Knowledge of basic pruning techniques various types flower stems, can help to extend the life of flowers in the composition for a long time.

Start by cutting off all the leaves and thorns that will be below the water level in the vase. If these parts of the plant end up in water, they will rot, and this will promote the proliferation of bacteria, which shorten the lifespan of living flowers.

Pruning must always be done at an acute angle, and preferably while holding the stem under water. This will increase the cutting surface and allow the stem to absorb water more intensively. Also, the oblique cut of the stem will not be pressed to the bottom of the vase, which will ensure the free flow of water into the stem. It is best to make an oblique cut with flower pruners.

Thick stems

Thick stems and thin branches should be cut at an angle, and then a vertical cut about 10 mm long should be made in the center of the cut so that the fibrous stem absorbs water better.

Thick woody stems and branches need to be beaten with a hammer to a height of approximately 10-15 cm from the cut and several splits made. This will improve water absorption by the stem.

Remove excess bark from the split portion of the stem to prevent water contamination. This will extend the life of the flower arrangement.

Immediately after cutting the tip of each stem, place it directly into the water. In just one minute, the stem dries out and its vessels become clogged.

Stems that secrete sticky or milky sap

Some cut flowers exude a sticky or milky sap from their stems. Burning the cut will “seal” this sap into the stem, preserving it as the plant needs it to survive. Cauterization can be done using a regular candle with a thick wick. Just burn about half of the stem cut.

Hollow stems

For flowers with hollow stems, pruning must be done very carefully, as they break and flatten much more easily than solid ones. You can strengthen hollow stems by carefully inserting a clean twig or cutting into the stem through the cut.

Knobby or jointed stems

Some flowers, such as carnations and dahlias, have nodes or joints along the entire length of the stem. In these parts the stem thickens and becomes more fibrous. Therefore, to allow water to penetrate the stem, make a cut between the nodes.

Bouquets made from beautifully blooming annuals and perennials in your flowerbeds will bring natural freshness into your home and fill it with bright colors and wonderful aromas.

Many bulbous flowers, herbaceous perennials and annuals, decorating the garden from spring to autumn multi-colored paints, suitable for cutting. Arrangements of freshly cut flowers bring a piece of wildlife into the home.

For example, a colorful bouquet of crown anemones, buttercup asiatica And tulips in a vase means that spring has come to the house.

Don’t forget about bouquets in winter - after all, many flowers can be stored dried for months: yarrow, Echinops, we're rocking(gypsophila), molucella smooth, tsmin(immortelle) bract, feverweed... They are suitable not only for dry bouquets, but also for a wide variety of flower arrangements.

The creative possibilities when arranging bouquets from your own garden are endless. In addition to flowers they add decorative leaves funkii, heuchera, cuffs and bergenia, filigree leaves of ferns.

A beautiful cereals such as pennisetum (Pennisetum) and quacker (Briza), as well as green grass (Luzula), shoots of ivy or fancy branches of hazel (Corylus avelana) add completeness to arrangements.

Lush flowerbed With fragrant tobacco, lupine, marigold, cornflower, rudbeckia and mallow, it’s tempting to cut flowers for a summer bouquet.	Breathes freshness and coolness bouquet of white bells, blue and white delphinium and purple cornflowers.
Full a basket of flowers: lush peonies, delphinium and foxglove, bearded carnation (Turkish) and mantle in a green frame of funkia leaves.

If you feel sorry for cutting the flowers that you grew with such love in your flowerbed, we hasten to reassure you: everything after pruning, summer shoots vigorously form new shoots and buds. Even perennial flowers, such as larkspur, sage and paniculata, continue to bloom actively until late summer. And in some herbaceous perennials, additional fertilizing with compost stimulates re-blooming.

How to preserve a bouquet longer

The lifespan of a bouquet depends on correct cutting colors.

Perennial flowers like delphinium, phlox, aquilegia And bell peach leaves are cut when only a few flowers have bloomed on the peduncle. U fighter(monkshood), on the contrary, three quarters of the flowers in the inflorescence should bloom. For annual and perennial representatives of the Asteraceae (Asteraceae) family - marigold, coreopsis, rudbeckia, heliopsis- the best time for cutting is when the inflorescences-baskets have just blossomed, but only a few flowers around the middle are open inside.

