Heliotrope: planting and care, types and varieties

Planting and caring for autumn helenium in the ground

Having received good and healthy seedlings of autumn helenium, you can start transplanting it into open ground. Also, sowing seeds directly to a permanent place is not excluded.

It is only important to observe in both cases the planting dates and all care requirements.

Recommended timing

Planting of seedlings of autumn helenium is carried out from late May to early June, depending on climatic conditions

At the same time, it is important that the earth is well warmed up.

If the seeds are sown directly into open ground, then this can be done in late autumn in the second half of October and early November. And also spring sowing is not excluded - in April-May.

Important! Sowing seeds in the fall is preferable, as it allows the planting material to undergo natural stratification.

Site selection and soil preparation

There are no special requirements for choosing a place for planting autumn helenium, but still it is worth considering the following:

good illumination of the site, partial shade is acceptable;
protection from through winds.

The soil, on the other hand, should be neutral or slightly acidic, not depleted and well permeable to air.

Before planting, the site must be dug up, removing all weeds. Then organic fertilizers (compost) are applied. If the soil is acidic, then lime should be added to it.

Landing algorithm

The algorithm for sowing seeds and planting seedlings of autumn helenium in open ground consists in the following actions:

In the prepared soil, shallow grooves (1-2 cm deep) are first made at a distance of 25 cm from each other.
Gelenium seeds are evenly distributed into the grooves and lightly sprinkled with a layer of sand.
Water the planted area abundantly.
As soon as the water is completely absorbed into the soil, mulching is performed with a thin layer of peat or humus.
The bed is covered with a film, which is removed daily for ventilation and removal of condensation.

When planting seedlings, they are seated on the garden bed taking into account the distance from each other 15-25 cm. Ideally, 1 sq. m there should be no more than 4 helenium bushes.

Watering and feeding schedule

Autumn Gelenium requires frequent and abundant watering, as it can hardly tolerate drought. Irrigation is especially necessary in the summer, despite the fact that the plant blooms closer to autumn.

It should also be borne in mind that the stagnation of moisture in the root zone is detrimental to the plant, therefore it is advisable to provide for the presence of drainage during planting.

The autumn helenium also needs feeding, as well as watering. It is fertilized at least 3 times per season:

spring feeding, it is produced in early May by watering the plant with a nitrogen-containing fertilizer (for example, a solution of urea with water in a ratio of 20 g per 10 l);
the second feeding, it is carried out at the stage of budding with the use of mineral complex fertilizers (such preparations as Agricola-7 or Agricola-Fantasy are suitable) they are diluted with 10 liters of water and 1 liter of cow dung;
autumn feeding, it is performed at the end of October to strengthen the plant for the winter period (in this case, a solution of potassium sulfate and superphosphate, 20 g each with 10 liters of water, is suitable).

Loosening, weeding, mulching

In order to avoid the accumulation of water, after each watering of the helenium, it is imperative to loosen the soil. This procedure is also necessary for the plant's root system to be more oxygenated.

At the time of loosening, it is worth weeding at the same time so that weeds do not drown out the growth of autumn helenium.

To reduce the evaporation of moisture from the soil and reduce the number of weeds, you can mulch the root zone of the plant.Dry peat or sawdust should be used as mulch.

Pruning and maintenance during flowering

Autumn Gelenium needs regular pruning. This will preserve its beautiful shape and dense greenery. Pruning is also necessary due to the fact that at the end of flowering, the stems begin to die off and dry out, so they need to be removed. Do this by leaving at least 15 cm on the surface.

Attention! To prolong the flowering of autumn helenium, dried buds should be cut throughout the entire period.

Reproduction

It occurs in several ways and involves the participation of cuttings and the mother plant in the process, or is carried out with the help of seeds.

Cuttings

The upper part of the shoot is removed, cut off. Remove the leaves (last). The slice is treated with a powder stimulant. It will help the heliotrope to form roots faster. It is advisable to place the cutting in a peat mixture, and then transplant the plant into a pot with a substrate or transfer the planting to the site.

Seeds

Propagating a flower with seeds, collecting them yourself, is unlikely to succeed. But you can purchase planting material. It is germinated in the standard way.

