Currently, 22 species of hellebore are known.
There are hybrids that are highly resistant to low air temperatures (up to -35С).
Moroznik prefers partial shade. Many species can grow in the light, but in this case need regular watering.
If the hellebore is planted and taken care of, the photo will suffer drought due to the existing massive root, although wet, neutral or slightly alkaline soils will be the best growing conditions.
Moroznik: planting, variety selection
Planting hellebore is best when the danger of frost is not expected. The most advantageous against the backdrop of a snowy garden looks hellebore planted in groups. Due to the amazing beauty of flowers, unpretentiousness and early flowering, many gardeners face the question of how to choose the right kind of hellebore, plant and care for it (photo).
The landing pit should be large enough - almost twice as much as the roots of hellebore in an earthen coma. The size of the pit should be approximately 25x25x25 or 30x30x30 centimeters. The distance from one landing pit to another should be about thirty to forty centimeters.
At the bottom of the pit, about 5 cm thick, sand is placed. It performs the function of drainage. You should not neglect the drainage layer, since at too high humidity it will help prevent decay of the hellebore roots after planting and when the photo is taken care of by the plant.
Fertile soil is poured onto the drainage layer. The best choice would be forest land mixed with compost soil in a 1: 1 ratio.
Next, we lower the plant into the pit along with an earthen lump. We fill the empty space with earth, which we got when digging a hole. Well water the planted hellebore. It is recommended to water the plant for about another month after planting.
Dates of landing are different. A general recommendation is that planting should be done when there is no risk of frost or freezing of the soil. The fact is that the plant acquires resistance to low temperatures after it has become stronger and well rooted. In general, hellebore tolerates transplants very poorly and is sensitive to a sharp change in growing conditions, while in one place it can grow for more than ten years.
To choose the type of hellebore, plant and take care of him photo, you need to know that:
• hellebore black and hellebore hybrid are better than other types of transplant;
• shady places under large bushes or garden trees would be optimal conditions for hellebore cultivation. Direct sunlight depresses the plant.
Black hellebore, hybrid hellebore and Caucasian hellebore are currently most widely used.
One of the most beautiful and resistant to frost is black hellebore. It has several varieties with pinkish or snow-white flowers. Black hellebore is common for the most part in southern and central parts of Europe, where the flowering period occurs in December, January and February. Growing in the middle lane blooms as soon as the snow melts, mainly in April.
Black Hellebore (Helleborus niger) is distinguished by large (Potter's Wheel varieties up to 12 cm in diameter), non-growing flowers. The peculiarity of black hellebore varieties is flowers. Thanks to the Rgaesokh variety with soft pink large flowers, the garden will not be dull even in late autumn, since such a kind of hellebore blooms in late November. It is very steady against low temperatures and is able to withstand frosts at -35C.
The variety of varieties is different hybrid hellebore - Helleborus hybridus. Varieties of this species are characterized by unpretentiousness to the growing conditions.
The most popular varieties of hellebore hybrid are Queen of the Night, Belinda, Violet. Hybrid hellebore blooms later than other species.
Moroznik East - Helleborus orientalis has a high winter hardiness, the leaves are susceptible to fungal diseases (covered with black spots). If the climate in which the plant is grown is moist and warm, the disease develops quickly and hellebore dies.
Varieties of eastern hellebore bloom from March to April, the flowers are lilac, white, cream or pink, not more than five centimeters in diameter. In general, the growing conditions are the same as for other species. Juice hellebore east can leave burns on the skin. The most common varieties are Doublebell and Spottedhybrid. The most beautiful varieties are eastern Montsegur and a hybrid ballard.
Caucasian hellebore (Helleborus caucasicus) is distinguished by the color of yellow or greenish flowers; a brownish tint may rarely be present. In the wild, it is found in the Caucasus, Turkey and Greece. It begins to bloom as soon as the snow disappears. Foliage is very beautiful during the summer, and sometimes in the winter, but more often the leaves die off in the winter.
The Caucasian variety of the plant is used in folk medicine as a means of eliminating excess weight, to cleanse the body of toxins and toxins. Contains cardiac glycosides. Very poisonous!
Moroznik: leaving (photo)
Frostweed - a plant amazing, fragile in appearance, it has endurance and remarkable resistance in extreme conditions, as well as early flowering and a wide palette of colors that delight gardeners. Morozor after planting and leaving the photo will grow wonderfully lush and beautiful.
Caring for hellebore is quite simple. Before blooming, old leaves are cut off - a similar technique serves as a measure of the prevention of fungal diseases, and also improves the appearance of the plant.
When the hellebore has bloomed, you can mulch the soil around the plants with garden compost, peat, sawdust or humus.
All types of hellebore love moist, clay, well-drained, loose soil. If the soil is acidic in the area, then it must be produced. This is done using dolomite flour, ordinary chalk or slaked lime.
The best conditions for the growth and development of hellebore are open ground. Hellebore groups look very beautiful next to a peony, primrose, tulips, hyacinths, crocuses, volzhanka. An ideal neighborhood would be an apple tree, as its foliage accumulates nutrients necessary for hellebore, falling into the ground along with fallen leaves, and the crown of a tree gives such a shadow necessary for the plant.
Moroznik: top dressing
Like any other plant, hellebore responds well to top dressing in the spring with complex mineral fertilizers. Feeding the hellebore after planting and leaving the photo will provide stimulation of plant growth, strengthen immunity and reduce susceptibility to diseases.
If desired, once every three months, as food, you can use ash or bone meal (200 g / m2) - this way you can accelerate the growth of roots in the plant. The introduction of double superphosphate according to the instructions and spraying with a solution of trace elements (foliar top dressing) also gives a good effect as a means of stimulating growth and strengthening the plant's immunity. Foliar top dressing is carried out in dry, clear weather.
Moroznik: pests and diseases
Knowing the main diseases and pests that are the enemies of hellebore, planting and caring for a plant photo will be much easier. Despite the poisonous nature of hellebore, they are not averse to feasting on it:
• slugs;
• snails;
• hop hopworm caterpillars - eat roots and plants begin to impinge;
• aphid - occurs most often;
• mice.
The main signs of aphid plant damage are yellowing and kinky buds, leaves and flowers. If there are a lot of aphids, you can see specific sticky secretions.
Prevention and control measures for hellebore damage aphids boil down to the following:
• plant propagation is carried out through only healthy mother liquors;
• if the lesion is not severe - insects can simply be washed off with a soapy water solution;
• very badly affected leaves and flowers are removed;
• two or three times with an interval of seven to ten days, the hellebore is treated with the insecticides Tanrek, Biotlin, Aktara or Fufanon.
The most common disease affecting hellebore is anthracnose. It is expressed in the appearance on the leaves of black-brown spots with a weak ring pattern. Little by little the spots merge and the leaves dry out, then the stems are affected. Anthracnose is especially strong in warm (at temperatures above + 22 ° C) and wet weather.
As control measures, diseased parts of plants are removed and burned. The remaining parts are treated with copper-containing fungicides, for example, 1% Bordeaux mixture. Spraying is done 2 to 3 times, with an interval of two to three weeks.
Downy mildew also a common disease affecting hellebore. It manifests itself in the form of brown spots on the surface of the leaves and a dirty white coating on the bottom. Young leaves are deformed and stop growing.
As control measures, the destruction of the remains of diseased plants and the thorough treatment of the lower leaf surface with copper-containing fungicides are of particular importance. As a prevention of the appearance of downy mildew, it is recommended not to thicken the planting.
Viral diseases overtake old plants multiplied by division. It makes no sense to treat them. It is important to remove and destroy them quickly to prevent the spread of infection.
