Content
The flower belongs to perennial plants of the buttercup family, genus anemone (there are about 120 species). The first mentions of japanese anemone appear in 1784 with Karl Thunberg, a famous Swedish scientist and naturalist. And already in 1844 the plant was brought to Europe. It was in England that the hybrid anemone was bred by crossing. Flowers can be roughly divided by flowering period: spring and autumn. Several varieties of these flowers are now popular. The most famous autumn anemone: anemone hybrid Serenade, anemone Velvid, anemone Margaret.
The plant has erect, branched stems 60-70 cm high. The flowers grow relatively large - from 3 to 6 cm in diameter and form loose, spreading inflorescences. Semi-double petals are elegantly colored, predominantly bright pink.
Varietal splendor of hybrid anemones
Due to its late flowering, the hybrid anemone is very popular with summer residents. The plant has several characteristics. First of all, it is a tall stem that grows up to one meter and does not bend during the growth of the plant. Therefore, these bushes do not need support. The leaves are juicy green in color. During the flowering period, the hybrids release several arrows at once. Flowers anemones stand out with a yellowish middle and have semi-double petals of various shades. Some varieties are more popular and in demand:
Anemone Welwind
Delicate perennial flower. Stems grow up to 80 cm high. The foliage is grayish-green. The anemone has a horizontal rhizome. The flowers grow about 8 cm in diameter and have pale white petals, form inflorescences of 14-15 pieces. The plant blooms in August and blooms until frost;
Anemone Margaret
A wonderful variety. This is a perennial plant, the stems of which grow up to 100 cm long. It blooms in August with large pink double or semi-double flowers. Flowering continues until early October;
Anemone Serenade
It has pale pink elegant semi-double flowers with a yellow center. Plants bloom at the end of July and delight summer residents with elegant inflorescences until the end of September. As a rule, the stems grow up to 85 cm high;
Anemone Queen Charlotte
Spectacular flower, grows 60-90 cm high. Flowers are of medium size. Pale pink petals border the golden center. The flowering period is from mid-summer to the first frost.
A variety of varieties allows every summer resident and gardener to choose an anemone to their liking.
Rules for growing hybrid anemones
Autumn flowers are unpretentious, grow well. To get an elegant flower garden, for the period of late summer and early autumn, you must adhere to some rules for planting and caring for the plant.
When choosing a site for growing flowers, you need to pay attention to places that are not heavily blown by drafts and moderately illuminated by the sun. A slightly shaded area is the best option for an anemone. It should also be borne in mind that during the growth period, the stems grow strongly in the flower. Given the weak root system, the plant should be planted in areas where nothing will damage it.
Anemone hybrid prefers drained sandy loam or loamy soil. The structure of the soil should be loose and water permeable. Otherwise, stagnation of moisture adversely affects the growth of the plant and can lead to decay of the roots.The soil is generally neutral or slightly acidic. To lower the acidity level (if it is higher than 7 units), wood ash is used. It is enough to pour some ash into the hole before planting the plant, and during the growth period, you can sprinkle the soil around the sprout. You can make the soil looser by adding sand.
Flower propagation
To breed hybrid anemones, you can use two means: seeds and division of the rhizome.
- Seed breeding of the plant is considered very problematic, as the seed germination rate is about 25%. And the seeds of anemones two years ago do not germinate at all. To increase germination, seed stratification is used. They create a humid environment for 4-5 weeks and keep them at a low temperature. When planting, it is not recommended to lower the seeds deep into the ground, as fragile and thin sprouts of anemones will not be able to break through the soil layer. During the germination period, the moisture of the soil must be carefully monitored, since the root system of young flowers can quickly rot. Hybrid anemone blooms in 2-3 years after germination from seeds.
- The most convenient way to breed plants is by dividing the rhizome. You need to choose a plant that is at least 4 years old. The most suitable time for this procedure is the beginning of spring, when active sap flow has not yet begun. The rhizomes of the anemones are dug up and divided into parts. The separated part of the root must necessarily have several buds for the stems to germinate. The root is planted to a depth of about 5 cm.When the first shoots appear, it is advisable to gently shade the anemone for the daytime so that the new leaves gradually harden and get used to the sun.
It is necessary to transplant the plant only in the spring, to a site with pre-prepared soil - the earth is carefully dug up, loosened and fertilized with compost. You can, of course, plant plants in the fall, but there is a high probability that the seedlings will not harden before winter and will not survive frost. Flowers planted in spring will adapt to the soil and the site for several months. Therefore, do not expect abundant flowering from anemones in the first summer.
Care features
There are no secret methods for growing a hybrid anemone. The main requirement is to plant the plant in moist fertile soil.
It is advisable to do regular weeding of flowers by hand, otherwise you can damage the root system with a hoe. Loose and water the ground as needed. With weak watering, the plant will not gain strength for growth and buds may not set. Since excess moisture will lead to decay of the roots, it is advisable to create high-quality drainage - mulching the area with peat or straw. In the root zone of the plant, it is recommended to lay mulch in a layer of 5 cm.
Also, do not frequent with watering in cold summer. And on hot days, it is worthwhile to water the plant daily: before sunrise or after sunset.
When the hybrid anemone has faded, all the stems are carefully cut. The basal leaves are left and must be cut in the spring. The remaining bushes are covered with spunbond or a thick layer of fallen leaves, since during the winter with little snow, the plants can freeze out. To make it easier to open flowers in the spring, the location of the bushes is marked with pegs.
Plant feeding
To improve the quality of the soil where the anemones grow, organic and inorganic fertilizers are used. Organic matter includes manure, compost, which are added to the soil before planting a plant and during the flowering period.
To prepare the fertilizer, 500 g of manure is diluted in 5 liters of water. The solution is poured over the soil near the plants.
Complex mineral fertilizers (Ammophos, Ammofoska) are added to the soil in autumn to increase the immunity of flowers and their resistance to diseases. Inorganic also improves the tillering processes of plants and the decorative qualities of flowers.
Hybrid anemone disease
This plant has good disease and pest resistance. Sometimes the flower is damaged by a leaf nematode (microscopic phytohelminths). Pests penetrate the leaves and roots of the plant, which almost always leads to the death of the flower. Infection manifests itself in a slowdown in the growth of the hybrid anemone, dry spots appear on the leaves. On the underside of the foliage, shiny spots with a brownish / red tint are formed.
To combat a plant pest, you can spray the bush with Decaris solution (one tablet per liter of water), and the infected leaves must be removed and burned.
As a preventive measure, you can recommend: reduce watering anemones in cool weather, do not irrigate the flowers from above (this leads to the rapid multiplication of helminths). If the plant is severely affected, then it is better to remove the entire bush, and dig up the ground under the diseased bush and replace it.
Some harm to anemones is caused by snails and slugs. To get rid of them, they are collected from the bushes, and the plant is treated with a solution of metaldehyde. If there is no desire to use such a strong poison, then you can resort to folk remedies: sprinkle the soil around the bushes with sand, ash or sawdust.
Conclusion
Hybrid anemones exquisitely decorate the summer cottage from mid-summer until frost. Due to their growth, massive and long-term flowering, these plants are considered universal flowers for planting in autumn mixborders (mixed flower beds). Anemones look exquisite against the background of trees and are able to gently decorate any corner of the country. These plants are organically combined with other flowers: asters, bush chrysanthemums, gladioli.
