Double chamomile flower. What types of garden daisies are there? Caring for a flower garden with garden chamomile

Chamomiles blooming in the meadow and garden leave no one indifferent. Garden chamomile is the favorite flower of Russian summer residents. Several dozen species of herbaceous perennials can be found in nature in all climatic zones, except the tropics, ice and deserts.

Description of garden perennial chamomile

The brightest large-flowered plants are used to decorate flower beds. Flower growers first became interested in daisies more than two hundred years ago, so many cultivated varieties have appeared over the years. And although perennial garden daisies can be of different heights, have different flowering times and inflorescence shapes, all daisies have much in common. First of all, this is a recognizable form of an inflorescence-basket, the core of which consists of small tubular yellow flowers, and the frame is made of false-ligulate petals.

Today, thanks to the efforts of breeders, semi- and double varieties of garden chamomile are available to gardeners.

Compared to wild specimens in cultivated perennials:

• flowers are larger;
• bud formation is much more active;
• the flowering period is longer;
• flowers may reappear in the second half of summer.

The garden chamomile depicted in the photo, Leucanthemum vulgare or Leucanthemum maximum, is popularly called cornflower or popovnik. In early spring, a rosette of oblong basal leaves appears above the soil. When inflorescences appear on faceted, erect stems, the height of the plant can vary from 20 to 80 cm. Depending on the variety, the diameter of the inflorescences can reach from 3 to 10 cm.

Reproduction of garden chamomile by dividing the bush

Chamomiles planted on the site grow well, form clumps, which remain decorative even outside of flowering and resemble green pillows. However, after a few years, rejuvenation is required, otherwise the inflorescences become smaller every year, the foliage becomes smaller and weaker.

Perennial garden daisies reproduce by seed and vegetative methods. If these beautiful flowers are already growing in the flower beds, it is enough to divide the adult curtain into several.

It is best to plant a perennial in the first half of autumn, dividing the plant into parts so that each has a part of a strong rhizome and several growing points. The soil for planting chamomile must be dug up, cleared of weeds and moistened:

1. The hole is dug a little larger than the root system.
2. The plant in the planting hole is placed at the same level, having first straightened the rhizomes.
3. The hole is filled with soil, which is compacted and watered.

Since seeds from faded baskets do not convey the characteristics of the parent plants, vegetative propagation is indispensable if you want to get young clumps of any varietal garden chamomile.

The more often the clumps are rejuvenated, the more spectacular their flowering and the larger the inflorescences. However, spring replanting may delay or cancel the appearance of buds.

Sowing garden perennial chamomile and planting it in the ground

Chamomile seeds have excellent winter hardiness, so they can be sown both in spring and before winter. Autumn sowing will not only save precious spring time, but also provide natural stratification. This means that the seedlings will be friendlier and stronger.

Spring propagation of garden chamomile by seeds is possible in two ways:

• sowing in thawed, dug up and loosened open ground;
• sowing seedlings at home, which are transferred to a flower bed in the warm season.

In the second case, the plants turn out stronger, they bloom earlier and by winter they manage to form a lush, strong rosette. Planting garden chamomile seedlings is carried out in the second half of February or March. For sowing, take a light, loose substrate based on sand, garden soil, etc. Seeds, several at a time, are placed in seedling containers or peat pots filled with moistened soil. Sprinkle the top with a thin layer of the same substrate.

The crops should be kept under film or glass and at high humidity until germination, that is, 10–15 days. Then the trays are transferred to the light and the cover is removed. If necessary, organize for 14 hours a day, otherwise the seedlings become very stretched and weaken.

Picking is carried out when the garden chamomile seedlings open 2–4 true leaves and are about 5 cm high. For active tillering, the main stem can be pinched.

One and a half or two months after sowing, young plants are taken out into the open ground to previously prepared sunny areas without stagnant water and with neutral acidity of the soil.

Garden daisies are planted in prepared soil, which is not only dug up, but also loosened. Weeds are carefully selected from the soil, and complex fertilizer for ornamental flower crops is applied to feed the seedlings.

It is more convenient to transfer seedlings with a clod of earth without damaging the root system. In this case, holes are dug slightly larger than the size of the containers, and the gaps are carefully filled with soil, compacted and watered. Although the plants are still small, they have to grow a lot, so gaps of 20 to 40 cm are left between seedlings, depending on the variety of garden chamomile and the design of the flower bed. The first flowering of plants planted with seeds and seedlings should be expected only after a year.

Caring for garden chamomile after planting

All types of chamomile, including garden chamomile, are light-loving. They do not tolerate proximity to groundwater and growing in dense, caking soil.

But at the same time, perennials, beloved by gardeners, are very undemanding to care and can grow even on humus-poor soils, tolerate drought and not be afraid of serious pest attacks.

However, after planting garden chamomile, caring for them should be careful and systematic. Young plants need frequent watering until rooting is complete. Flowers that are firmly established in a new place are no longer so tender, and they are watered only in hot, dry weather.

The time for watering is chosen so that drops of water in the sun do not act as lenses and do not cause unsightly burns on the leaves and inflorescences.

Although garden daisies are very unpretentious, lush flowering can only be achieved if the plants receive enough nutrition. Therefore, nitrogen fertilizers are applied under the roots in the spring. Wilted inflorescences must be cut off together with the stem. This will help keep the plant strong and decorate the area with white chamomile lace for a long time.

