Xeranthemum or dry flower: cultivation and care, drying for winter bouquets. Xerantemum - dried flower plants Xerantemum reminds of endless summer steppes
Xeranthemum is an annual plant from the Compositae family. The plant has been known since the end of the 16th century. It comes from the southern regions of Europe. However, in Russia it has become very widespread due to its unpretentiousness.
Xeranthemum is also called dry flower. This is due to the fact that it is usually used in dried flower bouquets. The culture is a sun lover and cold resistant.
The erect stem is about 60 cm high. It is covered with whitish villi. Inflorescences are represented by single baskets. These baskets are shaped like a hemisphere. Ornamental plants usually have double or semi-double inflorescences. Possible colors: white, purple or pink. The flowers are small, their diameter does not exceed 3 cm. The next leaves are usually elongated. They may also be lanceolate.
Flowering begins in July and ends in September. Flowering is profuse. Even after drying, the flowers retain their shape and color for a long time. Xerantemum is often used not only for bouquets, but also for decorating garden plots and flower beds.
The seeds of the plant ripen at the end of summer. They differ in very small sizes. In 1 g, there are usually about 700 seeds. They are able to remain viable for up to 3 years.
Species and varieties
Xeranthemum has 6 species.
The most common and interesting for gardeners is the annual form of this crop (lat. Xeranthemum Annuum). This variety is commercially available as single and double varieties. The height of the flowers does not exceed 60 cm. Colors: white, pink, purple, red or lilac. Flowering occurs in July-September in temperate climates. The diameter of the inflorescence is not more than 5 cm. The leaves are lanceolate and slightly silvery.
Among the varieties of xeranthemum, the following should be distinguished:
- Rose- this is unpretentious variety. Its height is about 50 cm. The scaly flowers have a beautiful pink color. Terry inflorescences. Their diameter is about 3.5 cm. Flowering occurs in July-August. The variety requires abundant watering;
- Carmine is another type of plant. It is grown to create winter bouquets and dried flowers. Also used in the design of flower beds, borders and mixborders. The stems are about 60 cm high. The flowers have a rich purple color. Even after drying, the inflorescences do not lose color. The variety is resistant to cold and prefers the sun. Flowering - from July to September.
Carmine
Mixtures of this culture are usually commercially available. The table below shows the most popular variety mixes that can be easily found and purchased.
| mother-of-pearl bouquet. This mixture is appreciated by florists. Perfect for creating dry bouquets, they are also involved in the design of flower beds. Inflorescences can be purple, white or pink. They do not exceed 4 cm in diameter. The variety loves the sun. Also resistant to cold. |  |
"Gavrish" |
| winter tale- terry annual of Russian selection. The mixture is colorful. The height of branched stems is not more than 60 cm. Terry inflorescences are pink, purple, purple and raspberry in color. The cold-resistant and light-loving variety is used in decorating borders and rockeries, but its main use is as a cut for winter bouquets and dried flower compositions. |  |
NGO "Gardens of Russia" |
| Cossack- Another popular mixture sold in Russia. Terry inflorescences. Colors: white, pink. The colors and shades are very rich. Grown for cutting and for flower beds. The variety prefers the sun and is not afraid of cold weather. |  |
"Sedek" |
Growing from seeds
To grow seedlings, you need wooden box or plastic container. It will be better if the container is shallow. Sowing seeds is required in March or April. The soil should be loose and moist.
Seeds are sown to a depth of no more than 1.5 cm. After sowing, the containers must be covered with a film.
When the seedlings reach a height of 3 cm, they dive into shallow pots. Their depth should be no more than 10 cm. If the climate is warm, then diving can be avoided by planting seedlings immediately in open ground. However, this must be done only in warm weather so that the plants do not die. Planting in open ground is required in May or early June. 
Landing and care
Planting in open ground is carried out no earlier than May. The main thing is that the time was warm. Xerantemum is not picky about the soil, but it is better to choose nutritious and light soils. It is necessary to plant seedlings in places that are rich sunlight because the plant is very fond of light.
During the growing season, it is important to control that the soil is moist. But during the period of budding, you should not water the plant abundantly. It is desirable that the soil be dry. Also, during the flowering period, the watering process should be limited.
Flowering occurs in July or closer to August. If the climate is warm, then it is better to sow the seeds immediately in open ground, since the xeranthemum does not like to be transplanted.
In addition to watering, it is also necessary to loosen the soil and regularly remove weeds.
