Coreopsis is a herbaceous plant from the Astra family. It is common in the temperate climate of both Americas, but thanks to its unpretentiousness and high decorative qualities, it is widely cultivated by flower growers around the world. Domestic gardeners nicknamed Coreopsis "yellow daisy", "Parisian beauty" and "lenok". Gentle aerial growth and plentiful bright flowering make coreopsis quite popular. Modern decorative varieties with double or variegated flowers are often planted in gardens.
Plant description
The genus of coreopsis includes perennial and annual rhizome plants. They have aerial openwork growth, consisting of their thin, branched shoots. The height of the shrub is 40-90 cm. Finger-shaped or dissected bright green leaves have a narrowed or lanceolate shape. They concentrate at the base of the shoot, and also cover its lower part, growing opposite to the stem.
Flowering begins in June and lasts until the first frost. It is very plentiful and bright. Flowers of yellow, terracotta, pink and raspberry shades have a simple or terry shape. They consist of eight linear narrow petals with a serrated end. The diameter of the opened bud is 3-6 cm. The lush core is painted in darker, juicy shades.
After pollination, flattened seed boxes with dry walls ripen. They became the cause of the name of the plant. From Greek, coreopsis translates as "bugs." The fruits of the plant are similar to bugs. Inside them are small rounded seeds. In each gram of seed, there are up to 500 units.
Types of Coreopsis
The genus of plants has about 50 species. Conventionally, they can be divided into annuals and perennials.
The annual varieties include the following varieties:
- Coreopsis is dyeing. A thin branched stalk up to 1 m high ends with bright yellow flowers with a burgundy core. A flower with a diameter of 3-5 cm has corrugated petals. They bloom in July-October.
Coreopsis dyeing - Coreopsis Drummond. A shrub 40-60 cm high is covered with large flowers of a bright yellow hue with a reddish-brown spot in the center. Dissolve in July.
Coreopsis Drummond
Long-term coreopsis is represented by a wide variety:
- Coreopsis is whorled. Plants have a highly branched erect stem. It is densely covered with bright green carved leaves, similar to needles. In mid-July, radiant yellow flowers bloom up to 3 cm in diameter at the tops of the shoots. They consist of narrowed petals and a lush yellow core.
Coreopsis whorled - Coreopsis is large-flowered. The plant forms a bush of spherical shape up to 1 m high. The whole sessile leaves are wider than the previous species. They are painted dark green. In mid-July, bright yellow flowers bloom up to 8 cm in diameter. They are simple or double. The edges of the petals are fine-toothed. The core has a darker shade of yellow.
Coreopsis large-flowered - Very popular variety coreopsis "golden baby". The plant forms dense bushes up to 40 cm high with bright yellow double flowers with an orange core. Plants bloom in July and bloom up to three months.
Coreopsis "golden baby" - Coreopsis is pink. Perennials up to 40 cm high are covered with bright green needle foliage. Simple flowers with a diameter of up to 2 cm bloom over openwork shoots. Their petals are painted in light pink. Flowering occurs in July-August.
Coreopsis pink
Breeding
All types of coreopsis can be propagated by sowing seeds; perennials are also propagated by dividing the bush. Seeds are planted under winter or spring in open ground. Perennial varieties bloom from the second year of life. To get earlier flowering annuals, it is recommended to grow seedlings. Sowing seeds is carried out in early March. To do this, use shallow containers with nutrient garden soil. Seeds are distributed on the surface and pressed with a plaque. Then the container is covered with a film. Every day you need to ventilate and moisten the plants.
Shoots appear after 10 days. From this moment, shelter is not necessary. When a coreopsis grows a pair of real leaves, it is dived in separate pots or in a box with a distance of 2 cm. Re-picking is done at a shoot height of 10-12 cm. It is important not to overflow flowers, as seedlings often suffer from a "black leg". Landing in the open ground is carried out at the end of May. Before this, the seedlings are tempered for a week, taking them out onto the street for several hours.
Reproduction by dividing the bush is carried out in October or in March. It is necessary to fully dig up the adult bush, cut it into several parts so that each has its own roots and several stems. Immediately after division, the bushes are planted in the soil. Flowering will come already in the year of planting.
Landing and care
Coreopsis can grow on any soil, but prefers light, well-drained soils without stagnation of water. Surprisingly, excessive fertility of the land does not benefit him. The plant may lose its decorative effect, as well as bright and abundant flowering. Earth should not be too acidic.
Since even bushes of perennial coreopsis grow rapidly, every 3-4 years they need to be divided and transplanted to new areas. The procedure is carried out in the spring. For landing, dig shallow holes at a distance of 50-60 cm from each other.
Caring for coreopsis in the open field is not difficult. Plants love sunny, windless places. In partial shade, the stems are more extended and exposed, and flowering becomes less abundant.
Watering a coreopsis needs infrequently, it tolerates drought well. Only when the earth is cracked, you can water the bushes with a small amount of water. More abundant watering is needed for varieties with red or pink flowers. So that the soil is not taken by the crust, after watering it is loosened. Coreopsis needs very few top dressings, only on poor soils. They are introduced once a year in mid-spring. Usually use a complex mineral composition. The use of organics is undesirable.
Plants with tall, thin stems need garter. Without this, they easily slope and break from a gust of wind. Immediately after flowering, it is recommended to prune the wilted buds. Thanks to this, flowers can appear again in the same year.
In winter, the shoots are cut to the root, but large-flowered coreopsis does not tolerate autumn pruning and can freeze out in this case. Plants normally tolerate frosts without shelter. They can suffer from soil flooding during snowmelt. To avoid this problem, grooves are recommended in advance. In the northern regions, sheltering bushes with spruce branches and fallen leaves does not hurt.
With improper care, coreopsis suffers from fusarium, rust, and leaf spotting. At the first signs of the disease, it is necessary to immediately cut off the affected processes and carry out fungicide treatment. Of the parasites, aphids most often settle on flowers. Treatment with soapy water or insecticides saves her.
Coreopsis in the garden
Landscaping coreopsis can be used in solo group landings in the middle of the lawn. Bright flowers perfectly revitalize the site and fill it with paints. In the flowerbed, tall plants are planted in the background, then lower neighbors will hide the translucent shoots. Coreopsis looks good along with dahlias, irises and roses. Low-growing varieties are combined with delphinium, veronica or petunia. They are planted not only in open ground, but also in containers for decorating balconies and terraces. Cut flowers are used to make bouquets. In a vase, they cost 1-1.5 weeks.
