Primrose: planting, care and division in open ground. Planting primrose seeds - what is the best way to plant a miniature plant? Perennial street primrose

Primroses grow strongly in three to four years. Due to the fact that the bushes become large, the new rosettes crowd each other. The flower stops blooming profusely. Problems with flowering push flower growers to plant. The best time for transplantation is August. Before winter it will have time to take root and adapt to new conditions.

Transplanting garden and indoor varieties

Primrose is a plant that needs to be replanted once every 3-4 years. More often than not they don't do it. Before understanding the intricacies of seating, make sure of the following:

• The bushes have grown greatly, and the rosettes have become crowded in the area where they planted it.
• The splendor and duration of flowering have decreased.
• The roots are exposed and there is a risk of the plant dying from the cold.

To establish flowering and cope with the strong growth of bushes, the mother plant is divided. Several young bushes will appear. Transplantation is often combined with propagation of primrose.

ADVICE: The best time for replanting is the end of flowering. If the grower missed this time, and it’s autumn, the plant is replanted, having previously prepared the soil - a mixture of humus and peat. Manure, sand and ash are poured into each hole before planting.

Temperature

Primroses don't like high temperatures. For rapid rooting and adaptation to new conditions, it is important that it is +12-15 degrees Celsius. Only one type - reverse conical will not take root if the temperature is below +15-18⁰С.

Humidity

Not only for flowering, but also for growth after transplantation wet air. If the weather is hot, spray the primrose or place a large flowerpot with wet pebbles or moss in close proximity to it. Do not overdo it with watering, as excess moisture leads to rotting of the roots.

Excellent soil for primroses - this is turf soil, sand and peat mixed in equal parts . Sometimes they buy a ready-made substrate for geraniums, adding 20 percent sandstone to it, but this solution is suitable for cases when the plant is grown at home. The transplant is carried out into a wide but shallow pot with preliminary drilling of holes and laying drainage.

In order for primrose to take root after transplantation, there is no need to fertilize it. Fertilizers will be needed when it takes root and the ovary appears. They are applied every two weeks for abundant flowering. For feeding, liquid iron-containing fertilizers are used - for example, chicken manure. It is diluted in a ratio of 1:15 and not in a larger dose, since otherwise the soil will be oversaturated with salts.

ATTENTION: Some gardeners insist on mandatory feeding of primrose three times a year. In the spring months they feed it with mineral complexes, in early summer - organic fertilizers, and during the flowering period - ammonium nitrate or superphosphate with potassium to increase winter hardiness (10 liters of water, 15 g of potassium and 20 g of superphosphate).

Watering

Both indoor and garden primrose doesn't like it when they water it excessively. It is important to wait until the top layer of soil has completely dried and only then water it with settled water, being careful not to get it on the leaves. Otherwise it will rot.

Lighting

As in the garden, so at home they choose the brightest place where to place the primrose. It should not be touched by straight lines. Sun rays. The light should be diffused. It is planted on the eastern or western side of the site, but not in the north, since it lacks the rays of the sun.

How: by dividing the rhizome or rooting axillary shoots?

It is not always possible to replant primrose by dividing the rhizome. It can form only one rosette, and the roots may not be very powerful. In this case, transplantation is carried out by rooting axillary shoots.

After preparing the soil, cut off the leaf petiole at the base of the root collar. At the same time, make sure that there is part of the shoot or at least a bud on the petiole. The leaf blade is cut in half. The cuttings are planted in the ground and the soil moisture is monitored. Watering should be moderate so that shoots gradually grow and leaves form.

The plant is not planted in open ground immediately after preparing the petiole. They wait until it gets into the pot. When 3-4 leaves are formed, transplant the primrose to permanent place to the garden.

Watch a video about dividing and replanting primroses in the garden:

Gardeners do not encounter difficulties when transplanting primrose in the garden. The plant will quickly take root and will delight you if you keep the soil in the flowerbed moist, clean and loose.

To stimulate the winter activity of the flower, watering after transshipment is gradually increased. In the last warm days of autumn, the soil is loosened and weeds are uprooted.

Disputes over the frequency of watering primroses that were transplanted into the garden have not yet ceased. Some gardeners favor frequent feeding, while others favor infrequent feeding. It’s better to apply fertilizers as needed, but use store-bought ones at half the concentration required by the instructions.

If you overuse the application of complex fertilizers, the plant will not bloom soon after transplantation, and it is unlikely that it will delight with lush greenery.

Basic rules for caring for a transplanted plant:

1. Maintaining water regime. The soil should be moist, but not too much, as the water will stagnate and the leaves and roots will rot.
2. Feeding. On the last warm autumn days, fertilize the soil with ordinary manure.
3. Before covering the plant for the winter under a layer of autumn foliage, inspect root system. If the rhizome is exposed, first add soil, and only then rake the leaves onto it.
4. If you do not weed the primrose a few weeks after transplantation, it will be affected. gray mold or downy mildew.

