Description of 20 varieties and types of perennial helenium, planting and care in open ground

Helenium is a perennial herbaceous plant. It is widely used in horticulture for landscaping. The shoots reach a height of up to 2 meters and bloom during the summer. Produces bright yellow, orange, red flowers of large size. They decorate the beds and go well with other flowering plants.

Description and features

Helenium is a perennial plant, reaching a height of up to 120 cm. It forms tall, erect stems with lance-shaped green leaves. Flowering begins in June and lasts until September, the timing of flowering depends on the variety. Large flowers with a diameter of 6-8 cm are formed. The color varies from bright yellow to bright red. Helenium resembles large daisies. A special feature of the plant is that the bush is formed from separately growing shoots with intertwined roots.

Growing through open ground

To grow helenium in open ground, choose a suitable location and soil, observe planting dates and planting techniques.

Selecting a location

The plant loves good sunny areas. In shaded places it produces less lush flowers, the stems are pulled towards the sun, and the bush grows unevenly. Helenium does not like drafts and high moisture.

Soil requirements

The culture prefers light, airy soil with good drainage. The plant does not tolerate frequent flooding by rain and melt water. The roots rot and the bushes die.

Deadlines

The plant is planted in open ground in mid-May or earlier, depending on the region. At the time of planting, the soil should warm up to 10 ° C at 10 cm depth.

How to plant

Holes for planting are formed on the site. The distance between them should be 40-80 cm, depending on the variety of helenium.For short species, a distance of 40 cm is maintained, for medium-sized species - 60 cm, for tall species - 80 cm.

Planting is carried out according to the following algorithm:

1. Dig holes 20 cm deep.
2. A drainage compound is placed at the bottom of the hole.
3. Then soil is poured, filling half the hole.
4. Pour warm water.
5. The plant is transferred to the hole.
6. Sprinkle the roots layer by layer, compacting each layer.

How to grow and plant seedlings

Seedlings are grown using seeds. The grains are collected from the mother bush or bought in flower shops. Hybrid helenium varieties will not produce the same flowers from collected seeds, so they can only be purchased.

Deadlines

Preparation of seedlings begins in April. At this time, the first frosts had not yet receded. 2-3 weeks after planting, the grains will sprout and require appropriate care.

Seedlings are usually ready for planting in mid-June.

Preparation of seed material

The seeds are soaked in warm water for a couple of hours. Then immerse in a solution of potassium permanganate for 1-1.5 hours. Dry them on dry gauze and begin planting. Seeds are collected in the fall from your own plants or bought in flower shops.

How to plant

Before planting, prepare 250 ml containers and soil. Peat cups are easy to use; they are completely immersed in the ground and disintegrate in the soil.

The soil is bought in flower shops or taken from the site. For home-made soil, mix:

• 1 part peat;
• 3 parts humus;
• 1 part sand.

To plant seeds, take a common large container. It is half filled with soil. Helenium grains are sown and covered with soil. Cover the top with film to create a greenhouse effect.The pot is transferred to a warm place and ventilated periodically. After the sprouts appear, the film is removed. When the seedlings form 2 true leaves, they are planted in separate boxes.

Temperature

The seedlings are kept at a temperature of 20 °C. 2-3 days before transplanting into the ground, the seedlings are taken to a cool place for hardening.

Important! Seedlings should not be exposed to night frosts; if they are present at night, then planting is postponed to a more favorable period.

When and how to plant in open ground

The seedlings are transferred to open ground when 3-4 true leaves are formed on the sprouts. This time falls at the end of May or beginning of June. When planting, there should be no night frosts, and the soil should warm up to 10 ° C to a depth of 10 cm.

Planting in open ground is carried out as follows:

• In the prepared area, holes are made with a depth of 15 cm and a diameter of 10 cm.
• 2 cm of drainage composition is placed at the bottom.
• Pour 200 ml of warm water.
• Transfer the seedling to the ground.
• Sprinkle it with soil in layers, compacting each layer with your hands.
• Water with warm water.

