Planting and caring for white cinquefoil in open ground, cultivation and propagation

White cinquefoil is a flower with a stunning appearance. It is grown in areas as a decorative ornament. Planting and caring for white cinquefoil in open ground practically no different from other plants. All that is required from a person is regularity and attentiveness.

Description and characteristics of white cinquefoil

The herbaceous perennial plant takes root in areas with any climate except the North.

You can recognize cinquefoil by the following characteristics:

• the height of the peduncles reaches 30 cm;
• there are no leaves on the stems;
• shoots are thin, dark green;
• the root system reaches 1 m in length;
• the root is thick and dark in color;
• the ends of the shoots are covered with transparent hairs;
• basal leaves are equipped with brown stipules;
• flowers are snow-white, collected in groups;
• flowering begins in late spring and continues until late summer.

Medicines are prepared from white cinquefoil. To do this, the plant is collected by hand. The appearance of thawed patches indicates that the plant is ready for harvest. During this period, the perennial contains the maximum amount of useful substances.

Main pros and cons

Cinquefoil plays a decorative role throughout the year. In spring, young leaves with a barely noticeable silver tint bloom. Abundant flowering continues throughout the summer. Insects from all over the area flock to the scent of flowers.

In autumn, after flowering, the bushes are covered with yellow leaves. The sight is especially beautiful in the morning. Frost covers the bush, which makes it even more mysterious. Even in winter, the bush attracts a lot of attention.

White cinquefoil is not part of the group of fastidious plants and adapts to any conditions. It endures winters with firmness, and in the spring it blooms with renewed vigor.

If the climate in the region where cinquefoil grows is warm, the bushes become lush and spreading. Huge flowers appear on the branches.

There are practically no downsides. The only feature, if it can be classified as a disadvantage, is the change in the appearance of the bush.

If white cinquefoil grows in the shade, it forms a squat shrub covered with small flowers. But even this does not spoil the beauty of the plant.

Features of growing shrubs

The growing procedure consists of small details. This is the choice of location, type of planting material and the process itself.

Choice of time and place

White cinquefoil prefers areas with slight shade. Planting in direct sunlight is contraindicated. The perennial does not like places with high moisture content. The best piece of land is loamy soil mixed with sand.

Cinquefoil tolerates the reproduction procedure without problems. Easily responds to planting from spring to mid-autumn. It is recommended to carry out such work in the spring.

Planting material

As for this part, the cinquefoil can be in the form of seeds or a shoot. To obtain young seedlings, seeds are sown in winter. And the strengthened sprouts are planted in a permanent place in the spring.

Planting process

It goes like this:

1. The bottom of the prepared hole is covered with pebbles or crushed stone. The presence of a drainage layer is mandatory.
2. A small amount of earth mixed with humus and river sand is sprinkled on top. The ratio is 2:2:1. Another 100 g of mineral fertilizer is added to the finished mixture.
3. The planted perennial is watered abundantly.

The tree trunk circle is mulched after watering. Straw or sawdust is used as mulch.

Recommendations for crop care

Young bushes and mature plants need care. This allows you to maintain the appearance of the plant in excellent condition.

Location

The bushes are suitable for replanting from 4 years of age. The perennial grows in one place for up to 20 years. Therefore, you should take care of the site in advance.

The soil

The earth must be mulched. The area where the cinquefoil grows is loosened.Weeds are also regularly removed.

Watering

The soil becomes saturated with moisture as the soil dries. In hot summers, water the plant up to 4 times a week. However, the water should not be cold. It is recommended to use settled water that has been exposed to sunlight all day.

Before the watering procedure, the soil is loosened so that moisture penetrates faster to the root system. On rainy days, soil saturation with moisture is stopped.

Feeding and fertilizers

The perennial needs nutrients during active growth. In spring, the bush is watered with water with the addition of phosphate and potassium sulfate. When the buds are forming, the cinquefoil is fed with complex fertilizers. In the latter case, it is necessary to contain large amounts of potassium and phosphorus.

Trimming

In addition to fertilizing, watering and loosening the soil, cinquefoil responds well to pruning. In spring it is formative, and in autumn it is sanitary. In spring, broken and dried shoots are cut off, thus forming the shape of a bush. In autumn, shoots growing in the center of the bush, as well as those that stretch upward, are removed.

Protecting plants from diseases and pests

Caring for a perennial is not difficult, since the bush practically does not get sick. Very rarely, cinquefoil is affected by powdery mildew, rust or spotting. Even if a gardener had to deal with a similar phenomenon, there is no need to worry too much. A pest attack will not greatly affect the appearance of the bush, and in the fall the affected branches will be pruned.

The appearance of cutworms is periodically noticed on the bushes. Insecticides are used to combat them. Fungicides are used to destroy pathogens of powdery mildew, rust and spotting.

Reproduction methods

White cinquefoil propagates by seeds, cuttings, layering and dividing the bush. The latter method becomes relevant in May and September. To do this, the bushes must be at least 3 years old.

Vegetative method

Cinquefoil propagates by layering and cuttings in July and August. Cuttings are obtained by cutting off the tops of shoots and removing flowers. Each specimen should be around 10 cm in length.

The cut branch is placed in perlite for 4-6 weeks. In this case, the air temperature in the room should be within +3-+5 °C. If necessary, cuttings are taken with a homemade greenhouse. Reproduction by layering occurs in the first half of summer.

Shoots growing close to the ground bend toward the surface. The branch should touch the ground. In order for a root to form faster, an incision is made where the branch touches the ground.

The shoot is placed in the prepared groove and covered with a small amount of soil. For secure fixation, clothespins or other homemade devices are used. By autumn, a root will form in the ground, which will allow the sprout to be separated from the large bush.

It is also possible to divide the bush. In order for the propagation method to give a positive result, a bush that is at least 3 years old is selected. Division is carried out in April, May or September.

After digging up the plant, the root system is cleared of soil and washed. The root is cut into pieces with a sharp knife. Each one should have at least 2 buds. After keeping in the root formation stimulator, the previously cut part is planted.

Seed method

You can get a young seedling by sowing seeds in the soil. This method of reproduction is used in rare cases. The method requires a lot of effort and time. Still, some gardeners decide on it and get cinquefoil.

White cinquefoil in landscape design

The perennial plant is successfully used for:

• rock gardens;
• flower beds-mixborders;
• rosaries;
• ordinary flower beds.

Planted in all sorts of places. Able to keep its shape well, forming hedges and borders. Looks great in combination with other plants and as a single bush on a plot of land.

Cinquefoil is a real long-liver, as it remains on the site for an average of 20-25 years. But there are exceptions, when individual specimens lived up to 30 years. Cinquefoil will be the main decoration in the garden if it is given a separate place and constantly looked after.