Planting and caring for dicentra in open ground, description of varieties and cultivation

Many cultivated plants, such as gladioli and marigolds, look great in garden plots in early spring, but are quite ordinary. There are often times when the desire to diversify your gardenings does not leave for a long time. In this case, it is worth looking for new copies. The ideal solution would be a dicenter. By carefully studying the rules of planting and caring for this beautiful crop, you can decorate your garden in early spring with numerous inflorescences of delicate and amazing heart-shaped flowers of a beautiful shade.

Description and features

The homeland of dicentra is Japan, although according to many sources it is considered a European plant. In 1816, high society in Europe instantly became interested in the brightness of the colors and the unusual shape of the dicentra. The second name for culture is a broken heart. As the legend says, the girl Jeanette fell in love with a handsome young man and looked for all kinds of ways to meet. One day she saw him with another woman who was his fiancee. Her heart broke from pain, the girl fell, and a flower grew in that place.

There are many varieties of dicentra, among which there are low-growing varieties that do not exceed 15 cm in height, and tall varieties, up to 1 m in length. Dicentra is distinguished by a fleshy long rhizome that goes deep into the soil. The plant is decorated with beautiful pinnately dissected foliage, colored green with a bluish tint.

Many gardeners' interest in dicentra arose due to the unusual shape of the bud in the form of small open hearts twisting downwards on a thin peduncle. Even a slight gust of wind causes the flowers to sway.

Kinds

There are about 20 species of dicentra, of which only 10 are cultivated by people for decorative purposes. The most popular varieties include these.

Gorgeous

Perennial, reaching only 20 cm in height. It has fleshy, leafless shoots and leaves consisting of small lobes with a serrated edge.Flowers are collected in groups of 7-15 in racemose inflorescences with pink outer petals. Dicentra blooms in May and lasts less than a month. The buds are collected in small racemose inflorescences. The leaves are different shades of green depending on their location on the stem.

Beautiful

Dicentra blooms throughout the summer, from the first days of June until the beginning of September. A low-growing species that reaches no more than 40 cm in height. The length of the inflorescence ranges from 10 to 15 cm. They contain small pinkish-purple flowers with a diameter of 20 mm. The leaves have a palmate shape, a bright green tint and a slightly bluish surface.

Exceptional

A remarkable feature of dicentra is that the leaves have a gray-blue tint and their shape resembles the leaf blade of a fern. The flowers, collected in long inflorescences, have various shades, ranging from white to dark purple. The dicentra pleases with flowering from mid-May, which lasts 85-90 days.

Climbing

A variety of dicentra, which has a liana-like shape, flexible branches up to 2 m in size. The mechanical tissue of the stem is poorly developed, so it spreads along the ground or climbs onto various supports. The leaves have a trifoliate shape, the inflorescences are white or yellow. Dicentra blooms in June until the first frost.

Klobnosaya

A low-growing species of dicentra, which grows to a maximum of only 15 cm. The flowers, collected in racemes with a minimum height of 8 cm, have delicate shades of white and pink. This type of dicentra has found wide use in the pharmaceutical industry due to the content of a significant amount of alkaloids in the leaves.

Canadian

It is a low-growing species, as it grows no more than 25 cm.The leaves are located near the root and have a bluish color, supported by long petioles. Flowers collected in inflorescences, painted white with a pink tint, attract attention. Dicentra begins flowering in April, its duration is short, only a month. It is used as a decoration not only for the garden, but also for the balcony.

Vagrant

A small plant, only 10-20 cm high, with a short rhizome. The inflorescences are large, with more than 15 peduncles developing on one representative. The color of the buds is pink. Dicentra blooms from the first ten days of July until the end of September.

Popular varieties

Dicentra boasts the following varieties, which are preferred by most gardeners.

Alba

The perennial has gained popularity due to the abundance and duration of flowering and its low maintenance requirements. Decorative dicentra can grow more than 1 m in height. Flowering occurs at the end of spring and lasts for a month.

Gold Heart

The dicentra variety is distinguished by the presence of a golden hue of leaves and delicate pink flowers located along the entire length of the tall stems. The bush itself is spreading due to the strong branching of massive thick leaves. The inflorescence brush is one-sided. Flowering occurs at the end of May and lasts no more than 20 days.

Aurora

A low-growing cultivated plant reaches a height of only 25-35 cm. The buds are large, heart-shaped, collected in inflorescences. Flowering period: last ten days of May - first week of July. The dicentra is decorated with gray leaves, the bush itself looks lush.

Bacchanal

An attractive low-growing perennial, not exceeding 40 cm in length. The culture is endowed with light green leaves and bright cherry flowers, collected in a racemose inflorescence. Flowering period: from June to September.

Burning Hearts

A low-growing variety of dicentra with delicate red buds framed by a white border, which are collected in inflorescences up to 2 cm in diameter. The plant has pinnately dissected leaves with a silvery coating. Blooms throughout the season.

