Perennial garden primrose: cultivation, planting, care. Perennial primrose - goddess of spring: planting and care Garden primrose care at home

There are hundreds of options for indoor plants. One of the most beloved species by gardeners is primrose: it has bright colors diverse different shades, blooms for a long time and easy to care for. In this article we will tell you how to grow and care for this plant.

Primrose: general information

Primrose has about 500 species of plants in the primrose family. It got its name from its flowering time: flowers appear almost immediately after the snow melts. wild primrose grows in the temperate zone: in Europe, the Alps, Asia and North America. Indoor views can be grown in any part of the world. They are distinguished by bright, rich colors: its flowers grow in inflorescences and have pink, red, yellow, white, blue and orange shades. The height of the bush does not exceed 25-30 cm, the leaves have a pleasant green color.

Among all varieties, the following types are especially suitable for rooms:

Basic rules of care

Primrose, care at home which is quite easy and simple, still requires compliance with some rules.

Primrose transplantation

Homemade rimula requires regular replanting once a year at the end of flowering. It takes place in several stages:

1. Having turned over the slide with primrose, the plant is carefully pulled out from there, trying not to damage the roots;
2. Primrose roots are carefully reviewed and damaged or diseased are removed to prevent infection;
3. In the pot large sizes a small amount of prepared earth is poured in;
4. Then the primrose itself is installed and covered with earth to the brim, slightly squashing it;
5. At the end, the earth is pressed down a little.

Forcing

During forcing, primroses are transplanted into more favorable conditions to accelerate their growth and development. This allows you to get flowers faster, but at the same time the roots and stems are depleted, and therefore the flowers will require a long - up to 2 years - recovery and rest. For forcing, garden primroses that are more than 2 years old are used.

Reproduction

Growing indoor primrose can occur in three ways: seeds, division and cuttings. From the moment of planting to flowering, at least six months pass.

Seeds

This is a familiar method to everyone, which is usually used for growing annual varieties. Depending on the selected type seeds are planted in different time : Typically mid to late spring or early summer. For this method, a mixture of equal amounts of deciduous soil and sand is used. Seeds can be collected every year from faded primroses or purchased.

1. The seeds are scattered over the surface, watered generously and covered with glass to create a greenhouse effect.
2. After this, the pot is transferred to a cool and bright place for 1.5–2 weeks.
3. When the first shoots appear, the glass can be removed, but it is best to keep the pot at a low temperature.
4. Water the sprouts once a month, thin out and plant as they grow.
5. After 3 months, the strongest ones are planted in separate pots. small size. When they grow up, they are transplanted into larger containers.

Cuttings

For this option, you can use side branches. Necessary prepare in advance small pot and pour peat and a layer of sand about 2 cm thick into it.

By division

The method is used after the indoor primrose has completely flowered. Previously the plant is removed in dark place and watered regularly. You can divide it when the stems begin to grow vigorously.

1. The primrose is removed from the pot as if replanted and the roots are examined.
2. Then the bush is divided into 2-3 parts, each of which is planted in separate containers and watered.
3. They are covered clear glass and put them in a cool room with plenty of light. This should create a bathhouse effect.
4. After a few days, when the plants take root and begin to grow gradually, they are transplanted into larger pots. Several replantings may be required if the containers were initially selected incorrectly.
5. After each replanting, it is necessary to remove dry leaves, and also feed the primrose every half month with mineral fertilizers.

Symptoms of diseases

Like any plant, indoor primrose, home care which involves not only regular watering, but can also get sick or be attacked by pests. This is easy to calculate by some external signs:

Important

It must be remembered that primrose leaves are poisonous, and it itself can cause irritation and allergies. Having finished caring for the flower, you must wash your hands thoroughly and work with it while wearing gloves. It is not recommended to place the plant in the nursery so that the baby does not put the flower in his mouth and get poisoned.

Conclusion

Primrose is an unpretentious house flower that will not cause trouble for the owners. It takes root well in cold climates and will delight beautiful flowers for a long time.

Where are they planted?

Primrose plants are not tall (from 10 to 50 cm), so they are used for borders, rocky hills or planted in separate bright spots in the garden - under trees or among other later flowers. They prefer to grow in semi-shaded places on moderately moist soils.

Soil requirements

All primroses came to us from the Alpine mountain belt, and therefore their habitat requirements are appropriate. They need calcium (ash or lime should be systematically added, or even better - dolomite flour). In addition, they do not like soil that is too oily (where in the mountains is there soil rich in humus!). Therefore, when planting in the ground, you need to add rotted compost in half with sand and with the addition of ash. They will not grow on clay, as well as on a peat bog.

