Rules for planting and caring for evening primrose in open ground, description of varieties

Decorative evening primrose attracts gardeners and landscape designers with its simplicity and variety of species. The perennial flower has a large number of varieties that are found both in the south and in the north. Most of them are of selective origin, but invariably include such a feature as bright, numerous inflorescences. The popular evening primrose flower, the planting and care of which will be described below, is called botanical primrose. In addition, the plant is called night candle or evening primrose.

Description and features

Evening primrose inflorescences are the main advantage of the plant; the flowers have a white, yellow, red or blue tint, and can also be striped. The creeping rhizome produces hard, pubescent shoots, the height of which depends on the variety. The leaves are always arranged alternately and have varied shapes. The peculiarity is that flowering occurs in the evening, and the buds do not close even in cloudy rainy weather. Evening primrose varieties have a one-year, two-year, or multi-year growing season.

Growing in the garden

Evening primrose can be grown effortlessly in garden plots. The bush does not need to be replanted often; the plant does not require special feeding or sophisticated care. The flower coexists well with other crops, has strong immunity and tolerates bad weather conditions well.

Seedling method

Small evening primrose seeds are more suitable for the seedling sowing method. Place regular soil mixture for seedlings in small containers. A small depression of up to 5 mm is made in each and seeds mixed with sand and soil are poured out. The soil is sprayed with water to prevent waterlogging and rotting.It takes up to 14 days for seedlings to appear.

Deadlines

You can sow evening primrose for seedlings from January to March. The exact timing will be indicated on the seed package, as it depends on the variety. Seedlings are planted no earlier than the beginning of May. The soil should warm up well, be moistened with melt water and have time to dry out. It is advisable to protect young plants from possible frosts..

Soil requirements

Soil composition is not particularly important for growing evening primrose. The varieties bloom beautifully on any type of soil, with the exception of poor, heavy clays. The plant responds normally to acidity, but grows more actively on neutral, loose loams rich in nutrients.

Temperature

Immediately after sowing the evening primrose, the containers must be tightly covered with polyethylene so that the seedlings receive a sufficient amount of heat.

Ventilation

8-10 weeks after sowing, seedlings must begin to harden. To do this, you need to take the containers outside during the daytime. Necessary conditions are sunny weather and no frost. You can start with 10-15 minutes and gradually increase the time spent in the air.

Thinning

After 10-15 days, the seedlings need to be thinned out. Excess shoots are carefully removed, but it is recommended to simply plant them in another container. Some of them will take root and will be used for planting in the future. Thinning plants sown in one large container is especially important.

Transplantation into open ground

By May, the seedlings have grown the required number of true leaves and have a developed root system. Plants are planted in moistened holes one at a time, completely immersing the roots in the planting hole. The distance between bushes is at least 50 cm.

Seedless method

On light soils, such as sandy soils, it is possible to grow evening primrose from seeds in open ground. Before planting, the soil must be dug up, sand added and, if desired, organic fertilizers added. In the first year of planting, the plant will build up its root system and is unlikely to bloom.

Deadlines

Planting time depends significantly on the ambient temperature. When the air warms up to 16 °C, you can prepare the soil for planting seeds. After 14 days, they begin sowing if the spring cold does not return.

Site selection

The main criterion for choosing a site for planting flowers is illumination. The degree depends on the variety, as there are plants that prefer sun, partial shade and maximum shade. The soil moisture should not be too high; the flower tolerates short-term drought more comfortably than stagnant water.

Seed planting scheme

Seeds are sown in groups at a distance of up to half a meter from each other, as evening primrose will grow over time. The second planting option is tape. To do this, you need to make grooves up to 50 mm deep in loose soil, water them with water, then sprinkle the seeds evenly and cover them with soil. After this, the earth is lightly compacted.

Thinning

Dense seedlings need to be thinned out to provide the plants with room to grow. The sprouts are removed with a thin knife so as not to damage the roots. In this case, excess plants can be planted elsewhere.

Care

Evening primrose is not a high-maintenance plant, but the shrub should be provided with basic conditions. These include:

• timely abundant watering;
• weeding;
• fertilization;
• pruning dry parts of the plant;
• loosening the soil;
• mulching;
• tying.

Watering

Evening primrose prefers well-moistened soil and reacts negatively to dry, sunny weather. To achieve the maximum level of flowering, it is necessary to water the plants at least 2 times during the growing season. For every square meter of planting, 15 to 20 liters of water are required.

Weeding

It is regularly necessary to loosen the root circle of evening primrose to remove weeds and increase oxygen access to the roots. The abundance of weeds leads to poor growth and poor flowering, and also contributes to the spread of fungal infections and pests.