There are a number of techniques that can prolong flowering in various species after cutting.

U stock roses, for example, you need to remove all the leaves on the peduncle and lower its lower end into boiling water for 40 seconds. All leaves are removed from the usual annual sunflower(Helianthus annuus), while for all other cut flowers, only those leaves that are under water in the vase are removed.

Scheme of a flower bed with perennial flowers for cutting

We have selected the most attractive varieties of perennials for flower beds size 3 x 2 m. All summer they will decorate your garden, and, in addition, these flowers are very good for cutting.

You can create a romantic bouquet with peonies and gypsophila or a variegated rustic one with delphinium and stockrose. To make it easier for you to imagine these plants, the picture shows them all blooming at the same time.

(Alcea rosea) - 2 copies.	(Paeonia lactiflora) - 1 bush	(Aster novi-belgii) - 1 bush	(Delphinium pacific) - 2 bushes
(Luzula nivea) - 1 copy.	(Tanacetum coccineum) - 2 copies.	(Aquilegia hybrida) - 2 copies.	(Leucanthemum maximum) - 3 bushes
12. Heuchera(Heuchera) - 2 bushes

Favorite flowers

How to determine the freshness of flowers

Leaves

The leaves and stem of the flower should be green in color without any brown edges.

Blooming degree

The corolla of a fully bloomed flower should have correct form, corresponding to each specific type of flower. When you receive the flowers, the buds may be closed but ready to open, meaning that it will take two more days for them to fully bloom. By this time, the flowers will need a larger vase to fully enjoy life.

The bouquet of flowers you receive should have buds that are closed but slightly tending to open, indicating that they are about to bloom within two days. You can enjoy the life of flowers much longer if you place them in a vase.

Elasticity

The freshness of flowers is determined by the level of moisture saturation. The more saturated the flowers are with moisture, the fresher and longer they will last. Carefully peel back the flower petals. If after this they return to their original shape, the flower is fresh and well saturated with moisture. If the flower is not fresh, the petals will not return to their original place and will become flabby and weak.

Presence of stamens

The short stamens or stamens located in the center of the flower contain pollen, which symbolizes the maturity of the flower. In order to reproduce, the flower stamen produces pollen and often a sticky substance (even after the flower is cut). Flowers that have produced pollen are ripe.
Flowers in buds that do not yet contain pollen are “younger”, which means fresh.

Color

The colors and saturation of fresh flowers should be lively and vibrant.

Ways to refresh fresh flowers

Due to excessive light, temperature changes, or simply over time, some flowers begin to droop or droop. This occurs when the flower heads become too heavy for the stem. In such cases, water does not pass into the stem; it simply does not reach the flower itself. You can lightly refresh such flowers in the following ways:

Method No. 1

1. Before composing the composition, place the flowers one at a time on wet newspaper or paper covered with a cloth, placing the stem and flower head exactly in one line.

2. Carefully roll the paper around the flowers to form a cone.

3. Secure the paper with string or paper clips to prevent the cone from unfolding.

4. Spray the flowers and paper to keep them moist. Place the flowers wrapped in paper in a deep container of water for several hours.

5. Unfold the freshened flowers and make a composition out of them.

Method No. 2

Lightly trim the ends of the stems or place them in slightly warmer water. This will help the plant absorb water somewhat more intensely.

Method No. 3

Spray several times a day flower arrangement cold water. To do this, place the vessel with the composition where moisture will not damage the surface of the table or other interior items.

Method No. 4

Using a straight pin, pierce the flower just below the head, releasing air and increasing water absorption.

Well, the most simple tips are to prevent the growth of bacteria in the vessel with the composition, it is necessary to change the water more often (at least every other day). Wash the stems with cool and then warm water to open their stomata and increase the flow of water to the flower. Each time you change the water, trim the stems so that water absorption remains intense.

And that with such care, the plants will look attractive for as long as desired. At the same time, they allow their green pets to grow as they please, and because of this, the ficus or lemon ends up with an ugly asymmetrical crown with long inclined shoots or many thin trunks. In balsams and tradescantias Bottom part the shoots are exposed, and the dried shoots of cyperus or asparagus, generously mixed with green ones, create the impression of a haystack rather than decorative composition.
It's all about the lack of trimming.

