The chrysanthemum is one of the most popular ornamental plants these days. No wonder: With its great variety of colors and shapes, it captivates every viewer. Versatility is one of its characteristics: it is suitable as a houseplant and garden plant, but it also decorates your home as a wonderful cut flower in a vase. You see, not many can compete with her. You can find all information about the right care for chrysanthemums in our article.
A little history of chrysanthemums
More than 40 different chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum ) species belong to the daisy family (Asteraceae ). These are divided again into the group of wild species and garden chrysanthemums. Breeding has developed over a thousand garden chrysanthemums over time. Proper chrysanthemum care is the be-all and end-all for a beautiful flower bed. The plant originally comes from East Asia, more precisely from China and Japan. A 16-petal chrysanthemum flower even features the national and imperial seal of Japan. In addition, the Japanese Imperial Palace is still referred to as the Chrysanthemum Palace. It has also been known in Europe since the 16th century and has been a popular cut and garden flower since the 19th century.
Chrysanthemum appearance The wild species of the plant genus can reach a height of up to 150 centimeters. The smaller garden chrysanthemums are only between 50 and 90 centimeters tall. The ovate leaves are matt green in color and form a beautiful contrast to the juicy color of the flowers. Depending on the species, the star-shaped flower can be red, yellow or white. The different colors are also used in symbolism.
red chrysanthemums: love
yellow chrysanthemums: happiness and eternity
white chrysanthemums: mourning and are often used as grave arrangements
The right chrysanthemum care: location, watering, fertilizing etc.
The colorful flowers are easy-care (indoor) plants. Therefore, caring for chrysanthemums should also be child's play for you.
Chrysanthemum location: it can be bright Your chrysanthemum needs sunlight for a distinctive bloom, but it should not be in the blazing rays of the sun. If you have a bedding plant, the temperature should not exceed 25 degrees Celsius, as it cannot cope with too much heat and will dry out quickly. If it also gets hotter at their location, the chrysanthemum will only bloom a little. Luckily, many chrysanthemums are hardy, only if there is too much frost in the cooler months, then you should bring the flowering plants indoors. Wind and rain, on the other hand, don't bother it much and you don't have to worry that a shoot might break off from time to time, the chrysanthemum won't die from that. For plants that you care for in your apartment, you should choose a north window as the location. In summer it can also be placed outside on your balcony.
Chrysanthemums Earth - The undemanding Chrysanthemum care also includes the right choice of potting soil. Here the plant is not very demanding. You can use normal pot and balcony plant soil. However, you should mix this with clay granules or sand (ratio 2:1). The substrate is well permeable to water and at the same time can absorb sufficient moisture. As always with this plant, watch out for waterlogging and avoid it in good time. Container or potted plants should have a drainage hole with a clay disc on top.This allows the excess water to drain away easily into the lower pot
Water chrysanthemums: Plenty of water please! Since chrysanthemums are among the heavy consumers in the plant kingdom, they also have a high water requirement. So regular watering is part of your job. If the soil has dried on its surface, you should water the plants immediately. You can easily determine this with the help of the finger test. If your houseplant is outside in summer, it will need additional water even after a heavy downpour. Their often very dense growth prevents rainwater from penetrating to the root area.
Tip: To avoid dry bales and waterlogging, it helps to water at intervals. It is better to pour smaller amounts of water on the ground several times in a row instead of one big gush.
Chrysanthemums fertilize especially during flowering If your chrysanthemum grows in a flower pot, then you have to provide it with liquid fertilizer regularly from April to September. In the winter months, it does not need any additional nutrients as it is in a dormant phase. You usually do not need to fertilize your garden chrysanthemums, as they can draw their necessary nutrients from the soil in the flower bed. However, it doesn't hurt if you mix in a little compost in spring or water the plants from time to time with pond water (of course only if available).
Tip: To protect the environment, it is also advisable to use organic vegetable fertilizer.
Pruning chrysanthemums: regular pruning When caring for chrysanthemums, regular pruning of the plant should not be missed, as this ensures a constantly bushy growth habit. The months of May, June and July are good for cutting back the flower several times. In addition, you can always trim back the thin new shoots to encourage denser branching. During the flowering period, you should remove wilted and broken buds, otherwise they drain the plant of too much energy and shorten the flowering period. At the end of the flowering phase, you can also make a radical cut back just above the ground. Don't worry, the chrysanthemum will recover during its dormant phase and then bloom with new freshness.
Repot chrysanthemums: It's that easy Repotting when caring for chrysanthemums does not take much time. Container or potted plants should be repotted about every two years due to their propagation. You should always thin out the plant a bit so that it can put all its energy into magnificent growth again. The fresh potting soil also helps, of course. After planting in a new and larger vessel, water sufficiently with water.
Propagating chrysanthemums: cuttings or division You can propagate the chrysanthemum either by cuttings or by dividing the mother plant. From summer to autumn you can easily cut off a few small shoots. Then remove the bottom leaves and plant them in a seed tray with seed soil. You should cover the bowl with transparent foil and place it in a bright location. Always keep the soil slightly moist with rainwater. As soon as roots form, you can repot several specimens together in a suitable container. If your chrysanthemum is a bit older, then you can also share it and start your colorful family of flowers. To do this, dig the plant out of its substrate in spring and carefully divide the root ball into two or more parts.You now put these back in suitable planters or in your flower bed.
Is the chrysanthemum poisonous?
Unfortunately, many of the beautiful (indoor) plants are poisonous. This includes the chrysanthemum. It is particularly dangerous for cats and dogs. Fortunately, not all plants are poisonous, it always depends on the species. Symptoms of poisoning such as irritation of the mucous membranes or drowsiness (in the worst case, kidney and liver failure) can occur when the plant is eaten. But you should also be careful with babies and small children. It is therefore advisable to ask about the degree of toxicity of the chrysanthemum when buying the plant.
Tips for problems with the chrysanthemum
If your chrysanthemum doesn't bloom or blooms very little, it's probably a sign that it's low on nutrients. It is therefore important, especially during the flowering period, to always fertilize them regularly and sufficiently. A flowering plant fertilizer can also help here.
Find your personal (room) plant
Now it's just a matter of finding the right flower friends for your chrysanthemums. As always, you can find suggestions for this in our current range
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