Rules of growing helihrizum

When reading such a complex name as helihrizum, most likely, few people will understand exactly what kind of plant in question. But when the word "immortelle" such will be much more. The plant is famous for the fact that it does not fade for a long time, and from it you can make beautiful dried flowers, pleasing the eye in the winter season for several years. On the features of planting and caring for helihrizum in open ground, read our material.

Botanical description

In addition to the immortelle, the plant has a few more names: Cmin, gold flowers, zheltyanka, immortal. In the people he was nicknamed never-wind, zhivuchku, cat paws, unstable. Such a number of names clearly indicates that the plant is very popular and does not leave many indifferent.

Genus of helihrizum (Helichrysum) includes annual and perennial grassy erect or creeping plants, as well as shrubs and subshrubs. Enters into Astrov family or asteraceae.

Plants united in this genus are spread all over the world, and two continents consider them as their homeland: Africa and Australia.

There are about 500 species of immortelle, they cultivated about 30. They have such strong differences that it is very hard to believe that they belong to the same genus.

Stems in this plant, as a rule, strongly branched. Since among them there are both tall and ground cover specimens, the run in their length can be quite large - from 20 to 110 cm.

The leaves are whole, opposite or alternate, narrow, covered over the entire surface with fluff and wrapped edges downwards. Grow in length from three to seven centimeters.

The plant blooms with large or medium inflorescences in the form of baskets of various colors. Distantly flowers remind camomiles.Abundant flowering continues for three months - begins in June and ends in August, but in some areas it may bloom until October.

After ottsvetaniya fruits are formed in the form of seeds 1.6 mm long.

As we have already mentioned, helihrizum is often grown to be used in floristics in winter or dry bouquets, flower arrangements. Fresh flowers look very beautiful in beds and mixborders, on stony hills and in curbs, in rockeries and rock gardens. The best neighborhood for them are lavender, sage, chamomile, thyme, rosemary.

Also, the plant is used for therapeutic purposes. In traditional medicine, several drugs are presented that contain immortelle flowers, and in folk medicine there are many recipes for using this plant - mainly for preparing choleretic drugs. It is also known about its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial action.

Essential oil from immortelle is used in perfumery to create perfumes.

Varieties and varieties

Of the 30 types of helihrizum that are cultivated, the following are the most popular:

1. Helichrizum bract. This is a plant with a straight stem, about 80 cm tall and narrow leaves. It blooms with small flowers, tubular and reed, which are combined in a head covered with multi-row scales. It is characterized by a long flowering - from July to the first frost. Color depending on the variety of different. The most interesting are the varieties "Feuerball" (with red-brown flowers), "Violet" (dark red with a purple tinge), "White" (white), "Yellow" (yellow) and others.
2. Helihrizum coral. Groundcover variety with stems up to 25 cm. The leaves and flowers are very small. It blooms yellow. It can withstand low temperatures.
3. Helihrizum is margaritkovidny. Ground-cover plant growing to 8 cm, with small leaves and white inflorescences, very similar to chamomile.
4. Helichrizum albicans. Tall variety with stems up to 1.5 m in length. The leaves are large - up to 10 cm in length and up to 9 cm in width. The inflorescences are yellow in the center, surrounded by white or yellow bracts.
5. Helichrizum Italian. It has medium sized stems - up to 60 cm in height. Its leaves have a strong odor, vaguely reminiscent of curry seasoning. It blooms yellow. This variety is used in medicine, perfumery and even cooking.
6. Helichrizum Arenarium, or immortelle sandy. Plant with a simple and straight stem 30-40 cm in height. The leaves are small, about 2-6 cm. Blooms buds in the form of spherical baskets with a diameter of 4-6 mm. Each inflorescence consists of 10-30 tubular yellow or orange flowers. Used for decorative purposes, in medicine and as an insecticide.
7. Helihrizum mifovidovy. Beautiful undersized plant, forming a solid carpet. The flowers consist of tongue petals, pink on the outside and white on the inside. It is characterized by a long flowering - from late spring to mid-autumn.

Location

Helichrisum belongs to unpretentious cultures, but in order for it to please you with its long and abundant flowering, it is necessary to choose the composition of the soil and the place for its planting.

Place and light

Immortelle light-requiring. The area where he will comfortably grow should be well open to the sun's rays. However, it is not scary if a light shadow falls on it. Drought flower is not terrible.