What to feed

Watering for primroses it is especially important in initial period growth in spring until the end of flowering.

Moderate feeding is required. If you feed primroses too much, then, like all flowers, they will “fatten,” that is, produce a large mass of greenery and very few flowers. In the spring before flowering, calcium nitrate (less than a tablespoon per 10 liters of water) is most suitable, since it contains calcium, which primroses love, and nitrogen, which is required for leaf regrowth. After flowering, to set next year's flower buds, you should feed with phosphorus and potassium (without chlorine) - half a tablespoon of each (or a tablespoon of ready-made phosphorus-potassium fertilizer) per 10 liters of water. Primroses respond well to the addition of any flower fertilizer, preferably free of nitrogen. Both fertilizers are used per 10 m² of planting. In the fall, you need to add a little fresh compost under the primroses, literally a handful under the bush.

How to seat

Primulas are classified as young plants, not perennials, so they should be planted every autumn (at least every other year). The best time for transplantation is August.

• Dividing the bush. The easiest way to propagate is by young rosettes, carefully separating them along with the roots. You can plant young plants right there, not far from the mother plant. But you shouldn’t delay replanting, otherwise the rosettes won’t have time to take root properly and die during the first frost.

Seeds. Since the seeds are very small, they must be sown superficially or sown in the snow in late February - early March. There is a small nuance here. After sowing, the bowls with seedlings should be placed in the refrigerator for several days and only then placed in a warm room, but not in direct sun.

After the shoots appear, place the bowls in a bag, exhale air into it several times, tie it and put it in the light. You need to water from a syringe through a needle stuck into the soil. When the seedlings grow up, they must be carefully picked into separate boxes or jars and grown to a bush with 5-6 true leaves, and then, after frost, transplanted, first for growing and only in August - to a permanent place. Primroses grow quite quickly, so provide them with a place for this (20 by 20 cm). Primroses have no pests or special diseases, so the plants do not require special care or care.

Sometimes primroses try to bloom again - in the warm autumn. This should not be allowed. It is necessary to pluck out the buds as soon as they appear, otherwise the plants may weaken and miss spring bloom next year.

Flowering time

End of April – beginning of May

spring primrose blooms first. From a rosette of wrinkled basal leaves rises a bare peduncle 10-30 cm high with a loose umbrella inflorescence at the top. In nature, the flowers of this plant are yellow, 1.5 cm in diameter. But there are many hybrid garden forms, including double ones, of a wide variety of colors.

Common primrose blooms around the same time it blooms. This is a stemless primrose. Her flowers sit one at a time at the ends of short, undeveloped peduncles. But there are usually a lot of them, so they form a colorful cushion, 10-12 cm high. The flowers are quite large (2-3 cm in diameter) of various colors, most often yellow in all shades, crimson with yellow eye. The most popular varieties are Virginia with white flowers and Cerulea with blue flowers.

It also blooms early and primrose high, on whose peduncles (20 cm high) there are several flowers at once. By crossing this species with common and stemless primroses, many beautiful hybrids were obtained, among which the most popular are white Alba, golden Aurea, crimson Gartenprimel, velvet-brown Goldrand and others. From the high primrose came the multifloral primrose with large inflorescences of 15-20 flowers on a high peduncle (40 cm).

Mid May

In mid-May, one of the most beautiful primroses blooms - primrose fine-toothed. It received its name for the jagged edges of the leaves, from the rosette of which on high peduncles (30-40 cm at the beginning of flowering and 50-60 cm after the end) spherical inflorescences are located, consisting of many small flowers of the most varied colors (from white and pink to lilac of varying intensity and crimson).

At the same time it blooms and is low, only 10-12 cm tall, Primrose Julia with crimson flowers. There is a hybrid with white flowers, but the most beautiful is the mixture with the romantic name Romeo and Juliet with pink and blue flowers. At the time of flowering, Julia's primrose forms continuous mats and is very good on an alpine hill. By the way, this is the most frost-resistant and unpretentious of the primroses.

Blooms a little later primrose aurica with unusual dense, smooth leaves of a bluish-green color, which seem to be slightly curled, like the ears of some unknown animal. Flowers with a diameter of 3-4 cm are collected in umbrellas of 5-15 pieces. They have an unusual round shape with scallops and a two-tone pale violet-lilac color in different shades. There is a very interesting hybrid of this primrose - pubescent primrose.

The end of May

At the very end of May the Japanese flower begins to bloom. Primrose Siebold- a low plant with light green leaves and soft pink flowers with a white star in the middle, collected in a loose umbrella. She has one peculiarity. After flowering, its above-ground part disappears, and therefore, in order not to accidentally damage or trample a dormant plant, you should mark the places where it is planted.