Use in landscape design
Xeranthemum is used to decorate and create. Bright terry inflorescences will perfectly decorate any garden plot. It is used to decorate rose gardens. He is great in single plantings. It also goes well with cultures such as:
Xeranthemum in bouquets, picking and drying
The crop is usually grown for cutting. With it, beautiful flower arrangements of dried flowers and winter bouquets are created. They are able to retain their color and shape after drying.
Plants are cut at the moment when the buds have not yet fully opened. They are collected in bunches and hung to dry. The place for drying should be dark and dry.
For several years, dry xeranthemums retain their bright color and shape. If you want to give the flowers a brighter shade, then you can use this recipe: before drying, lower the buds for a couple of seconds in a weak solution of hydrochloric acid. For 1 part hydrochloric acid, you need to take 12 parts of water. Then shake the flowers and dry in the usual way.
Bouquet of dried xeranthemum.
Review on video
Detailed description on the video with detailed photos.
Name: comes from the Greek words "xeros" - dry and "anthemon" - flower, for its widespread use in dry bouquets.
Description:
homeland - the Mediterranean, the southern regions of the European part of Russia, the North Caucasus, the Balkans. 6 species are known. Plants annual herbaceous, erect, densely or tomentosely pubescent. The leaves are arranged in the next order, elongated or lanceolate. Inflorescences solitary, white, pink, purple. Large petal-shaped scales of a multi-row wrapper give decorativeness to the inflorescences. The fruit is a wedge-shaped, brown-brown achene with a yellow or brown tuft. In 1 g up to 700 seeds.
| Xeranthemum annual - X. annuum L.
Homeland - the south of the European part of Russia, the Crimea, Ciscaucasia, the south of Western Europe, the Mediterranean. The plant is annual, herbaceous. Stems erect, strongly branched, 50-60 cm tall. Leaves sessile, linear-lanceolate, alternately arranged. Stems and leaves are silky tomentose pubescent. Inflorescences - single baskets, white, pink, purple, 3.5-4 cm in diameter, on long, thin peduncles. The flowers are small. The inner leaflets of the multi-row wrapper of the inflorescence are petaloid, membranous, rigid, much longer than the flowers and of the same color. Blooms in July-September. The fruit is a seed. Seeds in the conditions of the middle lane ripen in August-September, remain viable for 2-3 years. In culture since 1570.
Currently, only mixtures of colors of terry or semi-double forms of xeranthemum are found on sale. However, varieties of this crop are also known:
Photos of Zheltikova Marina |
Location: areas in sunny places, cold-resistant.
The soil: not demanding, but feels better on light nutrient soils. To obtain friendly seedlings in the initial period of vegetation, it requires sufficiently moist soil, and from the moment budding and flowering begins, it prefers drier conditions, without needing watering.
Care: simple and consists mainly of weeding and loosening the soil around the plants.
Reproduction: sowing seeds in March - April in boxes. Seedlings dive in 3 pieces in 9 cm pots. Seedlings are planted in the ground in late May - early June according to a 25 x 20 cm pattern. It is possible to sow in open ground ridges, but flowering will not occur until August with a good summer. Seedlings in the latter case must be threaded. In the middle lane and to the south, sowing in open ground is preferable, since the plant does not tolerate transplantation well. To the north it is better to grow seedlings, otherwise the plant will bloom too late.
Usage: in landscaping, xeranthemum can be used in border plantings, in flower beds and in rockeries, but basically it goes like an immortelle for cutting, which is produced with incompletely opened baskets.
For drying, the inflorescences of xerantsum are cut off in the phase of incomplete dissolution and dried, hanging in bunches in a dry, shaded place. To give dry inflorescences a brighter color before drying, they can be dipped in a weak solution of hydrochloric acid (1:12) for 2-3 seconds, then gently shaken and dried in the usual way.
Among the countless varieties and hybrids of sweet peppers, there are such as, for example, Ramiro peppers, whose popularity is literally global. And if most of the vegetables on the shelves of supermarkets are nameless, and it is almost impossible to find out about their varietal affiliation, then the name of this Ramiro pepper will certainly be on the package. And, as my experience has shown, this pepper is worth knowing about it and other gardeners. That is why this article was written.
Autumn is the busiest time. It is no longer hot, in the morning there is heavy dew. Since the earth is still warm, and foliage has already attacked from above, creating a very special microclimate in the surface layer, the mushrooms are very comfortable. Mushroom pickers are also comfortable at this time, especially in the mornings when it is cooler. It's time for both to meet. And, if not introduced to each other - get to know each other. In this article I will introduce you to exotic, little-known and not always edible mushrooms similar to corals.
