planting lush heleniums in a garden, one should take into account the peculiarities of growing in a natural environment: plants prefer fertile meadow soils with a sufficient level of moisture, where forbs grow.

Densely planted flower beds are an excellent habitat for geleniums.
Low-growing varieties can be planted on the front of a mixborder or as curbs, tall ones look great in the background.
Lush bushes look great as tapeworms against the backdrop of a neat lawn.
Geleniums love regular watering because they do not tolerate droughts.

It is necessary to pay special attention to growing heleniums during the period of dry summer heat. They respond well to feeding with natural organic matter. Such procedures must be carried out three times during the entire active growing season.

After 4 years of growing gelenium in one place, you should seriously think about transplanting, because plants quickly age and degenerate. It is advisable to do this procedure in the autumn. If at the end of the summer season a blooming helenium was acquired, then before planting it, the upper part of the stem is cut off so that a height of 12 cm remains, we plant it carefully, without affecting the root system.

Experienced gardeners know that helenium bushes can not withstand the harsh winter of the Moscow region. To provide the plant with a better chance of survival, in the winter it is better to cover the bush with fallen leaves, spruce branches or artificial covering material, and in winter it is imperative to make sure that there is snow on top, especially in severe frosts.

The outer flowering stems of helenium live the whole season, dying off for the winter, like all perennials. But, unlike everyone else, at the end of the warm season, even the root neck dies off in geleniums. It is renewed by the buds appearing at the base of the stem. In a snowy winter without severe frosts, geleniums winter well, but in a harsh, snowless winter they can freeze out.

The susceptibility to cold is increased in hybrid varieties of helenium, which are especially thermophilic.

During the preparation of the plant for winter, it is worth thoroughly mulching the plant with moss or sawdust, you can cover it with ready-made lutrasil. In order for the plant to winter comfortably, you need to cut off the tops of adult plants in front of the shelter.

Growing helenium seeds at home When to plant

Gelenium seeds photo How to grow helenium from seeds

Planting helenium seeds for seedlings at home is very simple. You can sow as early as the twentieth of March.

The soil is prepared loose, enriched with organic matter, peat and sand are added. But, of course, it is better not to suffer and purchase a ready-made soil mixture for flowers.
Although the seeds are very small, it can take a little longer to arrange them further apart.
Often they sow directly into a common container, so that they can be opened later. Leave 2-3 cm between seeds, do not save space excessively so that the seedlings do not stretch out.
If you are patient, plant two or three seeds in separate pots, it will be easier to care for the plants, you do not need to transplant seedlings, and the flowers will come out much earlier, since we will not waste time on the survival of the sprouts when picking.

Gelenium seedlings photo What does the seedlings of helenium look like Seedlings of helenium Planting and care

If sown thickly, when 2-3 true leaves appear, you will have to dive into prepared cups.
We irrigate regularly, but without fanaticism: the water should not stagnate. Do not forget about the drainage holes in the bottom of the container so as not to provoke rotting roots or black leg disease.
The lighting needs to be bright, the Hellenium loves light and develops well with long daylight hours. if the room is dark, do additional lighting.
Planting seedlings begins in mid-May, if there is no night frost. Therefore, it is not superfluous to harden at the beginning of the month, taking the plants outside to get used to the sun and wind. Hardened seedlings are much stronger and easily tolerate planting in the ground.

Considering that helenium produces a good, branched bush, it is better to leave a distance of 40-50 cm between the bushes. Not so large flowers or even ground cover can be planted nearby.

How to sow Hellenium seeds in the ground When to plant

Hellenium can be planted directly into the ground. Like any perennial, it is planted in autumn or early spring in order to get seedlings as soon as possible. It is enough to wait for warm weather and soil maturation. Usually this is the end of April - May... Sometimes it turns out to sow even in March, it all depends on the region. In autumn they are planted at the end of September-October.when it is already cold enough for the seeds to not sprout.

The bed is prepared with loose, well-drained soil; it is better to season heavy clay soils with humus and add sand.
The distance between the furrows is 30-35 cm.
We sow less often so as not to break through.
The sprouted bushes are watered and freed from weeds, loosened the soil.
When the seedlings grow to a height of 8-10 cm, they can be replanted.
The remaining plants should be 30 cm apart.

Gellenium is easy to care for, the main thing is to water and prevent soil compaction.It is advisable to loosen it after each watering, shallow, you can even rake if the soil is not heavy. But it is better to mulch the earth and forget about weeds and earthen crust.

