Perennial daisy

Perennial daisy (Bellis) belongs to the Asteraceae family. This genus includes 14 varieties. The wild-growing flower can be found on the Mediterranean coast. The word "margarites" is ancient Greek and translates as "pearl", this is due to the fact that the wild plant has small white flowers. The name in the Latin alphabet was given by Pliny; in translation it means "beautiful, beautiful". In a number of countries, the culture is called the "eye of the day", as its flowers open when the sun rises. Translated into English, the daisy is pronounced "day ah", so in England the flower is given the affectionate name "Daisy". Ladies from Germany wondered on daisies for their betrothed, tore off the petals, so the flower began to be called in German as “the measure of love”. The perennial daisy has been very popular among flower growers for a very long time, in this regard, there are many legends and tales about it. This vegetation has always been very fashionable, because it blooms beautifully and cute.

Perennial daisy: description and characteristics of flowers

Perennial daisy: photo of flowers

Perennial daisy is a small herb with a shortened root. The leaves growing at the roots, dull, in the form of a shovel, have denticles. Stem without foliage, forming only one head. Pink or white female ligulate flowers develop on a conical receptacle. The flowers, located in the middle, are tubular, of both sexes, their coloring is yellow. Plants cultivated by flower growers may have inflorescences that are different in size, structure (double, semi-double or simple). The fruit is a flattened achene without a tuft.

Perennial daisy: growing flowers

It is good to propagate specific flowers by seed method. Perennial daisy seeds are sown under the open sky in June days. Sowing is carried out in moist soil, the seeds are not planted, but only sprinkled on top with a thin layer of humus or sand. These seeds, in order for sprouts to appear, need positive temperature conditions (about twenty degrees) and sunlight. If this procedure is carried out correctly, the appearance of the first shoots will occur a week after sowing. If the grains are not embedded in the soil, and the plantings are covered with polyethylene on top, then the embryos are activated, and nothing will depend on the sowing depth (germination rate will be 100%). After 2 days, the cover is removed, and the seedlings are covered with a thin soil layer. Seedlings develop very quickly, so after a while they dive under the open sky according to the 20x20 cm scheme. Plants will bloom only in the next spring season, and in the year of sowing, all efforts will be directed to the formation of leaves. Daisies are pretty good at self-seeding. In the spring, when seedlings appear, it will only be necessary to thin them out, and also to pull out all sick or weak flowers. But, if you propagate a perennial daisy in this way, then over the years the flowers will become smaller, and the varietal characteristics of the bush will also be lost.

Cultivation of daisies in seedlings.

Most of the growers cultivate perennial daisies using the seedling method. This is because the beginning of flowering of seedlings will be already in the year of sowing. Grains are sown on February or March days; for this purpose, individual containers are used to avoid root injuries when the seedlings dive.The container is filled with fertile, drained soil, which can be purchased at a special store. The seeds are sown in the same way as sowing in open conditions, and the plantings also need good illumination and a warm temperature (about twenty degrees). After the emergence of shoots, the cups are rearranged in the cool (temperature - 13-16 degrees). Also, perennial daisy seedlings need to be additionally highlighted, because daylight hours should last 12-14 hours, and in this season the days are short.

Perennial daisy: planting

Perennial daisy: photo of flowers

Optimal planting time.

Perennial daisies love light, so the planting site should be with good illumination. Daisy is unpretentious to the composition of the soil. Seedlings are planted in any garden soil. But it will be more comfortable for her on light loamy soddy soil. It is impossible to plant in the lowlands, since the liquid stagnates there, and the flower does not relate well to an excess of water in the soil.

Planting grown plants under the open sky is carried out in late May or early June.

How to plant.

Perennial daisies are planted together with a soil clod. First, small holes are prepared for planting, the interval between them should be twenty cm. Further, the seedlings are rolled over, and you must try not to harm the root system. The near-trunk circle is well compacted, after which the plantings are watered in large volume.

Perennial daisy: flower care

Perennial daisy: photo of flowers

Growing a perennial daisy is simple and easy. Only timely watering, weeding, feeding and loosening of the surface soil layer is required. The root system is shallow, for this reason regular watering is necessary. With a lack of liquid, the inflorescences will become smaller, the terry will be lost. After watering, you need to gently loosen the topsoil around the plant, this will improve the penetration of air to the roots. To significantly reduce watering, weeding, loosening, after planting seedlings, the surface soil layer is mulched. Thanks to mulching, the root system will not stick out, as it usually happens due to the fact that the surface of the earth has dried up.

Top dressing is applied twice per period. For this purpose, a complex of minerals for flowering vegetation is used (25-30 g / square). To make the daisy bloom longer and more beautifully, cut off the inflorescences that have begun to wither in time.

Reproduction methods.

Perennial daisies can be grown by seed, cuttings, and dividing the bush. Varieties of daisies are propagated vegetatively, since over the years their inflorescences become smaller, and the decorativeness of the flower is lost.

It is recommended to divide the bush in late summer or early autumn, it is also possible in the spring season. The plant is removed from the ground and divided into four to six fragments. Pinching is performed on parts of all flowers and buds, all the leaves are still removed, the petioles remain, the roots are shortened to fifty to eighty mm. Thanks to this procedure, the survival rate of the divisions will be better and faster after planting. The adaptation of the parcels planted under the open sky, their growth and flowering occur rather quickly. Even without roots, the survival rate of the delenka is ensured. After planting in the ground, it will begin to give new roots from the bases of the petioles.

