How to grow a tropical argiranthemum shrub with luxurious flowering on the site
Argirantemum shrub is a shrub plant that resembles chamomile in its lush flowering. It fell in love with gardeners and landscape designers due to its spectacular appearance and docile “character”. When creating a comfortable microclimate, Argirantemum can be grown both in containers and in open soil, receiving a lush and violent flowering, lasting until the first frost.
Argirantemum shrub – botanical features
Argyranthemum frutescens is a representative of the Chrysanthemum family, numbering about 20 species. Under natural conditions, it is found in the Canary Islands and Madeira. Due to the external similarity with other garden flowers, Argirantemum is often called “Parisian chamomile” or “daisy chrysanthemum”.
Botanical features of shrub argiranthemum:
- The evergreen spreading shrub is large in size and reaches 35-100 cm in height.
- Leaves and shoots grow very densely, forming a lush, openwork “canvas”.
- Leaves are small, rich green or silvery shade.
- Argyranthemum bloom begins in mid-July and lasts until early November.
- Chamomile-like inflorescences can be yellow-apricot, pink, cream, beige, red-raspberry or white..
Despite the fact that argirantemum belongs to perennial shrubs, in Russia it is grown as an annual plant.
This is due to the peculiarities of the climate, because if, under warm tropical conditions, the plant blooms perfectly throughout the year, then it does not tolerate severe Russian frosts and immediately dies in the open field..
Rules for growing shrub argiranthemum
When growing argyranthemum shrub, it is necessary to take into account the specifics of a tropical plant, otherwise it is impossible to achieve lush and long flowering. It is not very easy to grow it, but if you follow all the rules, you can get an excellent result..
Argirantemum loves warmth and dryness, it does not tolerate heat, high humidity and soil. The plant begins to wither, its decorative qualities deteriorate. It is for this reason that the cultivation of argiranthemum is most often carried out in open soil or pots, and not in greenhouses, where the air can stagnate..
Planting seeds
The cultivation of the plant is carried out by seed or vegetative method. Tropical plant seeds can be purchased at gardening stores.
Rules for growing argiranthemum from seeds:
- You can start sowing seeds at the end of March or the first half of April..
- Sow seeds in a plastic container over the surface of the nutrient medium.
- Sprinkle lightly with soil and cover with plastic wrap or glass. Leave in a warm place at a temperature of at least + 23 ° С.
- After 10-15 days, when most of the seeds germinate, the air temperature can be reduced by a few degrees, and the polyethylene can be removed..
- When 3-4 true leaves appear on the sprouts, transplant them into separate containers – small plastic containers or cups.
After the appearance of 5 true leaves, young seedlings can be transplanted into large pots or open soil. But this should be done only after stable warm weather has been established, since at the slightest return frost they will die..
Propagation by cuttings
When planting and caring for arginantemum, you can use the vegetative method. With the help of cuttings, you can get an earlier flowering of the bush. It is best done in early spring or early fall..
For reproduction, it is necessary to cut thin cuttings, cut off the top from them and remove the lower leaves. After that, place them in a container with Epin’s solution or another growth stimulant. Instead, you can immediately dip the cut stalk in heteroauxin and stick it into loose, nutritious soil. From above, you need to cover it with a plastic bottle or jar..
For rooting, cuttings need regular ventilation and periodic watering. The appearance of new, healthy leaves indicates that the cuttings have successfully rooted..
Open ground transplant
Transplanting young shoots of shrub argirantemum into open ground should be carried out no earlier than May-June, when the soil temperature warms up enough and the risk of recurrent frosts disappears.
Landing scheme:
- It is necessary to transplant argirantemum very carefully, since the plant has a delicate and sensitive root system..
- Prepare planting holes – their size should be larger than the root system of the plant.
- Fill the bottom of the holes with a drainage layer – fine gravel, broken brick, pebbles or expanded clay.
- Given the large size of the shrub, leave a distance of at least 30-40 cm between the pits..
- Pour a substrate made from equal parts garden soil and sand on top of the drain.
- Place the seedling in the hole and straighten its roots, gently sprinkle with soil and lightly tamp.
During the first 15-20 days after planting, it is necessary to provide the plant with regular watering – this will help the seedling take root faster in a new place. But you need to make sure that there is no stagnation of moisture, otherwise the argiranthemum will die.
Caring for shrub argirantemum
When caring for a tropical plant, you need to take into account its features – it does not tolerate high humidity of the air and soil, but excessively dry soil is destructive for it. Therefore, the gardener should pay special attention to the correct watering of the shrub argiranthemum..
The frequency of watering depends on the condition of the soil. It should be slightly damp. If the soil is completely dry at a depth of 1-2 cm, the plant needs moisture. It is especially important to monitor the soil in hot, dry weather..
For a lush and long-lasting flowering, Argirantemum needs a large amount of nutrients. But the plant cannot get all the required elements from the soil, so it needs to be fed at least 3 times a season with complex mineral fertilizers.
Preparing for winter
When growing an exotic plant, you need to take into account how argirantemum winters in Moscow and other regions of Russia. The flower reacts very sensitively to the approach of cold weather – already 5-10 days before the first frost, it begins to dry and wither. The plant should not be left to winter in the ground..
If the gardener does not plan to preserve the argiranthemum until next year, it must be dug out of the garden and destroyed. To save, the bush should be transplanted into a box or pot with new soil and brought indoors..
For a comfortable wintering, argirantemum needs to maintain an air temperature of at least + 16 ° C and moderate moisture.
Shrub argyranthemum is a beautiful tropical plant that has gained popularity among many gardeners and florists. Growing and caring for it has its own characteristics, adhering to which you can get a lush and healthy plant that blooms colorfully until the first frost.