When flowering ends, flower care does not stop. Closer to autumn, adult clumps are divided, all old, dead parts are removed, flower stalks and dry leaves are cut out.

If the soil on the site is acidic, it must be deacidified in the fall using dolomite flour or lime.

Chamomiles are frost-resistant, but in winters with little snow they can freeze, so before the cold weather the clumps are cut down to the ground and thickly sprinkled with peat, spruce branches or other suitable material.

Video about perennial garden chamomile

Garden chamomile or cornflower (lat. Leucanthemum vulgare), is a perennial herbaceous plant with a height of 15 to 60 cm with a short" target="_blank">perennial herbaceous plant with a height of 15 to 60 cm with a short root, erect, slightly faceted stem, spatulate, crenate basal leaves on long petioles and oblong, unevenly serrated along the edges of the stem leaves, two of which, located in the upper part of the stem, are greatly reduced in size compared to the rest. Chamomile flowers are hemispherical inflorescences-baskets with a diameter of 2.5. up to 6 cm, united in corymbs. The baskets consist of central yellow tubular bisexual flowers and long marginal false-lingulate sterile flowers, usually white, but sometimes yellow. The fruit of the garden chamomile is an achene.

Garden chamomile
growing from seeds

Sowing chamomile
Growing chamomile is possible in seedlings and without seedlings. You can sow garden chamomile seeds simply in the ground, but it is safer to use the seedling method. Chamomile seeds are sown for seedlings in March. Trays with cells are filled with a moist, light, breathable substrate consisting of peat and sand in equal parts, 2-3 seeds are placed in each cell, sprinkled on top with a thin layer of substrate, the container is covered with a transparent film and placed close to the window, but not on window sill, since the light passing through the glass is too intense and can damage the seed germination process. Monitor the condition of the soil, and as soon as it dries, moisten it with a spray bottle.

Garden chamomile seedlings
When the seedlings begin to appear, and at normal room temperature this will happen in one and a half to two weeks, remove the film and place the container as close to a sunny window as possible, protecting the seedlings from drafts. If this is not possible for any reason, place a fluorescent lamp over the container, which should work for at least 14 hours a day.

As soon as the chamomile seedlings reach a height of 5 cm, leave only one, the most developed seedling, in each cell. Do not pull out unnecessary seedlings, but carefully pinch them off above the soil surface, because you risk damaging the root system of the remaining seedling. In order for chamomile to bush, pinch it over 3-4 leaves.

Garden chamomile
planting in open ground

When to plant chamomile in the ground
Seedlings are planted in the ground at the age of 4-6 weeks, when all possible frosts have passed. Garden chamomile loves sunny areas with calcareous or neutral soil and deep groundwater.

How to plant garden chamomile
Planting daisies in the ground is carried out after preparing the site - complex fertilizer for flowers must be added to the soil for digging. Dig holes 20-30 cm deep at a distance of 20 to 40 cm from each other - the distance between the bushes and the depth of the holes depend on the chamomile variety. Remove the seedlings from the cells along with the earthen ball, plant them in the holes, press the soil around the stems and water the seedlings. Chamomiles from seeds will bloom next year.

Garden chamomile
outdoor care

Garden chamomile types and varieties

Meadow chamomile (Leucanthemum vulgare)

Or common cornflower, grows in Western Europe, Ukraine, the European part of Russia, and southern Siberia. This is a perennial up to 90 cm high with single inflorescences-baskets with a diameter of 6-7 cm with white reed flowers and yellow tubular ones. The species has been in cultivation since 1500. The best garden forms of the species are:

. Sans Souci- cornflower up to 1 m high with inflorescences up to 12 cm in diameter. White reed flowers are arranged in 6-8 rows, the few middle flowers are yellow.
. May Queen- a traditional chamomile, up to 50 cm high, very popular in amateur gardens, with bright, shiny dark green leaves forming the ground cover.
. Maxima Koenig- a plant up to 1 m high with inflorescences up to 12 cm in diameter with dark yellow middle flowers and two rows of white reed flowers.

Kuril cornflower (Leucanthemum kurilense)

A late-blooming rock daisy with dissected leaves, growing in the Kuril Islands and on the Japanese island of Hokkaido. The rhizome of this species is fleshy and thickened. The plant reaches only 20 cm in height, while its few single baskets have a diameter of 5 to 8 cm. The marginal flowers are white. The Kuril cornflower has a variety called arcticum, which differs in the shape of its leaves.

Swamp cornflower (Leucanthemum paludosum)

It is also known as the marsh chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum paludosum) native to the south of Portugal and Spain. This is a low-growing, but very bushy plant up to 25 cm high with sessile spatulate alternate leaves of bright green color and crenate along the edge. Inflorescences are numerous baskets up to 3 cm in diameter with short reed flowers of white color and a large yellow center of tubular flowers.