Plant pruning is done in three main cases:

Sanitary pruning of plants

All yellowed, shriveled shoots and leaves that have lost their decorative properties must be cut off immediately. Weakened old shoots often turn out to be easy prey for fungi and bacteria, a shelter and breeding ground for insect pests. In addition, an unhealthy looking shoot may not indicate old age, but rather illness or pest infestation. If you do not remove it in time, the disease will spread to healthy parts of the plant, which once again proves the need for sanitary pruning.
The basic rule is to remove all unhealthy or aged parts of the plant. You need to cut the shoot down to the healthy tissue (or, if the shoot starts underground, remove it to the very base).

Rejuvenating plant pruning

It is especially suitable for those plants that may develop long shoots that eventually lose leaves or become bare from high temperature or dry air in winter. When rejuvenating pruning, shoots are removed almost to the very base. But at the same time, you need to ensure that 2-3 live buds remain on the “stumps”. It's okay if you remove up to 90% of the shoot length. After all, the more intense the pruning, the more active the subsequent growth of the remaining shoots. If you are sorry to part with all the shoots at once, you can rejuvenate the plant in stages, first cutting off half of the shoots, and when they grow up, trim the rest short.
Anti-aging pruning is best done shortly before or at the very beginning of the growth period. Do not forget to feed the plant after rejuvenating pruning - after all, the plant will have to grow at a faster rate than usual. After rejuvenating pruning, many strong, healthy shoots grow. Therefore, sometimes such pruning is carried out in order to obtain many high-quality cuttings.

Formative pruning of plants

This is the most complex type pruning to give the plant the desired shape. Formative pruning is a creative process that requires careful observation of the plant. The highest achievement of the art of formative pruning is bonsai and the creation of living sculptures from plants.

At home, it is useful to form tall and highly branched plants, which without this procedure give a thickened and unsightly crown, for example ficus, citrus fruits, laurel, hibiscus, roses, etc.
A weakly pruned shoot does not grow much, but a heavily pruned shoot gives a large increase. If you want to get a tree with one trunk, then the side branches in the lower part need to be removed. Where you have marked the tier of branches, you need to pinch the main shoot. All asymmetrical branches must either be shortened or completely removed. Also prune all shoots whose growth is directed deep into the crown. If the shoots are so thick that they touch each other, thin them out.
To completely remove a shoot, you need to cut it down to the very base so that not a single node remains. If you are simply shortening the shoot, hoping for its further growth, select a bud that will continue to grow and make a cut so that about 2-5 mm of tissue remains above it (depending on the thickness of the stem and the size of the buds). It is better if the cut is slightly inclined and the bud is at the top of the narrowed part of the branch. Make all cuts with a sharp tool: scissors, pruning shears, a razor or a garden knife. If the cut surface is large, disinfect it with sulfur or charcoal powder.
When formative pruning, it is important to choose the correct direction of growth of future shoots. If you want to grow a horizontal branch, then the topmost bud left on it should be turned down or towards the outer part of the crown. If you plan vertical growth, then select a bud directed upward or to the center of the crown and make a cut slightly above it.
Once the plant has reached the desired height, pinch out all vertical shoots. The side branches also need care: their ends need to be shortened somewhat to regulate the direction of growth. At times, rejuvenating pruning of branches is also required (see above).
Guides often recommend using wire to guide branches in the desired direction of growth. Keep in mind that plants are very willful creatures. Changing the direction of growth of coffee branches or even tall ficus trees using wire is quite difficult. But there are also those who willingly change their shape. Thus, from small-leaved ficuses it is possible to obtain “sculptures” of any given shape using wire frames. And one more note: the younger the branch, the easier it is to change its direction with the help of a wire. Shoots that have not yet become lignified or semi-lignified are best suited for shaping with wire.

Do I need to trim the roots?

Formative root pruning is a mandatory technique only when growing bonsai. But for most indoor plants You can limit yourself to only sanitary pruning when transplanting: remove or trim all dried, rotten, broken and unhealthy roots. But not all plants will respond well even to this. It is better not to disturb the roots of most plants. The root system is better suited for living in damp conditions with constant contact with microbes than stems and leaves. It is better to control the condition of the root system by watering, the quality of the substrate and fertilizing.