Hellenium transplant and reproduction by dividing the bush

Transplantation and reproduction of hellenium by dividing the bush photo

As already mentioned, it is necessary to transplant Hellenium 4-5 years after disembarkation. A developed bush will degenerate over time to rejuvenate the plant and give space for development, and periodic division of the bush with repotting is required.

Carefully dig in the root and get a bush with a lump of earth.
Take a knife or shovel to cut the bush into several pieces, being careful not to hit the ground.
They are planted in deep holes up to 30 cm, on the bottom of which humus is poured.
The planting level remains the same without deepening the root collar. Keep in mind that the earth will settle, strive so that later the roots do not end up on the surface, which is also very bad.
Water abundantly to moisten the soil to the full depth of the hole.

How to divide a helenium bush photo Gelenium hybrid planting and care

Sometimes they do this: they dig in the bush around the edges, separating its parts, and leave some untouched. Since the bush has been split, there will be room for new root buds to grow and the plant will rejuvenate. And the separated delenki are planted in a new place.

Gelenium in landscape design

Gelenium photo of flowers seedlings when to plant Gelenium in the garden photo

Gelenium is planted in large flower beds in the background, near ornamental shrubs, in groups or singly. They are used to decorate the fence of buildings. High helenium perfectly coexists with autumn asters.

Gelenium hybrid rubinzwerg in landscape design photo

Their inflorescences look great in bouquets and compositions, they are cut off completely blooming, since water does not affect their blooming of buds.

Types and varieties of gelenium with photos and descriptions

Hegenium autumn helenium autumnale

Helenium autumn Fuego Helenium Fuego planting and care in the open field photo

Autumn Gelenium, cultivated since the 17th century, is the most widespread. The abundant late flowering is considered to be the distinguishing advantage of this flower. The bushes of the autumn variety of helenium have a columnar shape. Strong stems of this variety can rise up to 2 m in height.

The upper part is strongly branched. Each branched part ends with a beautiful golden flower, a basket with a diameter of 6 cm. As a result, each stem can have up to several hundred flowers. The autumn variety blooms in early August, beautiful flowering continues for another month, the seeds are fully ripe by October. Currently, there are many unpretentious varieties of this flower that are excellently used in landscaping.

Autumn Gelenium Double Trouble Helenium Double Trouble planting and care photo

Varieties with a yellow marginal flower color are very popular. Among them is the undersized Magnificum, reaching only 80 cm in height. Its middle is classically yellow, it pleases with lush flowering in late July - early August.

Gelenium Sunrise lemon Gelenium growing and caring for a photo of flowers in the garden

Medium-tall Gartenzonne stretches up to 110 cm, gives lush baskets with a diameter of 6 cm, the middle of the flower is brown. Flowering begins in late July.

The adorable Katarina is 140 cm high, and the middle of her flower is also brown. Lush flowering pleases from mid-August.

Gelenium autumn sunrise red What does helenium look like photo how to plant helenium

The magnificent variety Moorheim Beauty reaches 180 cm in height, the middle of the flower has a yellow-brown tint. Abundant flowering also begins in mid-August.

They also bred varieties with a red color of flowers. Among them, it is worth noting the medium-tall variety Di Blonde, which has a developed dense bush up to 170 cm high. Its marginal flowers are red-brown in color, the middle is also brown in color.This variety begins to bloom in mid-August.

An interesting low-growing variety Glutauge, it gives baskets with a diameter of 6 cm, the core of the flowers is red-brown.

Gelenium Moorheim Beauty Gelenium autumn varieties garden flower helenium photo in the garden

The natural environment for the distribution of heleniums is wet, swampy areas. The roots of the plant are superficial, they are poorly developed. The bred varieties of autumn helenium are cultivated in illuminated areas. Garden soil for them must be provided with proper watering. Sufficiently high grades are tied to wooden stakes. Geleniums have a high growth rate, after 3 years of intensive development, it gives up to 30 new stems.

The plant itself also ages quickly, as it grows in breadth. It is for this reason that in the 4th year of development it is necessary to divide the bush and transplant to a new place. The optimal time for the next transplant is early spring, when the dug out plants easily disintegrate into separate outlets, 2 pieces of them are planted in prepared places.

Strong helenium Chupa Gupesa Helenium hoopesii

Strong helenium gupesa Helenium hoopesii photo of flowers in the garden planting and care

This plant grows comfortably in rocky terrain. It has a developed rhizome, large basal leaves, strong stems. Gelenium gupesa gives rather large baskets with a diameter of 10 cm, its flowers are orange in color. This variety has a long flowering period of up to 40 days, starting in July. Then it begins to bear fruit, has breeding methods similar to autumn helenium.

