Feverfew maiden - growing from seeds

Feverfew is a perennial crop with herbaceous shoots. A representative of the Asteraceae family can be found in Eurasia and North America. Unpretentious flowers resemble chamomile in appearance, but they have a more lush core and a bright shade of petals. Feverfew has a repellent effect on fleas and bed bugs.

Description of the plant

Perennial culture effectively combines the simplicity of chamomile and the refined sophistication of chrysanthemum. Bright pyrethrum flowers can decorate any flower bed. Even inexperienced flower growers can grow plants, since crop care is simple.

Perennial from the Asteraceae family

Feverfew is the most popular variety with its chic white flowers. The bushes, depending on the variety of ornamental culture, can reach a height of 15-60 cm. Cirrus-dissected leaf plates are painted in green tones. Basket-shaped inflorescences are massively located on the tops of the shoots. Often inflorescences, tightly stuck to the tops of the shoots, form a kind of cap.

Use in landscape design

An unpretentious plant that looks like a Dalmatian chamomile is often used by landscape designers in the process of creating flower beds and decorating lawns. The ideal composition can be achieved by growing pyrethrum in combination with:

• delphinium;
• bells;
• priest;
• doronicum.

Maiden feverfew varieties

Among the large number of varieties of maiden feverfew, the most popular are:

• Zilbeoteppich, characterized by snow-white inflorescences, like the pyrethrum Carlos;
• Goldbal pyrethrum - a flower with amazing small double inflorescences, painted in yellow, gold tones;
• Schneebal - compact plants with green foliage and white double inflorescences;
• Virgo is a variety of Turkish pyrethrum, characterized by terry inflorescences resembling the shape of a ball and painted in white tones (the height of the bushes can reach 90 cm).

Other types of feverfew

Among the most spectacular types of pyrethrum are distinguished.

Pyrethrum pink

This is a Persian chamomile with branched shoots, the height of which reaches 65-70 cm. The erect shoots of the Robinson Persian chamomile are dotted with dissected light green leaf plates. Each of the single baskets, the diameter of which reaches 60 mm, consists of yellow piths and light pink elongated petals. Flowering begins in the first weeks of summer. Among the best representatives of chamomile, pyrethrum pink, there are:

• Atrosanguinea, whose branchy bushes reach a height of 60 cm, and large flowers brightly set off the bright yellow core with dark red petals;
• Brenda is a perennial variety described as having pink-colored double flowers;
• Kelway Glorious is a type of pink perennial whose inflorescences are painted in a raspberry palette.

Gorgeous flowering culture

Pyrethrum Pulchrum

Perennial culture, the height of which exceeds 45-50 cm. Erect shoots are pubescent with sinuous hairs. There is no abundance of greenery on the shoots. Green basal pinnately dissected foliage is endowed with long petioles. The length of the ash-leafed plates can exceed 12 cm, while the width is within 2 cm. The baskets consist of tubular flowers of gray and white shades. The variety is jokingly called Dalmatian chamomile.

Pyrethrum Coccineum

It is distinguished by double-pinnately-crossed leaf plates, painted in dark red tones. Parts of the ornamental culture that rise above the surface of the soil contain elements that are poisonous for insects, which are not capable of harming warm-blooded animals and people. The plant bears a resemblance to Robinson's feverfew. Red feverfew begins to bloom in early June.

Large-leaved pyrethrum (Pyrethrum Macrophyllum)

This is a giant that is often found in the Caucasus. The height of the Caucasian chamomile reaches 100-150 cm. The scutellum inflorescences, the diameter of which is within 10 cm, consist of small white flowers. After flowering, the shade of the baskets changes to brown-red. Flowering is long enough, which is an undoubted advantage.

Feverfew (P. Corymbosum)

A hybrid perennial, erect shoots of which reach 40-150 cm. The length of the long-petiolized foliage is within 35-40 cm. Each corymbose inflorescence of terry pyrethrum, similar to the cinerarielous variety, consists of 15-20 baskets, which are located on high pubescent legs. The color of the achenes is gray, but the ligulate flowers are painted in white tones.

