Description and varieties of crocosmia, planting and care in open ground

Crocosmia is a bulbous plant widely grown in the CIS countries by experienced gardeners and beginners. The culture is unpretentious to the soil, excellent for cultivation by summer residents. With its help they decorate the garden and create wonderful flower combinations. You should first familiarize yourself with the procedure for planting and caring for crocosmia in the open ground.

Description and features of crocosmia

Crocosmia belongs to the iris family; its dried flowers have a saffron scent. From Greek, the name translates as “weather vane”. The paniculate inflorescences have a spreading form, they are white, orange and yellow, with a diameter of 5 cm. The fruit contains a multi-seeded round capsule. Crocosmia grows in the wild in South Africa. It has been cultivated in European countries since the 19th century.

The plant grows from 0.4 to 1.5 meters in height. The stems are branching; leaf blades of xiphoid or linear shape are localized on them. The culture is similar to gladiolus and is grown using the same method. With the help of crocosmia, open flower beds are widely decorated, flowers are cut to create bouquets. They are stored unpicked for about 15 days..

Growing

Crocosmia does not involve any particular difficulties in growing. The plant requires support, hole preparation and suitable soil. Tubers are pre-treated to stimulate their successful rooting in a new place.

Landing place

Crocosmia is grown preferably on fertile lands with plenty of humus. The location of groundwater close to the soil surface is unacceptable. If the plant cannot be moved to a dry place, drainage work and underground flows are first carried out. The plant must be planted in well-lit plots where there are no tall trees, perennial flowers or bushes. The place must be protected from the wind.

When to plant crocosmia

Experienced gardeners recommend planting crocosmia in a permanent place at the end of April or early May. The earth should warm up to 10 degrees Celsius.

Preparation of planting material

Before planting, corms are treated in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. You can also dip them for 30 minutes in a growth stimulator like Kornevin or Epin.

Soil preparation

Soil preparation is done in the fall. The ground is plowed, 2 buckets of humus, 40 g of superphosphate, 100 g of slaked lime and 20 g of potassium chloride are added to each square meter. In the spring, before planting, nitrogen-containing substances are added to the soil in the ratio per 1 sq.m. 30 g of composition.

Planting scheme

Each bush should be 10 cm apart from each other. The optimal depth of the holes is 25 cm.

Care

Caring for crocosmia is not difficult; you just need to water it, trim it, feed it, and loosen the soil on time. It is advisable to grow the crop in the South or mid-latitudes. Since the plant is southern, it is unlikely to take root in the North.

Watering

Crocosmia is watered once a week with settled water. Overwatering should not be allowed, as the bulbs can rot. You can spray the leaves in the heat, after 16.00 with plain water from a spray bottle.

Loosening and weeding

After rains and irrigation, the soil is loosened and weeds are removed. The procedure helps saturate the soil with oxygen and penetrate moisture to the rhizome. Weeds interfere with the full growth of crocosmia and absorb nutrients from the ground.

Garter

Most varieties of crocosmia grow tall and require support. As such a structure, pegs are taken and flower stalks are tied to them. If the rule is ignored, the stems may break off under the weight of the inflorescences. Nutrients will be better supplied to the rhizome due to the garter.

Feeding crocosmia

When the leaves appear, the soil is first fed with mineral fertilizers. They are brought into the beds with bushes, 1 bucket at a time.You can water the crop with an infusion of cow manure or bird droppings. Fertilize it 3 times a month. By autumn, crocosmia is fed with potassium. The event will help strengthen the corms, and the plant will safely overwinter.

Trimming

After flowering, crocosmia flower stalks are cut off with disinfected pruning shears. The procedure requires that she does not waste energy on them, but gives her power to nourish the bulb and educate the children. You can leave the first 2-3 flower stalks on the bushes to get seeds from them. They are dried, placed in fabric bags, and stored in a dry place.

Pests and diseases

Crocosmia can be attacked by mole crickets and thrips. The first insects gnaw at the tubers, they begin to hurt, the leaves fade, and rotting occurs. Diseases include fusarium, jaundice, and fungi. Resistance to them is average.

Preparing for winter

It is necessary to cover the crop for the winter in regions where the air temperature drops from -20. In autumn, the bulbs are removed from the ground, around the beginning of October. They need to be dried and placed in a cool, well-ventilated room with an air temperature of +10.