Leucanthemum maximum

In nature, it grows in the Pyrenees and is a perennial with a height of 50 to 100 cm with a short ground rhizome, spatulate sessile leaves with a crenate edge and inflorescences-baskets with a diameter of 10-12 cm. In simple inflorescences, the marginal flowers of white color are arranged in two rows, the middle ones, tubular yellow. Double inflorescences consist of numerous rows of white reed flowers, and the tubular ones also have a white corolla. The double inflorescences of this type of nevus are very similar to chrysanthemums. Nielberry is grown as a maximum biennial plant. The species has been in culture since 1816. The best varieties:
. Alaska- a variety with baskets up to 10 cm in diameter with one row of white reed flowers.
. Beethoven- lushly blooming daisies with simple inflorescences up to half a meter high.
. Stern von Antwerp- up to 1 m high, with inflorescences up to 10 cm in diameter. Reed flowers are white, tubular flowers are yellow.
. Schwabengrub- a variety up to 80 cm high with snow-white double inflorescences.
. Little Princess- elegant chamomile up to 20 cm high with large bright white inflorescences

In addition to cornflower, other flowers of the Asteraceae family are also grown as garden chamomile - matricaria, pyrethrum, navels, erigeron and odorless chamomile.

Where to buy chamomile seeds

The scientific and production association “Gardens of Russia” has been introducing the latest achievements in the selection of vegetable, fruit, berry and ornamental crops into the widespread practice of amateur gardening for 30 years. The association uses the most modern technologies and has created a unique laboratory for microclonal propagation of plants. The main tasks of the NPO "Gardens of Russia" is to provide gardeners with high-quality planting material for popular varieties of various garden plants and new world selections. Delivery of planting material (seeds, bulbs, seedlings) is carried out by Russian Post. We are waiting for you to shop:

Plant chamomile (lat. Matricaria)- a genus of herbaceous flowering perennials of the Compositae, or Asteraceae, family, uniting approximately twenty species of low aromatic herbs that bloom in the first year. In nature, daisies grow in Eurasia, both Americas, South Africa and Australia. It is curious that daisies also grew in Central Africa, but were destroyed by local tribes because they allegedly attracted evil spirits.

The most famous species of the genus is chamomile, which has long been widely used for cosmetic and medicinal purposes. The Latin name of the genus is derived from the word translated as “uterus” - this is explained by the fact that chamomile was used in the treatment of gynecological diseases. Pliny the Elder described chamomile in his multi-volume Natural History under the name Chamaemellon, formed from two words meaning “low” (apparently, the short stature of chamomile was meant) and “apple” (the smell of chamomile was reminiscent of the aroma of apples). The Russian name of the plant comes from the Polish language and is derived from the word romana, which means “Roman”.

Chamomile is often confused with plants of the Asteraceae family such as gerbera, aster, pyrethrum, chrysanthemum and cornflower, which is called garden chamomile. Actually, our story will be about garden chamomile, that is, about daisy, especially since planting and caring for daisies is no different from growing daisy, which we will call chamomile in the article for convenience.

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Planting and caring for chamomile

• Landing: sowing seeds in the ground - at the end of May, sowing seeds for seedlings - in March, planting seedlings in the garden - in May.
• Bloom: from early July to September.
• Lighting: bright sunlight.
• Soil: slightly alkaline or neutral, in an area with deep groundwater.
• Watering: During the rooting period, seedlings are watered frequently, but then watering is required only during periods of prolonged drought.
• Feeding: Every year humus, peat and compost are added to the soil, and in mid-spring ammonium nitrate is scattered over the area at the rate of 20 g of fertilizer per m². There is no need to water the area after this.
• Reproduction: seeds and dividing the bush.
• Pests: aphids, thrips, star flies and wireworms.
• Diseases: are affected by powdery mildew, gray mold, rust and fusarium.

Read more about growing chamomile below.

Chamomile flowers - description

Garden chamomile, or cornflower, or popovnik (lat. Leucanthemum vulgare), is a herbaceous plant with a height of 15 to 60 cm with a short root, an erect, slightly faceted stem, spatulate, crenate basal leaves on long petioles and oblong, irregularly serrated along the edges of the stem leaves, two of which, located in the upper part of the stem, are greatly reduced in size compared to others.

Chamomile flowers are hemispherical inflorescences-baskets with a diameter of 2.5 to 6 cm, united into corymbs. The baskets consist of central yellow tubular bisexual flowers and long marginal pseudolingulate sterile flowers, usually white, but sometimes yellow. The fruit of garden chamomile is an achene.

There are about two dozen species in the Nielberry genus.

Growing chamomile from seeds

Sowing chamomile

Growing chamomile is possible in seedlings and without seedlings. You can sow garden chamomile seeds simply in the ground, but it is safer to use the seedling method.

Chamomile seeds are sown for seedlings in March. Trays with cells are filled with a moist, light, breathable substrate consisting of peat and sand in equal parts, 2-3 seeds are placed in each cell, sprinkled on top with a thin layer of substrate, the container is covered with a transparent film and placed close to the window, but not on window sill, since the light passing through the glass is too intense and can damage the seed germination process. Monitor the condition of the soil, and as soon as it dries, moisten it with a spray bottle.

Chamomile seedlings

When the seedlings begin to appear, and at normal room temperature this will happen in one and a half to two weeks, remove the film and place the container as close to a sunny window as possible, protecting the seedlings from drafts. If this is not possible for any reason, place a fluorescent lamp over the container, which should work for at least 14 hours a day. As soon as the chamomile seedlings reach a height of 5 cm, leave only one, the most developed seedling, in each cell.

Do not pull out unnecessary seedlings, but carefully pinch them off above the soil surface, because you risk damaging the root system of the remaining seedling. In order for chamomile to bush, pinch it over 3-4 leaves.