IMPORTANT: Mature plant Diseases such as root collar and stem rot, white rust, anthracnose, and bacterial leaf spot often affect plants. It also becomes a “victim” of pests, or rather slugs, beetles and spider mites. Will these pests harm the transplanted primroses or not?

Often the transplanted plant dies due to peronospora. This disease is popularly called downy mildew. The disease damages the peduncles, receptacle, leaves and shoots. Traces of the disease are usually noticed in the first month of autumn or spring.

The pathogen is not afraid of cold weather and overwinters in fallen leaves, roots and seeds. Powdery mildew develops due to strong temperature changes: +10 degrees Celsius at night and +20 degrees Celsius during the day. If it is drizzling outside at this temperature, downy mildew cannot be avoided.

In the fight, the main thing is to notice the symptoms of powdery mildew in time:

Downy mildew damages leaves, making them crinkled in shape, wrinkled and curled. The shoots are also damaged, becoming distorted, covered in spots and drying out.

To prevent downy mildew from harming only the transplanted plant, it is recommended to weed the flowerbed and keep it away from infected crops. It also wouldn’t hurt to stop using nitrogen fertilizers and kill weeds. If for some reason the gardener neglects the garden and a disease develops, they buy biological preparations - Gamair, Alirin-B, Fitosporin-M.

Another disease that can affect transplanted primrose is ramulariasis.. It is recognized by its relatively large round spots of light yellow color. As the spots develop, they change their color to brown, and then through holes appear at their location. Ramulariasis develops due to cool and wet conditions content.

In order not to treat the plant for ramularia, water it correctly and loosen the soil in time. If a gardener suddenly notices spots on the foliage, it is better to immediately remove and destroy the affected areas. After this, the bush is treated with fungicides - Fundazol and Vitaros. It is not uncommon for a transplanted primrose to die due to gray rot.

This disease is caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea Pers. During the growth period, spots with a gray coating appear on the leaves and peduncles. They are wet and rotting.

If the affected area is large, the primrose will die. Gray rot develops due to warm autumn weather, due to waterlogging of the soil, poor ventilation and lack of light. To prevent gray rot from harming primroses, they are planted in good soil..

When the first signs appear, damaged areas are removed and the crop is treated with Fundazol and Rovral.

Conclusion

It’s not difficult to transplant a primrose, but will it be accepted? If you do everything according to the rules, then yes.

To prevent death due to diseases, monitor the growing conditions of the plant and prevent the soil from becoming waterlogged.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

The second name of this wonderful flower is primrose. This is completely logical, considering that it is he who holds the “palm” among spring flowers. Garden primrose is distinguished by a variety of varieties, is unpretentious in care and does not require much attention. Basic growing rules spring primrose described in our information.

Primrose varieties

A variety of varieties and colors will allow you to experiment with suitable design plot. Despite its inconspicuous size, garden primrose has an additional advantage - bright inflorescences. The petals are double, simple, and uneven in color. Classification is carried out according to the arrangement of inflorescences.

The following types are distinguished:

1. Umbrella primroses. The largest "family", which includes the spring primrose, pubescent, multi-flowered, tall, auricular, rejected and pink. It will also be interesting to know how this happens

   Umbrella primroses

2. Capitate primroses. Otherwise, they are also called spherical, and the most common are capitate and fine-toothed primroses from this species. But the photo from the article will help you understand how this happens.

   

   Capitate primroses

3. Candelabra primroses. The arrangement of inflorescences is in peculiar tiers, among the most popular varieties- Japanese, primrose “Bulleya” and “Bisa”.

   

   Candelabra

4. Bell-shaped primroses. The most common among them are: Sikkimese, mealy and Florinda primrose.

   

   Campanulates

The differences between the species are not so noticeable, especially since selection work make it possible to obtain more and more varieties of this plant literally every year. On sale, primroses are often labeled not by variety, but by the color of the inflorescences. Most often they sell grown flowers with pronounced decorative effect. To extend the life of such a gift, you need to know the basic rules of plant agriculture.

Agricultural technology of primroses

A purchased pot with a plant should not be immediately subjected to additional stress and planted in open ground. It is usually believed that a faded primrose can simply be thrown away, because it is not at all easy to achieve re-blooming. However, if we are talking about a perennial plant, the main thing is to adhere to the following rules.

The main subtleties of growing primrose:

1. This plant can take root even on infertile soil, so there is no need to allocate the best site for it.
2. The distance between bushes should be at least 10 centimeters for miniature varieties, and accordingly 25 cm for large ones.
3. The soil must be well moistened, and the top layer must be loosened regularly.
4. Fertilizing must be carried out with any mineral complex for flowering plants, just reduce the concentration by half. It is undesirable to use nitrogen components for primrose, because flowering in this case will be replaced lush foliage. Potassium and phosphorus complexes best stimulate the formation of buds.
5. In hot weather, the frequency of watering is doubled so that the roots of the plant do not die. In this case, it is desirable that moisture does not fall on the leaves of the plant, so drip watering would be preferable.
6. You can plant a potted plant only after the last buds have fallen. Transplantation is carried out by transferring an earthen clod into a previously prepared hole.
7. For cold climates it is necessary to consider winter shelter. These can be dry leaves, straw and agrofibre. In order for the plant to be guaranteed to survive at subzero temperatures, the thickness of the shelter must be at least 5 - 7 centimeters.
8. To extend the flowering period of the plant, it is necessary to cut off the faded buds. This will help save energy for new flowers. Damaged or dry leaves should also be removed from the bush.
9. To obtain larger inflorescences, it is recommended to thin out the ovaries and buds. Usually the largest and most promising ones are left on the bush, and the rest must be gotten rid of. How to care after flowering Hyacinth open ground, is described in great detail in this