Helenium grown from seeds begins to bloom after 2 years of the growing season.

Care

For lush flowering, it is necessary to follow the rules of flower care: monitor watering, fertilize, loosen the soil, spray against pests and diseases, and pruning.

Watering

In temperate climates, helenium is watered every week. One plant consumes 2-3 liters of water. Water that has been settled in advance or collected from a spring is used. In arid climates, watering is increased to 2 times a week, and in frequent rains it is kept to 1 time every 2 weeks.

Loosening and weeding

Loosening is carried out after each watering and rain. The top layer of soil is loosened with a hoe, and all weeds are removed. Weeds deteriorate the quality of the soil and absorb some of the minerals, depleting the soil. If you do not do regular weeding, this will affect the quality of flowering. Loosening and weeding enrich the roots of the plant with oxygen.

Top dressing

Helenium is fertilized 3 times per season, the first at the beginning of the season, after planting or the appearance of the first shoots, the second during flowering, and the third after collecting seeds and preparing for wintering.

In May

In May, mineral fertilizers with a high nitrogen content are applied. Nitrogen improves flowering and accelerates the growth and development of the plant.

Important! Excessive application of nitrogen to the soil negatively affects the development of the plant.

During flowering

During flowering, helenium needs feeding, as the plant spends a lot of energy on the formation of buds and flowers. Use mineral complexes containing phosphorus, potassium, and copper.

You can use wood ash.

At the end of October

At the end of October, seeds form on the shoots. After collecting seeds and pruning, complex mineral fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are applied. They are applied in dry form, during the winter the minerals are absorbed into the soil, and by spring they are absorbed by the plant.

Spraying

To prevent the development of diseases and attacks by pests, preventive treatment of bushes with insecticides and fungicides is carried out. Solutions are sprayed in dry, windless weather. Treatment is carried out at the beginning of the growing season, before flowering begins.

Topping

At the beginning of flowering, pinch out the side shoots; this procedure produces abundant flowering.The plant, instead of expending energy on the formation of shoots, will switch to the formation of flowers.

Transfer

Helenium depletes the soil, so it needs to be replanted every 3-4 years. To do this, choose a suitable new place and fertilize it. Transplantation is carried out in the spring, before flowering begins. At this time, you can propagate the bushes by division.

Diseases and pests

Helenium has strong immunity; the flower is resistant to fungal diseases and insect attacks. However, if the growing and planting conditions are not met, the flower is attacked by the chrysanthemum nematode. These are small worms that penetrate the roots of the plant and the buds. Affects all parts of the plant. To combat them, they are treated with a chemical insecticide and the roots are watered with hot water. All affected areas of the flower are cut off and burned.

Pruning inflorescences

Helenium produces inflorescences gradually. Some have already faded, while others are in bud state. It is recommended to cut off wilted and fading flowers, this speeds up the formation of new flowers.

After flowering

After flowering, collect the seeds and cover the plant for the winter.

Collection and storage of seeds

The flowering of the crop ends in September. By October, the seeds ripen in the rosettes. The flower petals dry out and fall off, and seeds form in the center. They dry out and are easily removed from the socket. Store grains in gauze bags or cardboard boxes; paper envelopes are also suitable for these purposes. Store seeds in a dry, warm place. Germination persists for 2-3 years after collection.

Wintering

Many types of helenium are frost-resistant. Some species and varieties do not tolerate severe frosts. At the end of the season, the shoots of the plant are cut off and the root area is mulched with moss, straw or sawdust.This will ensure the safety of the plant until the next season.

Kinds

Helenium has many varieties. Gardeners most often grow 6 varieties; they easily withstand winter and delight with their color and lush flowering.

Bigelow

The height of the shoots is about 80 cm, the leaves are straight, lanceolate. Flowering occurs in June-July. The flowers are 5 cm in diameter, yellow-orange in color. The central part of the flower is brown.