Planting chamomile in open ground

When to plant daisies in the ground

Seedlings are planted in the ground at the age of 4-6 weeks, when all possible frosts have passed. Garden chamomile loves sunny areas with calcareous or neutral soil and deep groundwater.

How to plant daisies

Planting daisies in the ground is carried out after preparing the site - complex fertilizer for flowers must be added to the soil for digging. Dig holes 20-30 cm deep at a distance of 20 to 40 cm from each other - the distance between the bushes and the depth of the holes depend on the chamomile variety. Remove the seedlings from the cells along with the earthen ball, plant them in the holes, press the soil around the stems and water the seedlings. Chamomiles from seeds will bloom next year.

Caring for daisies in the garden

How to care for chamomile

Until the chamomile seedlings become comfortable in the soil and begin to grow, they need to be watered frequently, but after rooting, the flowers require watering only in dry weather. To retain moisture in the soil longer, mulch the surface around the plant with peat. Otherwise, caring for daisies consists of loosening the soil, weeding the area, fertilizing and preparing perennial plants for winter.

Humus, peat and compost are added to the soil annually as fertilizers. In mid-spring, ammonium nitrate is scattered between the rows at the rate of 20 g per m² without subsequent watering. During the budding period, it is advisable to apply a urea solution to plants with faded stems and leaves. Slaked lime or dolomite flour is added to acidic soil in the fall.

Chamomile propagation

Garden daisies are propagated by dividing the bush and by seed. Despite the fact that perennial daisies can grow in one place for five years, after 2-3 years the bushes become too dense, shoots die off in the middle of the bush, the size of the inflorescences decreases, and the plant loses its attractiveness. This can be avoided by promptly planting young, strong shoots from the bush. At the end of September or beginning of October, on a cloudy, cool day, separate a part from the bush and plant it in a prepared hole, spilled with settled water, and fill the resulting void with fertile soil.

Next time, dig up and replant part of the bush on the opposite side. This is how varietal and double daisies are propagated. If you want to achieve the largest possible flowers on powerful stems, you need to divide your daisy bushes annually.

Garden daisies also reproduce by seeds. We have described growing chamomile seedlings to you, but you can sow the seeds directly into the ground before winter. In cold soil, they will undergo natural stratification and germinate together in the spring, and all you have to do is thin out the seedlings.

Pests and diseases of daisies

With insufficient or irregular care, chamomiles have a chance of developing powdery mildew, gray mold, rust and fusarium.

Powdery mildew manifests itself in the form of a whitish coating on the above-ground parts of the plant, which gradually becomes brown.

Rust It looks like dark red spots on the upper side of the leaves, and on the lower side it forms pads with fungal spores.

Fusarium also a fungal disease, in which the roots and root collar of young plants begin to rot, the tissues become brown, the stem becomes thinner, and the leaves turn yellow.

Gray rot manifests itself as rapidly increasing in size brown necrotic spots on shoots and leaves. At high air humidity, the spots are covered with gray mycelium fluff.

To prevent flowers from becoming infected with a fungal infection, do not allow excess moisture in the soil, promptly remove weeds and loosen the soil. It is better to immediately remove a specimen infected with gray rot so that the disease does not spread to neighboring plants.

They destroy fungal microflora with fungicides - Fundazol, Topaz, Kuproxat, Oksikhom and other drugs of similar action. Treatment is carried out two or three times with an interval of 7-10 days.

Among the pests, garden chamomile is affected by aphids, thrips, star fly and wireworms.

Starwing fly so called because of the small star-shaped spot on the wing. Its larvae damage garden chamomile, accumulating at the base of the middle flowers. You can protect the planting of daisies from the appearance of this pest by regularly destroying weeds on the site.

Thrips And aphid- sucking insects that feed on the cell sap of the above-ground parts of the plant. Discolored or yellow spots, streaks and stripes appear on the leaves, damaged tissues die, leaves wither, fall off, flowers become deformed and lose their decorative effect. In the fight against aphids and thrips, insectoacaricides are used - Karbofos, Agravertin or Actellik.

Wireworms are the larvae of click beetles. They live in the soil for up to four years and feed on underground parts of plants. To get rid of them, traps are set in the soil: holes are dug into which pieces of potatoes, carrots or beets are placed. The top of the trap is covered with a board or piece of metal. After 2-3 days, the traps are opened and the wireworms that have accumulated in them are destroyed. This needs to be done regularly. Most often, wireworms appear if there is a plot of potatoes nearby.

Perennial daisies after flowering

How and when to collect daisy seeds

If you want to collect seeds, wait for several large flowers to dry, and only then cut them off, dry them in a dry room with good ventilation and remove the seeds from the middle tubular flowers onto paper. They will need to be winnowed, poured into a paper bag and stored in a dry, dark place. Nielberry seeds remain viable for 2-3 years. However, remember that when propagated by seed, varietal and double daisies do not inherit the characteristics of their parents.

Preparing daisies for winter

Planting and caring for perennial daisies is no different from growing annual daisies, except for one thing - they need to be covered for the winter. Before the onset of cold weather, the stems of perennial garden daisies are cut off at surface level, after which the area is covered with dry leaves, sawdust or covered with non-woven material.

Types and varieties of daisies

In addition to the common cornflower, or meadow chamomile, there are other types of cornflower that are grown in cultivation.