In the video - growing garden perennial Primrose:

Very important nuance: Leaves should not be cut in autumn. This serves as a natural shelter for the plant's roots. After the last snow has melted and the first shoots appear, the dried leaves are removed so that the bush looks neat and beautiful.

Reproduction

After the bush has become sufficiently strong and grown, you can try dividing it into separate parts. Sufficiently mature plants, at least three years old, are suitable for this.

The algorithm for dividing a bush is quite simple. To do this, you need to carefully dig it out of the ground and clean the roots. After this, cut with a knife approximately in the middle, leaving enough strong roots and stems on both parts.

If the plant has not yet grown much, you can propagate primrose by cuttings. To do this, a strong root is separated from the underground part of the bush, preferably with layering. It must be trimmed and then planted separately from mother plant. and here is how Aquilegia is propagated by seeds, in great detail. with photo, described in this

In order for germination to be as successful and fast as possible, it is necessary to position the root horizontally, having previously made several punctures along the length. This will help sprout shoots faster, and fertilizers with stimulating substances and good watering will contribute to this.

Growing from seeds

Despite the length of this process, growing primrose from seeds is not difficult even for inexperienced gardeners. Three periods are suitable for this, each of which is characterized by its own nuances.

Basic landing rules:

• Planting “in winter” is considered the most effective. The soil will receive enough moisture, and a good shelter will protect it from freezing. Planted primroses do not require additional care, and early varieties capable of first flowering as early as next spring.
• For the spring period, it is optimal to choose the end of February - beginning of March. At this time, pre-germinated seeds are planted in prepared soil. For creating optimal conditions temperature and humidity are best used plastic film or glass. Plants are transplanted into open ground only after the ground has completely warmed up, and in case of night frosts it is necessary to think about a fairly reliable shelter.
• In summer, you can plant seeds directly from faded plants. The disadvantage is considered to be an insufficient degree of soil moisture during this period. That is why it is necessary to provide partial shade and, if necessary, mulch the soil. But you can see what low-growing flowers look like for a flower bed that bloom all summer long in the photo in this

In the video - growing flowers from seeds:

Growing primrose from seeds will take at least two to three years, because flowering will occur precisely after this period of time. The rows of seedlings must be dense, because primrose is perennial

Primrose or primrose is a representative of the Primrose genus, growing mainly in Europe and Central Asia, as well as in the north of the African continent. Representatives of this genus have been cultivated for a very long time, and its number includes almost half a thousand species.

Since species and varietal diversity very large, then the stems, foliage and flowers also have their differences. There are both annual varieties and perennial plants.

Varieties and types

Or Stemless Although this plant has this name, it is very beautiful. The lanceolate foliage is quite long and stays on the stem for a very long time. The flowers are white or pale yellow, located on peduncles.

The flowers that appear in summer are colored in shades of scarlet and purple. Important feature is that at the end of flowering, the foliage of this species dies.

Mountain perennial species. It has slightly wrinkled foliage with fine teeth along the edges. The flowers are small, yellow, and form umbrella-shaped inflorescences. The peduncle can be either low or very high. Flowering occurs in mid-spring and lasts almost two months.

Or forest has oval, oblong, slightly wrinkled foliage up to 20 cm. The flowers are yellow with an orange spot, but there are many varieties whose colors have a variety of shades, and the flowers are not only simple, but also double.

Or auricula a plant with dense, leathery, lanceolate foliage edged with small teeth. The color of the flowers depends on the variety, since many hybrids have been created.

This species has tall bushes with long leaves, similar to belts, as well as ordinary yellow flowers with large stamens.

Fine-toothed primrose or just gear It is characterized by spherical inflorescences, which consist of a large number of white, crimson or lilac tones, the size of which varies, depending on the variety, from half a centimeter to two and a half.

It does not have particularly large and attractive foliage, but that is not its highlight. The flowers of this plant are painted in pastel yellow-pink tones, which over time flow from one to another.

The main difference of this species is the lilac-colored inflorescence, which is located on a high peduncle. It has a spherical shape and does not look like the inflorescences of other representatives.

Above the leaf rosette, consisting of light green jagged leaves and lying on the ground, flower stalks rise high, decorated with umbrella flowers of soft lilac or violet tones.

Primrose planting and care in open ground

Planting of perennial species of this plant, obtained from seeds sown in pots, in open soil is carried out in spring or autumn, when their second year of life begins. In spring, planting is best done at the end of the season.

