Crocosmia: planting and care in the open ground

Croskomia or Japanese gladiolus (montbrecia) is a perennial from the bulbous family. Translation of the name from Greek means the smell of crocus. This amazingly beautiful flower has tall (1-1.5 m) intensely located stems with great branching. Its smell can be confused with saffron. The appearance of the stem with buds is similar to gladiolus, which refers to its relatives, as well as irises with crocuses.

Small flowers (4 cm), having the shape of a funnel, can be observed for a rather long time: from mid-summer to half of autumn. All gardeners tend to have some unusual plant, but montbrecia does not serve very often for these purposes. Requirements for care and maintenance are not very many. When growing crocosmia in the open field, it is necessary to observe certain agricultural techniques, which will allow you to have this beautiful flower on your home plot. With it, you can create beautiful original design compositions.

Description and features of crocosmia

A flowering plant native to South Africa is crocosmia. There are many varieties, but the Lucifer variety, which is distinguished by a bright red color and a high peduncle, is more popular. Among the gardeners' lovers there are various cultural names, but most often they use montbrecia, tritonium and Japanese gladiolus. Dried flowers emit a light and pleasant scent of saffron.

Tropical perennial plants of the Iris family propagated by bulbs. Elegant long leaves have a xiphoid shape, grow up to 60 cm in length. Corrugated structure with longitudinal stripes. Location spreading bunches. A thin high peduncle grows up to 1 meter. In the upper part of the shoot there is an inflorescence of ears, numbering up to 40 buds, which open gradually from the bottom to the top.

The variety of varieties demonstrates variations in the colors of the petals from light yellow to brick red. Each flower, expanding, reaches 5 cm in diameter.

Crocosmia is often confused with freesia due to the similarity of the stems or with a lily - in the shape of a flower.

The first buds begin to open by mid-summer and continue to delight the gardener until frost. The fruit is a rounded box filled with seeds rather large, saturated brown.

Types of Crocosmia

In nature, montbrecia is represented by more than 55 species; only a small part is cultivated. Consider the most common of them.

Massonorum

It is highly resistant to cold, optimal for growing in the northern regions. Low-growing bush 0.6-0.8 cm high with sword-like sheets of ribbed structure. The stem of the peduncle grows upward and at the beginning of the inflorescence rotates horizontally, that is, parallel to the ground.

Golden

Species pedigree, it was he who was brought from the South African tropics. Flowering time is September. Flowers, depending on the variety, can be painted in orange, yellow and red shades.

Potsa

It grows on marshy soils of the African continent. In the garden, shaded areas with poorly drying soil are chosen. The leaves of the plant are thin and smooth, the flowers are small.

Panic

A bush one and a half meters high at the base is decorated with a bunch of corrugated leaves of a light green hue. Compact inflorescences of bright orange color appear in the second half of June. This species is the earliest of all members of the family.

Common

One of the first garden hybrids created in the late 19th century. The height of the plant reaches a meter. Light green shade consists of upright plates, narrow and elegant. The inflorescence includes small funnel-shaped buds. The first brushes appear in mid-summer.

Popular varieties and uses in garden design

Crocosmia is popular among lovers and landscape designers. Airy inflorescences of bright shades adorn flowerbeds of almost every site, so the work of breeders does not stop. To date, more than 4 hundred varieties have been bred.

Consider the best of them:

Given the long flowering and bright color of the buds, the culture is widely used for the design of exterior compositions. As a rule, the bush is planted in the background, where the lower green part serves as the background, and inflorescences on elegant legs give air and completeness to the design.

Mr. Summer resident recommends: a combination of crocosmia with other plants

High perennial crops are optimal as neighbors. Among them, one can especially distinguish rudbeckia, clergyman, catnip, Veronica, Rogers.

The combined composition of perennial shrubs is collected taking into account the flowering time and in such a way that pleases the eye with the splendor and brightness of colors. Modern hybrids of varieties demonstrate a variety that allows you to create flower beds only from crocosmia.

For landscape design, the flower is indispensable. He showed himself well in wall cascades decorating cracks and dilapidated parts of buildings. Shrub is widely used in decorating artificial ponds.

Cultivation methods

Like all plants of this family, croskomia can be cultivated using two paths: from seeds or from bulbs. The first method of reproduction is quite long, because The time from planting to the appearance of the first flowers takes about 3 years. The second way is shorter by about a year, because you do not have to wait until the bulb is formed.

Growing Crocosmia Seeds

This method is not complicated and is available to almost everyone. The main condition is the observance of a certain order:

• Prepare suitable dishes: small plastic cups or special containers. They must have drain holes.
• Take the necessary soil (buy or create it yourself). Composition: turf, humus, peat and coarse sand. Proportion 2: 1: 1: 1.
• Fill the tank: the first layer is expanded clay, the rest is the finished soil.
• Stimulate seed growth by placing them in a special solution. Dried and pressed not deep into the soil.
• Wet the surface and cover with a film. They put it where it is warm and light.
• Ventilate constantly, and moisturize as it dries.
• Remove the covering material when shoots appear.
• Planted in a separate bowl in the presence of 3 leaves.
• Tempered before planting in the garden, periodically taking to the air.

Bulb cultivation of crocosmia

Bulbs are planted in mid-spring after the probability of frosts disappearing directly into the ground. Soil temperature +10 ° С. It is necessary to follow this order:

• Separate the bulbs from the children and place them in the heat for a while.
• Dipped in a solution of manganese before planting. The depth of penetration into the soil is 4-5 cm.
• Leave between the bulbs 12 cm.

You can slightly modify this procedure. In early spring, put the bulbs in pots and put them near the window. Planted in the garden after sprouts appear. In this case, flowering will begin faster.

Planting seedlings and bulbs of crocosmia in open ground

Transplant directly to the garden in the middle of spring. It is advisable to prepare the place in advance, in the fall. There are added 2 buckets of humus, 100 g of hydrated lime, 40 g of superphosphate, 20 g of potassium chloride per m2. In the spring, 30 g of nitrogen fertilizers per m2 must be applied. Landing pattern 10x10 cm and the same depth. The distance can be reduced if you take very small bulbs. Each well with the plant is covered, watered and covered to get used to the new conditions.

Crocosm care in the open field

Crocosmia is not difficult to care for, but in order for it to give abundant flowering, you need to follow some rules:

• Watered weekly, but without transfusion. In the hot period, even more often. Loosen the soil and remove weeds after the past rain.
• Fertilize 2 times a month with organic matter (you can dissolve mullein in water 1:10) and mineral top dressing. Contribute them alternately. During growth, it is recommended to use more nitrogen, and during flowering - potassium.

Preparing for the winter

If winters are cold in the area where crocosmia is bred, then for this period it is advisable to dig up the bulb. Usually they do this at the end of October so that it is fully ripe. After that, it is dried indoors at + 10 ° C and with good air access. They are stored in winter in the same way as bulbs of gladioli, at a temperature of + 3 ... +7 ° C and humidity of 70%, providing sufficient air exchange in the basement, spread out in boxes and covered with moss or sand.

If the winters are mild, then you can not dig out the bulbs, but you need to cover them with a layer of mulch, and add shavings or dry foliage on top.

If the areas are warm, then it is enough to collect dry leaves and fill them with flowers. Top covered with a film. They clean it after frosts and last year's leaf plates are cut to the ground.

Pests and diseases

Proper planting and care, high resistance to diseases contribute to the growth of healthy plants. If you do not follow the rules of detention, then the crocosmia can become infected with some ailments.

Watch the video: How to plant Crocosmia corms Montbretia - (May 2024).