Feverfew: planting and care

Feverfew prefers sunny areas, but it can grow in partial shade. It should be borne in mind when choosing a site for planting that shaded areas contribute to the elongation of the bushes.

Top dressing

After the flowering of the ornamental plants, it is necessary to start removing the flowers. In the spring months and summer, you can apply a fertilizer based on phosphorus and nitrogen into the soil. You can also do self-preparation of top dressing, for this purpose it is necessary to mix in equal amounts:

• water;
• weeds growing in the garden.

Everything is infused in the sun for about 3-4 days. Then you can use.

Pink variety

Watering

With a prolonged absence of watering, the foliage of maiden feverfew will begin to acquire a brown tint. The flowering period will be significantly reduced. However, waterlogging of the soil will also negatively affect the health of the plant. Waterlogged soil provokes rotting of the plant root system. The recommended watering frequency is once every 5 days. On hot summer days, you can increase the frequency of soil moistening up to 3 times a week.

Pruning

The flowering period of pyrethrum lasts almost all summer months. In August, the decorative qualities are gradually lost, as the inflorescences begin to dry out.

Reproduction

Planting and caring for pyrethrum outdoors is not difficult. Even a novice florist can cope with this process.

There are several ways to propagate girlish feverfew:

• seed;
• by cuttings;
• dividing adult bushes.

Growing feverfew from seeds: when to plant seedlings

Experts recommend starting at the end of February.

The seeds remain viable for 36 months. To increase the germination rate, it is necessary to stratify the seeds.

1. Seed material, which is planned to be sown, is laid out on wet foam rubber.
2. A small layer of river sand is poured over the foam rubber.
3. On top of the sand is a second piece of foam.
4. The resulting structure is wrapped with a film material and placed in a warm room, the temperature in which should be within the range of 26-27 ° C.
5. After 2-3 weeks, you can see the appearance of the first shoots.

The emerging sprouts must be transplanted into containers filled with moist soil. It is not worth deepening the seeds when sowing. The distance between the shoots should be within 25-30 mm. This will allow you to easily dive seedlings in the future. You can expect flowering after 90-100 days.

Cuttings

To propagate a perennial, you can use the cuttings method. For this purpose, it is necessary to cut the basal shoots. The procedure is carried out in early May or during the summer months. Prepared cuttings are placed in well-moistened soil. The container with the planted shoots is rearranged in a shaded place and covered over with a film material. Two weeks after the rooting of the cuttings, you can begin to transplant them into open ground.

Division of bushes

The procedure is carried out after the flowering of the decorative culture.

1. The bushes are carefully dug up.
2. The root system is shaken off the soil.
3. Using a sharp shovel, the root is divided into two parts, each of which should have a rosette.
4. Parts of plants are planted in pre-dug holes.

Perennial culture

Feverfew care

Compliance with the basic recommendations of specialists regarding plant care will allow you to grow healthy bushes, delighting with a chic and long flowering.

• Feverfew belongs to the category of drought-resistant plants that need increased watering only on particularly hot days. It is advisable to cover the ground with a small layer of peat after planting the bushes. This will avoid the appearance of weeds and retain moisture in the ground for a long time.
• Applying dressings at least 3 times per season will make up for the deficiency of minerals in the soil. Mullein should be introduced at least once a year.
• Tall bushes need to be tied to a support, which will allow not to lose plants after the next summer storm.
• Every 3 years it is necessary to change the place of planting flowers. At this time, you can at the same time propagate feverfew using the method of dividing the bushes.

Diseases and pestsImportant!

Perennial is resistant to disease. Bushes are not exposed to pests. However, in some cases, ornamental crops can be affected by black aphids. To cope with parasites, it is worth immediately treating the plantings with soapy water or a decoction of wormwood. If you wish, you can use bingo milady or aktara insecticides.

The bright bloom of pyrethrum can decorate any flower garden or local area. The composition of different varieties, planted along the garden paths, looks amazing. Taking care of the bushes is easy, so even a beginner can handle it.