Propagated by cuttings in the same time period as the plant is divided. For this purpose, a very sharpened knife / scissors / pruner is taken, lateral shoots with leaves are cut from an adult plant. They are planted on a ridge, its soil should be loose. After 15 days, the cuttings will completely root. For the first time, cuttings will bloom only next year.

Harmful insects and diseases.

Although a perennial daisy is small in size, it has immunity to diseases and resistance to various pests.But do not forget that it can be affected by diseases caused by viruses. In a diseased bush at the beginning of summer, flower legs stretch out, inflorescences become smaller, leaves also become smaller and pale. The bushes affected by the disease are immediately dug up and destroyed, and the place of their growth is disinfected with a strong solution of potassium permanganate.

In rare cases, powdery mildew can overcome the flower. The surface of flowers and leaves is covered with a bloom of light gray or whitish color. Diseased daisies or their fragments are destroyed. To exterminate powdery mildew, all the bushes are sprayed with Topaz, a solution of colloidal sulfur or Bordeaux mixture.

In some situations, ticks can attack the daisy, they fight with insecticides, for example, "Aktellik" or "Karbofos". Mice can harm the flower, in order to destroy them, you need to put poison around the perimeter of the site in several places.

Professional flower growers say that, subject to all the rules of agricultural technology, daisies will be strong, their immunity will be resistant to all diseases, they will delight you constantly with their decorative flowers.

Plant after flowering

Perennial daisy: photo of flowers

How to collect seeds.

Perennial daisy seeds do not ripen at the same time. Therefore, you need to collect them gradually, 1-2 times a week. It is necessary to cut off the required number of inflorescences, which have wilted, before being washed out by rain or water when watering ripe grains. The seeds are removed from the inflorescence and distributed on a piece of paper. To dry the seeds of a perennial daisy, you need to place them in a well-ventilated place. Dried grains are poured into paper bags, then they are stored for storage where it is dry and dark.

Preparing for the winter season.

To protect the root system lying at the surface from severe frosty periods, especially if the winter is with little snow, the surface soil layer is mulched with a thickened layer of humus, sawdust or peat. Mulch thickness - 80 mm, not less. When the plants protrude from the soil, while the roots are exposed, it is required to mulch the soil without fail. In the spring, these bushes need to be transplanted to a new site so that the depth suits them.

Daisy variety

Gardeners cultivate two varieties of daisies - annuals and perennials. Planting and farming techniques of these two species are not very different.

Annual daisies (Bellis annua).

Daisies of this variety are grown indoors, they can decorate a balcony or terrace. You can also cultivate them in rockeries. Perennial flowers are the most popular among flower growers, so they received more attention, because of this, breeders have bred a large number of different perennial varieties.

Perennial daisy (Bellis perennis).

The plant grows up to ten to thirty cm. The root rosette is made up of leaves in the form of a shovel or elongated in the form of an egg. The next season after the shoots have appeared, the plants form many peduncles without foliage, their surface is pubescent, they stretch up to fifteen to thirty cm.The inflorescence-basket in cross section is eighty mm, its coloring can be pink, white or red. Large reed or tubular flowers diverge from the middle of the inflorescences; in the middle there are small tubular flowers of a yellow-golden color. The grains are flattened, small, in the form of an oval. This variety spreads well by self-sowing, germination is simultaneous, seedlings can be used as seedlings.

A large number of perennial varieties are divided according to the morphology of inflorescences into baskets of the tubular and reed groups. Both categories have varieties with inflorescences that are double, semi-double and simple baskets.

• Simple baskets. Includes one to three rows of ligulate or tubular flowers.The core consists of tubular small yellow flowers.
• Semi-double baskets. They contain four rows of reed-like flowers. The middle is yellow, includes small tubular flowers.
• Terry baskets. They contain a large number of ligulate flowers, and they almost cover the middle, which consists of tubular flowers of yellow color.

Still varieties of perennial daisies are subdivided according to the size of the inflorescences: small - in cross-section they reach twenty to forty mm; medium - forty to sixty mm; large - from sixty mm or more.

• "Robella". Baskets are large, terry structure, in cross section they grow up to fifty mm. The inflorescences are compacted, consisting of curled tubular flowers of pink-salmon color. This variety was awarded a gold medal at the Fleroselect competition.

Perennial daisy: photo of flowers

• Rob Roy. The bush is small, the baskets are small, red in color, their diameter is ten to twenty mm.
• Bella Daisy. The variety blooms early and was also awarded at the Fleroselect competition. The diameter of the double inflorescence is twenty-twenty-five mm, painted in bright pink colors.
• "Pomponette". Small inflorescences in the form of a pompom, resemble buttons.

Perennial daisy: photo of flowers

Recently, a varietal series of daisies has appeared, containing varieties that have a large number of identical features that differ in the color of the inflorescences. The most popular are presented below.

• Tasso series. Shoots of varieties are shortened, having compacted baskets in the form of pompons, consisting of tubular flowers. Their diameter is forty mm, the coloring is pink, salmon pink, red, white. There is also a variety of pale pink color, which has a darker center color.
• Speedstar series. Flowering begins during the sowing season. Baskets are white or carmine in color, semi-double structure, their middle is bright yellow. Varieties with pink baskets, a white rim is located around the middle of the yellow color.
• Rominette series. Thick terry baskets in cross section grow up to twenty mm, their coloring is red, pale pink, white, carmine pink. The bush only grows up to fifteen cm.