Select a quiet, shaded area for planting. Only those species that are intended for rock gardens can be planted in the sun.

Small specimens should be planted at approximately 15 cm between specimens, large specimens at 25 cm. But do not make the gaps between the bushes too large; when they grow, they should fill the entire space between each other.

Soil for garden primrose

The soil for the crop should be selected that is breathable, light, and has drainage. Not a bad option are clay soils, but make sure that they are not very heavy.

In this case, you can dig it up with sand, manure and sphagnum. The rest of the composition for garden plants this kind is not particularly important, and the desired acidity is neutral or slightly acidic.

Primrose watering

The area with the plant must be kept free of weeds, and the soil must also be regularly loosened so that the roots can breathe. This is usually done after watering.

The plant needs sufficient quantity water, therefore, when watering it, use about 3 liters per square meter plot, and in hot weather even more.

Feeding primrose in spring

Primrose also requires feeding. This should be done using comprehensive mineral supplements, but dissolving them twice as much as indicated on the package.

Phosphate-nitrogen fertilizers are used. The application regime is once every 10 days from the appearance of foliage until flowering.

Primrose transplant

Caring for this crop also involves replanting it every 5 years. At the same time, it also reproduces by dividing the bush.

We will tell you more about this process in the reproduction section.

Primrose pruning

In general, this plant does not need pruning, but it is a good idea to remove flower stalks after the flowers have faded. It is better to leave the foliage after flowering; also, do not cut off the leaves that appear in the fall, as they will serve as shelter for the winter; if you cut off the foliage, the bush will weaken.

Primrose after wintering

In the fall, after flowering, the soil next to the plant is loosened and not touched again until winter. With the arrival of spring, the foliage that served as shelter must be removed.

If where you live is very cold in winter, then the bushes will need to be additionally covered with dry leaves. If the winter is not very cold, then you don’t need to make a shelter, because the flower will have enough of its leaves for insulation.

As the snow begins to melt, you need to be careful and, without delay, break the ice crust over the flowers so that they can breathe and the water can easily drain away, otherwise the shoots will die.

Primrose from seeds

If you use seeds, it is best to sow them in the soil in late autumn.

To obtain seedlings, the material is sown in containers in the spring, in ordinary nutrient soil, having previously been stratified for a couple of weeks.

The seed is kept in a greenhouse, periodically ventilated and moistened, and after it grows, it is cared for as an ordinary plant. On next year carry out planting in open ground, described at the beginning of the last section.

Reproduction of primrose by dividing the bush

In addition to this method, the plant is propagated during transplantation by dividing the bush. 4-5 years after planting, when the crop has aged, wait until it finishes flowering, then remove it from the soil.

The roots are washed and divided so that each section has a leaf rosette. The cuts are sprinkled with ash and after this the material is immediately planted in the soil. It is better not to delay transplanting and dividing until the fall, since new individuals may not have time to take root before the cold weather.

Primrose propagation by cuttings

Another method of propagation is the use of root cuttings. To use it, thick roots are cut off, the top of which is slightly incised. After this, parts of the roots are planted to about 3 cm and looked after as an adult plant.

If the rhizome or leaf rosette is not yet sufficiently developed or weak, then division is undesirable. In this case, axillary shoots are used for propagation.

Primrose propagation by axillary shoots

Near the root, you need to remove the leaf with the petiole and part of the stem. The leaf is cut in half and then the cutting is placed in leaf soil, mixed with coarse sand.

For rooting to go well, the cutting must be kept at good light, without direct sunlight, and at temperatures up to 19°C. When stems with leaves form from the buds, the material can be transplanted into a separate container, and when it is warm enough outside, they can be planted in a flowerbed.

Diseases and pests

Sometimes primrose is affected by diseases and pests, most often this happens due to improper care behind the plant.

• A frequently asked question is poor seed germination . In general, the seeds do not germinate too badly, they just quickly lose their viability, especially in hot conditions. Seed quality may also play a role. To increase germination, you can pre-soak the seeds.
• If primrose withers , then there may be several reasons for this, but most often the reason is stagnation of water in the roots, which is why they begin to rot, or the roots were burned by growth stimulants. It is better to cut off the diseased parts and transplant the bush to another area, and disinfect this one with a fungicide. Another reason may be lack of moisture.
• If primrose foliage dries out and curls , then this is most likely due to sap-sucking pests such as aphids. Use insecticides to control them. Also, the leaves curl if there is insufficient watering.
• Spider mite , also feeds on plant juices and, in addition to this, it carries other diseases. To get rid of it, use acaricides.
• Weak stem growth And small leaves may be caused by pruning foliage after flowering.
• No flowering This is not a common occurrence and usually occurs due to excess nitrogen fertilizers.
• Another enemy of primrose is slugs that feed on its foliage. To protect yourself from them, sprinkle quicklime around the area. Slugs also do not tolerate any seasonings or dryness. In addition, you can use special drugs aimed at combating them.