Growing seedlings

In our climate, due to its specificity, the seeds do not have time to ripen. Therefore, preference is given to material sold in stores. If you take seeds for planting from friends, then their germination is unlikely to please. But even if the seeds germinate, the bushes will have different heights. Such plants on the site look out of place.

Landing dates

If you decide to plant a flower and grow it from a seed, then choose the material carefully. It is better to start germinating seeds at the end of February. When the flower sprouts, it is planted under a film or in open ground.

From the moment of planting to the beginning of flowering of heliotrope, 3-4 months pass. If you are planting in open ground, then keep the flowers at home until the temperature in the region stabilizes. Heliotrope loves warmth, so it is better to plant it in early May. But here a lot depends on the temperature characteristics of the climate.

Selection and preparation of seed

When selecting seeds, adhere to the following rules:

pay attention to the appearance of the planting material - there should be no rot, signs of mold on the seeds;
damp planting material is unlikely to be suitable.

It is better to purchase a package of seeds in a specialized store. You can collect seeds yourself, but there may be problems with germination.

How to plant

The correct planting material is part of the success. Another component is a soil mixture, which you can prepare yourself, just mix it:

Ripe humus.
Peat and sand (in varying proportions).

You can buy land in the store, such a substrate is suitable for planting seeds. But it is better to treat the soil with a strong solution of potassium permanganate before planting (just rinse it).

If you do not germinate seeds, then planting a crop, adhering to the following rules:

moisten the soil;
fill the seeds with 1-2 millimeters of soil;
cover the box or container with plastic wrap;
keep the temperature at 19-20 degrees.

Shoots will appear in 1-3 weeks, at this moment the film is removed, and the boxes are placed on a light windowsill. If after the specified time the seeds have not sprouted, then the planting material is removed, the containers are thrown away, preferably together with the soil.

Temperature and light conditions

Heliotrope loves warmth and light. Therefore, seedlings are grown at a temperature of 22-25 degrees. If there is not enough light, then use special lamps.

Picking

When 2-3 leaves appear on the plant, it is transplanted into a separate container, after watering the soil and carefully loosening it. When the flower reaches a height of 10 centimeters, pinch the growth point so that lateral shoots appear.Transplanting into the ground is carried out when warm weather sets in on the street, frosts that can destroy the culture will be excluded. It is advisable to perform manipulations at the end of May, beginning of June.

Hardening

The flower loves warmth, therefore, it is better to harden the seeds, process them with a solution of potassium permanganate. Introduce growth stimulants. It is not recommended to expose seedlings to low temperatures - this can lead to its death.

Watering

Heliotrope loves moisture, it will have to be watered often, but at the same time the plant does not tolerate stagnant water in the area. To prevent the roots of the bush from rotting, take care of the drainage system.

Top dressing

They are fed with any mineral fertilizer, the procedure is carried out after the prepared seedlings are planted in the ground or greenhouse. Top dressing is repeated after 14 days, and is carried out during the growing season in order to optimize the process.

Plant varieties

In botany, several varieties of Heycherell are known, which differ in the size of the bush, the color of the foliage and their size. The sheet plates are decorative. They can be purple, green, red, crimson. The inflorescences do not attract rave glances. Most often they are modest, elongated paniculate shapes, include cute bells.

The varieties worthy of the attention of flower growers are:

• "Mint Frost" - a plant with silvery green foliage.

• "Bridget Bloom" - a bush with green foliage and coral flowers.

• "Honey rose" - a plant with red-green leaves.

• "Buttered rum" - a bush with an orange-green color of foliage, which becomes a burgundy color closer to autumn.

• Rosalie is a compact shrub with yellow-green foliage, which changes to green-brown in autumn.

• "Solar Eclipse" - a variety with carved leaves in burgundy tones and a green border along the edge.

• "Hopscotch" - large leaf plates, in variegated red-yellow-green tones.

• "Stoplight" - a bush with green-brown leaves and bright red veins.

• "Golden Zebra" is a compact purple-light green bush with snow-white flowers.