If we are talking about areas with warm winters, you don’t have to dig up the flower. It is sprinkled with a mulching layer of spruce branches, wood shavings, and dried leaves. In the South, the area is covered with a 20 cm layer of mulch. Cling film is placed on top. When spring comes, the shelter is removed, old leaves are cut to the surface of the ground.

Reproduction

Crocosmia is bred with seeds and babies. Each method involves a separate technique, described below. The first method is more labor-intensive and time-consuming. Propagation by seedlings is popular.

Seeds

When sowing seeds into the soil, crocosmia seedlings may not appear. The procedure is carried out at the end of February or beginning of March. Before sowing, the seeds are filled with water for 1 day, changing it every 6 hours. They are sown in a soil mixture of peat, sand, turf soil and humus. Cover the container with cling film and move it to a bright place.

Children

Every year up to 6 babies are formed on the tubers. Every 2 years, in March, you can dig up an adult bush, separate the seedlings from it, planting them in separate containers. In May, seedlings need to be planted in a sunny place in holes up to 10 cm deep. This method helps not only to propagate the crop, but also to rejuvenate old bushes.

Popular types and varieties of crocosmia

There are more than 50 varieties of crocosmia, but in the countries of the former USSR, only 11 are cultivated. Their detailed description is given below.

Golden

Crocosmia is distinguished by linear leaves, small inflorescences of golden, red or orange color. The bushes bloom in September.

Massonorum

The plant is famous for its rich green sword-shaped leaves. The flowers are fiery orange. The bushes grow up to 60 cm in height, covered tightly with inflorescences. Pollen occurs in mid-July. The variety is characterized by the highest resistance to frost.

Potsa

Crocosmia grows well in marshy areas and is widely planted in shaded areas. The leaves are narrow, emerald green. The flowers are orange in color and small in size.

Lucifer

The bush reaches 1.5 meters in height. The flowers are painted in pastel colors or richly fiery.

McKenzie

The plant is low-growing, reaches 60 cm in height. The inflorescences are orange-brown, pointed towards the ends.

Red King

The height of crocosmia is about 80 cm.The inflorescences are deep orange, with a spot in the middle.

Tangerine Queen

The culture grows up to 1.2 meters high, the shade of the stems and leaves is rich green. The flowers are orange and large in size.

Citronella

The height of the bushes reaches about 1 meter, the leaves and stem are soft green in color. The inflorescences are bright yellow and flexible.

Star of the East

Crocosmia grows up to 1 meter in height, the stems are strong, the leaves are rich green. The peduncles are apricot-colored, their diameter is 10 cm. This is the longest flowering variety; pollen stops with the arrival of the first frost.

George Davidson

The bush has an average height of approximately 70 cm. A rosette of dark green leaves and amber panicles are its distinctive features. The variety is often grown for cutting purposes.

Paniculata

This is one of the most common varieties; the bushes grow up to 150 cm in height. The stems and leaves are rich green and narrow. Pollen occurs in June, the color of the inflorescences is orange-brown.

Possible difficulties

Crocosmia sometimes suffers from fungal infections when grown in flooded lands. Replanting and treating with fungicides will help eliminate rot. Flowers can also succumb to Fusarium invasion. The bulbs acquire a dark shade, they are soft, covered with stripes. It is difficult to cure the disease; it is better to isolate the bush and destroy its affected parts.

Crocosmia can also suffer from jaundice, in which the bulbs turn yellow and become dense. Many shoots are formed on them, with thin and yellowish foliage. In the early phase of the pathology, you can completely get rid of it by heating the bulb to +45 degrees.

They fight mole crickets with Medvetox, Grizzly, and Thunder.It is also recommended to install repellent traps to help isolate the area from harmful bugs. Thrips are removed by spraying the bushes with chemicals; they are diluted in the specified proportions.

Use in landscape design

Crocosmia will be a chic decoration for any garden. Flowering bushes create colorful cascades on lawns, near ponds, pools, and fountains.

Tall varieties decorate dilapidated walls of buildings or gazebos. Tritonia is good in monoculture, or among mixed flower beds. The crop can be planted in ridges, flower beds, and rockeries.