Reproduction

Dicentra can be propagated by such methods as dividing the bush or rhizome, cuttings, and seeds.

Dividing the bush

To propagate dicentra using this method, you need to dig up the plant and clear the root system of the soil. Using a knife, carefully divide the whole bush into 3-4 parts and replant it at the same depth as before.

Cuttings

During the summer period, select young high-quality stems or parts of dicentra roots. Plant the cuttings in moist soil for germination, and send them to a permanent place only next year.

Seeds

This method of dicentra breeding is used quite rarely. Seeds are difficult to obtain because they do not have time to ripen and also have poor germination. For their germination, a temperature of 20 degrees is required. Sow them in the ground in September.

Rhizome division

One of the simplest and fastest methods, which is carried out at the end of summer. A strong and healthy dicentra bush immediately after flowering, when its top begins to die, dig it up, clean the root system from the soil, and dry it a little in the sun. Using a sharp knife, divide the root into pieces so that each piece has at least 3 buds. Cover the cut areas with ash and plant the material in the soil.

Growing seedlings

Growing dicentra in seedlings has its own characteristics.

Deadlines

In mid-January, start breeding dicentra using seedlings.

Soil preparation

Purchase special soil at any flower shop.

How to prepare

Pour soil into the container and moisten it a little. Fill the seed material with water in advance and dry it.

How to plant

Press the seeds a little into the soil, spray the soil with mineral water using a spray bottle. Close the containers with a lid and send them to a room where the temperature is 4 degrees above zero for 3 weeks. Make holes in the lid for ventilation.

Temperature and light conditions

At the beginning of February, place the container in a bright room with a temperature of 20 degrees and place it under a phytolamp. At this stage, proper care should be organized, including regular ventilation of the soil and moistening it using a spray bottle. In the last days of February, seedlings form; water them through a tray and continue to keep them under the phytolamp.

Dive

In April, the sprouts will grow and form 3 true leaves. At this time, it is necessary to pick, planting each specimen in separate pots.

Hardening

At the beginning of May, it is recommended to take the seedlings outside, gradually increasing the duration of the session, to get used to the conditions of its further growth. It is forbidden to place plants in the sun; it is better to place them in the shade.

Planting in open ground

Plant the plants in the flowerbed in August, choosing a shaded place in the garden with light soil without stagnant water. If there are clay soils, add sand and peat, and organize drainage at the bottom of the hole.

When planting in a hole, plant 2-3 plants to form a lush bush. The distance between planting units should be at least 50 cm. Carefully cover the seedlings with soil substrate fertilized with compost and wood ash.After planting, water the plants and protect them from the sun for several days.

Care

Caring for dicentra in an open-air flowerbed will not take much effort or time, since the plant is unpretentious.

Watering

Water the dicentra as needed. If the summer is rainy, then irrigation can be abandoned. Just keep in mind that with a lack of moisture, the foliage becomes smaller and the buds fall off.

It is recommended to spill the soil to the entire depth of the roots - at least 60 cm.

Top dressing

Feed dicentra three times a year before and after flowering and before wintering using long-acting fertilizers, since they can reduce the need to add nutrients to a minimum.

AVA Station wagon 2-3 years

Granules are poured into the soil in the amount of 1 tbsp. l. under a bush This fertilizer provides the perennial with a complex of elements for several years.

Osmocote Release Form

Available in the form of large peas coated with biodegradable resin. Apply once a year in the spring.

"Bazakot Plus"

Complex granular fertilizers with controlled release of nutrients with a validity period of 3, 6, 9 or 12 months.

Bona Forte Universal

Regulates the amount of nutrient solution in the root system. The fertilizer contains silicon, which, along with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, is a necessary element for the full development of dicentra.

Plantacote

Granules coated with a biosoluble membrane type shell provide controlled release of nutrients. They increase the decorativeness and presentability of the crop.

Trimming

Pruning of the dicentra should be carried out at the end of the growing season, cutting off all the shoots to the very root.

Mulching

For mulching, use humus, mowed grass, and sawdust.With the help of such mulch, you can avoid drying out the soil, and also enrich it with nutrients such as nitrogen and carbon dioxide.

Preparing for winter

After pruning, cover the plant with spruce branches, and in winter, use thick plastic film.

To ensure the proper climate inside the shelter, it is better to use only non-woven material.

Questions for beginning gardeners

Answers to frequently asked questions from beginning gardeners:

1. Is it possible to grow dicentra in flowerpots and pots? Yes, but select a dimensional flowerpot depending on the size of the bush’s root system.
2. What plants should I plant dicentra with? Tall varieties get along well with coniferous plantings, and low varieties with saxifrage and primroses.
3. What pests attack dicentra? Most often these are aphids, ants and mole crickets.

Dicentra is especially popular all over the world, since the perennial is considered everywhere a symbol of love and devotion, as it is associated with many romantic legends. And its delicate colors, graceful shape and simple cultivation have made the plant one of the favorite flowers in the garden.