Primrose will be the first to bloom in your spring garden, therefore its name is translated from Latin language like the first, early one. If you decide to diversify your landscape design primroses, first you will have to look through a lot of photos, because primrose has more than 500 varieties. However, growing and propagating most of them in open ground will only bring you pleasure.

Description of primrose: varieties and varieties

Primrose is valued for its bright flowers of various shades, some varieties have a pleasant smell, and primrose leaves can also be eaten. Although there are numerous varieties of primrose, not all of them are grown in gardens.

Primroses have a very rich palette of shades

Garden species can be divided into:

• umbrella;
• cushion-shaped;

Primula cushion

• capitate;
• longline;
• candelabra;
• bellflowers.

Primrose capitata

Any owner in the garden has a plot where nothing can be planted. Nothing grows there. It is best to plant primroses in such areas, because among them there are so many unpretentious varieties that grow absolutely anywhere you plant them. And maybe they won’t be the brightest flowers in your flowerbed, but they will always delight you with fresh spring greenery. Spring primrose or common primrose are good for this. Equally practically undemanding, but brighter and more spectacular are the fine-toothed and auricular primroses.

Primroses bloom early, in April, and bloom until July. And some of the varieties bloom again at the end of summer.

Planting a plant

In order to start breeding primrose with seeds, you must first decide what time of year to plant. Three periods are suitable for this.

Primrose seeds

To sow primrose seeds, it is better to select a plant protected from direct sunlight. Primrose though unpretentious plant, but prefers light nutritious soils. Often, seeds are sown in special beds in which the flowers receive more comfortable growing conditions before they are planted in their permanent habitat.

Plant care

Primrose, planting and caring for which does not cause much trouble, will thank you for simply loosening the soil, timely removal of weeds and, of course, regular watering. If you want to extend the flowering period of primroses, cut off flower stalks that have already faded so that they do not take away nutrients from the plant. If you plan to collect seeds, then a few flower stalks will be enough.

Primrose does not need excessive gardener care

It is better to grow primrose in shaded areas, because sunlight shortens the flowering time of the plant. During hot periods, primroses require active watering and shading. For the winter, primrose must be covered with a layer of dry leaves.

Fertilizer and feeding of primrose

Despite all their unpretentiousness, primroses respond well to feeding with rotted organic matter. During flowering, just before the buds open, you can use an aqueous 1% solution of complex fertilizer, but if you use it when the buds are not yet visible, all the power will go into the leaves.

Primrose responds well to both organic and mineral fertilizers

After flowering, you can add mineral fertilizer in the form of an aqueous solution. This will help the flowers gain strength for next year and create new flower buds.

Plant propagation

In addition to sowing seeds, these flowers can be propagated by dividing the bush, cuttings and rooting shoots.

Dividing the bush. Primrose bushes are divided in the third year, and some varieties are divided not earlier than the fifth year of growth. In the spring before flowering or in the fall, after it has flowered, the plant is dug up and the roots are completely cleared from the ground.

Primrose bush

Advice. To avoid damaging the root system, you can simply rinse the roots with water.

Using a sharp knife, the root must be divided into several parts so that each division has a renewal bud, a sufficiently developed root system and a rosette of leaves. The cut areas must be immediately sprinkled with ash, avoiding drying out, and the plant must be planted back into open ground or a pot as quickly as possible. It is necessary to water the divisions daily for two weeks, and if the division was made in the fall, then better plants cover for the winter.

Propagation by cuttings. For this option for propagating primroses, it is necessary to select the largest bushes and separate from them some of the already formed thick roots. On the separated cuttings, longitudinal cuts are made in the upper part. This will help the buds grow faster. The cuttings are planted 3–4 cm deep and cared for in the usual way.

Rooting primrose cuttings

Rooting. This method is perfect if the roots of the plant are still weak and the rosettes have not yet developed enough for division. The leaf petiole with the bud must be separated at the very base of the root. At the same time sheet plate It is recommended to reduce by a third. The separated petiole with part of the shoot must be planted in a specially prepared mixture of sand and soil. The pot with the petiole is placed in a bright place, but protected from direct sunlight, and the ambient temperature is maintained at 16–18 degrees. When shoots appear from the bud, they must be planted in different pots and planted in open ground as soon as weather conditions become suitable.

Diseases and pests

Primrose has a fairly strong immunity to all kinds of diseases. However, some of them can still affect your plant.

Bordeaux liquid

The fungus Ramularia cercosporella is considered the most unpleasant for primrose. This disease can be identified by spots on the leaves of the plant. Most often they appear at the very end of spring. The spots that appear on the leaves have an angular or round shape and a pale color, but later they acquire a gray or brown color with a yellow border. If affected by this disease, you must urgently remove the infected leaves and treat the plants with Bordeaux mixture or specialized products from the store. For prevention, you can spray the plants with a 1% solution of nitrafen in the spring.

Too dense thickets of primrose can harbor pests such as slugs, nematodes and spider mites.

Advice. Regularly inspect plants for pests and diseases to get rid of the problem in a timely manner, preventing a large number of adjacent flowers from becoming infected.