If you are a busy person, but at the same time not without romance, if you have your own site and you are endowed with aesthetic taste, then explore the opportunity to purchase this wonderful ornamental shrub- Caryopteris, or Nutwing. He is also a "wing hazel", "blue fog" and "blue beard". In it, indeed, unpretentiousness and beauty are fully combined. Cariopteris reaches its decorative peak at the end of summer and autumn. It is at this time that it blooms.
Ajvar from pepper - vegetable caviar or thick vegetable sauce from bell pepper with eggplant. Peppers for this recipe are baked, and for quite a long time, then they are also stewed. Onions, tomatoes, eggplants are added to ajvar. For harvesting for the winter, caviar is sterilized. This Balkan recipe is not for those who like to make preparations quickly, undercooked and underbaked - not about ajvar. In general, we approach the matter in detail. For the sauce, we choose the most ripe and meaty vegetables on the market.
Despite the simple names (“sticky” or “indoor maple”) and the status of a modern substitute for indoor hibiscus, abutilons are far from the simplest plants. They grow well, bloom profusely and delight with a healthy look of greenery only in optimal conditions. On thin leaves, any deviations from comfortable lighting or temperatures and violations in care quickly appear. To reveal the beauty of abutilons in rooms, it is worth finding the perfect place for them.
Pancakes from zucchini with parmesan and mushrooms - a delicious recipe with a photo of the available products. Ordinary squash pancakes can easily be turned into a boring dish by adding a few savory ingredients to the dough. In the zucchini season, treat your family to vegetable pancakes with wild mushrooms, it is not only very tasty, but also satisfying. Zucchini is a versatile vegetable, it is suitable for stuffing, for preparations, for main courses, and even for sweets. delicious recipes- compotes and jams are made from zucchini.
The idea of growing vegetables on the grass, under the grass and in the grass at first scares, until you feel the naturalness of the process: in nature, everything happens that way. With the obligatory participation of all soil living creatures: from bacteria and fungi to moles and toads. Each of them contributes. Traditional tillage with digging, loosening, fertilizing, fighting all those we consider pests destroys the biocenoses that have been created for centuries. In addition, it requires a lot of labor and resources.
What to do instead of a lawn? So that all this beauty does not turn yellow, does not hurt and at the same time looks like a lawn ... I hope that the smart and quick-witted reader is already smiling. After all, the answer suggests itself - if nothing is done, nothing will happen. Of course, there are several solutions that can be used, and with their help, reduce the area of the lawn, and therefore reduce the laboriousness of caring for it. I propose to consider alternative options and discuss their pros and cons.
Tomato sauce with onion and sweet pepper - thick, fragrant, with pieces of vegetables. The sauce cooks quickly and turns out thick because this recipe is with pectin. Make such preparations at the end of summer or autumn, when the vegetables have ripened under the sun in the beds. From bright, red tomatoes you get the same bright homemade ketchup. This sauce is a ready-made spaghetti dressing, and you can also just spread it on bread - very tasty. For better preservation, you can add a little vinegar.
This year I often saw a picture: among the luxurious green crown of trees and shrubs, here and there, like candles, the tops of the shoots are “burning”. This is chlorosis. Most of us know about chlorosis from school biology lessons. I remember that this is a lack of iron ... But chlorosis is an ambiguous concept. And not always lightening the foliage means a lack of iron. What is chlorosis, what our plants lack in chlorosis and how to help them, we will tell in the article.
Vegetables in Korean for the winter - delicious Korean salad with tomatoes and cucumbers. The salad is sweet and sour, spicy and slightly spicy, because it is prepared with seasoning for Korean carrots. Be sure to prepare several jars for the winter, in the cold winter this healthy and fragrant snack will come in handy. For the recipe, you can use overripe cucumbers, it is better to harvest vegetables in late summer or early autumn, when they are ripe in open ground under the sun.
Autumn for me is dahlias. Mine begin to bloom already in June, and all summer the neighbors look over the fence to me, reminding me that I promised them a few tubers or seeds by autumn. In September, a tart note appears in the aroma of these flowers, hinting at the approaching cold. So, it's time to start preparing plants for a long cold winter. In this article I will share my secrets autumn care for perennial dahlias and preparing them for winter storage.
