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The genus of anemone consists of 150 species. Most of them are rhizomatous plants that are easy to care for, all the problems are in their dislike for transplanting, since fragile roots break easily. A small part of the genus is made up of anemones with tubers. Here they are very different from their relatives in both appearance and care. Capricious beauties with large, catchy single flowers catch the eyes of others, but many gardeners refuse to get involved with planting them.
True, the most difficult thing is to grow a crown anemone. It is this flower that adorns articles about anemone and is sold in garden centers as shriveled dry bulbs with a beautiful picture on the label. But there are other tuberous anemones that are much easier to plant and care for. True, they look simpler, and cannot be compared in beauty to the crown anemone. They don't even need to be dug out on winter.
Features of tuberous anemones
Anemones with tuberous rhizomes, most often grown in home gardens, include:
- Caucasian anemone. It grows high in the mountains and does not require digging for the winter. This anemone does not need frequent watering, it can grow in an open place. Its height reaches 10-20 cm, blue flowers do not exceed 3 cm in diameter, by the beginning of summer the aboveground part dries up and dies off.
- Apennine anemone. It is very similar to the Caucasian anemone, but its flowers are not blue, but blue, and the size does not exceed 15 cm. This anemone is not as hardy as the previous one, but it winters well in the ground if the temperature does not drop below 23 degrees. In cold regions where there is little snowfall, plantings need to be mulched. There are garden forms of the Apennine anemone with different colors and flower sizes.
- Garden anemone. Its flowers are larger than in previous species, they reach a diameter of 5 cm and are pink or red in color. Bushes can grow up to 30 cm. The tubers of this anemone do not winter in a flower bed.
- Anemone is tender. Despite the name, it can withstand frost up to 25 degrees. Bushes grow up to 15 cm, wild anemone flowers are blue, garden varieties can be pink, white, lavender, red or bicolor. The plant is light-requiring and withstands drought well.
- Crown anemone... The most beautiful and most capricious of the anemone. Its homeland is the Mediterranean and the Middle East, their warm climate cannot be compared with ours. Even in the south, Ukraine has to dig up this anemone for the winter, with the exception of the Black Sea coast. Usually grown in gardens and greenhouses are numerous varieties and hybrids of crown anemone with double or simple flowers up to 8 cm in diameter, of various colors. Its height is about 45 cm. Look at the photo how beautiful the crown anemone is.
All of the listed types of tuberous anemones differ in that after flowering, the aerial part of them dies off. After a short period of time, it is impossible to find even the place where the plants were planted. Therefore, the anemone tuber of a species that does not winter on the street must be dug out before the aerial part is washed off by the rain or is carried away by the wind.
Selection of anemone tubers
It is about the choice of planting material in garden centers. If you grow anemone yourself, then you are confident in the quality of the bulbs, you know the storage conditions when they were dug up - last fall or five years ago.
Unfortunately, the only advice we can give is to buy anemone tubers from large garden centers. It is better if they are packaged and labeled by the manufacturer. So there is at least some guarantee that the planting material is of high quality.
Unfortunately, only well-dried anemone tubers are sold. Look at the photo, they are wrinkled and deformed. You can check the germination in one way - plant it in the ground and wait: will it grow or not. It remains to rely on the conscience of those who grew anemones and sold tubers.
When to plant anemones
It is possible to plant anemone tubers in the ground only in the spring, when it warms up well. But then the anemones will bloom, depending on the region, only by the middle or the end of summer, and this does not suit everyone. For the early appearance of buds, the tubers are planted in peat cups and kept in a cool room. When the weather is warm, they are buried in the ground level with the soil surface.
You do not need to use plastic or plastic containers for germinating anemone. When the time comes for planting the anemones in the ground, they will have to be removed from the containers. It is so easy to damage the roots, besides, an earthen lump can crumble in your hands, and all the work will go down the drain, and the tuber will have to be thrown away. It is better to use peat cups, anemones are planted with them.
Anemone can be used for forcing. Then the question "when to plant" disappears by itself. Forcing anemones can be done at any time, which has been done for many years by people who grow crown anemones from tubers for cut.
Choosing a place for planting anemones
Almost all anemone grows well in partial shade. But tuberous anemones are light-loving species. In the northern regions, an anemone grown in a shaded area will not bloom at all, or its color will be pale. In the south, on the contrary, it is impossible to plant plants under the scorching sun, but it is best to place them so that trees or shrubs with an openwork crown protect it at noon.