Helenium hybrid

Gelenium bright beauty Garden flower helenium Flowers perennials helenium

This category includes all garden heleniums obtained by crossing the first two forms. They differ in height, shape, color of flower baskets, and have different flowering periods.

Among them, it is worth noting the high variety Gartenzonne, growing up to 130 cm in height, with inflorescences up to 3.5 cm in diameter. The color of the flowers is from reddish-yellow to yellow-brown. Lush bloom is observed from July.

Gelenium hybrid Rubinzwerg Rubinzwerg red helenium perennial photo of flowers planting and care

The medium-sized variety Goldlaktswerg stretches only up to 100 cm. It gives inflorescences of a compact shape, up to 4.5 cm in diameter. The color of its reed flowers is brown-orange, with yellowish tips. Abundant flowering begins in July.

Also in the culture, the Gelenium variety Rothaut is widespread, capable of developing up to 120 cm in height. It is capable of producing inflorescences up to 4.5 cm in diameter. The color of the reed flowers is intensely brown, the tubular inflorescences are yellow-brown in color, lush flowering is observed from July.

Gelenium in the photo

Gelenium flower growing Gelenium when to plant Gelenium in landscaping photo mixborder

Gelenium autumn photo Planting helenium in the ground

Perennial autumn flower helenium Helenium autumnale description and photo Planting and care

A bright and elegant flower, helenium grows naturally in North and Central America. It is readily grown in their gardens by flower growers all over the world. And this is not surprising, because at the end of summer, the flower garden where the autumn helenium grows is dressed up with bright colors that last until frost.

Gelenium flower - description, photo

Depending on the variety and species, the plant can have a height of 80 to 120 cm and bloom with yellow, red, golden, copper and even multi-colored flowers. In our gardens, autumn helenium is most often grown, on high stems of which there are small leaves with jagged edges. In July, flowers bloom on the shoots with yellow petals and a darker center.

Beautiful varieties were bred from autumn helenium, of which the most famous are:

Moerheim Beauty - the variety is notable for the fact that the flowers in the buds can have shades of copper, golden, yellow and red.The blossoming flower turns reddish brown. Moerheim Beauty blooms in July and decorates the garden with its bright flowers until the very frost.
Cockade - a plant more than a meter in height blooms for about one and a half months from the beginning of August. This variety has very beautiful flowers of unusual color. Their center is yellow-brown, and the red petals are brown at the edges, and dark red in the center.
Gelenium Rubinswerg or Gelenium Ruby Gnome - the variety is distinguished by stems about 60 cm high, a dense bush structure and bright ruby-colored flowers, the flowering of which begins at the end of June.

After flowering, cylindrical fruits are formed on the plants, which are pubescent achenes.

By winter, not only peduncles die off, but also the roots of perennial helenium. You should not worry about this, since by this time a leaf rosette with new roots is formed on the underground buds of young shoots. It is she who will begin to grow in the spring, and will release the peduncle in the summer.

Growing helenium from seeds

Gelenium seeds are distinguished by low germination, so if a bush of this elegant plant is already growing in your garden, then it is best to propagate it with leaf rosettes or dividing the bush, which we will write in more detail below. Those who want to decorate the flowerbed with new varieties of autumn helenium and have purchased seeds in the store can sow them directly into open ground in the spring or pre-grow seedlings.

In any case, the planting material must first undergo stratification, that is, lie in a cold place. To do this, the seeds are mixed with wet sawdust, placed in a container and kept in a vegetable box of the refrigerator for one or even one and a half months.

If helenium seedlings are grown, then the seeds are sown on the surface of the soil, the seedling container is wrapped in cellophane and placed in the same section of the refrigerator or in another place with the same temperature.

Sowing seeds in open ground

Having chosen a well-lit place for a flower bed, it must be dug up, fertilizing the soil with compost or humus. The soil should be neutral, nutritious, drained and light.

Sowing of seeds is carried out in grooves, the distance between which should be about 25 cm.The depth of seeding of seeds is about 3-5 cm.The plantings are sprinkled with soil, watered and mulched with humus or peat, which will protect the planting material from the cold and will keep moisture in the soil.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

When to plant helenium seeds? This must be done in late February - early March, since the planting material must have time to undergo stratification. After six weeks, the container with crops must be taken out of the refrigerator and placed under artificial lighting in a warm place with an air temperature of about +20 degrees.