Primrose: combination with other plants

Primrose goes well with any spring flowers

As neighbors, primroses are almost ideal, because for the most part they are tender plants that are simply not capable of crushing their neighbor. They will grow where there is space without crowding out other crops from the garden. It is necessary to choose neighbors for this flower from the same lovers of damp, shaded places.

Primrose in landscape design

Since there are a lot of species and varieties of primrose, growing and caring for them is simple, this flower is a big favorite landscape designers. Many people consider primroses to be warmer and more attractive than primroses or daffodils. For the garden, primrose is simply a godsend, because combining different types these plants can be achieved in the garden continuous flowering from April to August.

Primrose in landscape design

Primrose looks very impressive when decorating artificial ponds against the background of purple water lily leaves. These flowers of various bright colors are placed along borders and paths, giving them an unusual flavor. Primrose is a frequent guest in the shaded corners of the garden, as well as on alpine roller coaster and in rockeries in the shade of coniferous trees.

Primroses are often grown in pots and vases to decorate terraces and houses. Some varieties are grown for cutting.

Primrose - perfect flower for any garden. Easy to grow, low maintenance, great amount species and varieties will allow anyone, even the most whimsical gardener, to choose a flower to their liking. A bright palette of all colors and shades will not allow your flower garden to look boring from mid-spring until autumn.

How to grow primrose in the garden: video

Varieties of primrose: photo

Primrose- one of the most popular and favorite plants among our flower growers. In nature, these flowers can be found almost throughout the Eurasian continent in temperate latitudes, in humid areas of the highlands.

But, like all plants, primrose has the ability to adapt to other growing conditions, which is why it has been successfully cultivated by gardeners around the world, including Russia, for centuries.

Description of primrose

Primrose primrose- one of the most diverse and widespread early flowering plants. There are up to 550 species in total. Most often it is a perennial, herbaceous or semi-shrub crop, but both annual and biennial primroses are also found.

The underground part of the primrose is a rhizome with roots. The leaves are always collected in a small basal rosette, but they can take on a variety of shapes - lanceolate, oblong-oval, oval.

Given the species diversity of primroses, the leaves may have an uneven surface or a dense, leathery texture. The leaves can live either only one season, dying off after the first frost, or overwinter under snow cover and come to life for the new season.

Primrose flowers have a tubular structure with bipartite or solid petals.

Primrose color have the most variety, there are single-colored, two-colored and tricolored plants. Terry primroses have been bred by breeders. Often the flowers have an eye. A peduncle without leaves produces one or more flowers collected in spherical, umbrella-shaped or pyramidal inflorescences.

Primrose gives fruits in the form of seed boxes. The seeds in boxes are small, dark brown, cylindrical or spherical shape. Flowering period is spring. There are species that bloom in summer.

Useful properties of primrose

Even the ancient Greeks valued medicinal properties primrose (primrose), and this is not surprising. The root system of this plant is included in the composition of diaphoretic, diuretic and expectorant drugs that help to start the processes of secretion of sputum from the respiratory tract.

Decoctions of primrose roots are used in folk medicine for insomnia, decoctions of the leaves are used for vitamin deficiency, neurosis, headaches, tinctures for the treatment of gout, rheumatism, skin rashes.

The agricultural technology for growing this crop is not that complicated. In this article we want to tell you about how to grow primrose in open ground and in the garden. We will not dwell on the description of this family of early flowering ones; you can read about the varieties and types of primroses in.

Growing primrose in open ground

What is the best place to plant primroses?

First of all, you should decide place for planting primroses. Regardless of the variety and place of their natural growth, in our natural conditions Professional gardeners for primroses recommend shaded areas of the garden under deciduous trees (or pears) or shrubs, flower beds and hillocks that are not exposed to the afternoon rays of the sun, damp coastal zones reservoirs.

Moisture and soil requirements for planting primroses

Hydration

The soil for primroses should be loose and moisture-absorbing. In other words, primroses should receive a large number of moisture, but the liquid should not stagnate and waterlog the soil.

IN spring period, in April-May, hydration should be the most intense, because in nature, when the snow melts in the mountains, primroses literally drown in water. Often in our conditions there is little rain at this time, so take care that the primroses do not dry out, otherwise the plants will weaken and lose their decorative qualities.

Helpful advice: Varieties such as Siebold's primrose are best grown by immersing their root system 1-2 cm in water.

The soil

Regardless of where the ancestors of your primrose grew before, in mountain crevices with poor soils, or along mountain streams, or among alpine meadows with rich fertile soils, in garden culture primroses should be provided with loose, well-manured soils - light and clayey. Such soil retains nutrients, is well saturated with moisture and drains fairly quickly.

If your area is heavy clay soil, this drawback is easily eliminated by adding 1 sq.m. landing area:

• buckets of sand,
• crushed sphagnum moss,
• vermiculite,
• 2 kg or rotted silage.

The easiest way to do this is to remove 20 cm of the top layer of soil on the site and replace it with a suitable nutrient mixture. A year later, in the fall, it will be sufficient to add only mineral potassium-phosphorus fertilizers to such soil.

