The famous immortelle - gelikhrizum, growing from the seeds of the most unpretentious flower
Despite its thermophilic nature, this Australian flower is successfully grown in the vastness of our great homeland. Its beauty is not flashy, but simple, modest, but this is precisely what "took" the hearts of flower growers Gelichrizum, growing from the seeds of which is sometimes the only way of reproduction. If perennial species can still be grafted or rooted delenki, then annual varieties are grown exclusively with seeds. But don't make it a problem. The seeds sprout amicably, and the helihrizum itself is quite unpretentious in care.
What does gelichrizum look like - a characteristic of a plant
Helichrizum belongs to the Asteraceae family, and its homeland is hot Australia. Nature has awarded the plant with excellent endurance, which is already evident from the structure. The stems of the immortelle are strong, reinforced with a ribbed structure. They can easily withstand both gusts of wind and numerous branches and buds. Most species have erect shoots, but there are varieties with creeping twigs. If the first variety is grown for cutting, then the second is grown as a ground cover or ampel crop.
The root system also plays an important role in endurance. Fibrous, but well-branched roots provide the tenacity with moisture even in drought conditions. And the tough, elongated, rough and thorny leaves help preserve the precious fluid. They are very beautiful, with a noble silvery sheen, which gives a short pubescence. In some types of culture, foliage is even more beautiful than flowers, because it is not only green, but also blue or yellow.
As for the height of the plant and the shape of the inflorescences, they depend on the species. There are cute undersized helihrizums no more than 20 cm high with miniature flowers, the diameter of which does not exceed 5 mm. Large immortelles up to 120 cm in height also look proud.But at the same time, they cannot boast of very large flowers - a maximum of 7 cm in diameter. But gelichrisum is rich in color. The densely stuffed, rounded basket flowers represent all shades of white, yellow, red and pink.
Popular types
The immortelle has almost 500 species, but only a sixth of them have been domesticated.
Most often on flower beds and front gardens you can find these types of gelichrizum:
- monstrose;
- terry;
- bracts;
- petiolate (aka licorice).
Gelichrizum Monstroza
A chic annual about 80 cm high. The flowers are quite large, up to 4 cm in diameter. Has a wide variety of colors: red, yellow, pink, white.
Gelikhrizum terry
A tall shrub up to 1 m high, grown mainly for cutting. Each bush ties up to 3 dozen large and stuffed buds with a diameter of about 7 cm.The color is dominated by white, red, yellow, pink and orange colors.
Gelichrisum bracts
Grown as a perennial herb, the bushes are gorgeous, tall, up to 80 cm tall. Lanceolate leaves are painted in dark green color. Flowering occurs in mid-summer and lasts until mid-autumn. Inflorescences in the form of baskets, of different colors.
Petiolate gelichrizum
It is appreciated for the decorative appearance of the leaves. It builds up long lashes, about 1 m, which either hang down, or crawl along the ground, or climb up the support. Can be grown as a ground cover or ampel plant. The leaves themselves are rounded, small, but there are a lot of them. The sheet plates are covered with silvery pile. There are varieties with blue, yellow or bright green leaves.
Petiolate immortelle blooms only in the southern regions where it is warm. But the flowering is inconspicuous, inferior in beauty to the leaves: the flowers are small, dirty yellow.
Growing helihrizum from seeds: methods and timing of sowing
For annual plant varieties, the only way to reproduce is by sowing seeds. However, this will not cause problems, because the seeds have time to fully mature and you can collect your planting material every year. And their germination is excellent, even without preliminary treatment with growth stimulants, almost all seeds germinate. Perennials-gelichrisums are also propagated by seeds at home. It is not always possible to keep them in the open field in winter, so that later they can be divided or cuttings. So seed propagation is the most reliable method.
Keep the largest flowers to harvest the seeds. When the seeds are ripe, cut off the dried buds, shake out the seeds and transfer them to a glass jar with a lid or a paper bag.
In a cool and dry place, seeds can be stored for 2 years. After the specified time, their germination is significantly reduced.
Seeds can be sown in two ways:
- first for seedlings;
- directly into the open ground.
Sowing seeds of gelichrizum for seedlings
The seedling method is most often used for tall varieties grown for cutting, as well as for ampelous species. A feature of sowing is that the seeds do not need to be buried and pre-processed. But prepare loose and light soil for planting. And be sure to bake it in the oven if you prepared the mixture yourself. Or spill potassium permanganate on a store-bought disinfecting substrate.
You can start sowing seeds in the month of March. The seedling growing scheme is the same as for most flower crops.:
- fill shallow containers with soil mixture;
- spray the soil abundantly;
- sow seeds over the soil surface;
- sprinkle on top with a layer of earth no more than 5 mm thick;
- cover with foil and put in a warm place;
- periodically ventilate the greenhouse and moisten the soil;
- when seedlings appear (this usually happens after 2 weeks), remove the film and place the seedlings in the brightest place;
- after the formation of a pair of true leaves, dive the seedlings into separate containers or remove excess shoots.
In open ground, seedlings can be planted not earlier than the frost has passed. There are no exact dates, focus on your climatic conditions. In the south, it can usually be planted already at the end of April, in the central zone and to the north, it is better to wait until mid-May.
Gelikhrizum grown through seedlings will bloom 3-4 weeks earlier, in early July.
Growing gelichrizum from seeds: when to plant in open ground
Sowing directly to a flower bed is more suitable for low-growing ground cover gelichrisums. Although this method can also be used for other types of culture. Planting dates also depend on the local climate, but usually it is late April - early May. The advantage of the seedless method is that you don't have to fiddle with cups. Just make shallow grooves in the flower bed, slightly stirring and loosening the ground. Not very thick, about how do you plant carrots, sow the seeds and cover them carefully with a thin layer of soil.
To speed up germination, you can cover the crops with foil. Just remember to ventilate and remove it so that the seeds do not squeeze.
After emergence, let them grow a little and thin out. That's the whole procedure.
Gelikhrizum - planting and care in the open field for an unpretentious immortelle
There is almost no need to care for this plant, it can grow almost like a weed, content with the sun and moisture after the rains. But if, nevertheless, it is more interesting for you to admire not small flowers, but large bright heads, sometimes look at a flower bed with gelichrizum.
The immortelle will not take away much attention and time from you:
- If the summer is dry and rainless, water it occasionally. The rest of the time, the bushes can do without watering.
- Gently loosen the soil under the plants or at least in the aisles. Having received a "portion of air", the roots will more actively begin to transfer nutrients to the leaves and buds, and they will become more beautiful.
- If weeds appear, pull them out by hand.
- Feed the bushes twice a month so that they bloom more abundantly and lastingly. For this, it is good to use organic matter in the form mullein or infusion of brilliant green. You can also alternate them with mineral potassium-phosphorus preparations.
- To make the tall gelichrizum more lush, pinch the top of each plant when it reaches 15 cm in height. Ground covers do not need such a procedure.
What to do when gelichrizum fades
After the end of flowering, do not forget to collect seeds from annual immortelles so as not to lose a flower from your collection. As for perennials, they can winter in open ground only in warm southern regions, and subject to shelter. If your winters are cold, the bushes will need to be trimmed, dug up and stored in the basement like dahlias.
As you can see, growing gelichrizum from seeds is the most affordable and quite uncomplicated way to grow a very beautiful flower. It will not only decorate your front garden, but in winter, in the form of dead wood, with its bright buds, it will remind you of a warm summer. Just don't wait for the buds to fully open - cut them a little earlier to dry. So the immortelle will have a more decorative look.