After two or three real leaves appear on the seedlings, they are carefully planted together with a lump of earth on the roots in separate small pots.

When to plant helenium?

Around the end of May, when the ground in the garden warms up, the seedlings can be planted in open ground. The plants are pre-watered, and the bed is fertilized with compost and dug onto a shovel bayonet.

It is better to make a flower bed for planting flowers in a sunny area, although they grow well in the shade. However, flowering with a lack of sun will not be as abundant and bright.

How to plant helenium

The distance between the bushes should be at least 25-30 cm, so the holes for planting seedlings are made with such a distance. The volume of the hole should be made so that it turns out to be twice the volume of the roots.

The plant, together with a moist lump of earth, is taken out of the pots, placed in a hole, sprinkled with nutritious soil on top and watered. It is recommended to mulch the land around the plantings with humus or peat.

Perennial autumn heleniums grown from seeds will bloom only next year.

Gelenium - care

It will not take much time to care for helenium in the open field, but you should know that the plant does not tolerate drought. Therefore, when growing it requires regular watering, especially in dry weather.

At the same time, the roots of the flower do not like stagnant water in the ground. To prevent this from happening, the bushes are watered after the topsoil dries up, and after watering the soil is loosened. Loosening will prevent a crust from forming, and oxygen will flow to the roots.

Weeding should also be done regularly. Otherwise, nutrients will be wasted not only on flowers, but also on weeds. In addition, harmful insects often grow in dense thickets and various diseases develop.

During the season, it is recommended to feed the flowers several times, using both mineral and organic fertilizers:

In early May, the plant actively begins the growing season, during which stems and leaves grow and develop. To make the bush beautiful and lush, each square meter of the flower bed is watered with three liters of fertilizer, which consists of the organic fertilizer Effecton, potassium sulfate and urea. In total, you need to take a tablespoon and dilute in 10 liters of water. Instead of this fertilizer, you can use mullein infusion and any complex mineral fertilizer.
During the budding period, to stimulate flowering, it is recommended to use the mineral fertilizer Agricola-fantasy and Agricola-7. From organic matter, you can use a mullein solution. To prepare top dressing, you need to dilute a tablespoon of mineral fertilizers and a liter of organic matter in 10 liters of water. The resulting solution is poured over the soil under the bushes, using two liters for each square meter.
At the end of October, geleniums are prepared for winter, for which they are fertilized with potassium sulfate and superphosphate. Each fertilizer must be taken in a tablespoon, diluted in 10 liters of water and water the flowerbed (5 liters per 1 square meter).

Throughout the season, faded buds should be regularly removed from the bushes. This procedure stimulates the formation of new flowers, and the flowering will be lush.

It is recommended to replant the helenium bushes to a new place every three years. By this time, a sufficient number of young shoots have formed on the plant, and the buds have not yet had time to bare.

In the fall, after flowering, the stems of the plant must be cut off. Stalks about 10 cm long should remain. In regions with cold winters, it is recommended to cover the heleniums for the winter. For this, the soil in the flower garden is sprinkled with sawdust or moss and covered with non-woven material (for example, lutrasil).

Reproduction of helenium

There are several ways to propagate geleniums:

seeds;
dividing the bush;
cuttings.

Seed propagation was described above. But this is a laborious method, so many gardeners propagate flowers by dividing a bush or cuttings.

Dividing the bush

This method of reproduction can be done in May, or in autumn, as soon as the peduncles and stems fade. You can divide the bush when transplanting. The bush should be dug out carefully so as not to damage the roots. Then the root system is carefully cleared from the soil and divided into parts with a sharp knife.

Before planting in the prepared hole, the cuts are lubricated with garden varnish or sprinkled with crushed coal. Delenki are planted in pits, sprinkled with nutritious soil mixture and watered.

Propagation by cuttings

Geleniums can be cut by cutting the tops of annual shoots 10-15 cm long for this in June. Cuttings are placed in water or directly into moist nutrient soil. If rooting is carried out in the soil, then the lower cut of the shoots is processed by Kornevin, after which the cuttings are planted in a container filled with moist soil. For better rooting, containers with cuttings are covered with a transparent bag on top. They need to be ventilated every day, and, if necessary, moisten the soil. As soon as new leaves appear, the shelter is removed.