Over time, many plants take on a sloppy appearance. They do not please, but only depress their owners. To restore decorativeness and rejuvenate plants, pruning is used. Removing and restricting the growth of certain shoots forces plants to develop in a certain shape and direction. For indoor plants, pruning is very important because it allows you to maintain balance between the above-ground part of the plant and its root system, the size of which is limited by the size of the pot. In addition, pruning improves appearance plants and stimulates the development of dormant buds, making flowering more abundant. Some plants produce flowers only on young shoots, so pruning is necessary to enhance flowering.

There are several types of pruning: sanitary, rejuvenating and shaping. The purpose of sanitary pruning is to remove weakened old shoots, which often turn out to be easy prey for fungi and bacteria and a breeding ground for insect pests. Rejuvenating pruning is done to stimulate the growth of new young branches to replace old ones. Anti-aging pruning is especially necessary for those plants that develop long shoots that eventually lose leaves. It is also necessary if the shoots are exposed due to high temperatures or dry air in winter. This often happens, for example, with pelargoniums and hydrangeas. After rejuvenating pruning, many powerful, healthy shoots grow.

When is it necessary to prune indoor plants?

As a rule, pruning is done after a period of dormancy or flowering. It is better not to combine pruning with replanting, as this may slow down the growth of new shoots. Many plants should be pruned annually. Never cut plants at random, and be sure to check the guidelines for each species first. Some plants may not bloom after pruning, while others will grow and become ugly without pruning. Best time for pruning - spring. Pruning is done after a dormant period. Cuts are made above the outward-facing leaves, otherwise new shoots will grow inward. The cut should be made a few millimeters above the bud and go away from it, slightly obliquely.

What rules must be followed when pruning?

For pruning, you need to use sharp and clean tools - pruners, scissors or a knife. For plants with milky sap, the cut area should be carefully burned with a burning match. Large damage can be sprinkled with crushed charcoal to reduce the risk of infection. It is very important that the cut is smooth, without damaging the bark and cambium underneath, because the growing cambium will cover the wound. Remember that wood is not capable of regeneration, so it must be protected. Plants should be pruned above a bud that faces outward from the crown to prevent branches from growing inward and intertwining. When pruning, moving to a new plant, be sure to disinfect the blade with alcohol, miramistin or other antiseptics.

What is pinching houseplants?

Pinching - pinching off the top of a shoot with your fingers - is used to enhance the branching of very young shoots. They are so gentle that you can do without pruning shears. Pinching is also used to enhance branching, since removal of the apical bud allows the development of lateral shoots. The plant is usually pinched above the first pair of leaves. In order for cuttings or young plants to branch well and not stretch upward, you need to slow down their growth in height by pinching off the tops of the shoots. It should be borne in mind that pinching the apical bud does not immediately lead to the development of lateral shoots. Sometimes this takes quite a long time.

In some plants, flowers form only on young shoots, therefore, to enhance branching and, accordingly, more abundant flowering, pinching is vital for them. Such a plant, for example, is the “Decembrist” - the Schlumbergera cactus. It is recommended to pinch shoots after flowering. You need to select a separation point, hold the lower stem segment between the index finger and thumb of one hand, and separate the upper one with a rotational movement. One or two segments of each stem should be separated in this way. Never cut off segments! As a result, flowering will be more abundant, since strong stems will be formed that can bear more flowers. In addition, a properly formed Schlumbergera lives much longer - some specimens bloom and grow for 20 years or more.

How to prune indoor flowers?

It depends on the type of pruning and its purpose. During the process of sanitary pruning, dead and drying shoots and, in general, all unhealthy parts of the plant are cut out. The shoot must be cut down to healthy tissue; if the shoot starts underground, it must be removed to the very base. When rejuvenating pruning, 3-5 buds are left on the shoot. New, strong shoots will later develop from them. Do not spare the pruned branches: the more radical the pruning, the more actively the remaining shoots will grow. It's okay if you remove up to 90% of the shoot length. After rejuvenating pruning, be sure to feed the plant to ensure it has the opportunity to grow quickly. Formative pruning allows you to achieve a certain shape. This is how you can get compact bush, ball, standard tree, pyramid and other more complex shapes. This is the most difficult type of pruning, since each specific plant and each form requires its own order of pruning the shoots.