Spring

The stems are dense, straight, up to 1 meter high. Covered with lanceolate green leaves. Flowering begins in May and forms orange-yellow rosettes up to 7 cm in diameter.

Gupesa

Popular with flower growers, the shoots are dense, woody, up to 1.5 meters in height. Leaves are lanceolate, green. Flowers with a diameter of 3 to 5 cm are red and yellow in color. The plant blooms for 2 months.

Autumn

He is the founder of most varieties of Helenium. Reaches a height of 2 meters. The stems are tall and dense. At the top there are flowers with a diameter of 5-6 cm, bright orange in color, with red thin lines and a yellow rim.

Hybrid

Plant height is from 1 to 1.3 meters. Varieties have different colors: from light yellow to bright burgundy. Flowers with a diameter of 3-3.5 cm. Abundant flowering occurs in July.

Chuppah

It takes root well on slopes and rocky areas. The plant reaches a height of 60-70 cm, with bright yellow flowers at the top. Diameter up to 10 cm.

Popular varieties

Helenium varieties are bred from the autumn species. It is the progenitor of almost all varieties. Hybrid varieties tolerate cold less well.

Important! Seeds of hybrid varieties do not produce such flower colors. For growing through seeds, they are purchased in stores.

Rubinzverg

Cold-resistant low-growing variety, grows up to 60 cm in height.The flowers have a bright red, burgundy color. Flowering lasts 4 months.

Cockade

A hybrid variety, the shoots reach 120 cm in height, at the top there are red-brown flowers with a yellow-brown convex center.

Moerheim Beauty

The height of the plant reaches 90-120 cm. A distinctive feature of the variety is its flowering with rosettes of different colors: yellow, red, orange.

Blooms from July to November.

Waltraud

A hybrid variety, shoots about 80 cm in height, produces yellowish-copper flowers with a brownish-yellow center. Blooms from July to August.

Koenigstiger

The shoots are tall, up to 150 cm, and form bright yellow flowers with a burgundy border. The middle is brown-burgundy. Blooms from July to September.

Baudirektor Linne

The height of the bush is 1.3 meters. There are bright brown-burgundy flowers at the top. The middle is brownish-red. Blooms in August.

Sonnewunder

A medium-sized variety of Helenium, the height of the shoots is up to 90 cm. It produces bright yellow-orange flowers with a diameter of 4 cm. Flowering begins in the middle of the season.

September Gold

The height of the shoots is 1 meter. The flowers are bright yellow with the same center. The leaves are green, lanceolate. Blooms in September.

Katarina

The height of the shoots is up to 1.5 meters, the color of the flowers is bright orange-red. The leaves are green, lanceolate. Flowers with a diameter of 5 cm.

Superboom

The height of the stems is 1.8 meters. The flowers are yellow-orange, the petals have wavy edges. The leaves are dark green, lanceolate.

Altgold

The bushes reach 90 cm in height, blooming with golden-brown flowers up to 4 cm in diameter. The core is large, brown-violet.

Goldfuks

The plant is up to 1.8 meters high and produces brown-orange flowers with yellow spots. Blooms in August.

Di Blonde

Plant height up to 1.7 meters.Forms bright red flowers with a diameter of 6-8 cm. The core is convex, yellow-brown. Blooms from July to September.

Glutauge

Medium-sized variety of Helenium. The flowers are coral-colored, the core is yellow-red. The diameter of the flowers is 4 cm. It blooms in mid-summer.

Reproduction

The plant reproduces in two ways: seeds and division.

Seeds

The seeds of the plant are planted as seedlings in March, then transferred to open ground. The annual plant does not bloom; the first flowers form after a season.

Dividing the bush

The mother bush is dug up, being careful not to damage the roots. Then the roots are cut into several parts with scissors or a knife and planted in separate holes. Helenium rejuvenation is carried out every 3-4 years.

Use in landscape design

Due to its lush flowering, helenium is preferably planted in flower beds, on lawns, along borders, and next to bushy plants. Tall varieties are planted in the background of flower beds, and low-growing ones in front of them.