Pests and diseases

Geleniums are resistant to diseases and pests. They are exposed to diseases only if the soil in the flower bed is often waterlogged. From this, roots begin to rot, flowers wither and the plant dies.

Of the pests, geleniums are often attacked by chrysanthemum nematodes. These worms damage flower buds and leaves. A bush affected by these pests is recommended to be dug up and burned. To protect the plant from nematodes, when planting flowers, you must carefully inspect the ground. If worms are found, the soil is treated with slaked lime or ground sulfur. At the end of July, plants are sprayed with Thiophos solution.

Gelenium in landscape design

Beautiful geleniums with bright flowers can be planted in a flower bed without adding other plants. You will get a sunny flower garden, which will decorate the garden in late summer and autumn.

Tall bushes can be used for flower bed backgrounds or planted in front of bushes. From them you can make hedges and decorate fences.

With the help of undersized varieties, they decorate paths and borders.

Tall geleniums will look beautiful together with asters and chrysanthemums, since the flowering of these plants occurs at the same time.

Selecting flowers of the same care, together with geleniums, you can plant on one flower bed:

yarrow;
marigold;
geyher;
delphiniums;
rudbeckia.

You just need to show a little imagination and you can make an original flower bed out of geleniums and other flowers, which all neighbors will admire.

There are many different plants in the world, which are distinguished by their unique appearance, the shade of the inflorescences and other features. Many species are found only in the wild and cannot be grown at home, while others freely take root in a modified environment and do not require special care or handling. Among these plants, helenium is perennial.

The beautiful and hardy flower belongs to the Astrov family, and the tropical regions of North and Central America are considered its homeland.

General information

Gelenium looks like a lush bushgrowing up to 160 centimeters in height. The bush itself consists of several independent shoots that grow separately, but are densely placed. Today, botanists identify about 30 varieties and varieties of helenium.

The stems of the helenium flower have a branching structure, small thickness and decent height. The size of the sharp leaves is small, and near them there are tiny inflorescences in the form of baskets. As for the flowers themselves, they are somewhat like daisies. The color is presented by pale yellow, dark red and brownish tones and is determined by varietal characteristics. The main advantage of gelenium is its good aroma and bright color.

It is known that Gelenium does not have a perennial root system, and all the roots begin to die off in late autumn, along with the peduncles and green stems. In the underground part, a characteristic leaf rosette with a rhizome is created, from which a new flower soon forms.

Autumn helenium and other plant varieties

Despite the wide variety of cultivated varieties, only 5 species are very popular. However, each of them consists of the multiple greatness of hybrids and breeding specimens.

Consider the most popular perennial varietiesthat are grown outdoors:

Gelenium Gupesa is a beautiful perennial that prefers the highlands of North America. Its height reaches 1 meter, the leaves are painted in gray-green tones, and the shape remains sharp. In single inflorescences, bright yellow flowers are formed with a diameter of 9 centimeters. Flowering begins in June-July, while it can last up to several months;
Gelenium Bigelow is one of the rarest flower species with straight stems, 80-100 centimeters high and whole sharp leaves.The diameter of the tubular inflorescences reaches 6 centimeters. The color of the flowers is represented by dark brown tones with yellow tongues. The flowering period is June-July;
Spring Gelenium. It has high stems (up to one meter high) with green lanceolate leaves and fairly large inflorescences. The flowers have thin orange petals and a brown center. Flowering begins in May. Among the most common varieties of this type:
- Gartenzonne;
- Rothhaut;
- Goldclatzwerk;

In addition, gardeners often grow on their plots autumn helenium, which is in demand due to its unpretentious nature and good growth rate. Thin stems 160 centimeters long, have small leaves with characteristic denticles along the edges. The inflorescences resemble a kind of baskets, which contain flowers with yellow or red petals. Flowering begins in July and lasts until September. Seed ripening begins in October. The photos available on the Web help to see what such an exotic inhabitant looks like during the flowering period.

Gelenium: planting and care in the open field

There are several ways to plant a perennial shrub. If we consider the seed planting method, then it is not popular due to its low germination rate. In addition, it can be difficult to find high-quality planting material. However, if you pay attention to a number of features of the upcoming event, then planting from seeds can be made successful. It is advisable to spend it at the end of autumn. A high percentage of germination when seed-planted in open ground is seen in warm, southern regions. In mid-latitudes, it is better to plant seeds for seedlings.

