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Primrose fine-toothed is an ornamental plant with beautiful spherical inflorescences, the flowering period of which begins in April. Low bushes that do not require special care become a good decoration for a personal plot.
Description of fine-toothed primrose
Primrose fine-toothed is a perennial plant belonging to the Primrose genus. The leaves of the species are oval, wrinkled, have small jagged edges and reach a size of 30-40 cm by the end of the flowering period. The flowers are characterized by the presence of a jagged edge, for which, in fact, the plant got its name.
Fine-toothed primrose can decorate any garden plot
The spherical inflorescences in most cases have a lilac hue. White, yellow, blue, pink and red flowers are less common. The peduncles are thick, and this is not surprising, because they have to hold an inflorescence measuring about 10 cm in diameter. In their upper part there is a rosette consisting of oblong wrinkled lanceolate leaves.
It is noteworthy that the foliage of the primrose is formed together with the peduncle and reaches its maximum size by the time the seeds ripen.
The plant blooms in April-May, the total budding period is about 40 days. During the blooming period, the species reaches 10-25 cm in height, but some varieties grow up to 50-60.
In the Russian latitude, perennial primroses are most often grown. However, there are one- and two-year-old species.
Despite its modest appearance, primrose is popular among gardeners. Maybe because it is one of the first to please with its bright colors.
Varieties of fine-toothed primrose
There are several varieties of the plant: fine-toothed primrose Pon pon, Alba, Bugle and others, differing from each other in appearance. Each of them will be discussed in more detail below.
Alba
Small white flowers (about 1.5 cm in diameter) of the Alba variety are formed into larger inflorescences up to 10 cm in size. The height of the bush at the beginning of flowering is 20 cm, by the time the seeds ripen it increases to 50. Flowering time is from mid-April to early June . Primrose fine-toothed Alba loves moisture and partial shade.
Primrose Alba inflorescences reach 10 cm in size
Ruby
Primrose fine-toothed Ruby is notable for having bright red or pink flowers that reach 6 cm in diameter. By the way, thanks to their color the flower got its name. The plant can be an ideal solution for decorating a border or the banks of an artificial pond. Looks good next to tall bushes. Rubin pleases with its flowers from April to June.
Primrose Ruby can be an ideal decoration for borders and natural ponds
Violet
Based on the name, you can guess what shade the flowers of this plant have. Violet's inflorescences are not as large as those of some other species.However, the bright purple flower heads stand out particularly well in a flower bed. Flowering time, like all varieties, is from April to June.
Violet primrose flowers Vilet will look great on the garden lawn
Bugle beads
A characteristic difference between Bugle primrose and other varieties is the presence of large, powerful leaves with a relatively small plant height (about 35 cm). Flowers come in different shades: pink, yellow, white, purple, blue.
Bugle primrose flowers can be of different colors
The flowering period, like other primroses, lasts from April to June.
Red
This is a very beautiful plant with bright red flowers without impurities, collected in spectacular inflorescences in the shape of a ball. Primula fine-toothed Red loves moist, shaded areas. Red blooms from April to June.
Primula Red loves moist and shaded areas
Pink
Pink fine-toothed primrose bushes grow up to 20-25 cm. Small pink Pink flowers are formed into round inflorescences with a diameter of about 15 cm.
Primula Pink is a low plant with large balls of inflorescences
Application in landscape design
There are probably areas that are not too sunlit in any garden. Places near a fence, wall or in the shade of trees are ideal for growing primroses.
Primrose can decorate any area - a border, the shore of a pond, a lawn, an alpine hill or a garden bed. And primroses in flowerpots are a good option for decorating a gazebo, porch, balcony or staircase.
Primrose can become a lawn decoration
Plants with similar preferences are placed next to the primrose, that is, those that love shade and moisture. The best neighbors are hosta, astilbe, fern.
Planting and caring for fine-toothed primrose
Primrose is an unpretentious plant, so even a novice gardener can grow it. However, you should still know some of the subtleties of propagating this beautiful flower and caring for it.
A prerequisite for the normal development of primrose is the presence of humus-rich soil. For a houseplant, you can buy a ready-made composition or make it yourself by mixing sand, peat and black soil in equal parts. And for gardening, it is better to use soil that contains homemade compost and organic fertilizers, in particular, aged cow manure.
Clay soils are not suitable for growing primroses, but if you still have to use them, you need to make drainage from vermiculite or perlite, which is placed at the bottom of the hole or flower pot under a layer of soil.
Primrose loves moisture, so it is ideal to plant it near a body of water - a stream or an artificial pond on the site. If this is not possible, the plant will have to be watered more often: at least 3 times a week in cool weather and every day in hot weather.
There are two ways to propagate fine-toothed primrose: cuttings and seeds.