Top dressing

Low requirements for soil fertility make it possible to fertilize evening primrose once during the growth period. There are 2 options for fertilizing the soil:

1. During flowering, the soil is enriched with potassium sulfate and superphosphate at the rate of 15 mg of dry matter per square meter.
2. At the stage of bud formation, add wood ash powder or nitrophoska to the soil.

Trimming

Immediately after flowering, it is necessary to remove the sluggish flower stalks from the plants. This increases the nutritional level of the greenery and helps maintain the attractiveness of the flower bed. At the end of the growing season, which usually occurs in late autumn, wilted shoots are cut along the ground line.

Transfer

Prolonged cultivation of evening primrose in one place leads to degeneration and shredding of flowers on growing bushes. At the first signs of deterioration in the appearance of the inflorescences, the plant should be divided by dividing the bush and planted in another place. The procedure is performed infrequently; the period of stable growth should be at least 4 and no longer than 5 years.

Preparing for winter

Additional shelter for evening primrose is not required for the winter, since the flower is frost-resistant. Before the onset of frost, the aboveground part of the plants is cut off, and then the planted area is abundantly mulched.The height of the protective layer should be 50 mm. Crushed peat, compost, spruce branches or fallen leaves will optimally preserve the roots..

Diseases and pests

Evening primrose has good immunity and is especially rarely susceptible to fungal infections. When spots appear, you need to remove the damaged leaf and destroy the neighboring plant that was the source of the disease. Fungicide treatment and preventative spraying are not required. Insects attack evening primrose much more often. The main danger is aphids, which must be destroyed with insecticides immediately after their appearance.

Reproduction

There are several types of reproduction of evening primrose: seed and vegetative. In order to get your own seeds, you need to save the inflorescences until the fruits form and the seed material ripens. However, if the collection time is missed, the evening primrose will disperse naturally. In autumn it is recommended to propagate the bush vegetatively.

Self-seeding

Evening primrose reproduces well on its own by dispersing seeds. This method is natural for annual species. The fruits release seeds around the plant in the fall, and fresh shoots appear in the spring. It is necessary to thin them out or transplant them to the right place.
Dividing the bush

This is the easiest way to propagate evening primrose that is already growing in the garden. In this case, it is not necessary to dig up the entire bush; you can cut off a part with a shovel and move it to a new place. For quick rooting, it is necessary to preserve a lump of soil on the cut rhizome. Reproduction is possible both in spring and autumn.

Application in landscape design

In gardening, evening primrose varieties that are distinct in appearance are planted in contrasting combinations. The bushes will create bright areas on green lawns and look good in flower beds with constant partial shade.Plants decorate the northern slopes of alpine hills, filling in well and masking imperfections. In the design of borders and the foreground of flower beds, low-growing varieties of oslinnik are used.

Neighbours

To create a contrasting bright effect, it is preferable to plant next to the evening primrose:

• lobelia;
• ageratum;
• Veronica;
• astilbe;
• bells.

These flowers have different shades when blooming from aspen, and the leaves differ significantly in texture.

Medicinal properties

Evening primrose is often used in folk medicine due to its rich chemical composition. The rhizome serves as the basis for preparing decoctions against respiratory diseases and tuberculosis. Oil is extracted from the seeds of the plant, which prevents vascular thrombosis, and is also used to treat eczema, dermatitis, diabetes, cirrhosis and rheumatism.

An infusion of the green part of evening primrose is an effective anticonvulsant, is part of folk remedies for heart and kidney ailments, and has an antimicrobial effect when used externally.

Use in cooking

American Indians used evening primrose for food. Dishes were prepared both from shoots and flowers, and from dense rhizomes. The latter is rich in starch, protein and mineral compounds. The root is peeled, and the resulting pulp is eaten seasoned with vinegar or stewed as part of a stew.

Kinds

The genus Evening Primrose or Oslinnik includes at least 150 species of plants. Most of them are ornamental plants that are actively used in landscape design and alternative medicine. Some varieties are also used in cooking.

Missouri

This type of evening primrose is also known under the epithet large-fruited; it is characterized by:

• height no more than 40 cm;
• leaves are oval or strongly tapered;
• large flowers up to 10 cm in diameter;
• golden-hued inflorescences are located very low above the ground.

Stemless

One of the most striking species of evening primrose is characterized by:

• lanceolate leaves form a clustered rosette;
• funnel-shaped flowers are large, up to 7 cm in diameter;
• the inflorescences have a light yellowish tint.

Shrub

Features of the bush evening primrose:

• height up to 120 cm;
• rich green leaves with a long oval shape;
• The yellow flowers are large, at least 5 cm.