June July

In June-July, the rare primrose group in our gardens blooms Candelabra, they come from Japan. On tall peduncles (50 cm), inflorescences of bright purple flowers are arranged in several tiers. They begin to bloom from the lower tiers. Exist garden forms with flowers of white, pink, lilac, cherry. Among the candelabra primroses there is Bisa primrose with violet-lilac flowers and primula bulla with creamy yellow and orange flowers, as well as their hybrid Primula bullesiana with very beautiful coral flowers.

July August

Last to bloom in the season Primrose Florinda, whose homeland is Tibet. This rare primrose blooms from late July to mid-August. From a rosette of beautiful large leaves grows a long peduncle (70-80 cm), topped with a very bright orange cluster of bell-shaped fragrant flowers. This plant looks great near a pond.

Primrose is a delicate flowering plant from the Primrose family. Its name can also be translated as “primrose”. IN natural environment the flower is found on the slopes of the Alps, as well as in the temperate climates of Eurasia and North America. A cap of delicate flowers on low growth appears already in mid-spring and lasts for a very long time. Today, primrose is grown not only in the garden, but also at home as a houseplant. There are many varieties with for different periods flowering and appearance. Florists know how to make this beauty bloom in right time, so for the holidays pots of colorful primroses appear in abundance.

Description of the plant

Primrose - perennial, and occasionally annual herbaceous plant. It is compact in size. The height during the flowering period does not exceed 20-50 cm. The plant is nourished by a fibrous branched rhizome, which is located in upper layers soil. A dense leaf rosette forms immediately above the ground surface. It contains sessile or petiolate leaves of oval, lanceolate or ovoid shape. They are painted in a gray-green shade without a pattern. The leaf surface is smooth or textured, swollen between the veins. The edges of the leaves are entire or finely toothed. Due to the short pile, the foliage appears fluffy and soft.

A long bare peduncle grows from the center of the rosette. Its top is decorated with a dense brush or umbrella, although there are varieties with single flowers on short stems. Regular corollas consist of five oval-shaped petals with a rounded or, conversely, pointed edge. At the base, the petals grow together into a narrow, long tube, and sharply bend along the edge. The color of the flower can be very diverse (plain or variegated) - white, purple, lilac, pink and red. The center is almost always yellow. Flowers replace each other within 3-8 weeks.

After pollination by insects, oblong seed pods with soft edges ripen. Inside there are small elongated seeds with a smooth dark brown or black surface.

Variety of primroses

The highly diverse genus of primrose includes about 400 plant species. Conventionally, they are divided into 38 sections.

Common primrose (vulgaris) or stemless (acaulis). This species is especially popular among gardeners. The height of the plant is 5-20 cm. Oval leaves with a corrugated surface grow on short petioles. They have a bright green color without dusting and grow up to 25 cm long and 4 cm wide. Funnel-shaped flowers with a diameter of 2-4 cm are distinguished by a variety of colors. They are grouped in a dense umbrella inflorescence and bloom in April-July.

The inhabitant of the alpine slopes grows denser, oval leaves with a smooth, shiny surface and a grayish coating. In the center of the leaf rosette there is a cylindrical stem up to 20 cm long with a dense spike-shaped inflorescence of 6-7 yellow fragrant flowers.

Enough close-up view up to 30 cm high, it grows wide oval leaves with a wrinkled surface and serrated sides. The leaf length reaches 20-40 cm. A dense spherical inflorescence about 10 cm in diameter blooms on a long stem. It consists of violet, lilac, red or white tubular flowers up to 15 mm in diameter. Flowering occurs in April-May and lasts up to 40 days.

Primrose obconica. Herbaceous perennial with many round or oval leaves grows up to 60 cm in height. The wavy petiolate leaves reach 10 cm in diameter. Above them rises a large umbrella of white, pink or purple flowers.

The plant forms a dense rosette of openwork lobed leaves. Above them grow pubescent red-brown peduncles 30-35 cm long. Each bears only a few large (4 cm in diameter) flowers.

A perennial garden variety with elongated lanceolate leaves that form a symmetrical rosette. Peduncles 40-50 cm long contain several tiers of umbrella inflorescences, which are arranged in whorls. This species belongs to the group of candelabra primroses. The diameter of the tubular flowers in various shades of red is 3 cm.