Seeds can be sown either in a container with subsequent transplantation of the plant, or directly into open soil.
When sowing seeds in a container:
- spread them on cotton pads placed in containers with low sides;
- each disk is covered with another and sprayed with water, the seeds should be moist, but not wet;
- The sprouted seed material is planted in a container for seedlings.
The picking is done after the first three sheets appear. Each bush is transferred to a separate container for rooting and subsequent development.
Primrose is picked after the appearance of the third leaf
Sowing seeds in open soil is carried out as follows:
- make a hole in the soil about one and a half centimeters deep;
- place the seeds as close to each other as possible;
- cover the hole with soil (the top layer should be no more than 2 cm);
- Cover the bed with mulch, which includes fallen leaves, sawdust, and dry grass without seeds. The mulch layer should be approximately 5 cm.
Plants grown from seeds are transplanted to a permanent location after a year.
After three years of life, the appearance of the primrose noticeably deteriorates - the leaves become thinner and the inflorescences become smaller. This indicates that it is time to replant the primrose. This is done after the flowering period.
During the transplant process:
- water the plant abundantly;
- when the water is completely absorbed and the ground becomes soft, the primrose is dug up;
- wash off the dirt from the root and carefully divide it into 2-3 parts with a sharp knife;
- the sections are sprinkled with wood ash;
- transplant the separated shoots to another place, leaving a distance of 20-25 cm between low-growing bushes, and 35-40 between tall bushes;
- The soil between the bushes is covered with mulch.
It is better to plant in the evening or in cool weather. There is no need to over-water the bushes.
Everyday care of a garden flower is not difficult. All that primrose needs is regular watering, removal of weeds, loosening the soil, fertilizer and protection from pests.
If the soil is covered with a mulch layer, it is not necessary to loosen it. Weeds are removed as they appear. Water as the soil dries out.
The first fertilizing with organic fertilizers is done at the beginning of the flowering period, and the second at the end.
In order for indoor primrose to delight you with its flowering for as long as possible, you should:
- Maintain optimal temperature conditions. The room should not be hot or cold. The optimal temperature for the plant is + 8-16 °C.
- Water regularly. The flower loves moisture, so it will have to be irrigated 2-3 times every 7 days. If the air in the apartment is dry, it is recommended to spray flowers with leaves every day.
- Provide proper lighting. A suitable place for indoor primrose will be an area of the room with diffused light. Direct rays of the sun can be harmful to the plant.
- Feed. Feeding the plant is a prerequisite for its normal development and flowering. Experts recommend fertilizing primrose twice: immediately after replanting with organic fertilizers - bone meal, peat or compost, and after the end of the flowering period - with ammonium nitrate.
Indoor primrose can be planted at any time of the year. A month passes from the moment of planting until the first flowers appear.
Indoor primrose can be planted at any time of the year
Wintering
Primrose is no longer afraid of the cold, but of temperature changes, so it is advisable to provide her with a comfortable winter. Snow is considered the best protection for the plant, but since it does not always happen in winter, primrose is covered with improvised material in the fall. The bushes are covered with a mixture of earth and fallen leaves, and covered with spruce branches on top.
Diseases and pests
Like any other plant, fine-toothed primrose can suffer from diseases and pests.
The most common diseases are:
- Rot. A characteristic symptom of this disease is dry or watery gray spots that first appear on leaves and flowers, and then affect the stem and root system. The disease is dangerous for the plant and can cause its death. At the initial stage, it is recommended to use Ridomil Gold or Allet for treatment.
If the rot is in an advanced form, treatment will not give a positive result, so the primrose will have to be destroyed
- Spotting. This disease is characterized by the appearance of yellow-brown spots on the leaves, surrounded by a transparent coating. Fungicidal preparations Fitosporin-M or Alirin-B will help cope with this problem.
If the disease is ignored, the affected plant will turn black and die
- Nematode. The development of this disease leads to deformation of the shoots and roots of primrose. The plant becomes lethargic, and knobby formations appear on the roots.
It is impossible to cure the nematode, so the plant will have to be destroyed.
The list of pests that love primrose includes spider mites, thrips, aphids, weevils, and snails.
You can cope with uninvited guests by treating the plant with insecticidal preparations “Aktara”, “Ampligo”, “Confidor”. A soap solution is suitable for home remedies. You can get rid of snails using wood ash, which is used to cover the ground near the bushes.
Conclusion
Primula fine-toothed is a plant for which gardeners’ love grows with the increase in the number of specimens in the garden. And this is not surprising, because they are all very beautiful.And the versatility and unpretentiousness of this garden beauty only fuels interest. Therefore, a good option is to plant this flower in your garden, especially since caring for it will not take much time.