How to form a compact bush?

Many plants look most attractive and develop best when formed into a compact bush. These plants include Indian Azalea (Azalea indica), Achimenes, Coleus, Impatiens, Beloperone, Browallia, Hibiscus and many others. To form a bush young plant at a height of 6-7 cm, pinch the top of the main shoot. After reaching a height of 10-12 cm, side shoots are also pinched. When a beautiful bush is formed, you need to periodically pluck or cut out the shoots directed inward, preferably at the very beginning of their appearance. An example is the azalea. After the first pinching, three shoots are left (they are called shoots of the 1st order), after the 2nd pinching, 2 shoots are left on each shoot of the 1st order, then with subsequent pinchings, the number of shoots left is alternated in this way: 3-2-3- 2, etc.

How to form a standard tree?

In gardening, a tree trunk is called a tree trunk from the ground to the first branch of the crown. In a sense, almost all trees are standard. In a narrower sense, a standard form is an artificially formed (by pruning, grafting) relatively small tree. Many indoor plants, formed as a standard village, look very attractive. It is convenient to focus on the following sizes: a tabletop tree with a height of 30-45 cm, a low tree with a height of 45-80 cm and a standard tree with a height of 80-105 cm. To form a standard tree, take a strong rooted cutting that grows vertically upward. Then the side shoots are removed until the plant reaches the desired height. When this height is reached, the top of the plant is cut off and 5-6 side shoots are allowed to develop, which will be the top of the standard tree. All leaves at the base of the stem are removed, and then the crown of the desired shape is formed. You can grow roses, pelargoniums, fuchsias in the form of a trunk...

How to form an arc?

Climbing and climbing plants form long shoots that can be sent along a wire arc. In this way you can grow Stephanotis, Passiflora, Bougainvillea glabra, Dipladenia, Jasminum and other plants. To do this, an arched support is carefully inserted into the pot. Then the shoots are distributed over the wire, and in some places they are loosely tied with woolen thread or soft braid.

How to form curly shapes?

Some plants lend themselves easily to shearing or clear pruning. It is produced without taking into account the branches, and this allows you to form almost any shape. There are very few such plants, but they still exist. Among indoor plants, these include evergreen boxwood (Buxus sempervirens), large-fruited cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa) and wintering heather (Erica hiemalis).

Sakura is most often associated with Japan and its culture. Picnics in the canopy flowering trees have long been an integral attribute meeting spring in the Land of the Rising Sun. Financial and academic year here it starts on April 1, when the magnificent cherry blossoms bloom. Therefore, many significant moments in the life of the Japanese take place under the sign of their flowering. But sakura also grows well in cooler regions - certain species can be successfully grown even in Siberia.

We have prepared a hearty, incredibly appetizing and simply easy-to-prepare dish for you today. This sauce is one hundred percent universal, as it goes with every side dish: vegetables, pasta, or anything. Chicken and mushroom gravy will save you in moments when you don’t have time or don’t want to think too much about what to cook. Take your favorite side dish (you can do this in advance so everything is hot), add some gravy and dinner is ready! A real lifesaver.

Agriculture is one of these types human activity, the successful outcome of which is not always directly proportional to the efforts made. Unfortunately, nature does not necessarily act as our ally when growing plants, and often, on the contrary, even throws up new challenges. Increased reproduction of pests, abnormal heat, late return frosts, hurricane winds, drought... And one of the springs gave us another surprise - a flood.

With the coming of the season dacha work the question arises about growing strong and healthy seedlings our favorite vegetables: cabbage, tomatoes, sweet peppers, eggplants and many other crops. At the same time, the question arises - how to grow decent seedlings and then get from them healthy plants and a decent harvest? For example, I have been growing seedlings for several seasons now and protecting my garden from diseases with the help of biological preparations Alirin-B, Gamair, Glyokladin, Trichocin.