In order for the germination process to be fast and efficient, the seeds lend themselves to preliminary stratification. In this case, it is important to mix the planting material with wet sawdust and place it in the refrigerator for a period of 2-3 weeks. Then the seeds are planted on seedlings. It is better to implement such an action at the end of February. At the same time, it is important to understand that flowering will begin only after 2-3 years, and not earlier.

Choosing a soil composition, give preference to land with a high peat content. It must be pre-moistened, and the seeds must be sown superficially, without deepening. The container with the landing should be covered with glass and moved to a place with good lighting. From time to time it is ventilated and sprayed with water. When two true leaves appear, the seedlings can be dived into separate containers, guided by some rules.

Features of planting gelenium in open ground

Planting grown seedlings that were planted for seedlings, you can start at the end of spring... Preference should be given to well-lit areas where the soil composition is neutral in acidity and high nutrient content.

In shaded conditions, only varieties with yellow inflorescences grow well. Low-growing seedlings are recommended to be placed at a distance of 35 centimeters from each other, and tall ones 70-75 centimeters.

Before planting a seedling in open ground, the earth must be carefully dug up and fed with organic fertilizers. In their capacity, you can use humus or compost. If the soil is too heavy, you can stir it with sand. Then you should carefully remove the plant from the container, lowering the roots in water for a few minutes. The next stage involves planting planting material in a permanent place. It is important to thoroughly mulch the soil with peat, observing the correct concentration. Despite its unpretentious nature, the autumn helenium flower requires comfortable lighting, temperature and humidity.

Autumn Gelenium: features of caring for a perennial flower in the open field

If you look at the photo of autumn helenium, it is easy to guess that such a plant looks really very beautiful and elegant.At the same time, there are no special difficulties in caring for such a flower at home, therefore growing it yourself is easy enough... The main thing is to take into account a few basic tips and adhere to the established rules.

Competent care of shrubs in the open field consists of watering, feeding, weeding and loosening the soil. It is known that helenium is a moisture-loving representative of the tropical flora, so it is better to water it at least twice a week. During dry and hot weather, the intensity of the procedure is increased up to once a day. Moreover, each watering should be accompanied by loosening of the soil. At this stage, you need to be very careful and try not to damage the rhizome. When grown in acidic soil, it must be limed before planting.

So that the end result meets all expectations, and the planted flower is lush and beautiful, helenium is fed to the formative pruning... Here it is enough to cut off a few side shoots in mid-June. At the same time, in the spring, you need to pinch the tops of the helenium. In addition, every three years, the bushes are divided and planted separately, otherwise the rate of their aging will increase significantly. As for tall varieties, they require a garter to different supports.

Features of fertilization and feeding

It is necessary to feed a perennial plant with all kinds of fertilizers in May. For the procedure, use the following solution:

1 tablespoon of urea
1 tablespoon potassium sulfate
1 tablespoon of ready-made Effekton fertilizer;
A bucket of water;

About four liters of such a solution should be poured onto a square meter of territory.

Re-feeding can be carried out during the flowering period. Here, a solution based on slurry, a tablespoon of the Agricola-Fantasia top dressing and the same amount of Agricola-7 diluted with a bucket of water shows itself well.

Third feeding will become a beneficial action after flowering ends, in early October. When choosing a fertilizer, it is better to give preference to preparations based on superphosphate and potassium sulfate. During the budding period, foliar feeding is excellent, which is carried out with the help of growth stimulants available in specialized stores. With the correct implementation of such an event, the flower can become truly lush, beautiful and unique.

Gelenium pests and diseases

The unpretentious nature and strong immunity allows helenium to withstand many misfortunes and diseases. However, some of them still pose a great danger to him. For example, you can take chrysanthemum nematode, the vital activity of which is accompanied by damage to leaves and flower buds. You need to deal with such a problem quickly and radically, cutting off and burning the affected areas. Preventive measures include adding a small amount of hydrated lime to the soil composition. If we are talking about the prevention of fungal diseases, it is enough to provide the flower with competent watering and not overdo it with moisture.

The high moisture content in the soil contributes to the rapid reproduction of fungal microorganisms and the formation of putrefactive processes. Be careful and try to properly care for the plant in order to prevent such irreparable consequences.

Gelenium in combination with other plants

In the form of bouquets, the helenium flower looks very elegant... This is confirmed by the numerous photos that are offered on the Internet. The combination of helenium with asters and chrysanthemums looks very beautiful. However, it is possible to cut a suitable plant only after the final opening of the buds. If the procedure is done too early, the flowers may not be able to bloom in the water.