Or daisy, grows in Western Europe, Ukraine, the European part of Russia, and southern Siberia. This is a perennial up to 90 cm high with single inflorescences-baskets with a diameter of 6-7 cm with white reed flowers and yellow tubular ones. The species has been in cultivation since 1500. The best garden forms of the species are:

• Sans Souci– cornflower up to 1 m high with inflorescences up to 12 cm in diameter. White reed flowers are arranged in 6-8 rows, the few middle flowers are yellow;
• May Queen– a traditional chamomile up to 50 cm high, very popular in amateur gardens, with bright, shiny dark green leaves forming the ground cover;
• Maxima Koenig- a plant up to 1 m high with inflorescences up to 12 cm in diameter with dark yellow middle flowers and two rows of white reed flowers.

Kuril cornflower (Leucanthemum kurilense)

A late-blooming rock daisy with dissected leaves, growing in the Kuril Islands and on the Japanese island of Hokkaido. The rhizome of this species is fleshy and thickened. The plant reaches only 20 cm in height, while its few single baskets have a diameter of 5 to 8 cm. The marginal flowers are white. The Kuril cornflower has a variety called arcticum, which differs in the shape of its leaves.

He's the same marsh chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum paludosum) native to southern Portugal and Spain. This is a low-growing, but very bushy plant up to 25 cm high with sessile spatulate alternate leaves of bright green color and crenate along the edge. Inflorescences are numerous baskets up to 3 cm in diameter with short reed flowers of white color and a large yellow center of tubular flowers.

In nature, it grows in the Pyrenees and is a perennial with a height of 50 to 100 cm with a short ground rhizome, spatulate sessile leaves with a crenate edge and inflorescences-baskets with a diameter of 10-12 cm. In simple inflorescences, the marginal flowers of white color are arranged in two rows, the middle ones, tubular yellow. Double inflorescences consist of numerous rows of white reed flowers, and the tubular ones also have a white corolla. The double inflorescences of this type of nevus are very similar to chrysanthemums. Nielberry is grown as a maximum biennial plant. The species has been in culture since 1816. The best varieties:

• Alaska– a variety with baskets up to 10 cm in diameter with one row of white reed flowers;
• Beethoven– lushly blooming daisies with simple inflorescences up to half a meter high;
• Stern von Antwerp– a variety up to 1 m high with inflorescences up to 10 cm in diameter. Reed flowers are white, tubular flowers are yellow;
• Schwabengrub– a variety up to 80 cm high with snow-white double inflorescences;
• Little Princess- an elegant chamomile up to 20 cm high with large bright white inflorescences.

In addition to cornflower, other flowers of the Asteraceae family are also grown as garden chamomile - matricaria, pyrethrum, navels, erigeron and odorless chamomile.

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After this article they usually read

Chamomile is difficult to confuse with other ornamental flowering plants. There are many varieties with fancy, chic forms of inflorescences, but the harmonious combination of yellow and white flowers in her outfit always remains unchanged. Therefore, daisies in the country will perfectly complement any landscape, making it more impressive and harmonious.

This article will talk about how to plant perennial daisies in your summer cottage, how to properly care for them for abundant and beautiful flowering, and fight pests and diseases.

Large perennial garden chamomile

The large garden chamomile, which is so idolized by flower growers, also has another name - the greatest popovnik. Representing a perennial from the Asteraceae (Asteraceae) family, this crop has the following botanical description:

Large perennial garden chamomile

• The stem is erect, faceted, depending on the variety, it can have a height from 15 to 70 cm;
• The leaf is spatulate and oblong, unevenly toothed along the edges of the leaf blade. The leaves in the upper part of the stem are relatively small in size, the lower ones are larger, collected in a basal rosette.
• Color - the inflorescence is a basket with a diameter of 2.5 to 12 cm, the middle of which consists of small tubular yellow flowers, along the edge there are long false-ligulate white flowers.

Important! Often in meadows and fields there is a pharmaceutical type of chamomile, which is considered a valuable medicinal plant. Unlike garden chamomile, this type of chamomile has white marginal flowers 2.5-3 mm wide that are bent downwards, and the broken core and stem are hollow.

• The fruit is small, slightly bent cylindrical achenes, up to 2 mm in size.
• The root is a tap root, slightly branched, growing shallow in the ground.

Seeds

You can make the planting material yourself, but you will have to work hard for this: after full ripening (the basket and stem become brown), the inflorescences are cut off, the seeds are selected and dried well. But it is not enough to collect the seeds; they should be stored correctly: paper bags and bags made of loose material are best suited for these purposes. The main thing during storage is to provide access to air; without it, seed material may lose germination.

Many amateur flower growers do it simpler: they buy ready-made chamomile seeds in a store, where they can quickly and easily choose any popular variety or purchase new varieties of modern selection.

Chamomile seeds

Landing location

Preparations for planting begin with choosing the most suitable place for growing chamomile on the site. The plant prefers to grow in open places where there is a lot of light and sun. The groundwater table must be deep enough, since the accumulation of water after melting snow and heavy rains can cause the soil to become waterlogged, the rhizome will rot, and the plant will die in early spring.

Priming

In the area where they plan to grow chamomile, the soil should be slightly alkaline or neutral. If the soil acidity is high enough, dolomite flour and lime are added to the soil.

How to plant large garden chamomile

When it has been decided where in the dacha the chamomile will show off, they begin planting it. The most favorable time for sowing seeds is the end of May. The top layer of soil is slightly loosened, since the seeds are very small, then shallow rows are made under them, no more than 2 cm, the soil is slightly moistened. The seeds should not be covered heavily with soil; they should only be lightly pressed down, then sprinkled with a thin layer of soil.