• "Tapestri" - a variety with green foliage and inflorescences consisting of small pink flowers.

• "Brass Lantern" - a bush with red-brown foliage, which have peach-colored edges.

Workers-breeders do not stop at the achieved results and continue to work on obtaining new varieties of Heycherell.

Diseases and pests

Diseases are not too formidable for Heycherella. She is afraid only of brown spot and powdery mildew. The disease spreads from nearby damaged plants or as a result of improperly organized watering.

If a whitish bloom is found on foliage and shoots, heycherella should be treated for powdery mildew. The bush can be cured with the help of fungicidal preparations.

If brown or brown spots are found on the foliage, the plant is sick with brown spot. Excessive moisture is the cause of the disease. To save Heycherella, it will be necessary to treat the bush with copper-containing preparations, such as Bordeaux mixture, "Hom".

To prevent sunburn on foliage, abundant watering is carried out in the hot summer in the morning and evening. You can also organize an openwork shelter for the bushes, so as not to overdo it with liquid and not provoke its stagnation.

Weevils, slugs and caterpillars can encroach on the delicate green foliage.

For slugs, hydrated lime is used, which is used to treat the nearest surface of the soil from the plant. Traps are also prepared on slugs. They are known to be active in the morning or evening hours, avoiding the heat. For them, a board, slate fragments, etc. are laid out on the site. At lunchtime, the shelter is raised and a rich "crop" of pests, sheltered from the sun's rays, is collected.

Weevils can harm the heycherella. If the top of the bush begins to wither, you can suspect that these insects have damaged the roots.Sawdust with creolin, which are scattered around the bush, will help get rid of them. 5 liters of water will require 1 sl. A spoonful of creolin. Sawdust is soaked in this solution and distributed around the plant.

Popular varieties

There are several varieties that are popular with summer residents and are widely cultivated in our country.

Marine

It is widespread, will decorate the area with small inflorescences of a dark purple hue. Dark green leaves also look decorative. The bushes bloom until cold weather, filling the area with a wondrous aroma.

Regal Dwarf

Compact bushes will surprise the gardener, but even more - the ability of flowers to change color during the growing season. Initially, the buds have a pink tint, and when they bloom, they turn white.

White Lady

Compact bushes with white or pale pink inflorescences will decorate the site. During the growing season, small buds form on the plant.

Black Beauty

Will delight the gardener with a pronounced aroma of vanilla and large, purple-purple flowers, located on a hard stem.

Sea breeze

It is planted on borders, decorates them with blue flowers, which form large, shield inflorescences. Grows up to 45 centimeters in height. The scent contains notes of freshness.

Helios blue

A medium-sized plant, 25-30 centimeters high, decorated with blue-purple inflorescences. Due to its modest size, it is often planted in pots. The variety is picky about the soil and requires careful maintenance.

Planting and leaving

Tree peony care simple, even a beginner in gardening can handle it. Carefully choose a planting place for flowers. The wrong growing area can lead to the death of a bush disease.

Selection of seedlings

Growing a tree peony from seeds is a laborious process. The first grains appear only at 2-3 years of age. Once collected, they must be stratified. To do this, they are kept in the refrigerator for 8 months. After planting, seedlings appear only the next year. This is due to the fact that peony seeds have a dense shell, so it is difficult to germinate them. Usually they use the division of the bush.

All seedlings in nurseries are signed with special tags so as not to get confused in varieties

Important! It is possible to propagate a shrub by dividing only for 6 years of vegetation.

Ready-made bushes are bought in nurseries from breeders

When choosing, pay attention to the following signs:

There should be no traces of rot on the shoots and roots.
They check the integrity of the trunk, it is better not to buy plants with slices.
The leaves of a young seedling should be healthy, dense, without spots and traces of disease.
The lower the bush, the younger it is.
They buy plants from trusted breeders who are licensed.

In the store, you can consult with a specialist who will tell you which variety is best to choose for the region and place of planting.

Seat selection and landing

Tree peonies are very sun-loving. They are planted in areas protected from the wind. For example, between trees, in flower beds near the entrance to the house. Plants prefer airy, loose soil with distant groundwater in a slightly acidic environment.