Lack of light soils in low content nutrients. Such soils are enriched with:

• 5 kg of old humus,
• 10 kg of leaf (compost) soil,
• 5 kg of old peat,
• 20 g of phosphorus-potassium and 15 g of nitrogen fertilizers

per 1 sq.m of landing area.

Primrose care

IN special care These plants don't need it. The main thing is to provide required amount moisture and sufficient air flow to the primrose root system. To maintain proper nutrient levels, be sure to regularly get rid of weeds.

Feeding primroses

During the growing season primroses should be fed three times per season potassium-phosphorus fertilizer and regularly organic fertilizer.

• First deposit mineral fertilizers done in early spring.
• The second time - after 14-21 days.
• The third time was in July.

All this time, do not forget to add slurry to the primrose bushes (mullein, horse or sheep manure), and in the fall you should enrich the place where you grow primroses with a 3 cm layer of nutrient substrate to a depth of 15-20 cm.

To preserve moisture, ensure aeration of the root system and prevent abundant germination of weeds, primrose plantings are mulched with a 5cm layer of gravel. In addition, it will serve as an excellent decorative addition to primrose plantings.

Helpful advice: To extend the flowering period of primroses, regularly pick off dried flowers.

Like all plants, primroses tend to grow. After 3-4 years, they can grow so large that they will be forced to crowd each other and bloom poorly. Therefore, in order to provide primroses with normal development conditions and nutritional properties of the substrate, the plant bushes should be divided and planted. It will be better if you not only plant the overgrown bushes, but also move the entire flower garden with primroses to another place.

Perennial plantings of primroses need protective cover on winter period. First of all, it is important to preserve the foliage rosette of primrose until autumn - this is the plant’s natural protection from winter cold.

Helpful advice: The rosette of such varieties of primroses as Japanese, Florinda and Fine-toothed is not retained entirely, only 3-4 leaves are left, this significantly reduces the likelihood of primrose becoming infected with rot of the root collar and leaves, and also allows the plant to form larger and bright flowers to spring.

Mulching for the winter is easiest done at the end of autumn with a 10 cm layer of tree leaves.

Diseases and pests of primroses

Most often primroses are susceptible the following diseases:

• rust,
• rot of the ground part,
• bacterial leaf spot,
• powdery mildew,
• anthracnose,
• jaundice,
• viruses and cucumber mosaic,

From pests Damage often occurs:

• nematodes,
• weevil,
• fleas,
• beetles, etc.

Primroses bring the biggest troubles fungus Ramularia cercosporella . This is evidenced by the appearance in late spring of first pale and then brown spots with a yellow border on the leaves of the plant.

When sporulation of mushrooms begins, and this usually happens in the second half of July, the spots become covered with a whitish coating. This leads to wilting and drying of the leaves, cessation of flowering, and weakening of the plant.

To prevent such situations, regularly inspect the primrose bushes. If you find affected leaves, remove and destroy them. Twice a year, immediately after flowering and in early spring treat the primrose plantings with the following compounds:

• 0.2% topsin, 2% basezol, 1.5% zineb,

• 0.5% copper oxychloride, 1% Bordeaux mixture.

In autumn, primroses should be sprayed with 1% nitrafen.

Interesting to know. Primrose Julia, Common, Spring and Tall primroses are most susceptible to this disease. Primula Ushkovaya, Primula Pink, and Pallas were found to be more resistant to damage by Ramularia cercosporella. Primroses Japanese, Florinda and Fine-toothed do not suffer from this fungus.

Reproduction of primroses

These plants can be propagated as vegetative way (dividing the bush, cuttings), and using seeds.

Growing primroses from seeds

Requirements for seeds and substrate

Primroses produce a ripe seed capsule in the second half of summer. But when collecting seed material should take into account the fact that Primrose seeds lose their viability very easily. That's why for sowing, take only freshly harvested planting material.

In principle, you can sow primrose at any time of the year, but in Middle lane we recommend that you do this from the end of February. Try to find the most suitable day for this using. This way you will achieve better germination of seedlings and their normal development.

If you are planning to sow primroses on your summer cottage into open ground, then wait until the snow melts and prepare boxes or containers for sowing, digging them into the ground. This way you will reduce the likelihood of losing seedlings. At the same time, you will have to constantly ensure that the soil in the containers does not dry out, is not washed away by rainfall, and is not damaged by various pets.

You can plant primroses in a similar way summer period immediately after the seed pods ripen, but then to ensure normal seed germination during periods of summer drought, you will need more planting material. Some gardeners sow primroses at the end of autumn. But the highest percentage of germination at seed propagation primrose gives in spring.

Containers for sowing

The most suitable for this are mini-greenhouses or containers, at the bottom of which there are drainage holes, with plastic, transparent lids. But you can use for these purposes any suitable container that allows you to set up a mini-greenhouse for seeds. You can even take an ordinary plastic food container with drainage holes drilled in the bottom.