In order for adult plants to feel free (usually a bush grows in one place for 3-4 years) and not shade each other, the distance between adjacent rows when sowing is made at least 30-40 cm.

You can plant chamomile seeds in open ground in the fall. At the end of August, you should collect seeds from the varieties you like, then sow them on a previously prepared site. The plant blooms only in the second year.

Pay attention! If you plan to prepare seedlings for planting in open ground, then the seeds are sown in specially prepared containers (containers, pots, boxes) already in early March.

Caring for daisies in the garden

What does a gardener need to know and do and how to properly care for daisies in the garden?

Not only newly planted seedlings, but also early seedlings in open ground need frequent watering. Initially, the young plant is watered very often, but when the root system takes root well and becomes stronger, it is watered less frequently, 2 times a week. After watering, constantly loosen the top layer of fertile soil, do not forget about weeding and removing weeds. Several times a season, the soil near the plant is mulched with a thin layer of peat, 2-3 cm thick.

Top dressing

Like any plant, throughout the growing season chamomile needs constant feeding, for which both complex mineral fertilizers and organic matter are used. At the beginning of summer, when the plant is in the budding stage and will soon bloom, it is fed with nitrophoska at the rate of 2 tbsp. spoons per 10 liters of water. As soon as flowering is completed, proceed to the next feeding using superphosphate or potassium sulfate in a proportion of 1 tbsp. spoon per 10 liters of water.

For abundant flowering, organic matter is often added: compost, well-rotted manure, peat.

Important! Growing and caring for large garden chamomile without the use of fertilizer will lead to its weak, not abundant and short-lived flowering, poor overwintering, and reduced resistance to damage to leaves and roots by pests and diseases.

Trimming

Chamomile is a flower that can bloom for a very long time from June to September, but autumn comes and winter is just around the corner. The plant begins to gradually fade and dry out. Flower growers often have a question when daisies have faded, what to do next with them. In this situation, experts advise carefully cutting all the stems at a distance of 10-15 cm from the ground with garden shears and removing the cut mass away from the planting crop.

When and how to replant daisies

How and when to replant large daisies is recommended by experienced flower growers.

If it is spring, then it is impossible to clearly indicate the timing of planting seedlings in open ground, since everything depends on the weather. Seedlings need to not only be grown strong, but also protected from cold and frost. When the seedlings grow enough and 4-5 true leaves bloom, they can be planted in open ground provided that the air temperature is + 15 °C or more.

Before planting chamomile seedlings in open ground, the soil is well dug up and fertilized with special preparations for flowering garden plants. After which the bushes need to be planted in groups of 2-3, at a distance of 30-40 cm.

Very often a situation arises where you need to quickly decide where and when it is best to plant perennial adult daisies. This happens when a plant is forced to be transplanted from a flower bed near the house due to construction work or the flower bed is moved to another place. Thanks to the peculiarities of the culture, the way out of this situation is quite simple - this flower is unpretentious and hardy, painlessly takes root in another place. Carefully enough, so as not to damage the roots, dig up the flowering plant with a lump of earth and move it to a new place, then water it generously.

How to propagate garden chamomile

To propagate chamomile, they resort to simple traditional methods:

• seed (growing seedlings from seeds);
• vegetative (dividing the bush).

You can sow seeds both in spring and autumn directly in open ground, shoots will appear, but it is safer to grow seedlings. In March, the seeds are sown in a special soil mixture of peat, garden soil, sand (1:1:1). To avoid washing the seeds out of the soil, water them carefully, then, to create a greenhouse effect, cover the container with film and place it in a dark, warm place. To avoid drying out the soil, it is constantly sprayed with water. As soon as the first shoots appear (usually this happens after 10-12 days), the film is removed and the boxes are transferred to a sunny place.

Chamomile can also reproduce by dividing the bush. Despite the ability of chamomile to grow in the same place for several years, it should be renewed periodically (every 4-5 years). New planting material is being prepared in September. An adult bush is completely dug out of the ground, after which younger root shoots are selected from it for planting.

Diseases and pests

If a flowering crop is not cared for as it should be, it quickly weakens and becomes most vulnerable to various dangerous infections and pests.

Large garden chamomile can be susceptible to the following diseases:

• rust - convex bright red spots appear on the leaves;
• gray rot, powdery mildew - leaves and stems become covered with a white, dark gray coating;
• fusarium - causes damage to the root system of the plant.

If treatment is not started on time, the plant may simply die.

The disease can be cured quickly if you resort to the use of fungicides such as:

• "Oxyhom"
• "Topaz",
• "Diskor"
• Bordeaux mixture,
• copper oxychloride.

The most dangerous pests of chamomile are aphids and star-winged flies., wireworm, slugs.

Important! Among pests, wireworms cause significant damage. By gnawing small roots, it weakens or leads to the death of the plant. To combat it, it is better to plant chamomile on soils with an environmental reaction close to neutral. The pest is practically not found in such soil.

For spraying against pests, insecticides such as Iskra, Imidor, and Fitoverm are used.

Just a note. If your favorite flower needs to be saved urgently, plain soapy water is often used. To do this, take a spoonful of liquid soap for 0.5 liters of warm water, add 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, then mix everything thoroughly. The prepared composition is sprayed on flowers for several days.