Planting a young peony is carried out according to a certain algorithm:

A deep 90 cm hole is prepared.
A drainage layer (expanded clay, crushed stone, broken brick) is laid at the bottom.
The excavated soil is mixed with peat and humus.
Wood ash and bone meal, sand, mineral fertilizers are added to the composition.
Plant roots are soaked in water for 30 minutes before planting.
They lower the bush into the hole, straighten all the roots.
Sprinkle the roots in layers, tamping each stage.
A trunk circle with a diameter of 25-30 cm is formed.
The peony is watered abundantly.
Mulch the hole with peat.

The top protective layer helps keep the roots from frost in winter and dry out in summer.

Planting is best done for the winter, during the dormant period the bush will have time to gain strength before summer

Watering

The tree peony tolerates drought well. Waterlogging is bad for development.It is better not to overfill the plant, this reduces immunity, contributes to infection with fungal diseases.

Abundant watering is carried out during the ovary of the buds. During the flowering period, watering is halved, and by the end of August it is completely stopped.

Important! Peonies are planted in elevated areas so that the roots do not reach the groundwater

Top dressing

Treelike peonies are fertilized annually. This is necessary to maintain the health of the bush. Top dressing increases immunity. They are held every year several times a season:

In the spring, add 1 tsp. nitrogen and potassium at the root.
During the budding period add 2 tsp. nitrogen and 1 tsp. potassium.
After pruning, 20 g of phosphorus and 1 g of potassium are added for the winter.

An excess of nitrogen has a detrimental effect on flower development. It is added strictly according to the instructions. Peonies take natural fertilizers well. Fresh manure cannot be used, it contains a high concentration of nitrogen.

Types and varieties of gelenium with photos and names

Despite the fact that this genus is represented by about 32 species, only 5 of them are cultivated. Below is a description of the most popular species.

Helenium bigelovii

This species has received the least distribution in culture. It comes from the West of North America. The height of straight shoots is about 0.8 m. Whole leaf plates have a lanceolate shape. The diameter of the baskets is about 6 centimeters, the middle (tubular) flowers are brown, and the reed ones are yellow. Bloom is observed in June and July.

Spring Helenium (Helenium vernalis)

The height of straight shoots is about 100 centimeters. Solid sheet plates are lanceolate. The diameter of the inflorescences is about 7 centimeters. Tubular flowers are brown in color, and reed flowers are orange. Flowering lasts about 4 weeks from the second half of May.

Helenium hoopesii

It reaches a height of 0.9 m. Solid greenish-gray leaf plates have a lanceolate shape. On long peduncles there are single baskets, which can reach from 8 to 9 centimeters in diameter, they are colored yellow. Flowering is observed in June or July.

Helenium autumnale

This kind most popular... It is grown by many gardeners and is also the basis for a large number of varieties. Powerful ligneous shoots can reach a height of 1.6 m, small leaf plates have a serrated edge. The diameter of the baskets is from 3 to 5 centimeters, they are part of inflorescences of corymbose shape in diameter, which reach 30 centimeters. Reed flowers can be yellow or reddish yellow, tubular flowers are dark yellow. Flowering lasts 8 weeks from July to September.

Helenium hybrid (Helenium x hybridum)

This species is modular, it combines forms of undetermined origin. However, the original species of these plants is autumn helenium.

The most popular are:

Gelenium Rubintsverg (Ruby Gnome). This variety is the most popular. The height of a dense bush is about 0.65 m. The color of the inflorescences is ruby. The beginning of flowering is observed in the last days of July. This variety can be easily confused with the Rosie Jam variety.
Cockade. Bushes reach 1.2 m in height. The diameter of the inflorescences-baskets is about 4.5 centimeters. The tubular flowers are brownish-yellow, the ligulate flowers are brownish-red, the edge is yellow, but towards the center they become more red. Flowering lasts 6 weeks and begins in August.
Moerheim Beauty. This variety is the most popular. The peculiarity of such a plant is that the blossoming flowers have different colors, namely: yellow, copper, red, golden, and after opening they turn brownish-red. The height of the plant depends on the quality of the soil and can vary from 0.9 to 1.2 m. Flowering is observed in July-November.

