Unpretentious hellebore: planting and caring for a hardy flower
Resistance to disease, drought and frost, as well as evergreen foliage, early / winter bloom and unpretentiousness. It is this "reputation" that the hellebore has earned, planting and caring for which does not require much effort. The culture is propagated by seeds, since after dividing the bush there is a risk that it will stop blooming. A herbaceous plant is planted in mid-spring or early autumn, immediately after collecting the seeds. Nevertheless, in order to take full advantage of the decorative effect of the hellebore, it is important to take into account some of the features of its cultivation.
In favorable conditions, the wintering flower blooms in the middle of winter (November or January) or in early March. This extravaganza of colors continues until the end of June.
Hellebore: boarding and leaving based on income
In nature, there are only 14 species of this representative. of the buttercup family. However, breeders have already developed dozens of hybrid varieties. The color of the petals of each of them varies from dark black and purple, to red and light green. Such decorative properties of the flower induce many cultivate hellebore in the garden. In the gray weekdays of winter, it's so lovely will become an oasis of paradise.
Since the wintering house is problematic to transfer transplants, it is recommended to immediately choose a permanent place for it. In the wild, it grows on mountain slopes and in shady gorges. Therefore, it is often planted under large trees (apple trees) or fences.
Although there are no special requirements for the composition of the soil for buttercups, it is still better to plant them on neutral types of soil. If the acidity of the soil is less than 6 pH, then a little limestone or ash is added.
It is worth knowing that the winter house grows well in:
- shadows;
- loose and nutritious substrates;
- deciduous humus;
- well-drained ground.
In waterlogged soil, the root system of the flower begins to ache. For this reason, the crop must be protected from moisture stagnation. In this case, it is not necessary to allow the soil to dry out more than 15 cm. If you plant herbaceous plants in small groups, then moisture will be in their dense thickets for a long time. In addition, this fit looks very decorative. Choosing a suitable site for your flower beds, the gardener will want to know when and how to plant a hellebore in his country house.
Distinguish between flowering and ground cover varieties of helleborus. The height of many adult plants can reach from 20 to 50 cm. This feature of the flower is often used in landscape design to create compositions.
Geometry planting hellebore: method of dividing the bush
In April or September, the gardener plows the plot for his front garden. If he wants to get a variety identical to the parent plant, then the reproduction of the hellebore is carried out by dividing the bush. Since some varieties cannot withstand transplants, it is better to familiarize yourself with their features first.
Agronomists say that it is better to make a hole 2 times the size of the root system.
The width, length and depth of the fossa should be the same, therefore they are 25-30 cm. In addition, 30 cm is left between the bush.
To properly plant a hellebore in spring, as experts advise, you need to follow 7 steps:
- dig up a perennial bush;
- rinse its rhizome;
- divide into several divisions, making an incision between growth points (leave more than 3 on each);
- half fill the hole compost, humus or turf;
- put a seedling on the bottom and carefully spread the roots so that there are no bends;
- fill the hole with a loose soil mixture, compacting each layer, trying not to deepen the root collar;
- water the planting abundantly.
Farmers noticed that it is better to choose 3-year-old specimens for dividing the bush. Since their roots are dense and elastic, which means they are less vulnerable, they take root more successfully in a new place.
However, at this stage, the hellebore planting and care procedure it doesn't end there. Now, within 10-20 days, the seedling is watered (in evening time) to get it started. However, it is important to be careful not to overdo it, otherwise it will start to rot. If it rains, don't do it worth it. As soon as the specimen gets stronger, it is looked after so that the soil is only slightly damp. In such conditions, in one place, the culture can grow from 10 to 15 years.
Sowing hellebore seeds: a long way from seedlings to open ground
Still, it is best to propagate the hellebore with seeds that are not fully ripe. They are harvested in autumn, in September. Some have to buy planting material in the store. Then it is important to pay attention to the date of packaging. Crop seeds lose their germination in just six months. Now that everything you need is in place, you can start gardening work.
At their summer cottage, a shady place with fertile soil is prepared and well dug up. So that the hellebore from the seeds sprouts as quickly as possible, the earth is fertilized with mineral complexes. In the future, bone meal can be added every 3 months. It is advised to deepen the seeds by 1 cm, simply sprinkling them with earth.
Sometimes planting a flower is carried out in a completely different way:
- after harvesting, the seeds are immediately sown for seedlings in a container with humus soil;
- funnels are made up to 1.5 cm deep in 5 cm increments;
- send the container to the garden for seed stratification hellebore Christmas rose;
- when 2 full-fledged leaves appear (this will happen next spring in March), they are dived into the garden bed or taken to the house and looked after there;
- after 3 years (in September), these mature seedlings are transferred to a permanent (shady) place in the garden;
- the flowerbed is covered with mulch so that the roots are not exposed.
In winter or spring, this seedling should throw out the buds like once when the hellebore blooms. But most often it happens at 4 or 5 years, because the period of growth in Helleborus (Latin name) is very long lasting.
In addition, seedlings can be grown a little differently. Seeds are sown very thickly in a box with soil mixture. When the sprouts rise to 2-3 cm, they are transplanted into pots using a toothpick. After a couple of years, the seedling is transferred to open ground.
Care for a hellebore or a drop of water
Like all plants, a winter house needs life-giving moisture. A feature of caring for a hellebore flower is watering. In areas where a lot of snow falls, artificial irrigation is not practiced. The amount of melt water will be enough for him. At the same time, the herbaceous plant's fleshy foliage may appear to be designed to collect liquid. However, this is not quite true. Due to the very hot weather, moisture evaporates very quickly and they really need water. Therefore, up to 1 liter of water is added under each bush.
You can create a gorgeous composition from Helleborus. They can be placed in the background as they bloom first, and crocuses or tulips can be planted in front. In such a company, all these flowers look very impressive.
Having familiarized themselves with the peculiarities of planting a hellebore and caring for it, every gardener has the right to decide what to do. To propagate the crop as quickly as possible, it is best to choose a division of the bush. In this case, you can get a pure variety from the parent specimen. A longer method is growing by seeds. They are sown on seedlings immediately after collection. In the spring they dive, and after 3 years they are transferred to a permanent place.However, in any business, you always need to observe your landing and experiment. This is the only way to achieve success.