Growing chamomile in a pot

The article provides examples of how to plant and grow perennial daisies in your garden. But it turns out that daisies in a pot can also decorate your home interior. This is not a giant bush, but a low-growing and compact nevus (another name is pyrethrum), only 10-20 cm high. To grow a flower, a well-lit windowsill and a small and spacious pot are enough. Nutrient soil for growing pyrethrum can be purchased at the store. It blooms for quite a long time; after pruning, it is placed in a bright but cool room and watering is limited. In February, it is again transferred to a warm place, but they begin to water it abundantly only when the first buds appear in the rosette.

• For propagation, it is better to choose a double variety of garden chamomile, since the flowers are larger and more beautiful, there are always many buds, and re-blooming is possible at the end of summer.
• Despite its frost resistance and hardiness, the flower can freeze in a winter with little snow, so it is sprinkled with a thick layer of peat and straw, and covered with spruce branches.
• Chamomile gets along well with any ornamental plant: with the beautiful lily and rose, field poppy and cornflower.
• In the search engine results for the query “garden chamomile, large perennial planting and care,” sometimes there are articles devoted to chamomile, which is a related, but still completely different medicinal wild plant. The technology of its cultivation and use differs from decorative chamomile. Therefore, you should carefully read the text of the article to determine what type of chamomile (decorative or medicinal) we are talking about.

Garden chamomile is considered not only an adornment to any landscape design, but in many ways it brings love and good luck to the house, where household members begin to live in peace and harmony. Combining well in height and size with other flower crops, it fits harmoniously into any flower garden, giving it a unique and eye-catching appearance.

Chamomile, known to everyone since childhood, is a perennial plant from the Asteraceae family. One of the distinctive features of chamomile as a perennial is its ability to bloom in the first year after planting. There is a misconception that growing chamomile does not require compliance with any rules along the way, since in the wild the plant feels great and reproduces magnificently, which, of course, is a misconception. If chamomile was planted according to all the rules of agricultural technology, and it was properly cared for, then the yield of flowers from such a plant will be several times higher than that of its “wild” forms.

Botanical description

All representatives of the daisy genus have a weak but characteristic odor.. The plant is widely used in folk and traditional medicine because it has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, the plant can be used in landscape design and for arranging bouquets of wildflowers.

The classification of chamomile is still not streamlined. There are several systems for its description, each of which considers several dozen species of this plant. The most popular type of chamomile is Chamomile. It is this species that has the most pronounced medicinal properties.

Sometimes daisies are also called other plants that are similar in appearance to this flower. These include pyrethrum, cornflower, as well as some types of asters and chrysanthemums. And, although from a botanical point of view this is not true, all these plants are grown in approximately the same way as ordinary chamomile.

Chamomile is a low herbaceous perennial plant with pinnate, dissected leaves.

The chamomile inflorescence is a semicircular basket, which includes several hundred small flowers. The diameter of the inflorescences ranges from 5 to 20 mm. Their center is yellow or yellow-orange in color, the outer leaves are almost always white. The structure of the inflorescence is quite interesting: in the center there are bisexual flowers, at the edges there are only flowers with pistils.

Flowering begins quite early. Usually, the first inflorescences appear at the very beginning of spring, in warm areas sometimes as early as early March. Since flowering does not occur simultaneously, blooming daisies can be found even in one area throughout the entire season - from early March to late October. Peak flowering occurs in May–July. Pollination is carried out by wasps or bees.

The fruits of the plant are achenes with a tuft. Fruit ripening occurs within 1-1.5 months after the end of flowering.

Chamomile is grown to obtain pharmaceutical raw materials, primarily essential oils and azulene . For this purpose, the inflorescences and tops of the plant are collected.

Planting chamomile

General questions

Chamomile can be grown either by direct planting in the ground or by seedlings. If you don’t want to tinker with seedlings, you can simply sow chamomile seeds in open ground, however, the quality of the resulting plants will not be very good.

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The germination rate of the seeds will not be very high, in addition, the planting will be uneven. Over time, the plant will spread over the entire area of ​​the site, however, the time spent on bringing it into relative order will be comparable to growing seedlings.

The plant does not like excessive thickening; It’s better to plant it evenly right away. That is why the seedling method of growing chamomile is more preferable.

Site preparation

Usually, the area for chamomile is prepared before directly planting seeds or plants in the ground. There is no need to prepare it six months before planting. For daisies, you will need a sunny area with soil of normal acidity or close to it. It can also be grown on slightly alkaline soils.

Strongly acidic soils require liming with wood ash; its application rates depend on the acidity level of the soil, but in the vast majority of cases it is enough to add wood ash at the rate of 200 g per 1 sq. m. m.

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The root system of the plant can spread quite deep, so for growing daisies, soils with a groundwater level of at least 1 m are recommended.

The area must be dug to a depth of 30 cm, loosened and leveled, removing plant debris. After which you should apply complex fertilizer for flowers in the concentration recommended by the manufacturer. At this point, site preparation can be considered complete.

Planting in open ground

Seeds are planted directly in open ground at the end of May or at the end of September. The seeds are evenly distributed over the surface and sprinkled with a very thin layer of crushed soil.

After planting in the spring, the site needs regular watering. Seeds germinate in about 1-2 weeks. As they germinate, it will be clear what to do next with the young seedlings - whether or not they will have to be transplanted to empty plots. It is best to do this when 4-5 leaves appear on young plants.