To date, the efforts of breeders have bred, according to various sources, from seven to ten thousand (!) varieties of cultivated apple trees. But with their huge variety in private gardens, as a rule, only a couple of popular and beloved varieties grow. Apple trees are large trees with a spreading crown, and you cannot grow many of them in one area. But what if you try to grow columnar varieties of this crop? In this article I will talk about such varieties of apple trees.
Pinjur - Balkan eggplant caviar with sweet peppers, onions and tomatoes. Distinctive feature dishes - eggplants and peppers are first baked, then peeled and simmered for a long time in a brazier or in a saucepan with a thick bottom, adding the rest of the vegetables indicated in the recipe. The caviar is very thick, with a bright, rich taste. In my opinion, this cooking method is the best of all known. Although it is more troublesome, the result compensates for the labor costs.
Xeranthemum refers to annual plants. It is valued for its decorative abundant flowering and the ability of flowers to retain their shape and color after drying.
Due to this feature, the plant is often used to make winter bouquets. Flowers with a diameter of 3-4 cm are pink, purple, white, red, as well as flowers are simple and double. Flowering begins in early summer. It reaches a height of up to 50 cm.
Care and cultivation of xeranthemum
Xeranthemum loves to grow in open sunny areas. The plant is not demanding on soils, it is able to adapt to any soils. However, Xeranthemum grows best in loose and well-drained sandy soils. Care comes down to weeding and moderate watering on hot days. AT frequent watering, especially during the period of bud formation and flowering, does not need. In general, the plant is unpretentious, does not require much attention.
reproduction
Xerantemum is propagated by seeds, which are sown in April for seedlings. Seeds are planted in a light and loose substrate to a depth of about 5 mm, then the crops are carefully watered. Seeds germinate under the film, at a soil temperature of about 18-20 degrees. If necessary (if the plantings are too thick), the seedlings dive into separate containers. Seedlings are planted in open ground after the threat of return frosts has passed, approximately in the second half of May. Young plants are planted together with an earthy clod, at a distance of about 20 cm from each other. At first, the xeranthemum is regularly watered, after the seedlings take root, watering is reduced.
Usage
Xerantemum looks good in single plantings or together with astrantia, salvia, yarrow. It is used in mixed flower beds, rockeries, as a border plant. Suitable for cutting and subsequent preparation of dry bouquets. For these purposes, the plant is cut with incompletely blossomed flowers and dried in limbo in a dark, ventilated place.
Xeranthemum is a beautiful unpretentious annual flower that has long been used as a ornamental plant in landscape design and to decorate flower beds. Learn about botanical description flower and the process of growing at home.
Botanical description
Xeranthemum is an annual plant that belongs to the Compositae family. It began to be grown at home at the end of the 18th century in the southern regions of Europe, but soon it spread throughout the world, thanks to its unpretentiousness in growing conditions and unusual beauty which persists even after drying. The flower is characterized by the presence of an upright stem, which can reach a height of 60 cm. Narrow, long lanceolate leaves alternately planted on the stem. They reach about 3 cm in length and 0.5 cm in width. The stem is covered with white hairs. 
Inflorescences have the form of baskets, represented by hemispheres. decorative types This plant with double or semi-double inflorescences can be white, purple or pink. The flowers are small, no more than 3 cm in diameter. It blooms from early July to September. Flowering is friendly and plentiful. The ripening of seeds on a flower occurs at the end of summer. The seeds are quite small, grayish, more than 700 pieces are concentrated in one gram, they remain viable for up to 3 years. The genus Xerantemum has 6 species, but only annual Xerantemum is used in floriculture.
Distribution and habitats
The habitat of xeranthemum is the southern and western part of Europe, the Mediterranean, the Balkans and Asia Minor. Best of all, plants grow in the steppe, on chalk outcrops, they prefer dry slopes and low mountains, they can also be found on sandy soils.
Use in landscape design
Xeranthemum is a fairly popular plant and is often used in landscape design. They decorate flower beds, rockeries, and are also used to create living borders. Thanks to bright terry inflorescences, xeranthemum allows you to decorate any territory. The plant can be planted both separately and in combination with other flowers, creating beautiful compositions. 
Xeranthemum is combined with astrantia, salvia, yarrow. The plant is often chosen as a flower bed decoration, as the flower is easy to care for and does not require special conditions for growing. In addition, after the end of flowering, he continues to please the eye.