Substrate for sowing

For most varieties of primrose, it is best to take a substrate, consisting of:

• 1/4 turf land,
• 1/2 leaf humus,
• 1/4 sand.

You can use ready-made flower soil, which is sold in stores. Just add 20-50% vermiculite and perlite or sphagnum moss if these components are not part of the mixture.

Fill the containers with the prepared substrate. It is possible, in the case of small Auricula seeds, to make a thin upper layer from perlite. The soil should be slightly moistened with a spray bottle.

Sowing primrose seeds

These plants are sown on the soil surface at the rate of 5 grains per 1 sq. cm of sown area. This can be done using a napkin on which the seeds are poured, or using a toothpick, having first moistened its tip with water. The seeds need to be lightly pressed into the ground.

What is cold start and why is it needed?

There are many species in nature wild primroses grow at the base of glaciers. Therefore, in order to produce friendly shoots, the seeds of such varieties of primroses as Pink, Florinda, Japanese, Siebold, Vysokaya and Opuschenaya need cold start. This means that immediately after sowing, the containers are placed in the freezer (up to -10 degrees) or covered with snow for 3-4 weeks.

Primroses Siebold and Tall after cold start should be germinated in a dark room until sprouts appear. We do not recommend that amateur flower growers engage in such varieties of primroses; leave this to experienced breeders. And here hybrid varieties such a procedure is not necessary.

Germination of seedlings

Before sprouts appear, direct sunlight does not pose any particular problems for greenhouses. But as soon as you notice the first shoots, be sure to take care of shading primroses and regular moisturizing soil using a spray bottle or syringe without a needle. Just don’t overdo it with watering, otherwise the seedlings will start to rot very quickly!

You should also begin to gradually acclimatization of sprouts. This means that it is necessary to periodically ventilate the greenhouses, slowly increasing the time period of ventilation until the seedlings grow and 2 fully formed leaves appear on them. Then you can remove the transparent protective cover or film from the containers. During the period of intensive seedling growth, the frequency of watering is increased.

Note. In order to sprout, primroses planted in the fall will need 14-18 weeks, and seeds sown in the spring, only a month.

Diving seedlings

It is advisable to do the picking 2 or 3 times. After 3 full leaves appear on the young plants, they should be planted. It makes sense to plant crops that are too dense and earlier in order to give them all the opportunity to develop normally. In this case, it is better to do this procedure using tweezers so as not to damage the delicate, fragile plant.

Make a pick every time the seedlings grow strongly.

Seedlings can be transplanted directly into the soil of the greenhouse, or into specially prepared boxes, and plant small varieties at a distance of 15 cm from each other, the distance between large primroses is up to 30 cm. At the same time, try to ensure that there is no free space between the leaves of neighboring primroses , this is unfavorable for them.

To a permanent place of growth Primroses are planted only in the second year of life in spring or autumn. Their decorative properties plants usually appear in the third year of life.

How to save seed

In case of unfavorable weather conditions in winter, your primroses may freeze or dry out. To ensure that there are no empty spaces left in the flower garden, you should always have a supply of fresh seeds from last year’s harvest. These seeds are stored mixed with sand in the refrigerator or basement.

Reproduction of primroses by dividing the bush

You can start this procedure no earlier than after 3-5 years of growing primroses- early spring, or from the second half of July. Try not to plant primroses later than the first half of September, otherwise the plants that have not yet matured may freeze and lose their decorative qualities or even die.

It is important to know. Plant primroses that bloom in summer in spring.

In order to plant a plant, water it abundantly, carefully dig it up, carefully shake off the clod of earth from the roots and wash the roots in water. This will make it much more convenient for you to divide the bushes and at the same time injure the plant as little as possible.

Then the bush is divided into arbitrary parts with a knife, but it should be taken into account that the divisions must contain at least one renewal bud. The sections must be processed, then as quickly as possible, without allowing them to dry out, the cuttings must be planted in a new place. After the plants are planted in the ground, they should be watered and preferably provided with a label with the name of the variety and the date of propagation.

It will be better if you plant the divisions in such a way that there is no free space between the foliage of the rosettes, so the plants can protect themselves from drying out. For 2 weeks, seedlings need daily watering. In case of propagation in autumn, do not forget to carry out protective mulching for the winter.

Reproduction by cuttings

Reproduction of primroses by cuttings carried out using a technology similar to propagation by dividing a bush. But not all types of primroses can be propagated in this way.

Auricula Propagated by rooting leaf cuttings. To do this, in the fall, several leaves are separated from the rosette and planted in a greenhouse, while the cuttings should take root in 2-3 weeks. In spring, the plants are transplanted into open ground to a permanent location.

Toothed primrose easily propagated by root cuttings. The largest plants, from which several large thick roots are separated, are suitable for this procedure. In order for the root to form buds, make a longitudinal cut up to one and a half cm in its upper part. After this, the cuttings should be planted in light soil 3 cm deep. Next, we proceed as described above about leaf cuttings.

You can find out here.

Primrose in garden design in photographs

border along garden path from primroses

Primrose in a flowerbed with daffodils

Flowerbed with primroses