Absolutely all anemones do not like drafts. They got their second name due to the fact that the peduncles sway from the slightest vibration in the air, and the petals can fly around even from a light breeze. For the anemones, you need to choose a quiet, weather-protected place.
Planting anemone tubers
The planting of the anemone itself is simple, it is much more difficult to properly prepare the tubers.
Soil preparation
Prepare the soil before planting anemones. Flowers do not like stagnant water at the roots, so they should not be placed in a damp place. If you absolutely need to plant them exactly where it is always humid, arrange drainage from gravel, rubble or broken red brick.
The second requirement of tuberous anemones is an alkaline loose soil. You can deacidify it yourself by adding lime, ash or dolomite flour for digging. Peat or well-rotted manure will help make the soil water and air permeable. It is often advised to add sand to the soil for this. But there is such a nuance - only a large river serves as a baking powder. If you add fine sand to the soil, it will not only not loosen it, but, on the contrary, will make it dense and stubborn, as if it will cement it.
Before planting the anemones, dig up the area, remove stones and roots of weeds.
Preparing for planting anemone tubers
If you immediately plant dry, shriveled tubers in the ground, you will not be able to grow anemones from them. The bulbs must first be soaked. Every experienced gardener who successfully grows anemone has their own method. Here is some of them:
- Anemones are immersed in water so that the liquid covers only half of the tuber (this is done to prevent rotting) for 5-6 hours.
- A wet cloth is placed on the bottom of a shallow vessel, and anemone bulbs are placed on top.
- Place the anemones in wet sand or sphagnum.
- Wrap the tubers with a wet cloth and put them in a cellophane bag.
Surely there are many more ways to soak anemones. The main thing is not to place the tubers completely in the water.After moistening, they should swell. It is very good to add epin or zircon to the water for soaking the tubers of the anemone.
Planting in a container
In order for the anemone to bloom not by the end of summer, but much earlier, it must be germinated in peat pots. Further preparation is required before planting. For this:
- Take a shallow container, pour a little soil mixed with sand on the bottom, moisten and place the swollen anemone tubers on the surface.
- Cover the bowl with glass or wrap it in transparent cellophane and place in a cool place with a temperature of about 5 degrees.
- Air the anemone tubers daily, keep the substrate moist.
- After about 10 days, roots and growth points should appear. If they are not there, keep the anemone tubers in the same state for another week or a little more. Then the bulbs can be thrown away.
- Plant the sprouted anemones in peat cups with a light soil mixture to a depth of 5 cm so that the growth points are directed upwards.
- Keep the pots at about 12 degrees.
- Anemones are planted with cups when weather conditions permit.
Landing in the ground
If you are planting anemones directly in the soil, additional sprouting of tubers after soaking is not necessary. Dig shallow holes, add humus to each handful if you didn't dig it, and stir well with the ground.
It is necessary to plant anemone tubers to a depth of 5 cm. It is advised to place them with growth points up, with a blunt end down. But you are unlikely to find them in swollen tubers. Of course, try to figure it out, if it doesn't work out, plant the anemones as it happens, the sprout itself will find its way to the light, however, it will take a few extra days for it.
Water the wells well, immediately mulch with peat or humus.
Caring for anemone in the ground
We have already done the most important job - we have planted anemones. Now let's find out how to grow them.
Watering
This is the most crucial moment in caring for anemone. The soil should not dry out, but stagnation of water at the roots is dangerous. In the spring of planting, anemone species that have not been dug up for the winter are watered no more than once a week, even if there is no rain for a long time.
In summer, if it is hot, dry weather, watering should be done daily. This is due to the fact that the root system of anemones is located close to the surface of the soil - it is dry, there is not enough moisture and flowers. To save time and effort, mulch the soil. It will help retain water.
Top dressing
Anemones are fed in the spring (species wintering in the ground) immediately after the appearance of the first leaves with a fertilizer containing a large amount of nitrogen. You can simply mulch the soil with a dry mullein and scatter ash over the surface. At the moment of bud formation, the anemone is fed with a mineral complex. In autumn, after flowering, potassium monophosphate or other fertilizer that does not contain nitrogen is applied.
This feeding scheme is suitable for all anemones, except for crown ones. They require additional doses of fertilizers during flowering.
Soil treatment
Anemones have a superficial root system. It is impossible to process the soil next to them with a chopper or flat cutter. Weeding will have to be done manually. To make your work easier, cover the soil with peat or dry mullein.
Conclusion
Of course, it is not so easy to grow anemones from tubers, especially those that need to be dug out annually for the winter. But how much joy can these beautiful flowers bring! Believe me, anemones are worth the effort spent on keeping them.