Perennial

The species, widespread in North America, has been cultivated since the mid-18th century. and has the following differences:

• very small height of 25 cm;
• narrow lanceolate leaves up to 1.5 cm wide;
• inflorescences are formed like a spike;
• small yellow flowers do not exceed 1.5 cm.

Quadrangular

A species also native to the eastern United States is known as Fraser's evening primrose. The plant has natural features:

• average bush height 70 cm;
• oval leaves have a blue-green tint;
• in autumn the plant acquires a reddish tint;
• the inflorescences are very fragrant;
• yellow flowers.

Beautiful

Features of beautiful evening primrose:

• low-growing shrub 40 cm high;
• leaves are oblong with a carved serrated edge;
• the flowers are cup-shaped with a radius of 2.5 cm;
• fragrant inflorescences are white or pinkish.

Biennial

Characteristics of biennial evening primrose:

• height up to 120 cm;
• leaves 2 cm long have sparse teeth along the edge;
• flower diameter 5 cm;
• inflorescences in a lemon-yellow palette.

Fragrant

This species is characterized not only by a bright aroma, but also by the following features:

• shade-loving;
• height up to 100 cm;
• flowers are large, yellow in color;
• the inflorescences do not curl up during the day.

Pale

Characteristics of evening primrose:

• large snow-white flowers;
• bush height within 50 cm;
• night flowering is accompanied by a pleasant aroma;
• grown in cold climates.

Multicolored

Features of evening primrose:

• height up to 120 cm;
• flowers of a bright orange hue;
• compact bush size.

Lamarck

Evening primrose Lamarck is also called red sepal and has differences:

• height up to 100 cm;
• the leaves are oval rather than lanceolate;
• plants of a greenish tint have branched straight shoots;
• the flowers are exclusively yellow.

Drummond

Characteristics of Evening Primrose Drummond:

• height 30-80 cm;
• large strong stem with strong branching;
• pointed lanceolate leaves;
• plant color is dark green;
• the inflorescences are yellow, large, fragrant.

Popular varieties

Each type of evening primrose has 5-6 varieties. Such significant diversity makes the flower stand out from other garden plants. You can easily choose the right one based on the size of the bush and the shade of the inflorescences.

Evening dawn

The variety is low-growing, reaching a height of 30 cm. The plant is perennial, unpretentious, prefers light loam with good drainage. The variety is planted in a sunny area. Flowering with large yellow buds lasts from July to September.

Pinocchio

A tall variety up to 120 cm prefers sun and partial shade. Regularly shaped flowers are lemon-yellow in color and large in size. Perennial evening primrose is resistant to drought and frost and is propagated by seedlings.

Solveig

Unpretentious bushes 30-40 cm high have single large golden flowers that bloom in the evening and at night.The variety is resistant to frost and drought, does not lose growth on poor calcareous lands.

Golden

Low bushes up to 25 cm high are intended for planting in partial shade. The color of the flowers is yellow, and the diameter is 7-10 cm. When planting the variety, it is enough to maintain a distance of 30 cm between plants.

Night candle

A short evening primrose, 30-40 cm tall, with light yellow flowers, prefers partial shade. The variety requires dense shelter for the winter; it blooms from June to August only in the evening. Seeds are planted in open ground.

Yellow River

A biennial variety of small stature does not exceed 25 cm. The bush blooms in the second year from June to September. The inflorescences are bright yellow and consist of 5-7 buds.

Pink dream

The shrub with a height of 25 to 40 cm is distinguished by a small number of pink or white flowers in the bud. Seeds can be planted in open ground or a cold greenhouse. The variety easily tolerates winter under light cover of fallen leaves and spruce branches.

Orchid pink yoke

This perennial, low-growing variety does not reach more than 40 cm. Pinkish-white, cup-shaped flowers appear from late June and disappear after mid-August. For the winter, it is recommended to mulch and cover with film.

Evening rose

The perennial shrub reaches a height of 40 cm. In the second year it is covered with white flowers with a pinkish tint. The variety is grown in seedlings and is easy to care for, but requires high-quality drainage.

Free wind

The variety is classified as medium-sized, has straight stems up to half a meter high. White flowers bloom singly in the evening and at night. The plant is suitable for planting on alpine hills.

Secrets of care

Features of caring for evening primrose bushes:

1. A high degree of drought resistance allows you to water the plant no more than 3 times a year.
2. Before watering, it is permissible to apply mineral fertilizers.
3. Every 4 years the bushes need to be rejuvenated.
4. Evening primrose can be replanted even during the flowering period.

The high immunity of the flower does not require preventive spraying with pesticides.