Growing soil

The immortelle prefers fertile and light soil. Although it can grow in poorer soil, but not heavy clay. Optimal soils: black soil, loam, sandy loam. The main condition is the presence of good drainage, since the plant does not tolerate stagnant moisture. The soil should be neutral in acidity.

Growing from seed

The immortelle reproduces in three ways:

1. Seed.
2. Cuttings.
3. The division of the bush.

Seed method is the most common and simple. With the help of it propagated annual crops. At home, you can grow a helihrizum from seeds by direct sowing and seedling. It depends on the variety and variety of the plant.

Direct seeding

Seed preparation for this plant is not needed. Direct sowing is desirable to use only for ground cover varieties, since, as a rule, they are the most cold-resistant. Seeds are immediately sown on the selected site in the first 7-10 days of May. After the seedlings grow enough and become strong, they are thinned out so that the intervals between the stems are not less than 15 cm.

If you grow cmin in this way, then it will bloom in August.

Seedling method

Seedlings are sown on seedlings in late March - early April. Landing ground should be light. It can be prepared independently from one part of sand and one part of peat. You can also purchase a special seedling substrate at a flower shop.

Plants are planted, leaving 4 cm gaps between them.After planting, the soil is sprayed with water from a spray bottle. A container with planted seeds covered with glass or plastic wrap and put in a temperature of + 25-28 ° C. Shoots should be expected after about 10 days. Landings need to be watered and ventilated periodically. It is important to prevent the substrate from drying out.

After the shoots have risen, in two weeks they should be sufficiently strong and tall. It is time to pick into separate containers. As a rule, at this time the root system of young plants is already very strong, so it easily takes root in new conditions. The most important thing is timely watering. Dropped out seedlings for further growth can (but not necessarily) be placed in a greenhouse.

When planting a helihrizum in open soil when grown from seed by seedling, will depend on the region of growth. This usually happens in mid-May. However, you can also plant immortelle at the beginning of the month and at the end. The main thing is that there is no frost. The gaps between the bushes should be at least 25 cm. It is advisable to add some peat to the planting wells. If you grow cumin with seedlings, then flowering should be expected in the middle of summer.

Care for helihdrum

Care for immortelle is minimal. You can even do without it. However, it goes without saying that if you follow the plant, it will look better and blossom more abundantly and brighter.

Watering for immortelle recommended medium - the abundance of moisture, he does not accept. In hot weather, it is advisable to do this more often - it is better daily in small portions.

During the growing season, the plant will need to be fertilized once every two weeks. For feeding you can use any complex mineral or organic fertilizers. If possible, you can feed with water extract mullein.

Tall varieties will need to pinch. The procedure is carried out on the central shoot over its fifth or sixth leaf. Ground cover species do not need pinching.

An important condition for the care of helihrizum is timely cutting of faded blossoms and dry stems.Periodic weeding and loosening of the soil are also desirable.

Greater care will require perennials. In addition to all the above procedures, they will also need shelter for the winter (sawdust, lapnik, peat, dry leaves), since they are generally less cold-resistant than annuals. Usually they are dug up before winter, transplanted into pots and put into a room. In the spring they return to their former place. They need to water and feed more often. But they do not require pinching.

Other breeding methods

Perennial crops are propagated by vegetative means - dividing the bush and grafting. The division produced in the spring. Shrub should be dug and divided into parts with a sharp knife. The place where the knife remains is to be treated with charcoal, which will dry it well and will not let rot and infection develop. Immediately after the separation of bushes planted in a permanent place. They are watered and loosened daily before they adapt well to the soil.

Cutting is also suitable for shrub forms. The procedure is carried out in summer (end of July - beginning of August). Carefully cut cuttings of 10 cm in length are planted in a pre-prepared substrate of two parts of sand, one part of the ground and one part of peat. Landings require regular watering.After the roots appear, the young plants are transplanted into pots or into open ground.

Solar caps are beautiful and unpretentious plants that can decorate any flower bed, garden, summer cottage. Low-growing varieties also do an excellent job with the task of hiding the errors of the relief. Having planted such plants, you can always admire their long flowering, and after it is over, place a beautiful bouquet of dried flowers in the house and continue to enjoy the riot of colors in the winter.