Chrysanthemum - a beautiful garden flower , numbering more than 29 species and distributed throughout the planet, it requires compliance with certain conditions of planting, rearing and wintering. The latter especially applies to those gardeners who live in a cold climate, characterized by severe frosts and little snow. How to cover chrysanthemums for the winter - in this article.
Whether to cover chrysanthemums for the winter?
Of course, much will depend on the climate in this region and plant variety. For cultivation in temperate and northern latitudes, Korean chrysanthemum, which is good for winter hardiness, is suitable. In regions with warm winters it can even not be sheltered, it is enough to make hilling and sprinkle on top with dry leaves, shavings or other natural light and loose material. As soon as snow falls regularly, it is necessary to ensure that it necessarily covers the bushes of flowers.
Those who are interested in how to protect chrysanthemums from frosts, we must say that we need to prepare the plants for the cold even in late August and early September. During flowering, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are introduced into the soil, which will have a beneficial effect on the immunity of plants and will allow them to harden before frost. All bushes are checked for diseases. If they are, you need to take measures to heal flowers, and all dead, dry and sick shoots need to be removed. Shrubs must be bored so that there are no holes around them where water could stagnate, and after flowering shoots are cut to a height above the ground level of 10 cm.
How to cover chrysanthemums for the winter in the garden?
There are several ways using a variety of materials, here they are:
- Lay the bush with bricks laid on the rib, and cover it with a sheet of iron, slate, or planks. Such protection will prevent moisture and precipitation, as well as create a kind of ventilated corridor for flowers. With the advent of severe frosts, a piece of film should be pulled from above, and fix the hanging edges around the perimeter with bricks or earth. From above it is necessary to throw snow.
- Those who are interested, the better to cover chrysanthemums for the winter, you can advise to use a special material - lutrasil or spunbond. So that it does not sag under the weight of snow, you need to lay a couple of three branches under and over the bushes, which will keep the structure. You can pour more dry leaves or shavings, but it must be remembered that with a thaw the flowers can fade under such conditions. Cover material is fixed on the ground with the same bricks or stones.
- Transplant the bushes elsewhere. For this purpose, a trench 0.5 m wide and 70 cm deep is dug out. Before severe frost, ten centimeter pyenechka are excavated from the ground together with a clod of soil on the roots and in this form are laid in a trench. On the sides and on top you need to lay out dry leaves or straw. As soon as frosts become stable, the trench is covered with slate, roofing paper, boards or sheet iron. From above, this material is covered with a ten-centimeter layer of earth excavated from the trench. Experienced gardeners are advised to stick sticks into the cracks, which are removed during the thaw, so that air gets to the flowers, and they are not forbidden.
Some gardeners do not risk leaving the flowers to winter in the open ground and transplant them into buckets or pots, which are then placed in a cellar, cellar, barn or summer house. And most often in the presence of several different varieties combine several methods at once: dividing the bushes into three parts, one of which is transplanted into pots, the second left to winter in its place, and the third is laid in trenches. Thus, even if some part perishes, it will be possible to preserve the variety and ensure the growth of new flowers in the coming season.