Certain varieties are in good contact with:

purple asters,
delphinium,
dahlias,
stonecrop.

When grown outdoors, it is advisable to plant a plant with marigolds, goldenrod, phlox and garden yarrow. Also, a perennial flower goes well with white flowers.

When decorating landscaping in the garden, helenium can be a worthy decoration for ponds, fences or outbuildings. With its help, many gardeners effectively hide any relief defects or characteristic irregularities. Often, several plant varieties are planted on the same territory at once, which differ in flowering time and beauty. In this case, it will be possible to admire the excellent green "friend" for a very long time, from spring to late autumn.

When the flower stalks finally fade, they can be removed, and then the suitable planting material can be removed from the seed pods. If you want to grow some unique variety, it is not recommended to use the seed technique. In addition, such an action requires certain skills and difficulties.

It is better to collect seeds before the onset of prolonged autumn rains.so that they do not have time to rot. The first sign of final ripening is presented in the form of the appearance of a blackened center of the flower and dark petals. The collected planting material is recommended to be placed in a cool, dark place.

If you pay attention to such recommendations and follow the advice of professionals, your perennial helenium will look even more beautiful than in the photo. It is important to understand that despite the hardy immunity and picky nature, an exotic plant requires proper care and attention. Given these nuances, you will be happy with the end result.

> Plant Gelenium

It is believed that the Gelenium owes its name to Elena, the wife of Menelaus. It was because of her that the war broke out between Troy and Greece, which we learned about from Homer's Iliad. Further talk will go on about what varieties of helenium are, about planting and caring for this flower in the open field, about methods of reproduction and cultivation.

Gelenium: varieties and varieties

Gelenium has more than 30 species, but only five of them have been domesticated.

Gelenium Bigelow. In culture, it is found less often of all types. Its stems are straight, reaching 80 cm in height. Blossom in early summer with brown or yellow flowers up to 6 cm in diameter.
Gelenium Bigelow
Spring Gelenium. Straight stems of this species can grow up to 1 m, bright orange or brown flowers are 7 cm in diameter. Spring helenium blooms from mid-May.
Spring Gelenium
Gelenium Gupesa. Another tall species. It can reach 90 cm. Long inflorescences are up to 9 cm in diameter and are yellow in color. Flowering lasts from early to mid-summer.
Gelenium Gupesa
Autumn Gelenium. The most popular of the cultivated species. Strong tall stems of this species reach more than one and a half meters in height, inflorescences are represented by baskets up to 30 cm, consisting of medium-sized (up to 5 cm) flowers. Shades come in different tones of yellow and reddish. Autumn helenium blooms for two months from mid-summer.
Autumn Gelenium
Helenium is hybrid. This species includes gelenium varieties that are not related to the above.

The most popular varieties of helenium are:

helenium "Rubintswerg" - a bush reaching 65 cm in height with baskets in ruby-red tones, blooming from the end of July;
Gelenium "Rubintswerg"
"Cockade" - 120 cm bush, with baskets 4.5 cm in diameter and inflorescences of different shades (red and brown flowers have yellow edges, and in the center a pronounced red core) blooming from mid-summer to mid-September;
Gelenium "Cockade"
"Moerheim Beauty" is the most common variety, the flowers of which initially have different shades (from copper-yellow to red), but gradually all acquire a red-brown color, differs in long flowering from July to November.
"Moerheim Beauty"

Numerous photos of this plant will help you choose a variety of helenium for your garden.

Planting a plant

Gelenium prefers sunny areas, although some varieties can be grown in partial shade. Also make sure that the soil is fertile, for this, dig up the future garden bed with humus and mineral fertilizers.

Planting helenium seeds is a common and quite effective way. In the northern regions, it is recommended to sow seeds for seedlings, while in the southern regions, helenium can be sown directly into open ground.

Helenium seedlings are planted in February. Seeds are sown in boxes with prepared soil, and when the first three leaves appear, the seedlings dive. Planting in open ground should be no more than 4-5 bushes per square meter. m., because helenium has a fairly large root system that requires a lot of space for full development.

Choose a sunny spot in your garden for your Gelenium

The recess for helenium seedlings should be twice the size of the root ball. Beforehand, the root must be held in water for 5-7 minutes so that it is saturated with moisture. Planting depth should be the same as the plant was in the pot or seedling box. After all the seedlings are planted, mulch the soil with peat or humus.

Already in the second year, the plants grown in this way will begin to bloom.

