Gelenium is a herbaceous plant with beautiful flowers similar to multi-colored daisies. They have bright bent petals and a very swollen, lush core. The beauty of the plant is compared with the most beautiful Elena, on whose behalf it got its name. Gelenium flower belongs to the family Aster. Its homeland is the west of North America. Today, there are many types and decorative varieties of amazing beauty that make it possible to turn the garden into a continuous diverse flower garden. Observing the simple rules of care, it will be possible to quickly achieve sprawling thickets and lush flowering.
Plant description
Gelenium is a genus of annual or perennial crops with herbaceous shoots 80-170 cm high. Shoots branch in the upper part. Along their entire length are dark green oblong or lanceolate leaves. They are sitting on the stem next. Smooth and shiny foliage is 3-7 cm in length.
The aerial part of even perennial gelenium annually dies along with the rhizome. Only growth buds are preserved inside the old rhizomes. The next year they revive the lush bush.
Flowering in different species differs in time. There are early and late varieties. Most geleniums bloom in July-September. Each flower is actually a basket shaped inflorescence. It is framed by long corrugated bracts, painted in yellow, orange, pink, red or purple. Reed and tubular flowers are located in the core. In autumn, fruits ripen - achenes with an air crest (pappus).
Types of Gelenium
The genus includes about 40 basic species and many decorative varieties. Here is some of them:
Gelenium is autumn. A perennial plant with an upright, slightly branched stem in the upper part reaches a height of 50-130 cm. The dark green surface of the stem is weakly pubescent with a short pile. On the shoots, lanceolate hairy leaves with a serrated edge are again located. In August, flowers on thin, bare peduncles bloom at the ends of the shoots. Ovoid yellow bracts up to two cm long surround the lush, high core. After pollination, light brown crested achenes mature up to 2 mm long. Varieties:
- Altgold - a bush up to 90 cm high blooms golden brown flowers with a diameter of up to 4 cm;
- Bruno - a plant up to 60 cm tall blooms with red-brown baskets;
- Butterpat - tall slender bushes bloom in large golden flowers.
Gelenium hybrid. Under this name, a whole group of decorative hybrid varieties is collected, which bloom in July. The most interesting of them:
- Rothout - on branched shoots 120 cm high, baskets with a diameter of 4-5 cm open, they have red-brown petals and a yellow-brown core;
- Cockade - over the bush in height of 1.2 m in July there are many baskets with red-brown petals and a tan core.
Gelenium spring. Upright, slightly branched stems grow to a height of 90-100 cm. They are covered with regular lanceolate leaves. Already in May, the first large orange-yellow baskets with a diameter of up to 7 cm open.
Gelenium Hoop. Rhizome perennials up to 90 cm high consist of direct bright green shoots branched at the top. The stems are covered with oblong or lanceolate dense foliage of gray-green color. Single inflorescences with a diameter of 8-9 cm are located on long bare peduncles. A flattened wide core is painted bright yellow and is framed by golden narrow petals. Flowering occurs in June-July and lasts more than a month.
Breeding
Gelenium can be propagated by seed and division of bushes. Seeds are sown for seedlings, as they are characterized by low germination. Prepare for sowing seeds begin almost immediately after harvest. They are subjected to cold stratification for 1-1.5 months. To do this, mix the seeds with the ground, place in a container covered with a film, and store in the refrigerator.
In February, covered containers are transferred to a well-lit place with room temperature. Shoots appear after 14-20 days. After that, the shelter is removed. Seedlings are grown in a well-lit place with an air temperature of +18 ... + 22 ° C. With the advent of three true leaves, seedlings are dived into separate peat pots. Landing in the open ground is carried out at the end of April, when a stable warm temperature is established.
Even the largest bush of gelenium is a lot of separate plants, because each stem ends with its own rhizome. Division can be carried out in mid-autumn or late spring. You need to dig a bush, disassemble it into smaller parts with your hands and plant it in new planting pits.
Some gardeners practice the propagation of gelenium by cuttings. In April-June, strong shoots 10-12 cm long are cut with a knife, treated with Kornevin and rooted in water or in moist sandy peat soil. The cuttings are covered with a cap, regularly ventilated and sprayed. The appearance of roots is indicated by young shoots. After this, the plants can be planted in open ground.
Landing and seat selection
Gelenium should be planted in a well-lit place or in partial shade. The best time to plant in the open ground is the beginning of June. The soil should be nutritious and light. It is necessary to choose a composition with neutral acidity. Too acidic soils add lime.
Even before planting, it is recommended to carefully dig the earth, break up large clods and make compost. Planting pits make twice as deep as the rhizomes of seedlings. The roots of each plant are previously dipped in water for several minutes. The distance between the flowers should be 30-40 cm. For high varieties it is increased to 70 cm. After planting, the soil should be tamped and mulled with peat. In the first year, plants grow green mass and form a thick leafy rosette. Flowering begins no earlier than the second year.
Care for Gelenium
Caring for Gelenium in open ground comes down to watering, weeding and fertilizing. Lush bushes with bright flowers do not cause much trouble to the owners. However, plants are very fond of water. Water them several times a week. In intense heat daily. At the same time, water should be easily absorbed into the soil, and not stagnate at the roots. In order for air to penetrate the roots of the plant, it is necessary to periodically loosen the earth, breaking the crust on the surface of the soil.
Regular pruning is necessary to form a beautiful lush bush. As the shoot grows, pinch to stimulate branching. Immediately after wilting, the flowers need to be removed, then after a while the flowering will resume. Large bushes can lie down from strong gusts of wind and rain, so it is recommended to tie them up.
Every 3-4 years, a strongly overgrown plant is divided into parts. In autumn, all dried vegetation is cut to the ground, and the roots are insulated with fallen leaves, moss and sawdust to a height of about 10 cm.
Geleniums are resistant to plant diseases and pests. Only in rare cases are they affected by a chrysanthemum nematode. Prevention from parasites is regular liming of the soil.
Garden use
Tall lush bushes with large and bright flowers will not leave you indifferent. Such a plant should occupy central positions in the flower garden or be located in solo group plantings in the middle of the lawn. Low-growing varieties are used to frame flower beds, as well as in mixborders. Dolphiniums, asters, marigolds, stonecrops, verbena, geyhera and phloxes will be the best flower garden neighbors for gelenium.
Gelenium can also be used to make bouquets. However, the buds on the cut shoots will no longer open. A fully blossomed plant will stand in a vase for a long time.
