To gardeners on a note: how the chrysanthemums are prepared for winter

Experienced gardeners know that with the advent of autumn, the crucial moment in the field works begins. Virtually all cultivated plants need special care and special preparation for wintering. In order for flowers, ornamental fruit bushes and trees to rest, gained strength and in the spring they could grow, they need to provide special care in the cold season.

Preparatory work

Preparation of chrysanthemums for winter begins from the end of August - the last summer month.

• It is during this period that the flowers should be thoroughly fed. As seasonal, it is best to use those that are produced on potash and phosphate basis. The main function of such fertilizers is to increase the frost-resistant characteristics of green plantations.
• Secondly, the preparation of chrysanthemums for winter includes regular inspection of plants, because only healthy shrubs are recommended to be preserved. They better tolerate temperature changes in the autumn-winter period, adapt well to frost.
• Thirdly, when a horticulturist plants flowers on the plot, it is important that he takes into account the climatic conditions of his region, and how well the selected varieties correspond to them. Therefore, the preparation of chrysanthemums for the winter can be as radical, when the bushes are simply excavated and sent to the cellar or other dark and cool place until the spring, and stage by stage, when the flowers remain in the open ground and are simply sheltered.
• And, at last, one more stage, which should not be forgotten either by an amateur florist or by a professional. This, of course, pruning. Chrysanthemums - a shrub whose stems in height reach more than a meter. But in severe frosts, winds, under the weight of snow and ice crust, they easily break off, which can spoil the appearance of the plant or lead to its freezing. Therefore, pruning chrysanthemums for the winter is not only recommended - it is mandatory! The operation is performed when the juice practically ceases to flow in the plant: it is preparing for hibernation. Usually this happens with the establishment of cold weather, a steady drop in temperature. How much to leave centimeters of stems from the ground at pruning, so that the preparation of chrysanthemums for winter was successful? Not more than 8-10. The rule applies to both adult flowers and young ones, planted only this year.

Wintering chrysanthemums in the ground
Warming and storage of chrysanthemums in winter in open soil is possible both in a mild and rather severe climate. First of all, around the bush, you need to properly podgresti ground, carefully okuchit. Try not to get a hole near the stems, otherwise the soil will start to swamp, and the roots can be bent. And in the cold, the ground will freeze too much, cover with a crust, which will also lead to the death of the bush. If the winters are mild, a lot of snow falls, chrysanthemums will hide well underneath. Under other conditions over the bushes you need to build additional shelters. This can be a canopy that protects against excessive moisture, "huts" made from fir branches for warming or a pile of fallen leaves, straw, hay. But peat, sawdust - not the materials that can be used for shelter. They absorb moisture too much and can lead to the burying of bushes. If the plant needs to be excavated, and there is nowhere to store it until the spring, you can dig a small trench, lay bushes in it with a clod of earth on the roots, cover it with a slate, a wooden board or an iron sheet, and then sprinkle with earth. In the spring, the chrysanthemums are pulled out and re-planted.

Such care is required for these beautiful autumn flowers!