Use in floristry
Often, xeranthemum is grown for cutting to create compositions, bouquets, both fresh and dried. Due to the excellent preservation, the flower dries after cutting, without losing the color of the buds and retaining the shape of the flower. In order for the xeranthemum to be preserved as well as possible, it is cut off during the period when the buds are not fully opened.
After the plants are cut, they are collected in bunches and it is recommended to hang them buds down. Xeranthemum should be dried in dark, dry rooms - only in this case it will be possible to save the plant. Xeranthemum in dry form is capable of maintaining a bright color and shape of buds for at least 2 years.
Did you know? It is possible to make dry flowers brighter, for this they use a solution of hydrochloric acid. For its preparation, hydrochloric acid is taken (1 part) and water(12 parts), mix everything thoroughly and dip freshly cut buds for 4-5 seconds in this liquid. Then gently shake and hang to dry.
Often xeranthemum is combined in bouquets with other dried flowers, annuals and perennials. Annual dried flowers that can be added to a bouquet with xeranthemum include helichrysum, helipterum, kermek. Among the perennials combined with this plant, anafalis, gypsophila, yarrow, pearl mussel, lavender and astilba are distinguished. You can add spikelets of wheat to the bouquets, decorative garden cereals - breeze and lagurus, the bouquet will complement the lunaria and physalis well. Growing and caring for a plant
Xeranthemum is unpretentious flower, so it can be grown at home without any problems. Let's take a closer look at where to plant and how to care for an ornamental plant.
When growing a xeranthemum outdoors, it is necessary to provide it with a sufficient amount of sunlight, so the plant should be planted on the sunny side of the site, or in an area with light penumbra. In the case of growing seedlings indoors, place the container on the south window. The capacity is selected shallow, up to 10 cm in height, you can sow the seeds in pots, at least 9 cm in diameter. 
Soil and fertilizer
When growing xeranthemum seedlings indoors, the container must be filled with light, loose, moist soil, it is better to purchase it in a specialized store. A universal substrate for flowering plants is suitable for purchase. Xeranthemum in open ground prefers to grow on light nutrient soils. Sandy and sandy soils with neutral acidity are well suited for growing this plant.
In order to stimulate the formation of buds, it is recommended to feed the plant with special complex fertilizers with a high content of phosphorus and potassium. Such fertilizer is purchased in specialized stores, used according to the instructions that are indicated on the container with top dressing.
Watering and humidity
Xeranthemum is drought tolerant plant, so air humidity and watering do not really matter. It is recommended to water the plant only in the process of growing seedlings and after planting it in open ground, until it finally takes root. At this time, the flower is watered regularly, after the topsoil has dried. Completely stop watering after the plant grows green mass. 
Important! The flower can be watered during the flowering period only in case of prolonged drought in extreme heat.
Relation to temperature
In order for the seeds to germinate at the same time, the temperature must be at the level of +20 degrees. It is worth remembering that the seeds can die with light frosts. The plant is cold-resistant, therefore it can withstand temperature fluctuations up to +5 degrees. Since the flower is an annual, it is sown for 1 season, that is, wintering is excluded. If the seeds were not collected on time and fell into the soil, then next year self-seeding may occur if they do not die in winter. It is possible to achieve the germination of seeds that have fallen into the soil in autumn only if xeranthemum is grown in southern regions with warm winters. 
reproduction
The flower can be propagated by seeds. It is most effective to grow xeranthemum in seedlings, so initially the seeds are sown in containers, which are placed in a well-lit place. Sowing takes place at the end of March, and seedlings are planted in open ground in the first month of summer. It is also practiced to sow seeds in open ground: in this case, it is necessary to sow in mid-late May, when a strong drop in temperature at night is excluded. If the seeds are sown in open ground, then the area is covered with a film until the first shoots appear. For sowing, small grooves are made in the soil (up to 3 cm deep), sprinkled with soil on top.
Important! It must be understood that when growing seedlings in open ground, it is possible to achieve flowering of xeranthemum only in the last month of summer.
When growing seedlings in an apartment, the container is not chosen deep, it is filled with a purchased substrate up to 8 cm in height, while the seeds are sown to a depth of no more than 0.5 cm. On top of the container is covered with a film or glass jar. Emerging seedlings require thinning both indoors and outdoors. In the case of growing seedlings in large containers, young seedlings dive in 3 pieces, transplanting them into a separate pot with a diameter of at least 9 cm, along with an earthy clod. When grown outdoors, seedlings do not dive, then the site is covered with a dense carpet of xeranthemum. 