Let me confess my love today. In love with... lavender. One of the best unpretentious, evergreen and beautiful flowering bushes, which can be successfully grown in your garden. And if anyone thinks that lavender is a Mediterranean or at least southern resident, then you are mistaken. Lavender grows well in more northern regions, even in the Moscow region. But to grow it, you need to know some rules and features. They will be discussed in this article.

Once you have tried such an invaluable product as pumpkin, it is difficult to stop searching for new recipes for serving it to the table. Korean pumpkin, despite its pungency and spiciness, has a fresh and delicate taste. After cooking, you will need to cover the salad and let it sit for at least 15 minutes. My nutmeg pumpkin is very juicy and sweet, so there is no need to mash it. If the pumpkin is of a different variety, you can mash it with your hands so that it slightly releases the juice.

Lettuce, as the earliest and most unpretentious green crop, has always been held in high esteem by gardeners. Spring planting Most gardeners usually start by sowing lettuce, parsley and radishes. Recently, the desire to healthy eating And big choice greens in supermarkets make gardeners wonder which of these plants can be grown in their beds? In this article we will talk about nine of the most interesting, in our opinion, varieties of salad.

The flowering of indoor roses always comes with one more “bonus” - capriciousness. When they say that it is easy to grow roses in rooms, they are lying. To bloom, indoor roses need to be literally created ideal conditions. And constant care, attention and response to any plant signals is the main key to success. True, no matter how capricious roses may be, they can be grown quite successfully in a potted format. And attentive flower growers should not be afraid of this.

Pollock is best prepared as a casserole, separating the fillet from the skin and bones. Pieces of fish are mixed with a colorful assortment of vegetables and topped with a sauce of cheese, sour cream and eggs. This fish casserole has a presentable appearance, and its taste is a bizarre mixture of subtle nuances. Vegetables and fillets will be soaked in sour cream, the cheese will harden into a golden brown crust, and the eggs will bind all the ingredients together. Pieces of fish are generously sprinkled with Italian herbs, and pollock acquires an unusual piquancy.

Despite the fact that calendar spring begins in March, you can truly feel the awakening of nature only with the advent of flowering plants in the garden. Nothing signals the arrival of spring as eloquently as clearings of blooming primroses. Their appearance is always a small holiday, because winter has receded, and a new one awaits us ahead. garden season. But, besides spring primroses, there is still something to see and admire in the garden in the month of April.

Rapidly growing and turning into wild thickets, hogweed disrupts the existing ecosystem and suppresses all other plants. Essential oils, contained in the fruits and leaves of hogweed, cause severe forms of dermatitis. At the same time, it is much more difficult to control than other common weeds. Fortunately, today a product has appeared on the market that can quickly rid your area of ​​most weeds, including hogweed.

Carrots happen various colors: orange, white, yellow, purple. Orange carrots contain beta-carotene and lycopene, yellow due to the presence of xanthophylls (lutein); White carrots have a lot of fiber, and purple ones contain anthocyanin, beta and alpha carotenes. But, as a rule, gardeners choose carrot varieties for sowing not by the color of the fruit, but by the timing of their ripening. About the best early, middle and late varieties we will tell you in this article.

Recommended enough easy recipe pie with a delicious filling of chicken and potatoes. Open Pie with chicken and potatoes - it's excellent hearty dish, which is suitable for a hearty snack, it is very convenient to take a couple of pieces of this pastry on the road. The pie is baked in the oven for one hour at 180 degrees. After that we put it on wooden surface, having previously released it from the mold. It is enough to slightly cool the baked goods and you can start tasting.

The long-awaited spring for many indoor plants is the period of the start of active growing season, and for most - the return of their decorative properties. While admiring the young leaves and emerging shoots, you should not forget that spring is also a great stress for all indoor plants. Sensitive to changes in conditions and universal, all indoor crops face much brighter lighting, changes in air humidity and temperature conditions.

You can easily prepare homemade Easter cake with cottage cheese and candied fruits, even without any pastry experience. You can bake Easter cake not only in a special form or in a paper mold. For your first culinary experiences (and not only) I advise you to take a small cast iron frying pan. Easter cake in a frying pan will not turn out as high as in a narrow pan, but it never burns and is always well baked inside! Cottage cheese dough made with yeast turns out airy and aromatic.