Gelenium, Brad Pitt and the Rich Bride

4. Varieties:

4.1. Heliotrope tree or Peruvian - Heliotropium peruvianum

Perennial evergreens from 30 to 45 cm high. Leaves are green, broadly lanceolate, covered with a large network of branched veins recessed into leaf plates. The leaf blades are glossy, covered with slight pubescence, with short petioles. The flowers are small, bright, collected at the tops of the stems in large inflorescences in shades of lavender, purple, white, lilac or blue.

4.2.Heliotrope pubescent - Heliotropium dasycarpum

Herbaceous plant with erect, thin, profusely branching stems. Leaves are small, dark green, pubescent, glossy, lanceolate. The leaf veins are sunk deep into the leaf surface. At the tops of the shoots, multi-flowered spikes with small white or lilac flowers are formed.

4.3. European heliotrope - Heliotropium europaeum

Perennial herb with thick, pubescent, profusely branched stems at the base. Leaves are oblong, oval or lanceolate, soft, on short petioles, green or bluish-green. The leaf blades are slightly pubescent, with pronounced, deep veins. During the flowering period, the plant adorns itself with long inflorescences, consisting of many small, white or lilac, funnel-shaped flowers with a yellow center and 5 rounded petals.

4.4.Heliotrope hybrid - Heliotropium Hibridium

A plant with profusely branching stems on which soft, pubescent, lanceolate or spear-shaped leaves are located. The surface of the leaf blades is glossy, covered with slight pubescence. Flowering is very abundant and long lasting. Small lilac, blue, white, purple flowers collected in large inflorescences on the tops of the shoots.

After flowering

When the growing season is over, you can begin preparing the crop for winter. Some gardeners start collecting planting material.

Collection and storage of seeds

If you still decide to try to collect planting material, then adhere to the following rules:

We'll have to wait for the flowers to wither and the leaves to dry out.
Then start looking for bolls filled with seeds.
It is advisable to store the planting material in a dry place at room temperature.

Self-collection of planting material rarely allows you to get seeds suitable for planting.

Preparing for winter

You can save a flower only if:

dig up its maternal part, do it before the onset of cold weather;
plant it in a pot and take care of it during the winter (water, loosen the soil);
in the spring it will be possible to use cuttings for planting heliotrope on the site.

2. Growing in the open field

Most often, heliotrope is pre-sown with seeds for seedlings and the finished bushes are taken out into open ground in the second half of May - early June, when the threat of recurrent frosts has passed.

Before planting, the seedlings can be hardened for several days, leaving the bushes for several hours in the open air, gradually increasing the time spent outdoors.

For disembarkation, a well-lit, flat area, closed from strong gusts of wind, is selected. Shady and too humid places are not suitable for planting heliotrope - for example, located near water bodies or simply in a lowland.

Previously, a large amount of organic matter is added to the ground in the form of peat, leaf humus or well-rotted manure.

If the soil on the site is too heavy, then to loosen it, you can add a small amount of coarse-grained river sand and put a small drainage layer from it on the bottom of the planting holes.

Plants are transferred by the transfer method - they are carefully removed from the cups, slightly crushing their walls with fingertips and planted in planting holes, keeping a whole earthen lump.

When planting, the distance between plants is maintained from 30 to 50 cm, depending on the variety.

After planting, the soil around the bushes is carefully tamped, and the plants are watered abundantly.

In the future, caring for adult plants in the open field will consist in timely watering, removing weeds, and fertilizing. Heliotrope is very responsive to any kind of dressing and will need to be fertilized regularly - about 2 times a month.

Plant bases can be mulched with sawdust, straw in order to retain moisture in the soil and prevent weeds from growing near flowering bushes.

In the garden, heliotrope can only be grown as an annual plant, since it does not tolerate the harsh Russian winters.

If you decide to leave this flower as a perennial, then it is transplanted in the middle of autumn into a pot and taken home, on the windowsill.

In the spring, after the last frost has receded, such plants can be re-planted in the garden or used for vegetative propagation cuttings cut from this bush.