If planting was done in the fall, then one watering will be enough for the seeds; They will sprout anyway only next spring.

Seedling planting method

Seedlings are planted at the end of March. It is best to grow chamomile seedlings in a tray with 4x4 or 5x5 cm cells. But you can use any container at hand, even individual planting using plastic cups.

The soil for seedlings should be light and well-permeable to moisture and air. Usually a simple peat-sand mixture is recommended (peat and sand are mixed in equal proportions).

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The mixture is poured into the cells to the very top, small depressions are made in it. Where two or three chamomile seeds are placed at the same time. The seeds are sprinkled with a thin layer of soil on top and watered.

The box with seedlings should be covered with plastic film or glass and placed in a warm place with a temperature of +20-22°C. It is not recommended to place seedlings directly under direct sunlight, since direct sunlight can destroy young seedlings. Therefore, the box can be placed at some distance from the window opening and protected from drafts.

On the other hand, seedlings require about 14 hours of daylight in order to develop normally. For this purpose, it is recommended to use fluorescent lamps, which will provide additional lighting at night.

Seedlings need to be watered as needed (the substrate must be constantly moderately moistened), and also ventilate daily for 15-30 minutes, removing the protective film or glass.

After 1-2 weeks, the seeds will germinate and young plants will appear on the surface. The shelter is removed, but additional protection from drafts is provided. The box with seedlings can be moved closer to the windowsill, but do not forget about the danger of direct sunlight. It is necessary to either shade the box with seedlings, or think about how to get diffused sunlight.

When the plants reach a height of about 5 cm, they should be thinned out, leaving one of the strongest in each cell. In this case, there is no need to uproot the seedlings; you need to carefully pinch them off at ground level so as not to damage the root system. Also at this time you need to pinch the remaining seedlings at a level above the third leaf. This will additionally stimulate the formation of new leaves and shoots.

Planting seedlings in open ground

Produced 1-1.5 months after planting. In a previously prepared area, holes are made 10-20 cm deep. The seedlings are planted in several rows; The distance between plants in a row should be from 20 to 40 cm, and between rows 40 cm.

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A seedling is placed in a hole along with a lump of earth, carefully sprinkled with soil, compacted and watered. At this stage, no additional fertilizing (except for the previously applied complex fertilizer for flowers) is required.

Plant care

Some gardeners recommend dividing the bush annually. In the winter, the chamomile shoots will still be cut off, so the bush will in any case re-form its vegetative part, and thinned bushes have a higher growth rate. The main thing is not to forget about autumn and spring feeding.

Manifestation of rust

Basically, chamomile is affected by fungal infections, among which are the following:

1 Powdery mildew. Its manifestation is the formation of a whitish coating on the leaves and stems. Sometimes the root system of the plant is also affected. Over time, the plaque acquires a brown tint.

2 Fusarium. Most often it affects young plants of the first and second years of life. The disease affects the root system, but becomes noticeable when rot appears on the root collar. The affected part of the plant turns brown instead of green. The leaves turn yellow and the shoots become thin.

3 Rust. With this disease, the upper side of the leaves becomes covered with red or black spots, and black fungal bodies with spores appear on the underside.

4 Gray rot. It is characterized by many necrotic spots on all parts of the plant. The spots grow very quickly and a grayish mycelium appears on them.

When the first symptoms of damage appear, the plant should be treated with fungicides. These may be Topaz, Fundazol or Kuproxat. You should strictly adhere to all recommendations for the use of products specified by the manufacturer. Typically, plants are processed twice with a break of 10 days. Collection of material from plants treated with fungicides is allowed if the last treatment was carried out no earlier than 20 days before collection. It is better to miss one year's harvest than to receive medicinal material with fungicide residues.

If gray rot appears, the plant should be destroyed as quickly as possible., and treat the soil in its place with any anti-fungal agent.

Chamomile affected by aphids

Among insects, chamomile can be attacked by aphids, thrips, wireworms and star flies.

1 Aphids and thrips. The most common pests of almost all garden crops. These insects can be found on all parts of the plant. Densely clinging to its stems and leaves, they suck the juices from the soft tissues of the plant. Numerous microtraumas can form on the leaves: spots, stripes or dots. Damaged tissues begin to die over time, the foliage withers and falls. The flowers also become deformed and lose their attractive appearance.

Measures to combat aphids are quite simple - the plant must be treated with insecticides. For this purpose, specialized anti-tick products, so-called acaricides (for example, Karbofos or Agravertin), are best suited.

2 Wireworms. In fact, this is not a separate species of insect, but the larvae of a click beetle. They live in the soil for several years and damage the roots of the plant. Most often, the larvae attack potatoes and plants that are planted next to them.

The best way to get rid of wireworms are traps. Place a small piece of potato, carrot or beet at the bottom of a small hole, and cover the hole itself with a board. Regularly, every 2-3 days, you should lift the board and get rid of trapped pests.

3 Star winged fly. Adult plants and larvae infect the central shoots and inhibit plant growth. As a rule, larvae accumulate in large groups.

Chamomile is one of the most popular medicinal plants

Chamomile is one of the most popular medicinal plants. Its cultivation is not difficult and can be done on almost any soil with minimal use of additional funds. In addition to its medicinal properties, chamomile can be used in the garden as a natural remedy to repel various pests from the area.