The inhabitant of southern Europe grows wrinkled oval leaves with fine teeth along the edges. The length of the leaves is 5-20 cm, and the width is 2-7 cm. Beautiful delicate flowers 2 cm in diameter have a light yellow color with a brighter center. They are grouped into an umbrella inflorescence of 5-15 units. The height of the peduncle is 10-35 cm. Flowering begins in April and lasts up to two months. Varieties:

• Primula colossea - larger flowers with crimson petals and a yellow star in the center;
• Duplex - a dark yellow throat is surrounded by bright cherry petals.

Based on species of primroses, breeders have developed many varieties terry primrose. They differ big amount petals compared to ordinary ones. From a distance, the buds look like small roses with softer petals. The Rosanna variety series is especially popular. The bushes, about 15 cm high, are covered with a dense head of narrow flowers of white, apricot, yellow, pink and red.

Reproduction methods

Primrose is grown from seeds and also propagated by dividing the bush and leaf cuttings. It should be noted that when sowing self-collected seeds, the varietal properties of especially terry primroses are not preserved. The seeds themselves quickly lose their viability, so they are sown as early as possible.

You should first grow the seedlings. To do this, in mid-February, shallow boxes are prepared with a mixture of turf, sand and leaf soil. Try to distribute small seeds evenly on the surface. They are only slightly pressed into the ground. To maintain moisture, cover the container with film and place it in freezer for 25-30 days. You can take the box outside. The air temperature during this period should be at -10°C.

After stratification, the frozen seeds are transferred to a lighted windowsill, in a room with a temperature of +16...+18°C. Shoots appear slowly and unevenly. When the seedlings reach the age of 2 weeks, the shelter is removed. Plants with 2-3 true leaves dive into another box at a greater distance. As it grows, several more picks are carried out. Primrose seedlings will be ready for open ground only after 2 years.

It is recommended to divide a bush 4-5 years old into several parts. This allows you not only to get more plants, but also to rejuvenate existing ones. This is done in August-September. First, the plants are well watered, dug up and carefully freed from the ground. The roots are washed in warm water, and then the plants are cut into sections with 1-2 growth points with a knife. The cuts are treated with charcoal and the flowers are immediately planted in a new place.

For cuttings, use a leaf with a petiole and a bud at the base. It is rooted in a sandy-peat substrate. In this case, half of the leaf plate is immediately removed. The cutting should be kept in a warm (+16…+18°C) room with a bright, but diffused light. The appearance of new buds indicates successful rooting. After this, the cuttings are transplanted into separate pots with soil for adult plants. In spring they can be sent to the garden.

Landing rules

Primrose is planted in open ground in spring or early autumn. Most plants have good frost resistance. In temperate climates and more southern regions they overwinter normally under cover of leaves. The planting site should be protected from the wind and slightly shaded. Plants are placed near bushes or under the light crown of garden trees.

The soil should be loose and nutritious, without stagnant water. Primroses develop best on loam. Before planting, the area is dug up and, if necessary, sand, manure, and crushed sphagnum moss are added. Depending on the height of a particular variety, the distance between plants is 10-30 cm.

House primrose should be replanted annually after flowering. Overgrown bushes are divided into parts. As a result, the leaves will be brighter and the flowering will be more abundant. The soil for indoor primroses consists of peat, leaf and turf soil with addition river sand. Be sure to place it on the bottom of the pot thick layer drainage material.

Primrose care

At making the right choice caring for primrose will not cause much trouble.

Lighting. Direct Sun rays The plant is contraindicated; burns quickly appear on it. It is better to keep it in shaded areas where the sun reaches only early in the morning or at sunset.

Temperature. Optimal temperature air temperature for primrose is +16…+22°C. Most of the time, flowers are kept outside or the room is regularly ventilated. To ensure flowering lasts longer, you need to place the plants where the temperature is maintained at +12…+15°C.

Humidity. Typically, all types of primrose adapt well to natural humidity. However, they respond gratefully to periodic spraying. If the air is too dry, the edges of the leaves curl and dry out.

Watering. The soil at the roots of the primrose should always be slightly moist, but not swampy. It is better to water it often, but little by little. The water should be soft and well purified. Once flowering is complete, reduce irrigation.

Fertilizer. Several times a season, plants are fed with a mineral complex with a low nitrogen content. Start applying fertilizer in early spring. During the period of budding and flowering, feeding is stopped and resumed only at the end of summer.

In landscape design

Garden primrose, thanks to its wide variety of colors, allows you to create an amazing ornament on your site. Since flowering times vary greatly, you can choose varieties that, replacing each other, will delight you from April to August. Flowers are used to decorate the flower bed, alpine slide, flower beds in the shade of trees, border edging, shrubs, high banks of a reservoir. They look good next to muscari, tulips, daffodils, irises, phlox, and soapwort. Some species with inflorescences on long stems are cut to make bouquets.