Helenium is sown in open ground in March or early April. The land for the flower bed should be well fertilized with organic fertilizers. After sowing the seeds, the flowerbed must be covered with foil or glass.

Attention. Do not forget to ventilate your bed with helenium.

You can also sow seeds in open ground for the winter.

Helenium care

Growing and caring for helenium is simple if you follow just a few rules:

Watering. The first and basic rule of care is sufficient and timely watering. Gelenium does not tolerate dry soils. Watering helenium is necessary often, especially during dry seasons.

It is very important to water the helenium in a timely manner.

Advice. For gelenium, it is best to use drip irrigation.

Loosening. Despite all his love for watering, helenium does not like too wet soil. Make sure that the soil is well drained, and do shallow loosening and mulching.

Shelter for the winter. As winter approaches, the plant must be protected from frost. To do this, the stems are cut, leaving only 10 cm from the ground and covered with sawdust, spruce branches or special material. So in the case of a snowless or frosty winter, your plant can easily endure bad weather.

Advice. In order for the helenium to bloom for a long time and magnificently, remove those inflorescences that have already faded. And pinching the top will make your bush thicker and more branchy.

Fertilization and feeding

During the summer season, helenium needs feeding and application of organic and mineral fertilizers three times:

The first feeding is carried out in May: 1 tbsp. l. urea, 1 tbsp. l. potassium sulfate, 1 tbsp. l. Dilute the Effekton fertilizer in 10 liters of warm clean water. For 1 sq. m it is necessary to apply at least 3 liters of fertilizer.
Feed the crop several times per season
The second feeding is carried out when the helenium begins to bloom. For 10 liters of water, you will need 1 tbsp. l. Agricola 7 and Agricola Fantasy and 1 liter of liquid mullein. For each square. m beds need up to 3 liters of such a mixture.
At the end of October, the third feeding is carried out. In 10 liters of water, it is necessary to dilute 1 tbsp. l. superphosphate and potassium sulfate and add at least 5 liters per sq. m.

Reproduction of helenium

The helenium bush is actually a bunch of individual, self-sufficient plants. Like most perennial plants, the stems of helenium live only one season. The main feature of gelenium is that, unlike other perennials, the root collar also dies off by the end of the season.But by this time, the renewal buds have already formed small rosettes at the stem, which continue to grow in the new season.

The easiest way to reproduce helenium is to divide the bush.

Due to this growth feature, vegetative is considered the best way of reproduction of helenium. The bush itself is divided into sockets, which you just need to plant in the place you need. You need to divide the bush at least once every three years, because by that time it has formed up to 30 new plants.

In addition, propagation by rooting cuttings can be carried out in the summer.

Diseases and pests

Diseases and parasites, as a rule, are not terrible for helenium. Only from time to time your flowers can be attacked by a chrysanthemum nematode. It damages leaves and flower buds and causes them to dry out. The only method of dealing with an already existing problem is to cut and burn the affected areas. If these pests have already appeared in your garden somewhere, then it is best to take precautions and add slaked lime or ground sulfur to the soil under the helenium.

Gelenium is resistant to disease

Gelenium in combination with other plants

Gelenium in the beds is well adjacent to almost all perennials that love sunny places and abundant watering. However, it should be remembered that helenium is a rather tall flower, therefore, for some light-loving plants, it can create an unwanted shadow.

Gelenium combined with daylily

Gelenium in landscape design

In landscape design, gelenium is often used to mask unaesthetic fences and buildings, since two-meter tall bushes can easily hide flaws.

Most often, geleniums are planted in the background of flower beds along with other autumn flowers, such as delphinium, rudbeckia.

Monochromatic flower beds look good in which marigolds, garden species of yarrow, goldenrod, and geyher are combined with helenium. Low-growing varieties of helenium are used for framing borders. But in this case, the bushes need to be divided more often and given the necessary shape. Feel free to experiment, check out the photos that will help you determine the place for the helenium in your garden.

Gelenium in landscape design

These flowers are good not only in landscape design, but also in cut. But it must be remembered that already blossoming geleniums are cut off, because the buds do not open in water. Surprise your teacher by presenting her with a bouquet of bright geleniums instead of the usual asters and gladioli.

Many beginners, and sometimes even experienced gardeners, do not take up the planting of helenium, mistakenly believing that this beautiful flower is difficult and very whimsical to care for. And thus they deprive their garden of wonderful warm flowers that preserve the sunny island of blooming summer until the deepest autumn.

Gelenium on a personal plot: video

Varieties of gelenium: photo